Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

This topic is open for discussion of Wideacre by Philippa Gregory

BE PREPARED FOR SPOILERS

What is a buddy read?

About this Buddy Read
An “Informal Buddy Read” doesn’t have a discussion leader and participants are asked to consider some generic questions when making comments about the book.

Synopsis

Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is beautiful, refuses to conform to the social customs of her time. Destined to lose her family name and beloved Wideacre estate once she is wed, Beatrice will use any means necessary to protect her ancestral heritage. Seduction, betrayal, even murder -- Beatrice's passion is without apology or conscience. "She is a Lacey of Wideacre," her father warns, "and whatever she does, however she behaves, will always be fitting." Yet even as Beatrice's scheming seems about to yield her dream, she is haunted by the one living person who knows the extent of her plans...and her capacity for evil.
Sumptuously set in Georgian England, Wideacre is intensely gripping, rich in texture, and full of color and authenticity. It is a saga as irresistible in its singular magic as its heroine

A few discussion questions - INCLUDES SPOILERS
(view spoiler)[
Thanks to Bookrags

What is Beatrice's role on the estate? Why does she not adhere to the typical role of a young lady of quality? Had Beatrice been sent away to school or raised more traditionally by her Mama, do you think she would have had a different life?

What happens to Harry while he is away at school that changes his life? How does Beatrice come to exploit that? Harry interrupts a sexual encounter between Beatrice and Ralph. What does she later tell him about that encounter? Why does Harry believe it?

What is Beatrice's first reaction when she learns that Harry is to marry? What does she eventually decide about that? List at least three times she takes some action designed to keep Celia and Harry from becoming the close married couple they seem to desire to be.
(hide spoiler)]

Fantastic! Looking forward to this one.

I'm going in with an open mind and hope I can finish it (unlike The Constant Princess)! ;)

I'll join this! I own this one!

@karen: How do you not finish The Constant Princess? I loved that one!!!

Great Maddison!

And she just really annoyed me in that book. It got to the point that I thought if she says "I am Catalina, Princess of Spain..." one more time, I'm giving up on this book. And she did. So I did!
And it isn't often I give up. Out of 173 books I picked up last year I only gave up on 5 of them (including that one!)

I would really like to try this. I am super new to this group abd clueless as to how this works but it sounds great.

Welcome Danielle :)

This one is a "relaxed" buddy read which just means that we start reading on the 16 march and will pause every few days to comment and discuss. I'll post a suggested schedule beforehand, usually we just break the book up into 3 - start-middle-end and pause to make comments at those points

Oh wow. I loved that book because it's so educational and it finally allowed me to understand what actually happened with Henry VIII. Is this just the first book BR or is this a series?

I'll probably just read 20 pages a day.

that sounds easy enough :) I have like a million things that pop up I hope I dont miss the chat!! I'm working on how to make some of the notifications go away lol this sounds fun

I smash have all the the white queen books by Phillipa Gregory I have so many books I want to read I'm going nuts. There is not enough time in the day!!!

Haha why to make some go away?
The 20 pages a day thing is just how much I'll read. You can either read that much with me or just read at your own pace.

Haha so you own them all?

Yes you can absolutely read at your own pace. We just ask to to try and remember to leave comment along the way as that tends to inspire good discussion :)

And we are starting with this book, but if two or more want to continue the series I will set up the discussion threads, no problems!

Yeah I'll try and leave comments as I read with my opinions and things.

I'll need to try and get the second one in the series. I think I have the first and third one.

Count me in!

Awesome.

I read this series years ago before PG did royal historicals.

I remember it had a plot point that was quite shocking back in the day.

Hope you enjoy it everyone.

Ok thanks!

Anyone still here?

Sure - but I haven't started this one yet :)

Yeah neither. We start on the 16th!

Sorry I'll be a bit late to the party and will start this in a few days

Ok I am about 200 pages in and have just lifted my head long enough to say how much I am loving it!

I've read about Beatrice being an unlikeable narrator, but I find everything she's doing to be fairly reasonable given her circumstances. And that first page of the second chapter was just so powerful after reading the first chapter, wasn't it?

Haha awesome! I've not started this yet and probably won't for a few months.

I'm in too. Read this years ago so want to read it again and then hopefully read the rest of the series

I've got the other two sitting on my shelf. No way I won't be following up with them immediately next month :)

I'm up to p160 so I think I should make a comment. I'm loving the story so far, it has really got me gripped. But the story lines are shocking particularly for that historical time. I quite liked Ralph....I am trying not to give anything away! This is a really different book for this author which is odd. I find Beatrice totally motivated by greed and ambition in a world where women weren't supposed to be like that. I wonder how it will end....I read it ages ago but can't remember it at all.

I've managed two chapters (page 42)
I don't know what it is about this author, I know she is very popular, but her books just fail to engage me. I'm finding my mind wandering as I'm trying to read. I'm not sure I can continue. I'll try one more chapter

Ok I have given this a good shot. I think I'm around 120 pages in and although chapter 3 drew me in, I'm back to not enjoying it. I really dislike the main character and (view spoiler)[ the potential for incest on the horizon (hide spoiler)]. So I am going to give up on Gregory's books, I just don't think they are for me!

Wow all of her books? I haven't even started this yet. But I've read her YA book Changeling and her Tudor Courts book, The Constant Princess and loved them both!

This is my second attempt at one of her books. I also couldn't finish The Constant Princess. In both of these books I have found her female characters unrelatable and unlikeable and I find she often rambles.
Just not my cup of tea I guess!

I like it how the main character in The Constant Princess sticks to what's best for her country and what she's planned on all along, and not changing things because she wants to.

Karen wrote: "Ok I have given this a good shot. I think I'm around 120 pages in and although chapter 3 drew me in, I'm back to not enjoying it. I really dislike the main character and [spoilers removed]. So I am..."

I knew that the hint of incest would be a sticking point of you as soon as I read it, Karen. However, I think it was interestingly done, motivationwise. Much more graphic than what we saw in Charlaine Harris' Grave series, though.

I dunno, the story is completely keeping my interest, despite horrific scenarios (like Ralph) and the incest. I'm about halfway through it at the moment.

@Maddison, what's her YA stuff like? I've never come across it before?

It's pretty good. Way prefer her adult stuff. Her ya stuff is fantasy

Love your icon, by the way ;)

Hmm, I should probably look into it. I think the only thing of Philippa's that I haven't liked has been her adult contemporary writing.

How far into Wideacre have you gotten up to?

Not started and probably won't for a while :(

Nicole wrote: "I knew that the hint of incest would be a sticking point of you as soon as I read it, Karen. However, I think it was interestingly done, motivationwise. Much more graphic than what we saw in Charlaine Harris' Grave series, though. ..."


I had a spate of books for IRL bookclubs that included incest and I don't think I've quite recovered yet! You're right, it had "better" motivation and was much more subtle than Harper Connelly.

Haha I like it too. Always interesting.