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The Darling Strumpet
A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans.
From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.
Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.
From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.
Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2011
59 people are currently reading
3315 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Bagwell
7 books228 followersGillian Bagwell's richly detailed historical novels bring to vivid life England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
"Venus in Winter" based on the first forty years of the life of the formidable four-times widowed dynast Bess of Hardwick, begins with Bess's introduction to the court of Henry VIII just as the king weds Anne of Cleves. Bess quickly learns to navigate the treacherous waters, and survives the turbulent reigns of five Tudor monarchs to become of the most powerful women in the history of England.
"The Darling Strumpet" puts the reader smack in the tumultuous world of seventeenth century London, charting Nell Gwynn's meteoric rise from the grimy slums to triumph as a beloved comic actress, through the cataclysmic years of the last plague epidemic and the Great Fire of 1666, to the licentious court and the arms of the king.
"The September Queen" (U.K. title "The King's Mistress") is the first fictional accounting of the extraordinary real-life adventure of Jane Lane, who risked all to help the young Charles II escape after the disastrous Battle of Worcester in 1651, saving his life and the future of the English monarchy.
Gillian uses her years of experience in theatre an actress, director, and producer to help authors give effective public readings, through workshops and private coaching.
Her life-long fascination with British history and dedication to research infuse her novels with a compelling evocation of time and place, and provide fodder for her non-fiction writing, including articles on "Frost Fairs on the River Thames," "The Royal Miracle: The Biggest What-If in English History," and "1660: The Year of the Restoration of Theatre".
Gillian blogged her research adventures for "The Darling Strumpet" and "The September Queen," including the day-by-day events of Charles II's dramatic escape after the Battle of Worcester.
Please follow Gillian on Twitter: @gillianbagwell, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillianbagwell, and visit her website,
www.gillianbagwell.com, for more on her books and upcoming events.
"Venus in Winter" based on the first forty years of the life of the formidable four-times widowed dynast Bess of Hardwick, begins with Bess's introduction to the court of Henry VIII just as the king weds Anne of Cleves. Bess quickly learns to navigate the treacherous waters, and survives the turbulent reigns of five Tudor monarchs to become of the most powerful women in the history of England.
"The Darling Strumpet" puts the reader smack in the tumultuous world of seventeenth century London, charting Nell Gwynn's meteoric rise from the grimy slums to triumph as a beloved comic actress, through the cataclysmic years of the last plague epidemic and the Great Fire of 1666, to the licentious court and the arms of the king.
"The September Queen" (U.K. title "The King's Mistress") is the first fictional accounting of the extraordinary real-life adventure of Jane Lane, who risked all to help the young Charles II escape after the disastrous Battle of Worcester in 1651, saving his life and the future of the English monarchy.
Gillian uses her years of experience in theatre an actress, director, and producer to help authors give effective public readings, through workshops and private coaching.
Her life-long fascination with British history and dedication to research infuse her novels with a compelling evocation of time and place, and provide fodder for her non-fiction writing, including articles on "Frost Fairs on the River Thames," "The Royal Miracle: The Biggest What-If in English History," and "1660: The Year of the Restoration of Theatre".
Gillian blogged her research adventures for "The Darling Strumpet" and "The September Queen," including the day-by-day events of Charles II's dramatic escape after the Battle of Worcester.
Please follow Gillian on Twitter: @gillianbagwell, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillianbagwell, and visit her website,
www.gillianbagwell.com, for more on her books and upcoming events.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
November 13, 2012
This is one of the very few books I had to leave unfinished. The detailed descriptions of TEN-year-old Nell selling herself so she could buy herself some ribbons for her hair and something to eat just squicked me out. And then, she basically suffers a gang-rape at the hands of a group of boys who offered her money and then refused to pay.
Nell losing her virginity at such a young age may well be historically accurate. I know that girls were married young and that life was tough. But surely the author could have found a way to convey the information in a less graphic manner.
Perhaps having daughters around this age skewers my viewpoint, but I felt physically sick and couldn't read any more.
Nell losing her virginity at such a young age may well be historically accurate. I know that girls were married young and that life was tough. But surely the author could have found a way to convey the information in a less graphic manner.
Perhaps having daughters around this age skewers my viewpoint, but I felt physically sick and couldn't read any more.
May 3, 2012
I should warn you that Nell is my favorite historical figure and therefore I judge works on her quite harshly. With that being said, I still gave Gillian Bagwell’s “The Darling Strumpet” a fair shot and didn’t stop reading even when my eyes started rolling.
The harsh onslaught of graphic sexual encounters within the immediate first few pages is a bit hard to digest, even being aware of Nell’s lifestyle. This sort of introduction to those readers who may not familiar with Nell can cause distance which may not be lapsed. Nell is likable enough, however, she lacks the usual spunk and wit displayed in other historical fiction novels about her life. It is difficult to decide whether to root for her or be disgusted in “The Darling Strumpet” because the lack of character development prevents a detailed feel and look into her psyche.
“The Darling Strumpet” took until page 60 to become a bit more bearable (meaning: less about sex); and emphasized the foreshadowing and introductions of Nell’s theatrical career. However, speaking of foreshadowing, Bagwell exhausts the references to Lady Castlemaine and Nell’s desire to be like her and command her position with the King. Even a reader unfamiliar with Nell could decipher that she would become on-par (and sometimes above) Barbara in the mistress world.
Not only is historical accuracy not 100% but also much of the historical backdrop is lacking in terms of imagery and actually “living” the era. Oftentimes, it felt like a story with Nell simply in it versus her actual life story. I suppose “The Darling Strumpet” is more fiction than history. This is also weakened by the plot which is choppy and at times and too rushed. Plus, in order to explain the historical elements and lay the foundation for future events; Bagwell uses the method of having characters “gossip”. Again, the events aren’t “lived” and are instead merely discussed. This is supplemented by odd storylines such as fictional murders and mysteries. These simply don’t fit into the story, don’t add any essence, and are only briefly mentioned but then never explored. The characters involved are usually abruptly cut-off.
The effort to make Nell witty falls short. Other characters in “The Darling Strumpet” comment on her spunk but it doesn’t make sense because she is not feisty in the novel. Basically, something is missing from Nell’s usual personality.
Issues also arise with the writing style which is too modern and contains literary style which is one-dimensional and more YA than adult-oriented and thus, lacks a certain depth. Consistency is a problem as the enjoyment factor is up-and-down. For instance, the theater descriptions are always more hearty which exposes Bagwell’s own possible extensive interest in the topic and less in others.
As mentioned earlier, the sex scenes (which include threesomes) are a bit much to handle if you possess some lady-like qualities. Despite Nell’s “whore” background, it is a degrading portrayal and I’ve read better. If this was my first Nell book, I wouldn’t be as attracted to her. In terms of other characters, Charles Hart is a “good guy” in “The Darling Strumpet” with Nell leaving him broken-hearted. Usually, Hart is a promiscuous character and thus this alternate view can either upset or entice readers. Also skewed is the missing elements of relationships (whether positive or negative) between Nell and other female actresses like Moll Davis and Beck Marshall.
Wondering about the King and Nell? Charles and Nell lack chemistry and (AGAIN) the witty Nell we know and love is lost. These interactions between Nell and Charles should have been the meat and potatoes in “The Darling Strumpet” but they fall flat and Nell is child-like and under-developed.
The ending of “The Darling Strumpet” was rushed and without much substance. Every other page consisted of a character dying off, clearly to prep for Nell’s own death. It felt like Bagwell ran out of a plot.
Overall, “The Darling Strumpet” is not the best portrayal/glimpse into Nell or historically worthy. I wouldn’t necessarily want a first-time Nell reader to be acquainted with her in this light.
The harsh onslaught of graphic sexual encounters within the immediate first few pages is a bit hard to digest, even being aware of Nell’s lifestyle. This sort of introduction to those readers who may not familiar with Nell can cause distance which may not be lapsed. Nell is likable enough, however, she lacks the usual spunk and wit displayed in other historical fiction novels about her life. It is difficult to decide whether to root for her or be disgusted in “The Darling Strumpet” because the lack of character development prevents a detailed feel and look into her psyche.
“The Darling Strumpet” took until page 60 to become a bit more bearable (meaning: less about sex); and emphasized the foreshadowing and introductions of Nell’s theatrical career. However, speaking of foreshadowing, Bagwell exhausts the references to Lady Castlemaine and Nell’s desire to be like her and command her position with the King. Even a reader unfamiliar with Nell could decipher that she would become on-par (and sometimes above) Barbara in the mistress world.
Not only is historical accuracy not 100% but also much of the historical backdrop is lacking in terms of imagery and actually “living” the era. Oftentimes, it felt like a story with Nell simply in it versus her actual life story. I suppose “The Darling Strumpet” is more fiction than history. This is also weakened by the plot which is choppy and at times and too rushed. Plus, in order to explain the historical elements and lay the foundation for future events; Bagwell uses the method of having characters “gossip”. Again, the events aren’t “lived” and are instead merely discussed. This is supplemented by odd storylines such as fictional murders and mysteries. These simply don’t fit into the story, don’t add any essence, and are only briefly mentioned but then never explored. The characters involved are usually abruptly cut-off.
The effort to make Nell witty falls short. Other characters in “The Darling Strumpet” comment on her spunk but it doesn’t make sense because she is not feisty in the novel. Basically, something is missing from Nell’s usual personality.
Issues also arise with the writing style which is too modern and contains literary style which is one-dimensional and more YA than adult-oriented and thus, lacks a certain depth. Consistency is a problem as the enjoyment factor is up-and-down. For instance, the theater descriptions are always more hearty which exposes Bagwell’s own possible extensive interest in the topic and less in others.
As mentioned earlier, the sex scenes (which include threesomes) are a bit much to handle if you possess some lady-like qualities. Despite Nell’s “whore” background, it is a degrading portrayal and I’ve read better. If this was my first Nell book, I wouldn’t be as attracted to her. In terms of other characters, Charles Hart is a “good guy” in “The Darling Strumpet” with Nell leaving him broken-hearted. Usually, Hart is a promiscuous character and thus this alternate view can either upset or entice readers. Also skewed is the missing elements of relationships (whether positive or negative) between Nell and other female actresses like Moll Davis and Beck Marshall.
Wondering about the King and Nell? Charles and Nell lack chemistry and (AGAIN) the witty Nell we know and love is lost. These interactions between Nell and Charles should have been the meat and potatoes in “The Darling Strumpet” but they fall flat and Nell is child-like and under-developed.
The ending of “The Darling Strumpet” was rushed and without much substance. Every other page consisted of a character dying off, clearly to prep for Nell’s own death. It felt like Bagwell ran out of a plot.
Overall, “The Darling Strumpet” is not the best portrayal/glimpse into Nell or historically worthy. I wouldn’t necessarily want a first-time Nell reader to be acquainted with her in this light.
September 26, 2013
Gillain Bagwell's debut effort The Darling Strumpet was first published in trade paperback format back in 2011. Hilariously enough - or maybe not, depending on how much you value your $7.99 - the mass market paperback that I have in my hands declares this story as "historical romance" on the spine. There is even a tagline on the gorgeous cover - "A novel of Nell Gwynn, who captured the heart of England and King Charles II" - to make it sound like this is the literary upgrade of an average romance novel, where reading it will make you feel smarter and more profound about love.
Well, first of all, this is a romanticized tale of Nell Gwynn's life, yes, but it is only romantic in that Nell tells me that she's in love with King Charles II. That man is juggling her and three other mistresses at the same time, and he never tells her or behaves in a manner to suggest that he's in love with her. The "love" thing happens in the later half of the story. The first half is the story of Nell's rise from nobody to mattress queen, with some sex scenes, including a threesome. reminiscent of those sexy times Bertrice Small usually writes, only Ms Bagwell's sexy times are tamer compared to Ms Small's. Oh, and King Charles II dies in the end, and so does Nell. So, if you are expecting a romance novel, as in a romance novel and not a soap opera with a tacked on ending that tries to emulate some kind of "When Evita and Rose DeWitt Bukater compare who has the bigger kind of tearjerker ending" melodrama, then you may want to wave that $7.99 somewhere else.
Nell Gwynn, in history, is supposed to be this witty, beautiful, and popular actress whose greatest claim to fame is that she is a long time mistress of King Charles II. Alas, historical fiction tends to treat her like a placeholder for political events during her time, and this one is no different. Worse, this version of Nell is flat, boring, and devoid of any memorable trait. I always assumed that Nell would have a pretty good degree of cunning to retain King Charles II's interest as well as survive the dangerous political currents of his court, but from Ms Bagwell's version of Nell, it's more akin of Nell just somehow stumbling to the last page by default.
This Nell shows little actual wit, and the few "witty" scenes are lifted from previous anecdotes in history, such as Nell's famous line to King Charles II and his brother the Duke of York, "But this is the poorest company I ever was in!" or her line to a bunch of enraged mob who mistook her carriage for that of Louise de Kérouaille,"You are mistaken; I am the Protestant whore." Left to her own devices, Ms Bagwell's idea of "wit" for Nell often falls flat. This Nell's wit, therefore, is an informed atrribute. I don't see the vaunted wit; the author just insists that it's there... somewhere.
The author also doesn't seem to know what she wants her version of Nell to be. I think Ms Bagwell just wants Nell to be liked, so she has Nell becoming this weepy creature that is often carried along by the people around her. This Nell has no interest in politics or anything at all. Her greatest concern, whenever some political disturbance takes place, is when the theater would reopen. When the man she is living with, Charles Hart, comes home to complain bitterly about King Charles II shutting down the theater after a play offended that man, Nell's response is to ask Hart whether he wants to practice his lines with her now that he's home. Nell is this... girl-child thing... that manages to waddle all the way to the last page without having to display any depth in her character.
The only time Nell actually does something on her own is to leave her mother and become a prostitute in the author's version of Nell's teenage years. Even then, her sister does all the actual work to help Nell get set up at the neighborhood posh brothel. That's understandable, given that Nell is in her early teens, but Nell's passive character becomes exasperating to follow when she grows older and she's supposed to be even a little shrewd and smart. But no, the guys are the ones who pursue her, and she gets passed around until, how lucky, the King thinks that she's hot and decides to keep her as his mistress.
The Duke of Buckingham, the guy who becomes Nell's procurer in his ambitions to find a woman to supplant King Charles II's current mistress Barbara Palmer, is portrayed here as an elderly friend and confidante. No mention of Nell wanting money from Charles, because this would distort the author's agenda to portray Nell as a gold-hearted tart, and no mention of Nell's cunning efforts to secure titles for her illegitimate children. No, Nell is this selfless, giving sweetheart who only wants the love of the king, and who only does something when she gets jealous about his other women, and even then, in the end all women are happy to share him because they all know he has a place for each of them in his heart.
No, no mention of Nell possibly dying from syphilis - she dies of a broken heart, poor thing, after Charles took his kingly affections to the afterlife. No mention either of Nell leaving some money in her will to Newgate prisoners, because the author would prefer her sweet, saintly Nell leaving money for poor people without criminal records instead.
Perhaps knowing that all that bland one-dimensional sweetness will put me to sleep, the author has some half-baked sex scenes thrown in, although these scenes only serve to either show me how every good guy wants Nell from first sight because she's so amazing or how every bad guy wants Nell and turns her into a victim of their rampant beastly lusts. Nell's exchange of her body for financial security is made so pretty by showing me how those guys give her money willingly because she's just so witty, beautiful, awesome, and sexy and she's only doing it because she really needs the money.
Sigh.
Interesting political events are glossed over quickly, and the later half of the story is like a history book chopped up with all the readable bits thrown out to be replaced by Nell making cow eyes at Charles. The author for some reason introduces a cartoon crazy guy that shows up every few years to terrorize Nell, and even then, this problem is solved by the men around Nell. Nell, like she always does, just cries and acts like the most tragic (and sexy, don't forget that, oh, and also witty) heroine in the land.
The Darling Strumpet is pretty amazing in that the author manages to use over 300 pages to turn one of the most popular figures in Restoration England history into a singularly bland and lifeless thing with no discernible personality throughout the whole story. Nell is every man's favorite personality-free mattress of love, King Charles II is a pimp daddy with more bastards than the entire NBA roster, but their love is so pure that when Nell dies, they meet again in heaven, along with Nell's ex-lovers turned BFFs, where they'd presumably have a holy orgy forever as Céline Dion belts out their love anthem, specially composed by James Horner just to cherish this beauteous love for all time.
Well, first of all, this is a romanticized tale of Nell Gwynn's life, yes, but it is only romantic in that Nell tells me that she's in love with King Charles II. That man is juggling her and three other mistresses at the same time, and he never tells her or behaves in a manner to suggest that he's in love with her. The "love" thing happens in the later half of the story. The first half is the story of Nell's rise from nobody to mattress queen, with some sex scenes, including a threesome. reminiscent of those sexy times Bertrice Small usually writes, only Ms Bagwell's sexy times are tamer compared to Ms Small's. Oh, and King Charles II dies in the end, and so does Nell. So, if you are expecting a romance novel, as in a romance novel and not a soap opera with a tacked on ending that tries to emulate some kind of "When Evita and Rose DeWitt Bukater compare who has the bigger kind of tearjerker ending" melodrama, then you may want to wave that $7.99 somewhere else.
Nell Gwynn, in history, is supposed to be this witty, beautiful, and popular actress whose greatest claim to fame is that she is a long time mistress of King Charles II. Alas, historical fiction tends to treat her like a placeholder for political events during her time, and this one is no different. Worse, this version of Nell is flat, boring, and devoid of any memorable trait. I always assumed that Nell would have a pretty good degree of cunning to retain King Charles II's interest as well as survive the dangerous political currents of his court, but from Ms Bagwell's version of Nell, it's more akin of Nell just somehow stumbling to the last page by default.
This Nell shows little actual wit, and the few "witty" scenes are lifted from previous anecdotes in history, such as Nell's famous line to King Charles II and his brother the Duke of York, "But this is the poorest company I ever was in!" or her line to a bunch of enraged mob who mistook her carriage for that of Louise de Kérouaille,"You are mistaken; I am the Protestant whore." Left to her own devices, Ms Bagwell's idea of "wit" for Nell often falls flat. This Nell's wit, therefore, is an informed atrribute. I don't see the vaunted wit; the author just insists that it's there... somewhere.
The author also doesn't seem to know what she wants her version of Nell to be. I think Ms Bagwell just wants Nell to be liked, so she has Nell becoming this weepy creature that is often carried along by the people around her. This Nell has no interest in politics or anything at all. Her greatest concern, whenever some political disturbance takes place, is when the theater would reopen. When the man she is living with, Charles Hart, comes home to complain bitterly about King Charles II shutting down the theater after a play offended that man, Nell's response is to ask Hart whether he wants to practice his lines with her now that he's home. Nell is this... girl-child thing... that manages to waddle all the way to the last page without having to display any depth in her character.
The only time Nell actually does something on her own is to leave her mother and become a prostitute in the author's version of Nell's teenage years. Even then, her sister does all the actual work to help Nell get set up at the neighborhood posh brothel. That's understandable, given that Nell is in her early teens, but Nell's passive character becomes exasperating to follow when she grows older and she's supposed to be even a little shrewd and smart. But no, the guys are the ones who pursue her, and she gets passed around until, how lucky, the King thinks that she's hot and decides to keep her as his mistress.
The Duke of Buckingham, the guy who becomes Nell's procurer in his ambitions to find a woman to supplant King Charles II's current mistress Barbara Palmer, is portrayed here as an elderly friend and confidante. No mention of Nell wanting money from Charles, because this would distort the author's agenda to portray Nell as a gold-hearted tart, and no mention of Nell's cunning efforts to secure titles for her illegitimate children. No, Nell is this selfless, giving sweetheart who only wants the love of the king, and who only does something when she gets jealous about his other women, and even then, in the end all women are happy to share him because they all know he has a place for each of them in his heart.
No, no mention of Nell possibly dying from syphilis - she dies of a broken heart, poor thing, after Charles took his kingly affections to the afterlife. No mention either of Nell leaving some money in her will to Newgate prisoners, because the author would prefer her sweet, saintly Nell leaving money for poor people without criminal records instead.
Perhaps knowing that all that bland one-dimensional sweetness will put me to sleep, the author has some half-baked sex scenes thrown in, although these scenes only serve to either show me how every good guy wants Nell from first sight because she's so amazing or how every bad guy wants Nell and turns her into a victim of their rampant beastly lusts. Nell's exchange of her body for financial security is made so pretty by showing me how those guys give her money willingly because she's just so witty, beautiful, awesome, and sexy and she's only doing it because she really needs the money.
Sigh.
Interesting political events are glossed over quickly, and the later half of the story is like a history book chopped up with all the readable bits thrown out to be replaced by Nell making cow eyes at Charles. The author for some reason introduces a cartoon crazy guy that shows up every few years to terrorize Nell, and even then, this problem is solved by the men around Nell. Nell, like she always does, just cries and acts like the most tragic (and sexy, don't forget that, oh, and also witty) heroine in the land.
The Darling Strumpet is pretty amazing in that the author manages to use over 300 pages to turn one of the most popular figures in Restoration England history into a singularly bland and lifeless thing with no discernible personality throughout the whole story. Nell is every man's favorite personality-free mattress of love, King Charles II is a pimp daddy with more bastards than the entire NBA roster, but their love is so pure that when Nell dies, they meet again in heaven, along with Nell's ex-lovers turned BFFs, where they'd presumably have a holy orgy forever as Céline Dion belts out their love anthem, specially composed by James Horner just to cherish this beauteous love for all time.
December 13, 2010
Since I wrote it, I must give it a good review! But in all fairness, others who have read it agree with me!
January 30, 2011
How have I not heard of Nell Gwynn before this? I recognized the names of most of her contemporaries, but somehow she has skated under my radar until now. Luckily I was able to snag the copy offered to Fiction Vixen and immerse myself in Nell’s life during the era of King Charles II.
The book opens in 1660 and a young Nell has finally tired of her life as an oyster girl. She’s decided to follow in her sister Rose’s footsteps and go to work at Madam Ross’s. I’m not clear on how old she is exactly, but we find out when she’s interviewing (sort of) with Madam Ross that she has only just started her courses. That very fact makes her life that much harder to read about. She doesn’t come across as a little girl though. Throughout the book she seems much older than her years and I constantly found myself surprised when another birthday was mentioned because I kept forgetting that she was so young.
I felt the writing and characterization in the beginning section was the roughest of the book. Nell’s decision to become a prostitute seemed willy-nilly and the way she jumped into her role of seductress searching for her first customer just seemed off. The lesson in hard knocks given to her by a group of young men on the day of King Charles’s return seemed designed to cast her in a sympathetic light, but it didn’t really work for me. I felt bad, yeah, but I also was frustrated by her attitude and actions.
The next day when she’s at Madam Ross’s waiting to be chosen we’re told that her seemingly nonchalant attitude of the day before had been fueled by hunger and desperation and later by drink. I just felt that if that was really supposed to have been her motivations it was clumsily done. The only reason I knew that was because she thought it to herself.
Luckily, the author hit her stride once Nell had been at Madam Ross’s for a while. I found it a little slow at times during this period, but that was just because the nature of Nell’s work made her days a bit repetitive. I really liked that along with the benefits like the pretty clothes and freedom from her mother, the downside of Nell’s life was shown. At one point after a celebration in honor of the royal marriage of Charles and Catherine the girls were so busy that they didn’t even bother to leave the rooms because the line of men waiting their turns outside their rooms was so long! Can you imagine that? Ouch!
My favorite parts were when Nell was acting. I loved seeing the camaraderie between the actors and the competition the King’s Company had with the Duke’s Company. I also really liked learning little facts about the theater world. I loved hearing about the reopening of the theaters after 18 years and the rise of women playing female parts instead of the traditional male actors.
The theater was also the stomping ground of two of my favorite characters in the book, Charles Hart and the Earl of Rochester. I loved Charles because he was really the nicest character in the whole book. He and Nell actually seemed to have a bond that I was sorry to see eventually break. Rochester was just a wicked, fascinating man who was written as an eventual dear friend to Nell. It was nice seeing him in that role as I usually only see his self destructive, libertine ways cast. I loved one of the scenes he had with Nell early in their relationship soon after they had become lovers.
I just thought that last line was particularly apt and powerful. He also said:
Which was another great line when applied to Nell and her life.
I really liked how the author showed Nell having stray meetings with the king at various times in her life. It really helped build a nice foundation for their eventual relationship. I also felt that the author did a great job of including important factual events and political happenings in the background. It really gave me a nice frame of reference for when things were actually occurring.
The last quarter of the book was very sad for me. It was rough watching Nell lose such important people. I though the author did an excellent job showing her pain and heartbreak though. I never felt that any of it was gratuitously included and it was very sad watching Nell try to cope again and again.
Although I really enjoyed this book I don’t think I’d ever want to walk in Nell’s shoes. She had a hard life and I was sorry to see her never be valued as much as I wanted her to be. She came a long way in life, and she was content, but I was a little sad she never got the happy ending I hoped she would. Alas, that’s usually the case when I read books based off of real historical figures.
Review originally posted at Fiction Vixen.
The book opens in 1660 and a young Nell has finally tired of her life as an oyster girl. She’s decided to follow in her sister Rose’s footsteps and go to work at Madam Ross’s. I’m not clear on how old she is exactly, but we find out when she’s interviewing (sort of) with Madam Ross that she has only just started her courses. That very fact makes her life that much harder to read about. She doesn’t come across as a little girl though. Throughout the book she seems much older than her years and I constantly found myself surprised when another birthday was mentioned because I kept forgetting that she was so young.
I felt the writing and characterization in the beginning section was the roughest of the book. Nell’s decision to become a prostitute seemed willy-nilly and the way she jumped into her role of seductress searching for her first customer just seemed off. The lesson in hard knocks given to her by a group of young men on the day of King Charles’s return seemed designed to cast her in a sympathetic light, but it didn’t really work for me. I felt bad, yeah, but I also was frustrated by her attitude and actions.
The next day when she’s at Madam Ross’s waiting to be chosen we’re told that her seemingly nonchalant attitude of the day before had been fueled by hunger and desperation and later by drink. I just felt that if that was really supposed to have been her motivations it was clumsily done. The only reason I knew that was because she thought it to herself.
Luckily, the author hit her stride once Nell had been at Madam Ross’s for a while. I found it a little slow at times during this period, but that was just because the nature of Nell’s work made her days a bit repetitive. I really liked that along with the benefits like the pretty clothes and freedom from her mother, the downside of Nell’s life was shown. At one point after a celebration in honor of the royal marriage of Charles and Catherine the girls were so busy that they didn’t even bother to leave the rooms because the line of men waiting their turns outside their rooms was so long! Can you imagine that? Ouch!
My favorite parts were when Nell was acting. I loved seeing the camaraderie between the actors and the competition the King’s Company had with the Duke’s Company. I also really liked learning little facts about the theater world. I loved hearing about the reopening of the theaters after 18 years and the rise of women playing female parts instead of the traditional male actors.
The theater was also the stomping ground of two of my favorite characters in the book, Charles Hart and the Earl of Rochester. I loved Charles because he was really the nicest character in the whole book. He and Nell actually seemed to have a bond that I was sorry to see eventually break. Rochester was just a wicked, fascinating man who was written as an eventual dear friend to Nell. It was nice seeing him in that role as I usually only see his self destructive, libertine ways cast. I loved one of the scenes he had with Nell early in their relationship soon after they had become lovers.
"You can give a man a quick ride that leaves him happy or a night of play that tires him. But there is more to learn. You can give a man such pleasure, not just in his body but in his mind, his soul, that you become a drug. So that he will crave you. So that his bollocks will ache and give him no peace until his prick is once more master of that smooth warmth. And I can train you, pretty pet. Do you want that?"
Nell found that her heart was beating and her loins were on fire. She looked up at Rochester and found she could hardly breathe.
"Yes, my lord."
"Good. On your knees. No, off the bed. For this is your god, and you must worship it."
I just thought that last line was particularly apt and powerful. He also said:
”This bed is your stage,” Rochester said. “From such a stage you could do anything.”
Which was another great line when applied to Nell and her life.
I really liked how the author showed Nell having stray meetings with the king at various times in her life. It really helped build a nice foundation for their eventual relationship. I also felt that the author did a great job of including important factual events and political happenings in the background. It really gave me a nice frame of reference for when things were actually occurring.
The last quarter of the book was very sad for me. It was rough watching Nell lose such important people. I though the author did an excellent job showing her pain and heartbreak though. I never felt that any of it was gratuitously included and it was very sad watching Nell try to cope again and again.
Although I really enjoyed this book I don’t think I’d ever want to walk in Nell’s shoes. She had a hard life and I was sorry to see her never be valued as much as I wanted her to be. She came a long way in life, and she was content, but I was a little sad she never got the happy ending I hoped she would. Alas, that’s usually the case when I read books based off of real historical figures.
Review originally posted at Fiction Vixen.
abandoned
March 14, 2011This is not for me. Prostitute or no, I do not need that much detail to grasp what she had to do. Less is more.
January 4, 2011
The Darling Strumpet opens in May 1660. As the restored King Charles II makes his official entry into London, the young Nell Gwynn is taking the first steps in a career which will take her from oyster seller, to prostitute, orange girl, actress, courtesan and finally to royal mistress. At this stage in her life, sex is a means to an end for Nell, but Gillian Bagwell conveys her sensual nature by describing her pleasure in eating a hot pie she buys after selling her virginity for sixpence.
Nell’s life as an actress and Restoration playgirl will be familiar territory to anyone who has read Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber, but whereas Winsor was interested in the rivalry between the actresses, Gillian Bagwell focuses on the camaraderie of the theatre, which becomes a true home and a second family for Nell. Nell’s roles also allow her to create a public image and to win popularity.
Forever Amber, for all its racy reputation, never ventures beyond the bedroom door – I remember being particularly frustrated when Amber breezes in after her first night with the king – to which the reader is not made privy! By contrast, The Darling Strumpet is refreshingly frank, and while the sex scenes are not just vanilla (there’s definitely some chocolate and raspberry ripple in there too) they are both well written and true to the time and the historical record. The Restoration, at least for the court, was a period of hedonism and sexual freedom comparable to the Swinging Sixties three hundred years later – and Nell makes the most of it. She is a born survivor who has to learn to trust her head over her heart, yet she never loses her compassion for those still mired in the poverty into which she was born.
The atmosphere of Restoration London is beautifully rendered in this richly textured novel. Sedan chairs, frost fairs, hot wassail, changeable silks – the details on every page evoke time and place, while the dialogue strikes the right note between authenticity and accessibility. The Earl of Rochester in particular has some wonderful lines, as does King Charles, whose relationship with Nell is realistically drawn. The Darling Strumpet packs the events of twenty-five years into fewer than four hundred pages, and while I found it enjoyable and very readable, the relatively limited page space and the breaking up of the narrative into short scenes meant that it sometimes seemed a little breathless. I find it easier to engage emotionally with longer scenes and one in particular, Charles’s last meeting with Nell, has stuck in my mind as particularly moving.
I would definitely recommend The Darling Strumpet to anyone looking for a rich and spicy winter read - thanks to Berkley for providing me with a review copy.
Nell’s life as an actress and Restoration playgirl will be familiar territory to anyone who has read Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber, but whereas Winsor was interested in the rivalry between the actresses, Gillian Bagwell focuses on the camaraderie of the theatre, which becomes a true home and a second family for Nell. Nell’s roles also allow her to create a public image and to win popularity.
Forever Amber, for all its racy reputation, never ventures beyond the bedroom door – I remember being particularly frustrated when Amber breezes in after her first night with the king – to which the reader is not made privy! By contrast, The Darling Strumpet is refreshingly frank, and while the sex scenes are not just vanilla (there’s definitely some chocolate and raspberry ripple in there too) they are both well written and true to the time and the historical record. The Restoration, at least for the court, was a period of hedonism and sexual freedom comparable to the Swinging Sixties three hundred years later – and Nell makes the most of it. She is a born survivor who has to learn to trust her head over her heart, yet she never loses her compassion for those still mired in the poverty into which she was born.
The atmosphere of Restoration London is beautifully rendered in this richly textured novel. Sedan chairs, frost fairs, hot wassail, changeable silks – the details on every page evoke time and place, while the dialogue strikes the right note between authenticity and accessibility. The Earl of Rochester in particular has some wonderful lines, as does King Charles, whose relationship with Nell is realistically drawn. The Darling Strumpet packs the events of twenty-five years into fewer than four hundred pages, and while I found it enjoyable and very readable, the relatively limited page space and the breaking up of the narrative into short scenes meant that it sometimes seemed a little breathless. I find it easier to engage emotionally with longer scenes and one in particular, Charles’s last meeting with Nell, has stuck in my mind as particularly moving.
I would definitely recommend The Darling Strumpet to anyone looking for a rich and spicy winter read - thanks to Berkley for providing me with a review copy.
February 8, 2011
I cannot praise this book enough. Bagwell took on quite a challenge. It is very difficult, in my estimation, to write a novel that covers an entire lifetime, albeit a short one like Nell Gwynn's. It's strange because I didn't perceive that I was becoming attached to the characters within the story until something happened to them and there I was, blubbering hysterically as if I knew them myself. I highly recommend this novel to not only lovers of historical novels but to anyone and everyone who will read it. It is the perfect historical novel about one of the most lovable characters in history.
July 16, 2014
Two and a half stars.
I love this cover, I think it's gorgeous, the title is perfect and Gillian Bagwell is obviously well versed in the history of this period.
But I have to be honest, I wanted to love Nell and see the way all of England loved her. But I didn't feel England's love or anyone else's love.
The novel starts out strong enough when Nell, a poor oyster monger, decides to leave the home of her bitter and unloving mother for the whorehouse where her sister sells herself. Nell is a clever plucky girl with a sharp wit and soon is selling oranges in the Theater Royal.
I enjoyed the details of Nell's life when she worked selling oranges and when she worked as an actress but I didn't feel that any of the characters came to life, not even Nell.
There was a vast breadth of history incorporated into this novel, but in my opinion, very little depth. There was a fair amount of graphic sex, which I think was sometimes appropriate given the period and the subject of the novel. However, there were times when it felt like the sex was too much and a bit on the gratuitous side.
There were two scenes that in my opinion were way over the top and had me rolling my eyes a bit. One has to do with Nell's skill at love making and the other has to do with the way a particular revenge was taken. I didn't care for the story-line involving Jack, the evil tough, from Mrs. Ross's brothel. The drama created by him felt overblown and incongruous with the rest of the story.
If the character development and the emotional depth of the characters had been greater I would have enjoyed this story much more. It often felt like the author was telling rather than showing the reader. A variety of people told Nell how much she was loved by everyone and by all of England, but again I didn't feel the love.
It seemed like the author was having a bit of fun writing this novel and I can appreciate that. Nell Gwynn is obviously a historical figure near and dear to her heart. Perhaps if I had a greater familiarity to the politics and the players during the reign of Charles II I would have appreciated this novel more. Though I did enjoy the story more when the characters grew older and had diminished libidos.
I love this cover, I think it's gorgeous, the title is perfect and Gillian Bagwell is obviously well versed in the history of this period.
But I have to be honest, I wanted to love Nell and see the way all of England loved her. But I didn't feel England's love or anyone else's love.
The novel starts out strong enough when Nell, a poor oyster monger, decides to leave the home of her bitter and unloving mother for the whorehouse where her sister sells herself. Nell is a clever plucky girl with a sharp wit and soon is selling oranges in the Theater Royal.
I enjoyed the details of Nell's life when she worked selling oranges and when she worked as an actress but I didn't feel that any of the characters came to life, not even Nell.
There was a vast breadth of history incorporated into this novel, but in my opinion, very little depth. There was a fair amount of graphic sex, which I think was sometimes appropriate given the period and the subject of the novel. However, there were times when it felt like the sex was too much and a bit on the gratuitous side.
There were two scenes that in my opinion were way over the top and had me rolling my eyes a bit. One has to do with Nell's skill at love making and the other has to do with the way a particular revenge was taken. I didn't care for the story-line involving Jack, the evil tough, from Mrs. Ross's brothel. The drama created by him felt overblown and incongruous with the rest of the story.
If the character development and the emotional depth of the characters had been greater I would have enjoyed this story much more. It often felt like the author was telling rather than showing the reader. A variety of people told Nell how much she was loved by everyone and by all of England, but again I didn't feel the love.
It seemed like the author was having a bit of fun writing this novel and I can appreciate that. Nell Gwynn is obviously a historical figure near and dear to her heart. Perhaps if I had a greater familiarity to the politics and the players during the reign of Charles II I would have appreciated this novel more. Though I did enjoy the story more when the characters grew older and had diminished libidos.
January 20, 2011
Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Nell Gwynn, so basically any book with her at the center is alright by me. I think that Nell is such a rich and fascinating historical figure and The Darling Strumpet definitely did her justice. The most important thing for me, when I read a book focusing on Nell, is if the author properly catches the sense of humor, generosity and caring personality she was famous for. I think Ms. Bagwell has done so in spades. This book was just all around solid. The characters were rich and complex, the plot was paced well and the period language felt natural...You saw Nell for what she was: unashamed to do what she needed to do to support herself and her family (because let's face it, being born into poverty at that time left a woman with very few options other than the road Nell took). She was flawed, she was funny, she was faithful, she was generous, and last but not least, she was absolutely outrageous as gorgeously captured in this book...
To see the full review over on The Book Buff, click here: http://thebookbuff.blogspot.com/2011/...
-Kate the Book Buff
To see the full review over on The Book Buff, click here: http://thebookbuff.blogspot.com/2011/...
-Kate the Book Buff
January 4, 2012
I kept putting off reading this book for awhile because I had heard some mixed reviews about it and I wanted to make sure I was in the right mindset to read this one as I knew it had some scandalous scenes. Let me say, if you are one easily turned off by sex scenes in novels, you may not want to read this one – as they are aplenty.
The sex scenes are basically the first thing that you encounter in this book – from about page 4 right through the first half of the book – and they can be pretty descriptive. While there is a lot of sex in the novel – it did make sense as Bagwell takes us through Nell’s life from her childhood through her death. She was a prostitute and eventually a king’s mistress – those details alone make it required somewhere in the text.
Bagwell creates a world that feels so real to a reader. Even for someone who is unfamiliar with this time and place they would easily find themselves at home in this vivid world. The descriptions of the people and the places are absolutely gorgeous. The characters are well constructed. No one is purely one thing or another but very three dimensional. Nowhere was that seen more so than in the lead character of Nell. You can feel all of her emotions and really empathize with her plights. I even shed a few tears for her at the end of the novel which really surprised me as I did not realize how much I enjoyed her.
My favorite scenes were those that took place in the theatres or on stage. You could tell how absolutely in love with acting and the stage Nell was. Even when she eventually leaves it she frequently thinks about going back. We get a lot of information about plays that were performed and how they were performed and the atmosphere of the playhouse. Bagwell certainly did her research.
Gillian Bagwell creates a world that literally jumps off the page and envelops you as a reader. No stone is left unturned and no detail is too small to be included. A truly wonderful atmospheric read. I am interested in getting into her second book, The September Queen, soon.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
The sex scenes are basically the first thing that you encounter in this book – from about page 4 right through the first half of the book – and they can be pretty descriptive. While there is a lot of sex in the novel – it did make sense as Bagwell takes us through Nell’s life from her childhood through her death. She was a prostitute and eventually a king’s mistress – those details alone make it required somewhere in the text.
Bagwell creates a world that feels so real to a reader. Even for someone who is unfamiliar with this time and place they would easily find themselves at home in this vivid world. The descriptions of the people and the places are absolutely gorgeous. The characters are well constructed. No one is purely one thing or another but very three dimensional. Nowhere was that seen more so than in the lead character of Nell. You can feel all of her emotions and really empathize with her plights. I even shed a few tears for her at the end of the novel which really surprised me as I did not realize how much I enjoyed her.
My favorite scenes were those that took place in the theatres or on stage. You could tell how absolutely in love with acting and the stage Nell was. Even when she eventually leaves it she frequently thinks about going back. We get a lot of information about plays that were performed and how they were performed and the atmosphere of the playhouse. Bagwell certainly did her research.
Gillian Bagwell creates a world that literally jumps off the page and envelops you as a reader. No stone is left unturned and no detail is too small to be included. A truly wonderful atmospheric read. I am interested in getting into her second book, The September Queen, soon.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
August 24, 2015
Well, this one was definitely different from most of the other historical-english time-piece fiction books I've read.....
The HOW so, you ask?!?!?!?!?
Nell was not raised in court or raised to be a mistress, she literally grew up on the streets selling oysters.
She landed in the prostitution business to get out of her home life, and the King still willingly bedded her.
She was not whiney or mean, not the Anne Boelyn type.
She did, in fact, become a mistress, but had no aspirations to become the Kings'.
She actually Loved the King and did not expect much in return. She was not a gold digger.
She worked as an actress... gasp.
She had MANY other lovers before the King and this did not result in having her beheaded or killed in any fashion.
All she really wanted was to be loved and have somewhere to live and money enough to provide for her children. She rarely asked the King for anything.
There is not a ton of jealousy going on (or atleast not as much as others) between the mistresses of the King.
I <3 King Charles.... he might be the nicest King to his women I've read yet!!! I do hate that they can never be Faithful to just one woman......
Blah, this was not bad. It was not spectacular either. I'd say id you're a fan of Allison Weir, you'd probably like this one.
I'm not sure how historically accurate this one is... something tells me it's a bit of a stretch though......
Sidenote: From the cover and the title, you'd think this is a raging sex fest... and in the beginning, you'd be correct, but if you give it about halfway through it calms WAYYYYYY down! But, needless to say this one is not for the kiddos!
The HOW so, you ask?!?!?!?!?
Nell was not raised in court or raised to be a mistress, she literally grew up on the streets selling oysters.
She landed in the prostitution business to get out of her home life, and the King still willingly bedded her.
She was not whiney or mean, not the Anne Boelyn type.
She did, in fact, become a mistress, but had no aspirations to become the Kings'.
She actually Loved the King and did not expect much in return. She was not a gold digger.
She worked as an actress... gasp.
She had MANY other lovers before the King and this did not result in having her beheaded or killed in any fashion.
All she really wanted was to be loved and have somewhere to live and money enough to provide for her children. She rarely asked the King for anything.
There is not a ton of jealousy going on (or atleast not as much as others) between the mistresses of the King.
I <3 King Charles.... he might be the nicest King to his women I've read yet!!! I do hate that they can never be Faithful to just one woman......
Blah, this was not bad. It was not spectacular either. I'd say id you're a fan of Allison Weir, you'd probably like this one.
I'm not sure how historically accurate this one is... something tells me it's a bit of a stretch though......
Sidenote: From the cover and the title, you'd think this is a raging sex fest... and in the beginning, you'd be correct, but if you give it about halfway through it calms WAYYYYYY down! But, needless to say this one is not for the kiddos!
January 6, 2011
When I first saw mention of the upcoming release of The Darling Strumpet , a novel on Nell Gwynn, I knew immediately I had to read it. You see, she’s my favorite royal mistress and I try to read everything I can on her. Being a debut novel I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I need not have worried because author Gillian Bagwell blew me away!!
The Darling Strumpet recounts Nell’s impressive rise from the streets of London to the most coveted position in the land, that of mistress to King Charles II, the Merry Monarch and tells it in such an entertaining way that the reader is kept in absolute rapture from start to finish! Nell’s spirit was captured perfectly by Bagwell and this book just reminded me why I adore Nell so much. Her tenacity, keen wit and charm, big heart and refusal to make amends or feel ashamed of her role as royal mistress make her so likable, you can easily see why she was a favorite of Charles II.
Being that the novel is just as juicy as the orange on the cover and with knowing that there are many YA readers that visit this blog, I feel I would be remiss in not disclaiming that there are some pretty racy scenes. They didn’t bother me so much and I didn’t feel they overwhelmed the story but they are pretty detailed, so I just thought I would mention it.
I enthusiastically recommend The Darling Strumpet and if her debut novel is any indication of the fabulousness we can look forward to in future books by Gillian Bagwell then consider me hooked!!
The Darling Strumpet recounts Nell’s impressive rise from the streets of London to the most coveted position in the land, that of mistress to King Charles II, the Merry Monarch and tells it in such an entertaining way that the reader is kept in absolute rapture from start to finish! Nell’s spirit was captured perfectly by Bagwell and this book just reminded me why I adore Nell so much. Her tenacity, keen wit and charm, big heart and refusal to make amends or feel ashamed of her role as royal mistress make her so likable, you can easily see why she was a favorite of Charles II.
Being that the novel is just as juicy as the orange on the cover and with knowing that there are many YA readers that visit this blog, I feel I would be remiss in not disclaiming that there are some pretty racy scenes. They didn’t bother me so much and I didn’t feel they overwhelmed the story but they are pretty detailed, so I just thought I would mention it.
I enthusiastically recommend The Darling Strumpet and if her debut novel is any indication of the fabulousness we can look forward to in future books by Gillian Bagwell then consider me hooked!!
August 21, 2017
I love the stories of "infamous" women in history, and Nell Gwynn has been one of my favorites. What can I say, but courtesans had fascinating histories, especially those who used both body and brains to secure their places, and in some instances, rule the throne.
This was an engrossing read, full of the panoply of Restoration England - its pomp, its bawdiness, its political machinations and the tenuousness of life in the late 1600's where plague and violence were still threats. Charles II was one interesting ruler who acknowledged his illegitimate children, even bestowing titles and securing powerful marriages. Just think of how many modern British royals may be descendants of his celebrated mistresses.
Nell Gwynn was a young woman who came from the rough streets of London to eventually become one of the most celebrated courtesans of Restoration England. In the hands of a less skilled author, Nell's story would have been one of endless hardship and her needing to be rescued by men. Thankfully Gillian Bagwell isn't that sort of writer. Yes, bad things do happen to Nell early on in her life, but she always rose above those circumstances. Nell's voice isn't one of "poor pitiful me" but of gradual triumph and a woman who wasn't made jaded by life.
What I really loved was the strong female friendships depicted here. Nell's sister, fellow actresses, and even the playwright Aphra Behn - formed an unbreakable sisterhood in a world dominated by men and politics. The theaters were lively and the court full of intrigue. Poor Charles, how he managed so many women including his wife and somehow kept the peace.
Okay BBC, time to turn this into a miniseries.
This was an engrossing read, full of the panoply of Restoration England - its pomp, its bawdiness, its political machinations and the tenuousness of life in the late 1600's where plague and violence were still threats. Charles II was one interesting ruler who acknowledged his illegitimate children, even bestowing titles and securing powerful marriages. Just think of how many modern British royals may be descendants of his celebrated mistresses.
Nell Gwynn was a young woman who came from the rough streets of London to eventually become one of the most celebrated courtesans of Restoration England. In the hands of a less skilled author, Nell's story would have been one of endless hardship and her needing to be rescued by men. Thankfully Gillian Bagwell isn't that sort of writer. Yes, bad things do happen to Nell early on in her life, but she always rose above those circumstances. Nell's voice isn't one of "poor pitiful me" but of gradual triumph and a woman who wasn't made jaded by life.
What I really loved was the strong female friendships depicted here. Nell's sister, fellow actresses, and even the playwright Aphra Behn - formed an unbreakable sisterhood in a world dominated by men and politics. The theaters were lively and the court full of intrigue. Poor Charles, how he managed so many women including his wife and somehow kept the peace.
Okay BBC, time to turn this into a miniseries.
May 17, 2013
I’ve always loved books about Charles II, and have often wondered why that period of history is not as well-thumbed as the preceding Tudor period. The Stuart era was just as bloody, turbulent, passionate and packed with fascinating characters, if not more so.
One character I always liked the sound of was Nell Gwyn, one of Charles II’s mistresses, and so I was eager to read this novelisation of her life by Gillian Bagwell, an American author who has a background in acting, theatre directing, and artistic director of the Pasadena Shakespeare Company. The Darling Strumpet is her first novel, and is an extremely accomplished debut.
The story begins when Nell is only ten years old, selling oysters on the streets of London. She is poor, dirty, and very hungry.
On that very day Charles II is making his triumphant return to London, after years of exile on the Continent while Oliver Cromwell ruled England as its Lord Protector. The city is seething with excitement, and Nell is caught up in the thrill, particularly when she sees the king and his beautiful and gorgeously dressed mistress, Barbara Palmer. Her empty belly, however, will not be forgotten and impulsively she sells her virginity to a strange boy in return for enough coin to buy a hot pie and a knot of ribbons.
The matter-of-fact way in which Nell does this is a telling detail, for in the world she lived in prostitution was one of the few career choices a young girl could make. This choice sets her towards employment in a bawdy house, where her elder sister already works. These early scenes are faced truthfully and unflinchingly, bringing the dark underbelly of 17th century London vividly to life.
The king soon re-opens all the theatres that were shut under Cromwell’s Puritan rule, and Nell is drawn irresistibly to the glamour and drama of the dramatic world. She begins as an orange seller, where she first attracts the King’s attention. Soon she is treading the boards herself, and, with her beauty, audacity and wit, soon becomes a smash hit. She is torn between love and ambition, but her desire to lift herself as far away from the gutter as possible wins out and she becomes the mistress of a series of increasingly wealthy and influential noblemen. It is not long before she sets her sights on the King.
Once she has him in her bed, though, she needs to keep him there, and the King is notoriously fickle. They have two sons together, but the King has other sons by other mistresses, and Nell has to use all her wits and charm to keep what she has gained.
The book ends with Nell’s death, so it is truly a biographical novel, with the author’s imagination providing plenty of drama and intrigue to keep the reader’s absorption in the story. In this way, it has more of an episodic structure than most historical novels, but Gillian Bagwell writes with such aplomb that the lack of a strong climax and resolution does not matter at all. I enjoyed it very much, loving the mix of fiction and historical fact, romance and heartbreak. I was particularly impressed with the creation of the colourful world of 17th Century England. Not just the London setting, but the attitudes and mores of the times all ring true. Gillian Bagwell has done her research and wears it lightly. I’d really recommend this for anyone who loves historical fiction, or epic romance.
One character I always liked the sound of was Nell Gwyn, one of Charles II’s mistresses, and so I was eager to read this novelisation of her life by Gillian Bagwell, an American author who has a background in acting, theatre directing, and artistic director of the Pasadena Shakespeare Company. The Darling Strumpet is her first novel, and is an extremely accomplished debut.
The story begins when Nell is only ten years old, selling oysters on the streets of London. She is poor, dirty, and very hungry.
On that very day Charles II is making his triumphant return to London, after years of exile on the Continent while Oliver Cromwell ruled England as its Lord Protector. The city is seething with excitement, and Nell is caught up in the thrill, particularly when she sees the king and his beautiful and gorgeously dressed mistress, Barbara Palmer. Her empty belly, however, will not be forgotten and impulsively she sells her virginity to a strange boy in return for enough coin to buy a hot pie and a knot of ribbons.
The matter-of-fact way in which Nell does this is a telling detail, for in the world she lived in prostitution was one of the few career choices a young girl could make. This choice sets her towards employment in a bawdy house, where her elder sister already works. These early scenes are faced truthfully and unflinchingly, bringing the dark underbelly of 17th century London vividly to life.
The king soon re-opens all the theatres that were shut under Cromwell’s Puritan rule, and Nell is drawn irresistibly to the glamour and drama of the dramatic world. She begins as an orange seller, where she first attracts the King’s attention. Soon she is treading the boards herself, and, with her beauty, audacity and wit, soon becomes a smash hit. She is torn between love and ambition, but her desire to lift herself as far away from the gutter as possible wins out and she becomes the mistress of a series of increasingly wealthy and influential noblemen. It is not long before she sets her sights on the King.
Once she has him in her bed, though, she needs to keep him there, and the King is notoriously fickle. They have two sons together, but the King has other sons by other mistresses, and Nell has to use all her wits and charm to keep what she has gained.
The book ends with Nell’s death, so it is truly a biographical novel, with the author’s imagination providing plenty of drama and intrigue to keep the reader’s absorption in the story. In this way, it has more of an episodic structure than most historical novels, but Gillian Bagwell writes with such aplomb that the lack of a strong climax and resolution does not matter at all. I enjoyed it very much, loving the mix of fiction and historical fact, romance and heartbreak. I was particularly impressed with the creation of the colourful world of 17th Century England. Not just the London setting, but the attitudes and mores of the times all ring true. Gillian Bagwell has done her research and wears it lightly. I’d really recommend this for anyone who loves historical fiction, or epic romance.
January 11, 2011
I would first like to say - isn't that cover AMAZING?! I just love it. Not that a cover necessarily has any bearing on a book but I know if I were in a book store that cover would call me from across the room.
OK - on to the book. I loved it. I sat down and read it in one sitting. Yup. That good. I found myself caught up in the story and just didn't want to put it down. This was not the first book I have read about Nell Gwynn but this one had more detail regarding her early childhood. Ms. Bagwell has a way with words that draws you into the story so it's rather like watching a movie in your head. I love when a book does this to me. Nell Gwynn's story is not always an easy one to read; she rose out of abject poverty to be a whore. She worked with her sister in a brothel and the tales of her working days are not always easy to read.
The Restoration period in English history brought a period of gaiety and excess after the reign of Cromwell. Part of that was the return of the theatre to England and Charles II allowed women on the stage for the first time. This is where Nell was to find her true calling. She was a quick witted woman and I feel a very intelligent woman; she was able to memorize her lines for all of her plays by having them read to her. She was apparently also lethal with a sharp comeback. This endeared her to her public. She had a love affair with her co-star on the stage, Charles Hart and several plays were written specifically for them.
But Nell wanted more. She ultimately caught the eye of the king himself, Charles II. Through the machinations of the Duke of Buckingham (not entirely just for Charles' erm, benefit) Nell ends up as Charles' next mistress. The relationship has its ups and downs but the two really do care for each other until Charles' death.
Ms. Bagwell writes with a strong depth of feeling so that when Nell reaches the latter part of her life and starts to suffer what seems to be a series of unbearable losses you are feeling them with her. The book also contains much of the history of the time but told in a way that you don't feel like you are in a classroom. It is well woven within the dialog and threads of the tale. This is a very enjoyable book on an extraordinary woman from history.
OK - on to the book. I loved it. I sat down and read it in one sitting. Yup. That good. I found myself caught up in the story and just didn't want to put it down. This was not the first book I have read about Nell Gwynn but this one had more detail regarding her early childhood. Ms. Bagwell has a way with words that draws you into the story so it's rather like watching a movie in your head. I love when a book does this to me. Nell Gwynn's story is not always an easy one to read; she rose out of abject poverty to be a whore. She worked with her sister in a brothel and the tales of her working days are not always easy to read.
The Restoration period in English history brought a period of gaiety and excess after the reign of Cromwell. Part of that was the return of the theatre to England and Charles II allowed women on the stage for the first time. This is where Nell was to find her true calling. She was a quick witted woman and I feel a very intelligent woman; she was able to memorize her lines for all of her plays by having them read to her. She was apparently also lethal with a sharp comeback. This endeared her to her public. She had a love affair with her co-star on the stage, Charles Hart and several plays were written specifically for them.
But Nell wanted more. She ultimately caught the eye of the king himself, Charles II. Through the machinations of the Duke of Buckingham (not entirely just for Charles' erm, benefit) Nell ends up as Charles' next mistress. The relationship has its ups and downs but the two really do care for each other until Charles' death.
Ms. Bagwell writes with a strong depth of feeling so that when Nell reaches the latter part of her life and starts to suffer what seems to be a series of unbearable losses you are feeling them with her. The book also contains much of the history of the time but told in a way that you don't feel like you are in a classroom. It is well woven within the dialog and threads of the tale. This is a very enjoyable book on an extraordinary woman from history.
April 7, 2012
I have rediscovered historical novels since I have been reviewing books here, so I was delighted when a blogging friend of mine Southhams Darling offered to send me a novel she had just finished reading and thought I would enjoy.
Considering this was a first novel I thought it was very ambitious of the author to not only pick Nell Gwynn as her protagonist but rather than just cover a particular period of her life she chose to tell her complete life story. By her own admission in the notes at the end of the novel she has tried to do so as fully and truthfully as possible, keeping to the facts as known as much as possible. I think she has succeeded very successfully and only true historians will pick up the few minor liberties that Gillian Bagwell tells us she altered as to the timing of events. She also copes successfully with a vast cast of characters, the vast majority of which were real life people in Nell's world. With this brilliant first novel there seems no doubt that Gillian Bagwell is going to be a historical fiction writer to look out for.
The story is a bawdy one and the detail in the novel is sexually explicit, but it will make you realise exactly what life was like for this little girl growing up in 17C London. From oyster seller, to courtesan, orange seller to actress. Nell becomes one of London's favourite actresses when she is still a very young woman and her beauty, personality and ambitious dedication soon make her a favourite of Charles the Second. It is her relationship with Charles that changes her life for ever, as the novel progresses you can feel just how much this famous historical figure was passionate in her love for the King. A wonderful fictional read about real people and places.
For more information please visit LindyLouMac's Book Reviews.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspo...
Considering this was a first novel I thought it was very ambitious of the author to not only pick Nell Gwynn as her protagonist but rather than just cover a particular period of her life she chose to tell her complete life story. By her own admission in the notes at the end of the novel she has tried to do so as fully and truthfully as possible, keeping to the facts as known as much as possible. I think she has succeeded very successfully and only true historians will pick up the few minor liberties that Gillian Bagwell tells us she altered as to the timing of events. She also copes successfully with a vast cast of characters, the vast majority of which were real life people in Nell's world. With this brilliant first novel there seems no doubt that Gillian Bagwell is going to be a historical fiction writer to look out for.
The story is a bawdy one and the detail in the novel is sexually explicit, but it will make you realise exactly what life was like for this little girl growing up in 17C London. From oyster seller, to courtesan, orange seller to actress. Nell becomes one of London's favourite actresses when she is still a very young woman and her beauty, personality and ambitious dedication soon make her a favourite of Charles the Second. It is her relationship with Charles that changes her life for ever, as the novel progresses you can feel just how much this famous historical figure was passionate in her love for the King. A wonderful fictional read about real people and places.
For more information please visit LindyLouMac's Book Reviews.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspo...
June 23, 2013
I won this book on Goodreads, which is always a good thing. :) I signed up to win this book because the book description attracted me -- after all, what could be better than a historical fiction rags-to-riches story? When I received the book, the cover itself even made me want to delve right in.
I enjoyed the book, it was well-researched, and had a good plot line. The events seemed very realistic for that time period, and there were lots of good characters. What I found missing though was depth. Some of the events just happened, without the appropriate build-up, tension, or description of the effect on the characters. For instance, when Nell, our heroine of the story, finds herself so hungry and without money that she is willing to turn to the life of a prostitute, it doesn't come across as a life-changing event. It seemed as routine as any daily event would. The characters also didn't come to life for me. I wanted to like Nell; all of England adored her, but I had to take the author's word for it that the general population loved her. Nell's many friends seemed like people I would like to have known better, but rather they all seemed rather flat.
It's really a shame. The book has such potential, but just didn't deliver in so many ways. With fuller character development and more depth, this would have been a great book. Hence, the 3.5 star rating (yes, there is an extra half star).
I enjoyed the book, it was well-researched, and had a good plot line. The events seemed very realistic for that time period, and there were lots of good characters. What I found missing though was depth. Some of the events just happened, without the appropriate build-up, tension, or description of the effect on the characters. For instance, when Nell, our heroine of the story, finds herself so hungry and without money that she is willing to turn to the life of a prostitute, it doesn't come across as a life-changing event. It seemed as routine as any daily event would. The characters also didn't come to life for me. I wanted to like Nell; all of England adored her, but I had to take the author's word for it that the general population loved her. Nell's many friends seemed like people I would like to have known better, but rather they all seemed rather flat.
It's really a shame. The book has such potential, but just didn't deliver in so many ways. With fuller character development and more depth, this would have been a great book. Hence, the 3.5 star rating (yes, there is an extra half star).
September 10, 2011
Just a few brief thoughts.
The book is very well written and I think the author did an excellent job of portraying Nell's life in a very vivid and readable fashion. The Restoration theatre world was fascinating and the secondary characters, particularly libertines Rochester and Buckingham were colorful and realistic.
The ending chapters perhaps left me a bit cold - likely I found all the death depressing. I also wished for a bit more character development on Charles' part as I didn't feel Nell's love for the king near as markedly as I felt it for the actor Charles Hart (I thought the death scene with the king was a bit anti-climactic.)
Although there was a bit of shock value to the early part of this book (graphic sexual encounters to include a menage), I had no real problem with it because of who the character really was - a woman who rose from the gutter.
Overall a VERY good read and highly recommended for fellow Restoration lovers.
The book is very well written and I think the author did an excellent job of portraying Nell's life in a very vivid and readable fashion. The Restoration theatre world was fascinating and the secondary characters, particularly libertines Rochester and Buckingham were colorful and realistic.
The ending chapters perhaps left me a bit cold - likely I found all the death depressing. I also wished for a bit more character development on Charles' part as I didn't feel Nell's love for the king near as markedly as I felt it for the actor Charles Hart (I thought the death scene with the king was a bit anti-climactic.)
Although there was a bit of shock value to the early part of this book (graphic sexual encounters to include a menage), I had no real problem with it because of who the character really was - a woman who rose from the gutter.
Overall a VERY good read and highly recommended for fellow Restoration lovers.
November 17, 2012
Bagwell's facility with the language and slang of the time was quite wonderful, and the view of the theater scene was so interesting. Very entertaining!
Read
December 6, 2012I'm not really a big fan of historical fiction anyway.
April 18, 2023
The first historical fiction I’ve read in a while, and it really kept me enthralled. By about a third of the way through the book, I’d completely fallen in love with Nell, and while I somewhat agree with another commenter who said she wasn’t conveyed as showing quite enough internal growth, I also found the way she stayed thoroughly herself to be very endearing.
Maybe not one of my absolute favorite books, but it made my heart ache and I couldn’t put it down, so that’s good enough for 5 stars for me.
Maybe not one of my absolute favorite books, but it made my heart ache and I couldn’t put it down, so that’s good enough for 5 stars for me.
April 24, 2022
Ugh. Zawiodłam się.
Spodziewałam się czegoś w stylu książek Philippy Gregory. Miłego języka, skupienia na postaciach itp. A tu... Hm. Owszem, niektóre aspekty były bardzo obrazowo przedstawione, lecz przez średniowieczny styl wszystko zdawało się płytkie, charaktery nijakie, uczucia płaskie. Nie podobało mi się.
Spodziewałam się czegoś w stylu książek Philippy Gregory. Miłego języka, skupienia na postaciach itp. A tu... Hm. Owszem, niektóre aspekty były bardzo obrazowo przedstawione, lecz przez średniowieczny styl wszystko zdawało się płytkie, charaktery nijakie, uczucia płaskie. Nie podobało mi się.
May 17, 2012
Gillian Bagwell. I knew her when. When she was a student at Berkeley High where I taught English and drama. Effervescent, talented. Lost track of her, reconnected via Facebook (where else?) discovered she’d spent her years successfully writing, directing, performing and has now become an international author of some note with her debut novel, The Darling Strumpet.
Even before opening it, I gave her book a couple of nominations for Writer Working 2011 awards--Cover--can’t imagine anyone’s going to do better than the “bodice among oranges” art work here--and Title. A shame that the word “strumpet” has passed from use. Seems like sex these days is either pornographic or earnest. Little that’s cute and teasy. Not that prostitution and mistresshood were ever without their cruel and seamy reality. Not that we should turn our heads and ignore the brutality. But fun is fun and we shouldn’t be afraid of admitting--nay celebrating--it.
And Bagwell doesn’t stick with the cute side of Nell’s story. in word and deed, her subject brands herself a whore and is subject to all the manipulations and victimization of her profession. But she’s a very special whore, and The Darling Strumpet lets us experience the how and why of her life and character. That’s what makes historical fiction both entertaining and educational, delivering what Dr. Johnson (I think it was he.) termed “edification and delight.”
I knew about Nell Gwynn, knew something about Charles II and how he brought color and passion back to English life after the gray Puritan years following his father’s beheading, initiated the period of English history that has become known as The Restoration. But I didn’t know very much. Edification. I knew Nell was an actress cum (pun intended) mistress to the king, a popular public figure of her age, but knew nothing of her caring and ebullient personality. Delight.
Raised a waif in London slums with a cruel mother who works her to the bone and beats her besides, Eleanor Gwynn is a model of what would later become a Dickensian heroine. But she has a taste for baubles and, with an older sister who’s already turned bawd, no taste for Victorian virtues. She turns her first trick at fourteen, endures her first rape later the same day--the same day she first sets eyes on her king and future master. It’s not long before she’s ensconced full time in her sister’s brothel and earning an adequate, if brutal, living.
Next step--the theater. Actors have needs, and she meets and attracts the affection of one in particular, and he introduces her to the world of drama. Then comes an artistic revolution. The king decides to allow women on stage--In England, all women’s parts had been played by boys till then, one of the reasons Shakespeare wrote so few--even if they are so eternally powerful--parts for women. But that’s another subject. Nell steps from selling herself in the bawdy house to selling oranges in the theater to selling her acting talents to adoring audiences. Next step, the king himself.
I suppose The Darling Strumpet qualifies as, among other things, a romance novel (Gillian intimates as much in a Facebook remark re the booming English sales of the book.), and I’ve not read much of the genre, but the graphic sex and descriptions of 17th C. birth control would make Barbara Cartland blush. Well and good. We need to plunge into the uglies as well as the glories of the likes of Nell and her sisters.
Bagwell narrates all this in lively prose with language that keeps enough flavor of the period (“The king comes back this day,” for example”) to keep mind and spirit in seventeenth century London, but not so heavy-laden with such as to sound phony or to keep one at arm’s length from the story. A neat balancing act. We move through Nell’s triumphs and perils completely in her thrall, feeling we know and feel all.
To add dimension, Gillian gives occasional Shakespearean lines in her thought and speech. Might seem odd, since she’s illiterate, but we see her watching The Tempest and Henry I, I, and her memorization skills were obviously highly tuned to learn by heart the many scripts she performed. Those great lines add immensely to the work.
I do have a couple a small caveats.
First, because of how Nell’s life progressed, the book loses dramatic tension after Charles takes her in and she bears him a son. She’s not in nearly so much danger after that--despite minor threats from his other paramours--as before, so the perils don’t loom as dramatically. There are some excellent scenes, such as the card scene where she--well I won’t tell you what happens. That and the very touching scenes of Charles’s death and her own (“probably pox,” i.e., venereal disease in her early thirties) make for excellent reading on their own.
Still, this is quite book about quite a character who deserves more recognition than she’s received. And quite an author who is beginning to receive the recognition she absolutely deserves. Brains, beauty, guts. Who could resist? Certainly not bonny Prince Charlie. Nor anyone who picks up The Darling Strumpet.
Even before opening it, I gave her book a couple of nominations for Writer Working 2011 awards--Cover--can’t imagine anyone’s going to do better than the “bodice among oranges” art work here--and Title. A shame that the word “strumpet” has passed from use. Seems like sex these days is either pornographic or earnest. Little that’s cute and teasy. Not that prostitution and mistresshood were ever without their cruel and seamy reality. Not that we should turn our heads and ignore the brutality. But fun is fun and we shouldn’t be afraid of admitting--nay celebrating--it.
And Bagwell doesn’t stick with the cute side of Nell’s story. in word and deed, her subject brands herself a whore and is subject to all the manipulations and victimization of her profession. But she’s a very special whore, and The Darling Strumpet lets us experience the how and why of her life and character. That’s what makes historical fiction both entertaining and educational, delivering what Dr. Johnson (I think it was he.) termed “edification and delight.”
I knew about Nell Gwynn, knew something about Charles II and how he brought color and passion back to English life after the gray Puritan years following his father’s beheading, initiated the period of English history that has become known as The Restoration. But I didn’t know very much. Edification. I knew Nell was an actress cum (pun intended) mistress to the king, a popular public figure of her age, but knew nothing of her caring and ebullient personality. Delight.
Raised a waif in London slums with a cruel mother who works her to the bone and beats her besides, Eleanor Gwynn is a model of what would later become a Dickensian heroine. But she has a taste for baubles and, with an older sister who’s already turned bawd, no taste for Victorian virtues. She turns her first trick at fourteen, endures her first rape later the same day--the same day she first sets eyes on her king and future master. It’s not long before she’s ensconced full time in her sister’s brothel and earning an adequate, if brutal, living.
Next step--the theater. Actors have needs, and she meets and attracts the affection of one in particular, and he introduces her to the world of drama. Then comes an artistic revolution. The king decides to allow women on stage--In England, all women’s parts had been played by boys till then, one of the reasons Shakespeare wrote so few--even if they are so eternally powerful--parts for women. But that’s another subject. Nell steps from selling herself in the bawdy house to selling oranges in the theater to selling her acting talents to adoring audiences. Next step, the king himself.
I suppose The Darling Strumpet qualifies as, among other things, a romance novel (Gillian intimates as much in a Facebook remark re the booming English sales of the book.), and I’ve not read much of the genre, but the graphic sex and descriptions of 17th C. birth control would make Barbara Cartland blush. Well and good. We need to plunge into the uglies as well as the glories of the likes of Nell and her sisters.
Bagwell narrates all this in lively prose with language that keeps enough flavor of the period (“The king comes back this day,” for example”) to keep mind and spirit in seventeenth century London, but not so heavy-laden with such as to sound phony or to keep one at arm’s length from the story. A neat balancing act. We move through Nell’s triumphs and perils completely in her thrall, feeling we know and feel all.
To add dimension, Gillian gives occasional Shakespearean lines in her thought and speech. Might seem odd, since she’s illiterate, but we see her watching The Tempest and Henry I, I, and her memorization skills were obviously highly tuned to learn by heart the many scripts she performed. Those great lines add immensely to the work.
I do have a couple a small caveats.
First, because of how Nell’s life progressed, the book loses dramatic tension after Charles takes her in and she bears him a son. She’s not in nearly so much danger after that--despite minor threats from his other paramours--as before, so the perils don’t loom as dramatically. There are some excellent scenes, such as the card scene where she--well I won’t tell you what happens. That and the very touching scenes of Charles’s death and her own (“probably pox,” i.e., venereal disease in her early thirties) make for excellent reading on their own.
Still, this is quite book about quite a character who deserves more recognition than she’s received. And quite an author who is beginning to receive the recognition she absolutely deserves. Brains, beauty, guts. Who could resist? Certainly not bonny Prince Charlie. Nor anyone who picks up The Darling Strumpet.
January 11, 2011
In historical fiction everyone has their top favorites; favorite heroines, favorite time periods, and especially favorite locations. Hands down my favorite rag to riches heroine naturally goes hand in hand with my favorite king of England the legendary Charles II and witty Nell Gwynn. Nelly always has held a special place in my heart and she will stay there indefinitely. You can only imagine how elated I was when I got wind that “The Darling Strumpet: A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles II” would be hitting bookstores January 4th 2011 which happens to be today.
What a realistically sexually charged read and I mean that in the best of ways possible. This book made me realize that to love Charles II a woman had compete with his “troupe” of mistresses and a whole gaggle of recognized bastards. It is one thing to bed him on his whim but it was a completely different thing to keep his fancy. I now realize that Nell held his heart for so long because she loved him deeply and had to have been one very hot sex kitten in the bedroom. This novel proves that Nelly’s passion lives on even today and like I thought Rochester likes it freaky. “The Darling Strumpet” was a rocking Restoration England read that brought the nasty out in everyone and I whole heartily enjoyed every second of it.
Nell from the beginning lived a hard life of poverty in the 17th century. Her mam ran a bar slash brothel house and poor Nelly was forced into scouring for oysters in the sea and hawking her wares on the street for her livelihood. At this time the level of poverty was at a high point in England and in this life Nell was determined to step up her game and make something of her-self. Even with traumatic events like the plague sweeping London and the great fire of 1666, Nell never stopped picking herself up off the ground and kept moving forward. From violent brothels to charming all of England in the theater stages, Nell managed not only to earn the undying devotion of the people of London but she also captured the heart of the king and kept it.
For all of you Restoration England lovers this book is a must. Really it is a must! What made this book so unique from my past Nell novels you ask? I would have to say it was the sexualization of Nelly. It really was the most in depth novel about what the real hot Nelly was more than likely like than I ever realized it would be. In the end I felt this book was a true complement to Restoration England and Nelly novels.
5/5++++Really GOOD, what a way to start out the new year with a bang. What shocked me the most is this is a debut novel of Gillian Bagwell’s. To go up from what I just read is incomprehensible to me. Really the sky is the limit for Gillian’s future in historical fiction. As many of you know I am obsessed with history and Restoration England is one of my favorite obsessions. In the past year I have had the pleasure of reading numerous novels set in this period and I have to admit that this book in my mind is right up there with the reigning queen of Restoration England novels, Susan Holloway Scott. I must recommend this book to all HF lovers who love the sexually charged bawdiness that was a large part of the social life of Restoration England. I do have to state though that if you are not into reading about sex this is not the novel for you but I can say that Gillian really did cover it with class and dignity.
X-Rating for graphic sexual encounters.
What a realistically sexually charged read and I mean that in the best of ways possible. This book made me realize that to love Charles II a woman had compete with his “troupe” of mistresses and a whole gaggle of recognized bastards. It is one thing to bed him on his whim but it was a completely different thing to keep his fancy. I now realize that Nell held his heart for so long because she loved him deeply and had to have been one very hot sex kitten in the bedroom. This novel proves that Nelly’s passion lives on even today and like I thought Rochester likes it freaky. “The Darling Strumpet” was a rocking Restoration England read that brought the nasty out in everyone and I whole heartily enjoyed every second of it.
Nell from the beginning lived a hard life of poverty in the 17th century. Her mam ran a bar slash brothel house and poor Nelly was forced into scouring for oysters in the sea and hawking her wares on the street for her livelihood. At this time the level of poverty was at a high point in England and in this life Nell was determined to step up her game and make something of her-self. Even with traumatic events like the plague sweeping London and the great fire of 1666, Nell never stopped picking herself up off the ground and kept moving forward. From violent brothels to charming all of England in the theater stages, Nell managed not only to earn the undying devotion of the people of London but she also captured the heart of the king and kept it.
For all of you Restoration England lovers this book is a must. Really it is a must! What made this book so unique from my past Nell novels you ask? I would have to say it was the sexualization of Nelly. It really was the most in depth novel about what the real hot Nelly was more than likely like than I ever realized it would be. In the end I felt this book was a true complement to Restoration England and Nelly novels.
5/5++++Really GOOD, what a way to start out the new year with a bang. What shocked me the most is this is a debut novel of Gillian Bagwell’s. To go up from what I just read is incomprehensible to me. Really the sky is the limit for Gillian’s future in historical fiction. As many of you know I am obsessed with history and Restoration England is one of my favorite obsessions. In the past year I have had the pleasure of reading numerous novels set in this period and I have to admit that this book in my mind is right up there with the reigning queen of Restoration England novels, Susan Holloway Scott. I must recommend this book to all HF lovers who love the sexually charged bawdiness that was a large part of the social life of Restoration England. I do have to state though that if you are not into reading about sex this is not the novel for you but I can say that Gillian really did cover it with class and dignity.
X-Rating for graphic sexual encounters.
April 14, 2020
I probably made a mistake in reading this book immediately after the Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, but as someone who does not like saucy romps, or historical fiction (if it is not accurate, it is not for me), but someone who loves the tale of Nell Gwynn, I really wanted to like this book. The 3 stars are a bit generous.
Firstly, this book is both slow going and rushed at the same time. Bagwell does not dwell on Nell's first moment on stage, for example, despite the writer being herself an actress, and instead makes her successes on stage about Charles Hart being there to help her, not the buzz from the audience, for example. This lack of description of key things in the legacy of Nell as a real person are a common theme... if you want a book that plods along not really dwelling on anything of importance then, fine. I was expecting a bit more depth.
There is a lot of place holding by Nell, experiencing everything little thing that happened in London during the time she was alive as if to prove the book was well researched, when actually it wastes time. Bit of a Downton Effect. While I am sure it was great fun researching and shoe-horning all of this history in, it was not entertaining to read and slowed the pace. And it was unnecessary to have the King pop up all the sodding time before she becomes his mistress, as if to be like "remember, kids. The king is totes relatable to common folk and the love of Nell's life all along DON'T FORGET." Nell's life was strange and remarkable, but this book places her in an absurd world of ridiculous.
There is uncertainty about her DOB. If we go with Bagwell's estimation that she is 10 in 1660 then, then the first part of the book is not only unutterably uncomfortable (see other reviews) but also unrealistic, as a 13 year old child seems to be capable of experiencing mature woman's emotions and also seems to be capable of starting an affair with Charles Hart, a fully grown man with no doubt lots of admirers. YES SHE PROBABLY WAS THIS AGE. And I can just about cope with what she went through being a reality, but then make her narrative voice realistic too.
I found I got frustrated with the gratuitous sex; it was exploitative by our standards, obviously, but paints this famously plucky woman as a mere object to be used for mens' pleasure and power-quests which makes her inhuman and sympathetic for all the wrong reasons. The writing did, at times, capture the absolute debauchery of Restoration English, but there was no acknowledgement of how depraved it was. Perhaps it's my modern feminist sensitivities wading in here, but I was bored by them.
BUT there are passages that are very beautifully descriptive, even if they are a bit pointless, and the powerful portrayal of grief in the latter end of the book was utterly gut-wrenching. The symbolism of the closed door in her dreams was a bit over-kill and predictable, but a nice touch.
I enjoyed it, but I wanted it to be more realistic, and for it to dwell on the key crucial moments, not rush by them.
Firstly, this book is both slow going and rushed at the same time. Bagwell does not dwell on Nell's first moment on stage, for example, despite the writer being herself an actress, and instead makes her successes on stage about Charles Hart being there to help her, not the buzz from the audience, for example. This lack of description of key things in the legacy of Nell as a real person are a common theme... if you want a book that plods along not really dwelling on anything of importance then, fine. I was expecting a bit more depth.
There is a lot of place holding by Nell, experiencing everything little thing that happened in London during the time she was alive as if to prove the book was well researched, when actually it wastes time. Bit of a Downton Effect. While I am sure it was great fun researching and shoe-horning all of this history in, it was not entertaining to read and slowed the pace. And it was unnecessary to have the King pop up all the sodding time before she becomes his mistress, as if to be like "remember, kids. The king is totes relatable to common folk and the love of Nell's life all along DON'T FORGET." Nell's life was strange and remarkable, but this book places her in an absurd world of ridiculous.
There is uncertainty about her DOB. If we go with Bagwell's estimation that she is 10 in 1660 then, then the first part of the book is not only unutterably uncomfortable (see other reviews) but also unrealistic, as a 13 year old child seems to be capable of experiencing mature woman's emotions and also seems to be capable of starting an affair with Charles Hart, a fully grown man with no doubt lots of admirers. YES SHE PROBABLY WAS THIS AGE. And I can just about cope with what she went through being a reality, but then make her narrative voice realistic too.
I found I got frustrated with the gratuitous sex; it was exploitative by our standards, obviously, but paints this famously plucky woman as a mere object to be used for mens' pleasure and power-quests which makes her inhuman and sympathetic for all the wrong reasons. The writing did, at times, capture the absolute debauchery of Restoration English, but there was no acknowledgement of how depraved it was. Perhaps it's my modern feminist sensitivities wading in here, but I was bored by them.
BUT there are passages that are very beautifully descriptive, even if they are a bit pointless, and the powerful portrayal of grief in the latter end of the book was utterly gut-wrenching. The symbolism of the closed door in her dreams was a bit over-kill and predictable, but a nice touch.
I enjoyed it, but I wanted it to be more realistic, and for it to dwell on the key crucial moments, not rush by them.
September 25, 2016
I found this book both informative and entertaining. The glimpse of life for girls and women in the 1600's was frightening. Makes you realised just how far we have progressed.
I loved Nell, she is bright, saucy and so intelligent.
I loved Nell, she is bright, saucy and so intelligent.
August 3, 2011
I had been eagerly waiting for this novel to come to the UK and I was not disappointed.
The story begins with young Nell, a vulnerable young girl who wants to escape her drunken and violent mother and be like her sister Rose.
She is taken in by Madam Ross and soon becomes aware that she can change her own luck entertaining the men of London. Nell admires the actors on stage at The King's Playhouse and takes a job as an orange seller, and quickly rising to star of the stage. She captures the attention of King Charles II. She becomes Charles's favourite mistress.
The author captures the closeness of Nell and King Charles II and their love story, which resulted in the birth of 2 sons, and Nell's lifetime devotion to Charles, with such passion. When Nell was trying to keep the attention of Charles, for he was surrounded by fine ladies, it is hard to remember that she was just a courtesan.
Well researched historical events feature in the novel such as The Great Fire of London, The Plague and the rise of the theatres are brought to life in glorious detail through the eyes of Nell.
There are some wonderful cameo roles for Samuel Pepys, Thomas Killgrew, Moll Davis, Catherine of Braganza and others who were at court at the time.
Of course, by the very nature of Nell's occupation, this novel has some very racy scenes but I knew there would be and these scenes give the reader an idea of how life was in brothels in Victorian London. Interesting reading.
I knew a little about Nell from the time she became mistress to the King but it was not until I read this novel that I became aware of what an important part of King Charles II life she really was and what a darling character she was.
Gillian Bagwell, herself a trained actress, has a fondness for Nell and her story and once you read this novel, you will too. I loved it!
5 out of 5 for me!
I am now eagerly awaiting Gillian Bagwell's next novel The September Queen.
Thank you to HarperCollins/Avon for sending me an ARC for my honest review.
This did not influence my review in any way
The story begins with young Nell, a vulnerable young girl who wants to escape her drunken and violent mother and be like her sister Rose.
She is taken in by Madam Ross and soon becomes aware that she can change her own luck entertaining the men of London. Nell admires the actors on stage at The King's Playhouse and takes a job as an orange seller, and quickly rising to star of the stage. She captures the attention of King Charles II. She becomes Charles's favourite mistress.
The author captures the closeness of Nell and King Charles II and their love story, which resulted in the birth of 2 sons, and Nell's lifetime devotion to Charles, with such passion. When Nell was trying to keep the attention of Charles, for he was surrounded by fine ladies, it is hard to remember that she was just a courtesan.
Well researched historical events feature in the novel such as The Great Fire of London, The Plague and the rise of the theatres are brought to life in glorious detail through the eyes of Nell.
There are some wonderful cameo roles for Samuel Pepys, Thomas Killgrew, Moll Davis, Catherine of Braganza and others who were at court at the time.
Of course, by the very nature of Nell's occupation, this novel has some very racy scenes but I knew there would be and these scenes give the reader an idea of how life was in brothels in Victorian London. Interesting reading.
I knew a little about Nell from the time she became mistress to the King but it was not until I read this novel that I became aware of what an important part of King Charles II life she really was and what a darling character she was.
Gillian Bagwell, herself a trained actress, has a fondness for Nell and her story and once you read this novel, you will too. I loved it!
5 out of 5 for me!
I am now eagerly awaiting Gillian Bagwell's next novel The September Queen.
Thank you to HarperCollins/Avon for sending me an ARC for my honest review.
This did not influence my review in any way
January 25, 2011
Gillian Bagwell’s Nelly was an oyster seller was born in the alleys round Covent Garden of a ‘brandy soak’ mother and unknown father, her life a constant round of beatings and hard work. On the day that King Charles II returns to his throne, Nelly decides to follow her sister Rose into whoring.
Her pretty face, neat figure and quick tongue help her acquire a post as an ‘orange wench," selling fruit in the pit. With the help of her first long term lover, Charles Hart, she starts acting on the stage and comes to the attention of King Charles II. John Dryden described Nell as, ‘"Oval face, clear skin, hazel eyes, thick brown eyebrows ... a full nether lip ... the bottom of your cheeks a little blub, and two dimples when you smile."
Like all the King's women, Nell was paid out of the Secret Service funds, second only to Louise de Keroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth, her greatest rival apart from the fading Barbara Palmer. The least ambitious and most faithful of Charles II’s mistresses, Nell had two sons by Charles II. She made many true friends in the Royal court, many of whom she helped through hard times, among them, George Duke of Buckingham, Lord Rochester, Killigrew, Aphra Benn the lady playwright, the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth, and of course her beloved Charles Hart who was always her first love.
On his deathbed, Charles besought his brother and heir, "Let not poor Nelly starve." James II kept faith, although her life was less extravagant after her royal lover’s death. Nelly died of a stroke brought on by an occupational disease, at 37.
I can thoroughly recommend this book, and enjoyed Miss Bagwell’s meticulously researched novel through the cobbled, rubbish-strewn alleys of Covent Garden to the Royal Theatre in Drury Lane and into the royal court. She handles the 17th Century London street vernacular with aplomb, and Nell comes across as the epitome of the ‘tart with a heart’, who never apologises for her profession and is generous with both her time and her money.
Her pretty face, neat figure and quick tongue help her acquire a post as an ‘orange wench," selling fruit in the pit. With the help of her first long term lover, Charles Hart, she starts acting on the stage and comes to the attention of King Charles II. John Dryden described Nell as, ‘"Oval face, clear skin, hazel eyes, thick brown eyebrows ... a full nether lip ... the bottom of your cheeks a little blub, and two dimples when you smile."
Like all the King's women, Nell was paid out of the Secret Service funds, second only to Louise de Keroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth, her greatest rival apart from the fading Barbara Palmer. The least ambitious and most faithful of Charles II’s mistresses, Nell had two sons by Charles II. She made many true friends in the Royal court, many of whom she helped through hard times, among them, George Duke of Buckingham, Lord Rochester, Killigrew, Aphra Benn the lady playwright, the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth, and of course her beloved Charles Hart who was always her first love.
On his deathbed, Charles besought his brother and heir, "Let not poor Nelly starve." James II kept faith, although her life was less extravagant after her royal lover’s death. Nelly died of a stroke brought on by an occupational disease, at 37.
I can thoroughly recommend this book, and enjoyed Miss Bagwell’s meticulously researched novel through the cobbled, rubbish-strewn alleys of Covent Garden to the Royal Theatre in Drury Lane and into the royal court. She handles the 17th Century London street vernacular with aplomb, and Nell comes across as the epitome of the ‘tart with a heart’, who never apologises for her profession and is generous with both her time and her money.
January 18, 2011
This is a story for the ages and one that will surly reach down and touch the very heart of your soul. A story that will show you that a lady is not just a lady because of her attire, a courtesan who is so well loved by King and Country that she is Queen in all but name and station. A story of rags to riches that keeps Nell grounded, thankful and ever thoughtful of those less fortunate.
Nell Gwynn is a ragamuffin from the poorest of the poor, a child of abuse, lovelessness and poverty but yet a child with a gnawing determination to do whatever it takes to improve her life in any way she can. An intelligent and attractive child that brings joy in one form or another to all those who meet her.
This is a story of King Charles II who finally comes out of exile to claim his rightful birthright as the true King of England. A fair King but with a verousis appetite for the fairer sex that will provide him with bastards aplenty but with no true heir.
During this reign of power comes hardships that will test England to the brink of oblivion. We see the Black Plague in all it's horror along with the burning of a large portion of London it a great fire. There is much history here and it shows a people of great strength that I don't even think exist today.
The Darling Strumpet is a story that will wreak havoc on all your emotions and yes it did have me crying at the end. I did not cry just for the loss of our characters but for who they truly were and what they represented. Also for a time in history that I would most assuredly would love to visit should we ever be able to time travel.
Nell Gwynn is a ragamuffin from the poorest of the poor, a child of abuse, lovelessness and poverty but yet a child with a gnawing determination to do whatever it takes to improve her life in any way she can. An intelligent and attractive child that brings joy in one form or another to all those who meet her.
This is a story of King Charles II who finally comes out of exile to claim his rightful birthright as the true King of England. A fair King but with a verousis appetite for the fairer sex that will provide him with bastards aplenty but with no true heir.
During this reign of power comes hardships that will test England to the brink of oblivion. We see the Black Plague in all it's horror along with the burning of a large portion of London it a great fire. There is much history here and it shows a people of great strength that I don't even think exist today.
The Darling Strumpet is a story that will wreak havoc on all your emotions and yes it did have me crying at the end. I did not cry just for the loss of our characters but for who they truly were and what they represented. Also for a time in history that I would most assuredly would love to visit should we ever be able to time travel.
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