A review by mseyre13
The Captive Queen by Alison Weir

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.