tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post115210670138394008..comments2023-11-29T07:39:34.401+00:00Comments on Carla Nayland Historical Fiction: The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter. Book reviewCarlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152289489087602672006-07-07T17:24:00.000+01:002006-07-07T17:24:00.000+01:00Unfortunately not, for I'm well willing to drool o...Unfortunately not, for I'm well willing to drool over Ioan. :)Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152285110659796062006-07-07T16:11:00.000+01:002006-07-07T16:11:00.000+01:00Gabriele - yes, I do remember the film, and you'll...Gabriele - yes, I do remember the film, and you'll be pleased to hear you've no competition from me on that front :-) Has the TV mini-series with Ioan Gruffudd (spelling?) as Hornblower made it to Germany? A couple of girls in the office who normally despise 'boy's films' watched that specifically to drool over him.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152282596493752962006-07-07T15:29:00.000+01:002006-07-07T15:29:00.000+01:00Lol, I'm so with you on Hugh Berenger.I've my shar...Lol, I'm so with you on Hugh Berenger.<BR/><BR/>I've my share of novel character crushes. Athos (The Three Musketeers) is a particularly 'bad' one. :)<BR/><BR/>And a few times a crush go triggered by a movie - anyone remember the <I>Hornblower</I> film with Gregory Peck? Yum. And boy, does that show my age.Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152257957398833232006-07-07T08:39:00.000+01:002006-07-07T08:39:00.000+01:00Gabriele - that sounds like a very good deal! If ...Gabriele - that sounds like a very good deal! If you read them, let us know what you think.<BR/><BR/>Elizabeth - she did write <I>The Marriage of Meggotta</I>, though I haven't read it. I share your fondness for Hugh Berengar :-) I saw the Derek Jacobi TV film of <I>One Corpse Too Many</I>, and I think it was my favourite of the ones I saw (in part because of Hugh), but for some reason I never got round to getting the book.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152223140934399762006-07-06T22:59:00.000+01:002006-07-06T22:59:00.000+01:00Carla, I loved A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury. For ...Carla, I loved A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury. For a while I quite languished after Hotspur having read it. At the time of reading, it went onto my 10 out of 10 listing. I think some of hers do have a better grip factor than others. I loved her Cadfael books, but not all of them grabbed me the same. I confess to having a deep crush on Hugh Berenger, so the volumes involving him in more detail were always favourites, especially One Corpse too Many. Did she write The Marriage of Megotta, about Hubert de Burgh's daughter, or am I thinking of another author. That was one I enjoyed, but again, the pace was stately.Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152209483500582142006-07-06T19:11:00.000+01:002006-07-06T19:11:00.000+01:00The Brothers of Gwynedd quartet is on Amazon.de fo...The <I>Brothers of Gwynedd quartet</I> is on Amazon.de for 15.50€ (all 4 books in one). I think I should buy that, shouldn't I? :)Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152199702144577862006-07-06T16:28:00.000+01:002006-07-06T16:28:00.000+01:00Succinct, Bernita!Elizabeth - I hadn't connected t...Succinct, Bernita!<BR/><BR/>Elizabeth - I hadn't connected the de Braoses with the Marshals, but it figures now you mention it - it's remarkable how closely interconnected the Marcher families seem to have been with each other and with the Welsh royal houses.<BR/><BR/>I guess Edith Pargeter might be classified as 'literary' these days because of her use of language. Although her novels have a plot, and usually some sort of theme, and at least one sympathetic character - um - I seem to be talking myself into a corner here. Anyway, her language is lovely, poetic without being self-consciously clever-clever. I know what you mean about the rather stately pace. All the novels of hers that I've read seem to share it, including the Brother Cadfael mysteries. Though I find the 'grip' factor depends on the characters, so I found <I>A Bloody Field By Shrewsbury</I> absorbing because I really liked Hotspur. I haven't read her Brothers of Gwynedd quartet yet, although I do intend to. I rather fell in love with Dafydd and the two Llewellyns in Sharon Penman's Welsh trilogy and haven't been in any hurry to find a different interpretation of them. If that makes any sense?Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152188071671007542006-07-06T13:14:00.000+01:002006-07-06T13:14:00.000+01:00I've read The Heaven Tree and enjoyed it, but wasn...I've read The Heaven Tree and enjoyed it, but wasn't tempted to rush on and read the next 2 in the trilogy, although they are on my TBR. I loved Peters' use of language in THT, but I do find her a bit slow when compared to the likes of Sharon Kay Penman. THT was the sort of book I enjoyed when I was reading it, but I wasn't desperate to pick it up each time I put it down - rather like her Brothers of Gwynedd quartet. I felt the same about that.<BR/>Your review is interesting though and I'd like to see the relationship between Joan and Llewelyn told from the VP of a different author. Whilst researching the de Braoses online, I came across a letter from Llewelyn to William Marshal II, trying to patch things up (since William de Braose was WM's brother in law, and Llewelyn had had him hanged for adultery with Joan.) <BR/>I will move The Green Branch closer to the top of the TBR. Thank you.Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152183773774542692006-07-06T12:02:00.000+01:002006-07-06T12:02:00.000+01:00Read it.Agree.Read it.<BR/>Agree.Bernitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05264585685253812090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152174276892464712006-07-06T09:24:00.000+01:002006-07-06T09:24:00.000+01:00Marg - hope you enjoy them, and let us know what y...Marg - hope you enjoy them, and let us know what you think.<BR/><BR/>Sarah - I know what you mean; they certainly are quite dark, and Book 2 is just as dark as Book 1. In my case, Book 1 was redeemed by the marvellous descriptions of the church building.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152132936481589002006-07-05T21:55:00.000+01:002006-07-05T21:55:00.000+01:00Thanks for the review. I don't believe I ever rea...Thanks for the review. I don't believe I ever read books 2 and 3 in the trilogy, so I hadn't encountered Joan and Llywelyn in Peters's novels before. I enjoyed book 1 but thought it was rather depressing! I probably should have picked up book 2 right afterward, and read all three together as you said.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152127704614657182006-07-05T20:28:00.000+01:002006-07-05T20:28:00.000+01:00These two books certainly sound interesting! Addin...These two books certainly sound interesting! Adding to my TBR list!Marghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13508430635744720721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152126898800373532006-07-05T20:14:00.000+01:002006-07-05T20:14:00.000+01:00Gabriele - I think I described him as 'adolescent'...Gabriele - I think I described him as 'adolescent' :-) He is certainly tiresome at times, but then he is only about fifteen and has a lot of growing-up to do. And a hard way to do it.<BR/><BR/>Susan - glad to be of service. I think they've been recently re-issued in the States so you should have no problem finding them, maybe at a library. I think there's an edition with all three in one volume, which I'd say is definitely the best way to read them. On the basis of two, it's not so much a trilogy as a long book divided into three parts. If you've read <I>Here be Dragons</I> (I know you've read some of Penman's novels), this is a different take on Joan's affair and I found it a convincing one.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152114863124850852006-07-05T16:54:00.000+01:002006-07-05T16:54:00.000+01:00Thanks for the review, Carla! I wasn't aware of th...Thanks for the review, Carla! I wasn't aware of this trilogy, and it sounds interesting.Susan Higginbothamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-1152113612273172522006-07-05T16:33:00.000+01:002006-07-05T16:33:00.000+01:00I have read all three, and thus didn't miss any ba...I have read all three, and thus didn't miss any backstory or future story in the second book. :)<BR/><BR/>I liked the books well enough - not like, OMG that's teh best books evah, but they made for an interesting read and I felt the time was handled with competence (though I didn't know anything about Welsh history then). I remember I liked Llewellyn and thought Harry was quite a brat through part of the book.Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.com