Queen Victoria
Reviews (153)
The most delicious book!!
Lytton Strachey wrote this biography of Queen Victoria only 20 years after she died. He was well placed in English society and knew many of the people the queen had known. He invented the form of biography we know today-the psychological profile, and he was not at all afraid to criticize his royal and aristocratic subjects. Consequently, this book provides floods of details that are not so often included in more modern biographies. I love that he begins with the death of Princess Charlotte-she was the only legitimate child of George IV and heir to the throne. She married Prince Leopold of Saxe Gotha who would become the uncle of both Victoria and Albert. Leopold and Charlotte were happy-but she and her first baby, a boy, both died in childbirth. That set off a frenzy among several of George IV's younger six living brothers-the Dukes of York and Kent especially. They were the next two in the line of succession and had never produced legitimate children. So off the dukes went to hunt down royal brides. They were married in a double ceremony but only the Duke of Kent produced a living child- that child, Victoria, became the heir to the throne. Her affection for Lord Melbourne, her dazzling relationship with Disraeli, her dislike for most of the other prime ministers, her romance with Prince Albert and boredom with their nine children, and so many other parts of her life are brought to life by this author who painted with words. It is the shortest biography about Queen Victoria but contains more than any other I have read.
a real gem of english prose
I cannot praise this biography of Queen Victoria too much. Like all of Strachey's work, it is a gem of English prose style: sometimes mordant, often subtly sarcastic, but always spot on. He does in 100 pages what other biographers seem to fail to do in 1000 pages in capturing the essence of his subject's personality, the zeitgeist of the time in which they lived and so forth. His tongue in cheek description of Prince Albert's marital fidelity (all the while implying that he was gay and just not interested in women to begin with) is typical of Strachey's style and his wit. I say again, a real gem of English prose style and biographical art. A must read for anyone interested in English literature or the Victorian era in general. Also, don't miss Strachey's "Eminent Victorians." Another masterpiece.
INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO QUEEN VICTORIA
Very interesting informative book that showed a personal side to Queen Victoria of which I was unaware. She was a controlling wife and mother but dearly loved her husband. Very well written and kept my attention. Often these older books are tiresome with the excessive descriptions that you do not see in today's literature, however, it was overall a charming read.
Insight into one of the 19th century's great figures
Lytton Strachey's elegant writing sits upon a mountain of meticulous research into old letters and historical documents. From these he distills an image of Queen Victoria at a time of Imperial Britain's golden age, as well as the royal and aristocratic nexus of England and Germany that seems so far away as to be almost another planet now. As with his other writings, he is cynical, playful, and critical, but never loses respect for his subjects.
A fascinating person vividly portrayed
I thought this was a wonderful biography. Strachey makes you feel as if you really knew Victoria as a person, not just a queen. Description of how her relationship with Albert changed was fascinating - as well as her relationship with Lord M and other Prime Ministers. The final chapter was exceptionally beautifully written.
after that book you ll know everything you need to know about one of the most spoken sovereign of modern time
you hear about her all the time but do you really know who was that woman who gave her name to a long moment of history? The book tell you everything you need to know because practically if she reigned she did not really govern. Actually it is more complicated than that. Read the book, it is short, straight to the point, no useless details, easy to read, full of informations and really do you still want to hear all the time queen Victorian, during victoria reign etc without knowing a thing about her.
A Queen for Her Time
When this book was about Victoria I loved it. But much of it is about the men who surrounded her. And the last few chapter, mainly about Victoria, are beautiful,almost lyrical.
Victoria’s early reigning years
A fairly good portrayal of Victoria, but spent most time on the early stages of her reign. Different tenor of the relationship between Victoria and Albert than I have seen in other publications. Portions gave more detail than necessary. It left me wanting more.
Oldest and best
Many books have been written about Victoria over the years, but none have surpassed this one; it captures the essence of the Queen’s history, personality and family life . Immensely readable and enjoyable!
This queen was a Winner?
This book moved right along and opened the eyes of the reader. Victoria was true love ya a regal person that did her part Suberin. The history of Victoria was very well done and I encourage everyone interested in this period to read this book
Comments
Post a Comment