Reviews

Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir

sabregirl's review

3.0

Oh i did not enjoy this book at all. This was a solid two and half from me. I absolutely love Eleanor of Aquitaine, and really enjoyed Elizabeth Chadwick's stories. But this one just fell so flat to me. I didn't like Eleanor at all. She was annoying and naive. I don't understand how someone who grew up in the courts could assume that Henry was only sleeping with her. It just was like WHAT?! How is she that dumb? The beginning of the book was a bit slow and I was so bored with it. I didn't really like how the author portrayed Richard the Lionheart as like his father and that's just not right. Looks like I'll give up on Alison Weir again I just can't like her novels.

zoeeann's review

informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

A bit slow to start but got better as it went on. Well written and interesting 

mjminkowich's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

mseyre13's review against another edition

1.0

This was so painful, it aged me, by fifty years. It was so tedious, I'm pretty sure it made my fingers ache holding the burden that is this book. I read this (barely, I quit half way) a while ago, on the recommendation from an aunt, who clearly is not a historian or a buff of history. Not even a dabbler. Because if she were a buff or dabbler, even, she would have known better. The history is fine, I got the basic gist of it, the sexy-sex times got boring after a while, especially with the descriptions of Eleanor's body (Flat tummy? Really?) , and the constant back and forth of Henry and Eleanor, of the misguided attempt at arguing for equal rights in the 1100's. Not to say they didn't need a spice in that pot, but how was she not burned as a witch? Modern beauty standards and second wave feminism aside, the problem was the Eleanor remained undeveloped. She had no goals, no desires (besides that D, oooooh!), and no interactions besides with men. She was "supposed" to be attached to her children, but you didn't get any scenes of her as a mother. No interaction with Maud, who started the Civil War to get Henry on the throne. We're talking about some of the most prominent people of this time period, and I can't get a Maud scene? Really? not to mention, did this woman not write a fricken biography about Eleanor! She had all the resources in the world, and we get nothing, zilch, nadda, of her character. Just an expectation that we know what Weir is talking about.

bookishnicole's review against another edition

3.0

For starters this book was just way too long, if Weir had cut out even just a little bit of the book, I felt that it would have been better. While each scene played its part, it was just too long. There is an important part of Historical Fiction that I realized as I was reading this book and that is that Historical Fiction tends to just retell what happened in history rather than have an actual plot. Your plot line starts at when Eleanor meets Henry and ends with her death many many years later.


There is a lot that does happen during this book, but at the same time its like writing a book about your whole life, things will happen, but it isn't important to include every little fight (or time they had sex). That brings me to my next biggest problem with this book. There was just way too much sex. I think the first 7 disks are just filled with Henry and Eleanor going at it, and then Henry and his mistresses and then Eleanor and some duke or something. It is one thing to read about the sex because you can kind of skip over it. Its another thing to have to listen to it when you aren't doing anything else.


I came to hate Henry as a character. There was almost nothing redeemable about him, he was cruel, and self absorbed and frankly didn't deserve to be king. He insists on crowning his arrogant teenage son before he dies and then he doesn't give him any power. Honestly? He was asking for trouble. Maybe it was just because we could see more into Eleanor's mind and not his, but she seemed so much more genuine trying to care for her children and ensure their happiness when it came to their inheritance.


Overall, it wasn't poorly written, and I suppose it deserves a slightly higher rating, but by the 13th disk I was just bored and wanted it to be over with. That being said, I think I'll stick with her books because she has been spot on when it comes to the history that her books are based on.

boobaby00's review

3.0

I really enjoyed this book. The later part of the book was a little slow. I think that it was hard to create a story about a sixty three year old woman's exploits. But overall a great read for historical fiction fans.

thereadingfairy's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sunniek's review

4.0

An interesting take on the queen to marry two kings and become the mother of several more. I was captivated by the story and didn't want to put it down.

thecaledonianrose's review

5.0

Unlike most of Weir's other books, Captive Queen is a work of historical fiction in light of the limited information available regarding Eleanor of Aquitaine's life. Weir clearly makes the most of what she was able to secure, but does not flinch away from the confession that this novel very clearly is fictional. Nevertheless, based on what I've been able to learn of Eleanor, the speculation Weir cleverly converts to the fictional makes sense, retains plausibility, and doesn't strain suspension of disbelief, unlike more than a few other HF publications! Weir is also careful to couch some of it as gossip, rumour, whisper campaigns, or straight-out calumny which - in my mind - validates her integrity as a historical writer, rather than undermines it.

The recounting of the long-standing rivalries between Henry's and Eleanor's sons, along with the numerous betrayals of the father by the sons, is given greater detail than I'd known before, along with the reasons behind it, not the least of which was Henry's refusal to relinquish an acre of land or a shred of power to his sons. This refusal costs him dearly in terms of his family's love and trust, as does his incessant refusal to accept his personal responsibility that first created, then maintained the festering wound of the Angevins. For a majority of the novel, I did not find Henry a sympathetic creature, and even towards the end, pity for his situation and what he'd become not only as a King but a man did not render him any more likable. That's not to say that Eleanor was an angel - she was not, equally culpable of poor choices, ill-informed decisions, and a decided lack of emotional control. In far too many ways, it took both Henry and Eleanor failing as human beings to cause their rift, aided by sociopolitical standards at the time.

I admit it - I talk about being able to handle life in the 12th century, but I'm far too accustomed to the preponderance of freedom availed by women across nearly every aspect of life to ever truly succeed as Eleanor did. She, like Empress Matilda, forged the path for other women to come, but railing against the restrictions imposed on women simply because they were women was neither an easy task nor one well supported by other women. Reading the expectations inflicted by society on the upper echelon of women was occasionally irritating to me - in some regards, a woman of wealth and high social/political status endured far fewer rights and freedoms than a peasant or serf. Learning to navigate around those barriers was a recurring theme for Eleanor, in which Weir makes it plain that she didn't always succeed, and if she did, there was a high price to be paid.

The book is rather lengthy but that is due to the rich amount of detailed geographical information, as well as the societal differences between the peoples residing in southwest France and those of the north - not only geography, weather, and architecture, but food, drink, clothing, music, standards of behavior, the observation of holidays, perceptions, prejudices, etc. These are the details that Weir skillfully employ to keep the fiction well within the bounds of credible, and made the book all the more enjoyable to me. Without a thorough picture of the world as it existed in the 12th century, the lives of the Angevins would come across as stale, rather than human to me.

For this reason, fiction or otherwise, I definitely recommend Captive Queen and look forward to reading the next Alison Weir book in my pile.

kpaget's review

2.0

Sorry could not even get past the first few chapters the writing was out of place and phrases like the ones in this book are 20th century. Plus it is basically badly written historic erotica