Book Description
Dissing Elizabeth focuses on the criticism that cast a shadow on the otherwise celebrated reign of Elizabeth I. The essays in this politically and historically revealing book demonstrate the sheer pervasiveness and range of rhetoric against the queen, illuminating the provocative discourse of disrespect and dissent that existed over an eighty-year period, from her troubled days as a princess to the decades after her death in 1603.
As editor Julia M. Walker suggests, the breadth of dissent considered in this collection points to a dark side of the Cult of Elizabeth. Reevaluating neglected texts that had not previously been perceived as critical of the queen or worthy of critical appraisal, contributors consider dissent in a variety of forms, including artwork representing (and mocking) the queen, erotic and pornographic metaphors for Elizabeth in the popular press, sermons subtly critiquing her actions, and even the hostility encoded in her epitaph and in the placement of her tomb. Other chapters discuss gossip about Elizabeth, effigies of the queen, polemics against her marriage to the Duke of Alençon, common verbal slander, violence against emblems of her authority, and the criticism embedded in the riddles, satires, and literature of the period.
Customer Reviews:
"Dissing" Clarifies "Blazoning".......2000-08-21
This book puts a useful perspective on the cult of Elizabeth I. During her own reign (1568-1603) she was praised to her face for her brilliance and lauded in the courtly terms of the day, but certainly resented and "dissed" by the ambitious men she frustrated. Although numerous poets praised her, blazing her beauty, brilliance, and blessedness as God's Protestant champion, other men resented her and tried to find a way to destroy the culture of devotion she inspired and encouraged.
The book itself respects Elizabeth a great deal, but expands usefully the context in which she was seen in her own time and immediately thereafter. A very fine and useful collection, certainly for scholars, but also for anyone interested in the Elizabethan period.
Susanne Woods, PhD
Undissing Dissing Elizabeth.......2000-08-18
Walker's collection of essays is innovative but mainstream Renaissance scholarship, aimed not at settling biographical arguments about Elizabeth's life (in fact the books many distinguished essayists accept what virtually all historians believe about Elizabeth I--even the open-minded doubt that she was stupid enough to risk real intercourse with a lover) but at showing that not everybody in Tudor England worshipped her uncritically. Some, implicitly or--when it was safe--explicitly had criticisms to make and could wish for a different monarch. What I admire about this book, aside from the fascinating evidence that its writers adduce, much of which will come as news even to Renaissance scholars, is the cleverness of Walker's basic idea (a refreshing change from the usual "cult of Elizabeth"). It matters that not everybody thought Elizabeth a fairy queen, a Gloriana, a new Diana. Tudor politics and culture were complex, and Walker's team of writers can show this. I especially recommend the Tudor picture of Elizabeth as a giant ruffed bird. Ugh! So buy this book: it is clever, informative, often amusing, is based on meticulus scholarship, and has that wonderful bird. As the editor of a Renaissance journal (Spenser Studies), a member of the board of the Renaissance Society of America, and the author of two books, one edition, and two anthologies all dealing with the Renaissance I do know what I'm talking about. This is a fine collection. I give it four stars--reserving five for the Bible and Shakespeare.
The Virgin Queen Defended.......2000-07-14
This series of essays shines no new light on the character and history of Queen Elizabeth I. Rather it simply repackages the Virgin Queen and the cult of Queen Elizabeth in the contemporary garb of feminist rhetoric.
The voluminous evidence that Elizabeth had an active love affair with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is off handedly dismissed. The substantial amount of circumstantial evidence that Queen Elizabeth was a co-conspirator in the murder of Amy Robsart, Robert Dudley's wife is brushed aside by labeling it "the mysterious death of Dudley's wife" and then giving the hearsay comment, "though modern historians consider it most unlikely that Robert Dudley with or without the connivance of Elizabeth. Nor can we ever know the exact nature of Elizabeth's relationship with him."
This last statement is such a blatant distortion of the historical record that it can only be considered a deliberate falsehood. Contemporary Elizabethan accounts of Elizabeth and Robert Dudley indicate that Elizabeth was deeply in love with Robert Dudley, that she lived with openly at court sharing adjoining apartments, she entrusted him as Lord Protector of England when she was stricken by small pox and she mourned him at this death in 1588. Admitting that Elizabeth was deeply in love and involved with Robert Dudley would support gossip of the time that she bore children by him. This distortion of the historical record is necessary to keep intact the myth of the Virgin Queen.
There is simply no exhaustive inquiry into one of the most enigmatic questions of Elizabethan history: "Did Elizabeth have children?" This book does not further the inquiry an iota.
The Thomas Seymour affair of 1548 as presented in this book is another distortion of the historical record. Elizabethan historians have approached this matter by muting the facts, presenting various bits of the story in various books and then concluding that while Elizabeth may have been indiscreet, nothing of substance happened. In fact the historical record indicates that Elizabeth was "sick" in the summer of 1548 and there are substantive circumstances to indicate that Princess Elizabeth, age fourteen, gave birth to a child who was raised as Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford a.k.a. William Shakespeare.
"Dissing Elizabeth, Negative Representations of Gloriana" is inadequately titled. In order to fully describe its contents the title should continue "And A Stouthearted Defense of the Cult of Elizabeth and the Virgin Queen."
While there are many interesting facts and observations contained in these essays, they have to be sifted out from the bowdlerizing of one of the most fascinating, controversial and influential woman of the western world. Hopefully, there will someday be an adequate biography of this complex woman, but these essays certainly don't head in that direction.
Book Description
To examine the portraits of Elizabeth I is to witness the creation of the legend of the Virgin Queen, of Gloriana and her burgeoning empire. The history of the portraiture is that of the deliberate manufacture of an image powerful enough to hold together a people divided by both rigid hierarchy and religious belief. When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, her subjects had an all-too-vivid memory of military defeat and religious turmoil. Restoring stability to the kingdom involved the image of the Queen herself—over the years, she was transmuted from an elegant aristocrat into a cosmic vision. In Gloriana, Roy Strong provides a richly detailed analysis of all the major portraits.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent pictures, but limited scope.......2007-01-19
I really liked this book! I enjoy reading about and researching the Tudors (by researching, I mean reading existing research). I have a book "All the Queen's Men: Elizabeth and her Courtiers" by Neville Williams. I loved the reproductions of paintings in that book, and so tracked down "Gloriana" to see and compare as many pictures of Elizabeth as I could. I must say the pictures are great, and plentiful. The text is well written too. It describes the art and explains the purpose of and evolution of the stylised portraits of Elizabeth. It's not the book's fault, but it was missing some things I hoped to find, as follows: few pictures of those close to Elizabeth (I shouldn't probably have expected this, but I like to look for family resemblances, and the looks of her suitors!); little text description of Elizabeth (based on the author's reseach, I hoped he'd tell us whether her eyes were blue or brown, how tall she was etc. Hard to tell from the art - the colors and proportions vary); and finally, some portraits that are described in the text are not illustrated. Not many, but I wanted to see more. That being said, you can't go wrong with this book if you want to study the portraits. I am very pleased to have this as part of my little Tudor library! (My copy is paperback, I have not seen the hardback.)
Average customer rating:
- It seems many disliked this, but I found it interesting.
- Maddeningly Bad Yet Strangely Haunting!
- jen
- I don't know why I'm even giving it 3-- pity?
- Offensive review
|
Gloriana
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Moorcock, Michael
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Gormenghast Novels
-
Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy
ASIN: 0446691402 |
Book Description
One of Michael Moorcock's most brilliant and highly decorated novels, here isthe story of a powerful queen whose quest for sexual satisfaction could destroy her kingdom. A fable satirizing Spenser's The Faerie Queen and reflecting the real life of Elizabeth I, GLORIANA, OR THE UNFULFILL'D QUEEN tells of a woman who ascends to the throne upon thedeath of her debauched and corrupted father, King Hern. Gloriana's reign brings the Empire of Albion into a GoldenAge, but her oppressive responsibilities choke her, prohibiting any form of sexual satisfaction-no matter what fetish she tries. Her problem is in fact symbolic of the hypocrisy of her entire court. While her life is meant to mirror that of her nation-an image of purity, virtue, enlightenment and prosperity-the truth is that her peaceful empire is kept secure by her wicked chancellor Monfallcon and his corrupt network of spies and murderers, the most sinister of whom is CaptainQuire, who is commissioned to seduce Gloriana and thus bring down Albion and the entire empire.
Customer Reviews:
It seems many disliked this, but I found it interesting........2005-07-22
I happened to like Gloriana, by Michael Moorcock. Certainly not a brilliant and perfect novel, it was still entertaining to me. I thought it was absolutely creative, and greatly enjoyed the history of Gloriana's Albion. The characters were colorful and interesting, and the idea of a city of a castle was really neat.
The writing to me was fine, and I found myself only marginally confused with which characters were who in Gloriana's court, and I greatly enjoyed the political dishiness of the story.
Some parts were rather graphic, but I still found it to be highly enjoyable. It was really just an interesting "alternate history", if you could even call it that!
Maddeningly Bad Yet Strangely Haunting!.......2005-07-02
I first read this book as a teenager some twenty five years ago. At that time, I found the haunting atmosphere of Elizabethan sensuality to be extremely arousing and stimulating. Moorcock serves up a rich pageant of decadence, luxury and pleasure, with every variety of sex either shown explicitly or hinted at.
The problem is that Moorcock is the kind of guy who gets all the little things right -- but can't create a big picture story-line to save his life! Tiny episodes are scorchingly erotic, like Queen Gloriana's offhand caressing of Lady Mary, or Captain Quire's hypnotic conquest of pouty-lipped boy Phil Starling.
But the major plot of the book -- Quire ruins Gloriana, then saves her, then seduces her -- just doesn't ring true. Without making any judgments, it's fair to say that Quire is much more convincing as a gay anti-hero than a heterosexual stud for hire. The scenes where he seduces Phil Starling are a lot tighter, realistic, and more convincing than the scenes where he supposedly beds Gloriana. Moreover, Moorcock never succeeds in establishing Quire as a credible tough guy -- all the rowdies in the wrong part of town are supposedly in awe of this guy, but then he shows up to the big infernal jamboree with a teenage boy as his heavy date! You would think some benighted soul would wonder aloud just how masculine Quire really is. Moorcock carefully shields his hero from such impertinence. And believability goes right out the window!
Speaking of believability . . . Gloriana is supposed to be a great queen, an able statesman, and a woman of high principles, but she comes across much more Marilyn Monroe, all jiggles and weepy quivering. Moorcock really has no insight at all into her character. Seems like she'd fall for a stern father figure like Montfallcon much sooner than a closet queen like Quire. All her love scenes are sexy . . . except for the ones with Quire!
The maddening thing is that after you've read this book you keep thinking about all the other, better characters. There were about a dozen people in this book I actually liked, but where did they go? Countess Una of Scaith, Lady Mary Perrott, Tinkler the snaggle-toothed ruffian, Wheldrake the poet, Lady Lyst, . . .
There were enough characters here for a half dozen good novels, but instead they all got stuck in one bad one!
jen.......2005-03-03
I haven't read a whole lot of Moorcock's stuff, but I've been collecting it, trying to get all of the Elric books before I start in on them craving the kind of dark, fatalistic feeling that I associate with his work... this book is very different in the way it feels, and I'm no Moorcock expert, but it wasn't what I was expecting.
All of that aside, I really liked a lot of this book, I liked a lot of the IDEAS of this book, but there are problems with the realization of those ideas, and problems with the ending - and the problems I had with it were not the same sort of problems that many people have. I actually think the inclusion of an alternate ending does a lot of harm to the book itself.
I'd warn you to watch out for spoilers, but if you've read any of these reviews, the end has been spoiled plenty.
Rape fantasies are very popular among women and men, and many people find that playing this out in a consensual setting allows them to deal with very damaging, nonconsensual experiences they have had. The problem that I have is that the rape scene was somewhat clumsily written - and the alternate ending incredibly clumsily written. Also, some of the loose ends get tied up rather hastily at the end, kind of swept under the rug... Oh, everybody just forgives him at the end for no real reason. La dee da.
Being actually raped by someone is probably not going to allow anyone to work through their issues - but it's very easy for me to fill in some blanks here, especially in Gloriana's mind that make this consensual on some level - they've been in love for a while, he just saved her life - think 9 1/2 weeks, when he takes her on that table - tell me you didn't think that was hot - spare me the strawberries and honey. Moorcock just didn't really express that very well, especially for people who are uncomfortable with the subject to begin with. And the second ending, well, I can play that out in my head where it works, too - but the specifics would have gone down very differently. And it makes you question the specifics of the original ending a lot more too.
As far as Quire coming into power at the end, of course he does - someone who manages to nearly destroy a golden age in a matter of months in addition to having a long history of being very loyal to his employer... hell, the whole book demonstrates how you want HIM on YOUR team, not someone else's - and to kill him, what a waste of resources.
I don't know why I'm even giving it 3-- pity?.......2005-02-21
Moorcock is not my type of fantasy writer. His worldbuilding is lousy, if only because he professes to be the direct descendant of such revered writers as Mervyn Peake. I had heard around that _Gloriana_ is his tribute to that master--indeed, it is dedicated to him--and as I love Peake with a passion, coming across the 1978 Avon edition of _Gloriana_ seemed very lucky, and I thought myself fortunate to have some good reading ahead of me.
But _Gloriana_ was, alas, not good reading. It was a duty. Silly at parts, boring at others, it tries to be something grand and baroque (and allegorical--but of what?), and falls flat on its face.
The eponymous heroine represents Albion, the pseudo-British empire that dominates the world of the book. Ambassadors from Arabia to Japan show up at court, quite improbably, and carry on, quite ridiculously. Everybody in Albion loves the queen in one way or another, and she loves them too, but something terrible and very much in the spirit of our modern age plagues the poor, benificent queen: she is sexually unfullfilled. And, incidentally, determined to fullfill herself somehow...whether by debauching her handmaids or putting to use her vast and varied harem...
But on top of these personal troubles, Gloriana also has to contend with politics and of course suitors...
Before the story begins, Gloriana (not anything like Queen Elizabeth I--let's get that straight) succeeded her cruel and evil father King Hern and ushered in a Golden Age of prosperity and relative Virtue--supposedly. Now, unbeknowst to her (she who has abolished capital punishment), her trusted chancellor Montfallcon, the man who helped her through the abuses of her father and eventually instated her as queen, is still using less than idyllic methods to keep her in power. Montfallcon uses the twisted Captain Quire to execute some less than savory acts necessary (somehow) to keep things working neatly, on the surface, for Albion.
Quire is an inveterate creep, who considers himself an artist--in Evil. He is the opposite of Gloriana. He kills babies and ravishes maidens (I will not use the word "rape" because it just might make me hysterical). One particularly offensive (to me) passage involves Quire teasing a poor laundry maid. The dialogue is so particularly distasteful and typical of a psychologically troubled adolescent's wet dream, it was all I could do not to throw this book away from me. I suppose Quire is meant to come across as a despicable person. He does. But Moorcock seems to intend that we be attracted to this vision of evil the way we are to Steerpike of the _Gormenghast_ books. And this just didn't work, because Quire has none of Steerpike's weird brilliant cunning. But even more fatally, he doesn't have a Gormenghastian world to plot in--Moorcock's worldbuilding skills aren't up to it--and that makes all the difference.
What's wrong with _Gloriana_ in the end is probably that I am not the sort of person meant to read it, but instead am the sort of person singularly incapable of enjoying it. It may be clever for all I know, but I haven't read Spenser, and I don't care for really blatant postmodern aimless pseudo-wit. Nor do I find Moorcock's apparent attitudes about sexuality and morals appealing. I'm openminded, yes, but sometimes being so puts me in the way of distasteful books like this. Books displeasing on both a personal and aesthetic level. (_Gloriana_, for instance, seems to condone pederasty, or at least deals with it so casually that I am put off. But it seems this is fashionable lately: Mary Gentle anyone?)
Moorcock's descriptions are nothing like Peake's. The pomp and splendor of Gloriana's court are laundry-listed. Emeralds, rubies, topaz, bombazine, and covering our mouths when we yawn. Something bland, remote, so improbable that I couldn't suspend my disbelief,--found myself doubting that anything I got from doing that would be worthwhile.
I recommend this to about 80% of the literate fantasy audience out there. _Gloriana_ is pretty well tailored to our increasingly unimaginative tastes. It's in no way formulaic fantasy, so it has that dubious crackle,-- and it has just enough disregard for "conventional" morality to be enjoyed by selfrighteous pomo bloggers (this one excepted).
PS. Is there a more senseless, dumb ending in all fantasy than the ending of Gloriana? All right, shoot me, but I didn't get it!
PPS. As I've said, take this with a grain of salt: you may not share my prejudices and fancies!
PPPS. The art inside the book is superb; I pondered keeping the book for that alone: but no, disgust won out, and I gave it to a more openminded friend of mine.
Offensive review.......2004-11-30
Mr Barbieri is clearly unfamiliar with my work and also with this particular edition in which I discuss the problems I had with including the rape in the penultimate chapter. From the beginning of my career I have been writing some form of moral fable and I am also on record for my support of feminists, many of whom are close personal friends (indeed, I'm married to one). I have written a great deal about sexual and domestic abuse, with particular attention to pornography as justification for rape. It is unsophisticated at best to take one of my fables, which shows how imperial power is maintained by hypocrisy and crime, and fail to understand it for what it is. I can only assume that Mr Barbieri has been offended by the polemic of my critical study Wizardry and Wild Romance which takes issue with the moral attitudes to be discovered in the likes of Tolkien and Lewis. I have no problem with morality, but I believe I have a right to disagree with another writer's moral intentions.
Book Description
Contents: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra * Matinees Musicales * Soirees Musicales * The Courtly Dances from Gloriana.
Book Description
he year is 1587. The Spanish are preparing to launch the Armada against the English and Queen Elizabeth. Ex-soldier David Becket, now responsible for the Queen's Ordnance, discovers that large quantities of gunpowder are going astray. Can someone in the heart of the English government be selling it to the Spanish? Unaccountably, Becket is plagued by vivid dreams of England invaded, an alternative story where the Armada is victorious. Patricia Finney's brilliant reworking of the Armada legend is an imaginative tour de force. Thrilling, intricate, and inspiring, this is a tale of courage, love, and, ultimately, redemption.
Customer Reviews:
Four Very Qualified Stars.......2006-06-28
I'm not sure what to say about this book. It is well written, it is well plotted but...in spite of the author's skills I'm not sure I liked it. It was a lot of action and adventure but at times it becomes far to graphic in it's descriptions of life in all it's ugliness 500 years ago. I learned a lot of stuff I really didn't need to know and it didn't actually add much to the story. Maybe it's me. I'm older, I grew up with books that were driven by characters. Authors now are being asked to compete with other sources of entertainment that are consistantly more violent so they feel the need to shock. For this book's author it is kind of shame. Ms. Finney is a fine writer, she doesn't neet to pander quite so much. In short, if blood and guts and somehow disturbingly graphic descriptions of smells are your thing, this is a good book. If you want a bit more pagentry, romance and history presented in a softer more flattering focus you won't like this one.
"In their ignorance these ghosts have made of their kindly God a most terrible monster.".......2006-02-20
The Spanish Armada is ready to strike at the Queen of England, King Phillip of Spain seeking to conquer by force what he could not accomplish in marriage. Elizabeth's spies have done their best, enduring great dangers in foreign ports to bring critical information to defeat the Spanish forces. One critical clue remains unknown, the key to success or failure, the secret of the "Miracle of Beauty", the most carefully guarded element of the Spanish plan. Calling on those who have come to her aid in another dangerous adventure that threatened the crown, Elizabeth gathers her confidants: Tomasina, the Queen's Fool; David Beckett, once tortured by the Inquisition and mistakenly by the Queen's own men; Simon Anriques, a Jewish merchant-spy loyal to the Queen; Rebecca, Simons' wife who will go to any length to save her husband's life; and Merula, an African slave of extraordinary talents, her heart as large as her powerful body.
The enemy drawing nearer by the day, a bold plan is put in place to gain knowledge of the Miracle of Beauty and an effort to recover Simon, who has been taken by the Inquisition while in port, and Merula's son, sold into slavery before his mother could save him. At the crux of the enterprise are the guns and ordnance to turn the firearms into killing machines. All these threads are woven into an intricate plot that brings the threat of war to the very shores of England. Finney tackles her story from every perspective, her characters fulfilling their varied destinies, the Queen, David Beckett, broken in the past but dreaming of a more noble future, Merula, acquiescing to the demands of the "white ghosts" while searching for her son, Edward Dormer, a seminarian turned assassin, Joseph Pasquale, an Inquisitor with spiritual pretensions and demons of his own and Simon Anriques, who endures the Inquisitor's torture and the hardships of imprisonment as a galley slave in hopes of reuniting with his wife. Even Suleiman, the Padron of the galley salves, is humanized as he whips his crew into shape in the filthy, death-laden holds of the galleons where slaves are worked to death.
The author goes beyond the simple retelling of an historical event, her characters defined by personal ambitions and a rigid society, the carefully layered classes from noble to slave that turn the great wheel of the kingdoms, from heroes to cowards, aristocrat to peasant, a fascinating cross-section of history at a pivotal time on the world stage. Finney puts some fine satirical points on individual characters, particularly the righteous Spanish priests who defend their purity with rabid zeal to disguise the concupiscence that torments them, clutching denial as desperately as their hair shirts and prayer books. Balancing the converging events and individuals, Finney tosses a great salad of 16th century religious conflict, intrigues, traitors, scoundrels and fanatics, all headed toward a climactic ending that will either bring Elizabeth's destruction or her triumph. There is always a contemporary message in history and Gloriana's Torch is no exception, Finney's tale inspired and beautifully crafted. Luan Gaines/ 2006.
The Longest June I Ever Spent.......2005-07-16
Having read Firedrakes Eye and now Gloriana' Torch, it is time to call it quits. The stories are both obtuse; the action has no flow. Worst of all, I cannot bring myself to care about any of these characters - each is deeply and unsympathetically flawed. David is a man who invariably descends back to his violent past; Simon can never hope to rise above the fact that he uses thumb screws to question people. Simon's wife, Rebecca, is only sympathetic in relation to her husband; she scarcely hides a dark and violent side of her own.
The description of sixteenth century european life is gratuitously graphic and unbalanced by characterizations of the 'humaness' of all life that surpasses eras. Not only must we know that a character hides a weapon in his rectum, but we must be reminded every three or four pages for a seemingly endless time. For me, the joy of historical fiction is not to gawk at the differences from centuries away, but to identify closely with the all too similar lives we all live, no matter how fancy the costumes or the set.
Gloriana's Torch.......2005-02-03
A gorgeous book, stand-alone but probably most effective when read after the first two, FIREDRAKE'S EYE and UNICORN'S BLOOD.
GT is about the Armada, and features the characters from the earlier books, damaged warrior David Becket and clerkly but surprisingly resilient Simon Ames, as well as new personalities. Merula, the African shamaness, is portrayed skillfully, as a real person rather than a stereotype. Elizabeth, as in the earlier books, is a both powerful and human figure.
My favorite part of this book was the dream sequences, alternative-history bits in which the Armada actually lands; but I really wanted one more sequence, one offering resolution for Becket, who is seen at a very important moment only through Merula's point of view. I wasn't crazy about the repetition of events in different POVs; usually Finney had shown the character's reactions already from another character's point of view so that the repetition really wasn't needed. In general, though, I felt the plot was fast-moving, plausible and gripping.
Finney's work in general and this book in particular should appeal to readers who enjoy the work of Mary Gentle and Dorothy Dunnett.
A Must Read.......2004-10-24
Gloriana's Torch is the third in a trilogy of Elizabethan thrillers. It can be read and enjoyed by itself but it is helpful to have read the previous two (Firedrake's Eye and Unicorn's Blood). The story centers around the Spanish Armada and the race to uncover the mystery of the Miracle of Beauty. It is peopled with a cast of absolutely fascinating and complex characters-spies, inquisitors, galley slaves, fanatical priests, a knife wielding dwarf and a mystical African princess. No stereotypes or literary cliches here! The writing is beautiful, almost poetic in places. And it is obviously well researched without becoming pedantic. But its the drama of the story that will suck you in. There are fiery battles at sea, clandestine meetings between master and spy, desperate sword fights, passion, courage, betrayal. If you abandon yourself to the books twists, turns, surprises and resolutions you will finish breathless and with your heart in your throat. Lets hope Ms. Finney doesn't keep us waiting for her next masterpiece.
Average customer rating:
- Long Live Gloriana, Queen of Albion!
|
Gloriana (Fantasy Masterworks)
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Moorcock, Michael
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| Arthurian
| Contemporary
| Epic
| General
| Historical
| History & Criticism
| Magic & Wizards
| Series
ASIN: 0575073594 |
Customer Reviews:
Long Live Gloriana, Queen of Albion!.......2005-07-28
_If I could only have one volume of Moorcock in my library, I do believe that this would be it. I have heard this exquisite fantasy compared with Peake's Ghormanghast- except that an American will find Gloriana actually readable and enjoyable.
_I can't think of a richer fantasy world encompased in a single self-sufficient novel. And while it is fantasy, it is not sugar-sweet and naive, it is fantasy most worldly and sophisticated. This global Elizabethan empire is quite convincingly atmospheric, as is London and the great palace itself. You want it to exist, hell, you want to go there.
_You would not hesitate to pledge fealty to Gloriana the First, Queen of Albion, Empress of Asia and Virginia. You want to believe in the ideal she represents, in a world that would otherwise redescend into darkness and madness....
Product Description
Offering a fresh perspective on the immensely popular area of Tudor history, this first title deals with the reign of Elizabeth I, perhaps England's greatest monarch. Sixteenth-century documents, many in Elizabeth's own hand, are reproduced in full colour, sometimes for the first time. Items are included which cover all aspects of her long and eventful life - from the crises and dangers of her youth, to her relationships with key members of her court and the problematic Mary Queen of Scots, and finally to the closing years of her life as 'Gloriana'. Each key document is beautifully reproduced in a double-page spread which also includes an extended contextualising caption and a modern transcription where necessary. The original sources are woven together by a brief narrative history of the reign, fully illustrated in colour with portraits, photographs and other material from the archives. Featured documents include: * Elizabeth's letter to her sister, Queen Mary, written just before she was sent to the Tower, 16 March 1554 * Elizabeth's first speech as Queen, 20 November 1558 * The proclamation declaring the death sentence against Mary Queen of Scots, 4 December 1586 * The 'last letter' from the Earl of Leicester, the Queens favourite, to Elizabeth, 29 August 1588
Average customer rating:
|
4th Dimension of Love
Gloriana Selvanathan
Manufacturer: Arima Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1845490320 |
Book Description
Valerie entered the world of media with full of hopes and she never visualised it would be another under world with malice,dishonour,nastiness,and vengeance.Then suddenly in the darkness she recognized the magnificent and enchanting feeling of love which she could neither accept nor reject. It was wider than the oceans, higher than the heavens and deeper than the seas. But... This is a moving love story of an English journalist coming to live in Berlin and her exclusive love for an Italian gentleman.
Average customer rating:
|
Britten's Gloriana Essays and Sources (Aldeburgh Studies in Music)
Manufacturer: Boydell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Britten, Benjamin
| Composers
| Classical
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Classical
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Opera
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Voice
| Instruments & Performers
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0851153402 |
Book Description
Aldeburgh Studies in Music is a new series published jointly by Boydell & Brewer and the Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh. It will focus on musical topics reflecting the distinctive musical life and heritage of Aldeburgh, primarily addressingscholars and students. The present volume is based on a selection of papers presented during a study course devoted to Gloriana held at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in 1991. Glorianahas been a source of controversy since its première as part of the Coronation celebrations in 1953. It was planned as a national opera of broad appeal by its authors, Benjamin Britten and William Plomer, but, despite wide coverage in the media, the opera failed to establish itself in the repertoire until a new production in 1966 revealed it to be a powerful and stageworthy work. In recent years it has attracted an increasing amount of scholarly attention. This volume offers essays by ROBERT HEWISON, PHILIP REED, ANTONIA MALLOY, DONALD MITCHELL and PETER EVANS which explore the opera's cultural background, the early stages of its creative evolution, the first critical responses, and various aspects of the work itself: these are supplemented by a list of source materials for the opera and the works derived from it, and an extensive bibliography.Opera North's recent revival of `Gloriana' has without question restored this neglected masterpiece to its place in Britten's operatic output. Far from being a triumphalist work in tune with the Coronation celebrations of 1953, `Gloriana' showed an ageing Elizabeth torn between love and duty, Essex and her crown; the subtle message of the sovereign's mystical marriage to the people eluded the first night audience.
Books:
- Dragon of the Red Dawn (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
- Dragonart: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures
- Dying to Live
- Earthsong
- Ender's Shadow (Ender, Book 5)
- Eragon / Eldest (Inheritance, Books 1 & 2)
- Excalibur (The Arthur Books #3)
- Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream
- Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative
- Girl in a Box
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Cien años de soledad: Edición conmemorativa
- The Precipice
- Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories
- Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections: The Spacecraft and Vehicles of the Entire Star Wars Saga
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
- Structure and Mechanism in Protein Science: A Guide to Enzyme Catalysis and Protein Folding
- Texas Connection With the American Revolution
- Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
- Natural History of the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin
- Saudi Arabia
Cult of Elizabeth: Elizabethan Portraiture and Pageantry
The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power (New Cultural Studies)
Forms of Nationhood: The Elizabethan Writing of England
The Age of Elizabeth: England Under the Later Tudors 1547-1603 (Social and Economic History of England)
Elizabeth I
