They say one should never judge a book by its cover, but the cover art on the latest paperback release of this book just screams “bodice ripper,” and I couldn’t help but assume that its content would likely follow suit. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only did this book cover a wide range of historical figures, but also, it was very well written! Gee really captured the essence of 18th Century England: full of religious strife, class struggles, society parties, Jacobite plots, and of course, romantic intrigue.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, its title derived from a line in Alexander Pope’s poem “Eloisa to Abelard,” which also comes up in the movie. When I first saw this film, I ran to Borders to pick up a copy of Pope’s poems, which I had studied in school briefly but not really paid much attention to. I became interested in Pope as a person and have always wanted to know what drove him to finally write satirically, as his earlier works are much more serious in tone than his later.

The Scandal of the Season answered my question ten-fold. Gee was able to intertwine Alexander Pope’s story seamlessly with the rest of the novel: Pope is a talented poet but an outsider to London society, who manages to work his way “in” as he observes these peculiar subjects and their frivolous ways, ultimately satirizing the ridiculousness of this “fashionable set” in what would become his most famous poem yet, “The Rape of the Lock”. Throughout his stay in London, Pope meets such literary greats as Richard Steele, Jonathan Swift, and John Gay. I truly felt after reading this book that I had gained some insight into the lives of some of history’s most well respected writers, and the times that shaped their writings.

The back-story of this book is the love affair between Lord Petre, Baron of Ingatestone, and Arabella Fermor, the most beautiful girl in London. When Lord Petre’s well-to-do family learns of the affair, they chastise him for falling for Arabella, whom they deem an ill-suited match for the Baron. They manipulate him into forsaking his beloved, forcing him to embarrass her publicly in order to ensure that the connection between the two of them be forever severed. My complaint about this novel, and the reason why I’m giving it a rating of 3.5/5 Wives of Henry VIII, is that something about the relationship between Arabella and Lord Petre just seemed a bit off to me. It was all about “the chase” in the beginning, but then once they were actually together, their chemistry seemed to fizzle. Arabella and Lord Petre as characters fell a bit flat. Their love saga just seemed to lag and drag on a bit, without really growing as a relationship at all. I found the characters on Pope’s end of the story had much more depth, while the others were not nearly as well developed.

Aside from the lackluster couple, I really did enjoy the way this book was written and Alexander Pope’s part in the tale. Gee’s tongue-in-cheek writing style echoed Pope’s sardonic sentiment the whole way through, giving a real sense of how ordinary folk must have felt back in those days, watching as women fretted hysterically over which pair of gloves would be better suited to the day’s outfit, as if the wrong choice in stylish accoutrements could ruin one’s life entirely. I hope Sophie Gee will write another novel, she has a lot of talent as a writer and her knowledge of 18th century history really impressed me. With some fine-tuning, she could easily become a fantastic novelist.

http://histficchick.blogspot.com/ ( )

I received this book as a Christmas gift, and I was anxious to read it because I usually really enjoy historical fiction. Unfortunately I felt like this book was more romance than history. I mostly enjoyed the romance, and at times the book really was a page turner. But in the end the novel felt a little flat. The characters were quite flat, and there was little of the historical element that I had been expecting. The author writes well, so I hope if there is another novel it has more of a historical slant. ( )

A fabulous read that although takes a few pages to get going is worthwhile in the end. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Arabella Fermor and Robert Petre develop through the eyes of the poet Alexander Pope. However it is London 1711 and their relationship is not conventional, providing the scandal of the season from the title.

Alexander is in need of inspiration and it isn’t until the end of the novel that he sees the motivation for this most famous poem. You can tell the author has an interest in literature as well as history as both are excellently entwined within the novel. The writing style is great, Gee has made this time in history extremely readable and you forget at times you are reading about real events.

For me, the blurb lives up to its hype. As a bonus in the edition of the book that I have was an explanation of the sexual mores of the times. Don’t expect the 18th Century written by Jane Austen in this novel, as Gee explains this is set a lot earlier than she was writing and people had much more freedom.

Underlying the sizzling sexiness of the novel is treasonous plot against Queen Anne. Therefore there is a range of material to appeal to different audiences. For me it was reading about Alexander Pope, for others it might be the seductiveness of the period or the political plots and fears. I prefer the UK cover to the US cover in that the UK cover looks more of the times whilst the US cover appears modern in its interpretation. A super read, one I’m pleased I was recommended to read. ( )

Poet Alexander Pope moves to London to set his mark on the world, but the road of literary ambition proves to be a little more difficult then he initially imagined once the social season begins. Amidst the endless succession of masquerades and parties, gossip runs rampant and a reputation can be destroyed in an evening. Beneath the superficiality of the party circuit, a darker undercurrent of political intrigue exists: the year is 1711 and murmurs of a Jacobite rebellion threaten to restore James VII of Scotland to the English throne.

Alexander's exploits are juxtaposed with those of the spoiled, pretentious Arabella Fermor. When she begins an affair with Lord Petre, a leading peer of the realm, the consequences will inspire one of the most renown poems in the English language.

Sophie Gee's prose is so witty and sharp that it's hard to believe The Scandal of the Season is her first novel. Decent historical fiction is hard to come by these days, particularly during this time period, but this entire book was an enjoyable read. My only complaint is the deceptive bodice ripper cover. ( )

A fictional account of the poet Alexander Pope's season in London that was his inspiration for the poem The Rape of the Lock. The story follows a scandalous affair and also a Jacobian plot to murder the queen. This book aspires to be "literary fiction," but it does not quite achieve that goal. ( )