Finishing 'The Kingmaker's Daughter' by Philippa Gregory meant I felt ready to watch the BBC series 'The White Queen', starring Rebecca Ferguson (Elizabeth Woodville), Amanda Hale (Margaret Beaufort, 'The Red Queen') and Faye Marsay (Anne Neville, 'The Kingmaker's Daughter').
Originally broadcast on BBC One in 2013, 'The White Queen' is based on three of the Cousins' War novels, 'The White Queen', 'The Red Queen' and 'The Kingmaker's Daughter'. It brings to life a dark and complex world of conspiracies, alliances and dynastic ambition, not to mention all the books' key players.
I'm really glad that I waited until I'd read all three of the source novels before watching this. The reason why films and TV series often fail to convince readers is simply because their writers can't squeeze everything in a book(s) into a few hours of screen time. This leaves them with a tough choice; cut chunks of the original story or squeeze everything in without covering it properly. My memory may be letting me down, but I'm pretty sure that the makers of 'The White Queen' went for the latter option, which meant that it was actually a really useful reminder of what happened in the books rather than a standalone piece in its own right. It may not be what the BBC originally intended, but I feel well prepared for 'The White Princess' and her successors now!
On the whole, I thought the casting was strong and the actors did a good job. Rebecca Ferguson and the other leading ladies were excellent, but Max Irons (Edward IV) didn't work for me and James Frain (Earl of Warwick) wasn't my image of the Kingmaker at all. Frain's a great actor who I've enjoyed in many other films and programmes, but I feel he's at his best when playing slippery politicians rather than bullish warriors. I just couldn't imagine him having the physical power to wield a sword in battle, which was slightly distracting. Just like the books, it was an interesting ensemble piece, however, and it worked because the collective talent present was so strong. I've spent so much time on IMDb checking people I'd seen somewhere before!
A lot of work had clearly gone into the gorgeous costumes and the use of colour was thoughtful. Several times I found myself wishing I could wear a few of the stunning gowns - both luxurious and warm looking! But where were the hats? Duchess Cecily had a couple of nice bits of headgear,but on the whole they seemed to be completely absent, which seemed a bit odd when they got so many mentions in the books.
The other element I usually like in a historical drama is the locations. 'The White Queen' was filmed in Belgium and provided some stunning backgrounds. The set piece coronations and court scenes offered a glimpse of medieval glamour and made rooms that seem spartan by today's standards rich and opulent, full of brightly coloured glass and richly embroidered hangings. But all too often it felt restricted and fairy tale-esque and none of the exteriors really felt like, well, England.
On the whole, I enjoyed 'The White Queen', but it'll probably be a while before I watch it again. It was a useful revision tool, but on the whole felt too clean and tidy to have the sense of time and place that I always bang on about in historical novels. On the one hand, I completely understand that the tumble-down structures we see today aren't the highly painted and richly furnished castles and churches our ancestors would've recognised, but equally everything looked a bit too fresh out of the box to be completely believable in this programme.
I've heard rumours that a new series based on 'The White Princess' may follow. I think I would watch it, but I really do need to read the books first!
Now, back to the books!
Related Links
Official BBC One Website
IMDb site
Philippa Gregory Official Website
Showing posts with label series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label series. Show all posts
25 September 2015
08 July 2013
Rivers Run Through It
See what happens when I get a bit determined? A 497 page book read in nine days flat. Result!
I've just finished reading 'The Lady of the Rivers', chronologically the first in Philippa Gregory's 'Cousins at War' series. I was getting a bit washed out by the flood of promotion around the BBC series based on the books, so thought I'd better get started on the novels so I could watch it!
The lady of the title is Jacquetta, a daughter of the House of Luxembourg, a family which traces its source to a union between a man and the water sprite Melusina. These unusual origins are said to give the Luxembourg women the gift of foresight, bringing Jacquetta to the attention of the Duke of Bedford, King Henry VI of England's commander in France. Bedford marries Jacquetta to use her in his alchemical experiments and no more, leaving her feeling unhappy and confused. The waters are muddied further when she begins to have feelings for one of the Duke's retinue, Richard Woodville. When the tide of war turns and the Duke and his household return to England, they find a king whose direction changes with his advisor and an increasingly disgruntled ruling class. Will Bedford convince the King to fund the fight in France? Can Jacquetta find love and retain her honour? Could disagreement between royal cousins really lead to war?
You have no idea how hard it was for me not to say more in that paragraph. This is really only the very start of a book which took me on an unexpected journey through the early years of the Wars of the Roses, as we call them today. All I really know about them is that Henry VII brought them to an end through battle and marriage. As such, even though this is clearly historical fiction, 'The Lady of the Rivers' gave me a taste of the era and an overview of the key events that has made me want to read more. This is just as well as there are another three books in the series already and at least one more on the way.
Which leads me onto a bit of a niggle I have. As readers can see from the family tree at the front of the paperback edition, Jacquetta is rather 'productive', giving birth to 14 children by the end of the novel. Somehow she carries these babies successfully while riding horses, getting caught up with the boisterous London mob and stressing about her husband, children and Queen. Clearly, she was made of stern stuff!
As I say, though, this really was just a drop in the ocean, much like the alchemy near the start of the book. There was a point at which I thought "Where on Earth is this going?" because I was a bit worried that the themes of magic and alchemy were going to drain the book's feel of realism. Talk to any Philippa Gregory fan and they'll tell you that they love the way she evokes the past and makes it feel realistic, so it worried me a bit that the novel might be slipping into 'Lord of the Rings' territory!
I needn't have worried on either count, though, as 'The Lady of the Rivers' is an absorbing book introducing fascinating historical figures and a time period I really would like to know more about. Not only am I hoping that the other books in the series will help to start bridging the gap in my knowledge, I hope that the people they introduce will be equally intriguing and I'll get so swept up in the flow of the story that I'll read them just as quickly!
Now, to 'The White Queen'!
I've just finished reading 'The Lady of the Rivers', chronologically the first in Philippa Gregory's 'Cousins at War' series. I was getting a bit washed out by the flood of promotion around the BBC series based on the books, so thought I'd better get started on the novels so I could watch it!
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| 'The Lady of the Rivers' by Philppa Gregory (Simon & Schuster UK, 2012) |
You have no idea how hard it was for me not to say more in that paragraph. This is really only the very start of a book which took me on an unexpected journey through the early years of the Wars of the Roses, as we call them today. All I really know about them is that Henry VII brought them to an end through battle and marriage. As such, even though this is clearly historical fiction, 'The Lady of the Rivers' gave me a taste of the era and an overview of the key events that has made me want to read more. This is just as well as there are another three books in the series already and at least one more on the way.
Which leads me onto a bit of a niggle I have. As readers can see from the family tree at the front of the paperback edition, Jacquetta is rather 'productive', giving birth to 14 children by the end of the novel. Somehow she carries these babies successfully while riding horses, getting caught up with the boisterous London mob and stressing about her husband, children and Queen. Clearly, she was made of stern stuff!
As I say, though, this really was just a drop in the ocean, much like the alchemy near the start of the book. There was a point at which I thought "Where on Earth is this going?" because I was a bit worried that the themes of magic and alchemy were going to drain the book's feel of realism. Talk to any Philippa Gregory fan and they'll tell you that they love the way she evokes the past and makes it feel realistic, so it worried me a bit that the novel might be slipping into 'Lord of the Rings' territory!
I needn't have worried on either count, though, as 'The Lady of the Rivers' is an absorbing book introducing fascinating historical figures and a time period I really would like to know more about. Not only am I hoping that the other books in the series will help to start bridging the gap in my knowledge, I hope that the people they introduce will be equally intriguing and I'll get so swept up in the flow of the story that I'll read them just as quickly!
Now, to 'The White Queen'!
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