sunniek's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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
jobinsonlis's review against another edition
3.0
I was excited to read this book because I’ve been fascinated by Eleanor of Aquitaine ever since I saw The Lion in Winter where she was played by Katharine Hepburn (such an amazing performance). So I’m bummed that I found this a little lackluster. People talk about all the sex scenes in the beginning, which didn’t bother me except for how they weren’t very sexy, but mostly this book just felt like it would be better as a biography, which Alison Weir has also written. She just didn’t make Eleanor come alive for me; she never felt like a real person save for some moments in her middle-and-old-ages. Henry felt more developed and that was disappointing because Eleanor is the one I love. But it is very readable historical fiction so if you like that period, it’s a least a quick and easy read.
jmdavis413's review against another edition
4.0
Really good historical fiction, except this one was a looooot heavier on the romance. Of course now I want to read the nonfiction "companion" to this one a whole lot more.
ljjohnson8's review against another edition
2.0
As my daughter Victoria would say: meh. Especially disappointing because I thought highly of Weir's novel of Lady Jane Grey, Innocent Traitor. The captive queen of the title is Eleanor of Acquitaine, one of the most fascinating women of all time, but Weir's portrait is surprisingly pedestrian and flat. It was well-written, however, and I liked the parts focusing on Eleanor and Henry's many children. The story of Henry and Thomas Becket was also interesting and well-told. So, it was mainly in Eleanor herself that Weir failed, and also in these terribly forced and awkward sex scenes. I'm as much a fan of a good sex scene as anyone, but these were just cringingly bad and graphic for no apparent reason. It was like some editor told Weir, "Good book, but you've got to spice it up," and this reputable historian wrote something with no skill and ease.
genius_koala's review against another edition
1.0
I'd had this no my to read list for a long time, however it was really disappointing when I finally got around to it. The writing style is awful; it almost reads like it's meant to make fun of romance writing, it's that cliché. That style of writing does not work, but particularly for a character like Eleanor of Aquitaine. Even if you want to take a fictional re-imagining of her life this book feels like has nothing to do with the woman.
charlotte_owl's review against another edition
3.0
When I started this book, I really wasn't enjoying it. There were numerous mentions of sex, and it seemed like all characters were motivated by sex and behaved very rashly. It also seemed like the book was rushing. However, as the book progressed, I started to enjoy it more. I liked learning about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and there were numerous times when I fumed over how horrid her husband was to her. I did become invested in the story, and read it relatively quickly. However, there were many times where I almost DNFed the book, which is very rare for me. Even know, after finishing the book, I feel conflicted on whether I enjoyed it or not. There are definitely parts that irritated me, but I also had a desire to see where the story went.
sianami's review against another edition
3.0
The life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her marriage to Henry II is an incredible and fascinating story. Alison Weir's reach somewhat exceeds her grasp however and I found there are issues with pacing and that her prose style is not great, though it has moments where it really rises above. However it remains a very enjoyable tale of a passionate, love/hate relationship, and mediaeval political intrigues.
(I must say I was rather shocked reading goodreads reviews where people stated they found the sex scenes unrealistic or detracting from the seriousness of Eleanor as a character. Eleanor divorced a monkish first husband to marry a much younger and more attractive man & had 8 children in 13 years. She probably enjoyed sex! And I am struck that no one criticised the numerous sex scenes Henry has as making them unable to take him seriously as a politician when he is constantly chasing women. Hmmm.)
(I must say I was rather shocked reading goodreads reviews where people stated they found the sex scenes unrealistic or detracting from the seriousness of Eleanor as a character. Eleanor divorced a monkish first husband to marry a much younger and more attractive man & had 8 children in 13 years. She probably enjoyed sex! And I am struck that no one criticised the numerous sex scenes Henry has as making them unable to take him seriously as a politician when he is constantly chasing women. Hmmm.)