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Loading... Time and Chance (edition 2003)by Sharon Penman
Work detailsTime and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman
 Pondlife | May 17, 2013 |  This novel, the sequel to When Christ and His Saints Slept, continues the story of Henry II after his accession to the throne of England. Henry and his new wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, seemingly have a charmed life, with all the power and riches they could desire. But their great ambitions come with great costs: Henry is constantly on the battlefield defending his holdings in France and skirmishing for power in Wales, while Eleanor is forced to the sidelines and must undergo the rigors of repeated childbirth. The book tells the story of their tempestuous marriage but also examines another important relationship in Henry’s life — his friendship with his chancellor (and later Archbishop of Canterbury), Thomas Becket. I read When Christ and His Saints Slept a few years ago, but this book contains enough reminders of past events that I was able to follow along without a problem. Overall I enjoyed this novelization of the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty; it’s what I would term an intelligent romp. Penman does her research, but she also manages to write page-turners that are filled with action, scandal, and intrigue. The parts that focused on Henry’s deteriorating relationship with Thomas Becket were both interesting and frustrating to me. Even though I knew how their argument would end, I found myself hoping against hope that they’d be able to communicate with each other and work things out! As for Henry and Eleanor, I think their story in this book will pale in comparison to the events of the sequel, when their children are all grown up. I'm looking forward to Devil’s Brood! christina_reads | May 9, 2013 | In this book we return to the world of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine as they build an empire, wrangle with Thomas Becket (the Archbishop of Canterbury) and have lots and lots of children. Recent experience with When Christ and His Saints Slept, Penman's previous book in the Henry/Eleanor series, may be helpful to keep some of the names straight but is not totally necessary. I found this one much harder going than When Christ and His Saints Slept, probably because there was so much childbirth (and activities that caused the childbirths), and it's not exactly my favourite thing to read about in great detail. The sections involving Owain Gwynedd's clashes with Henry, and of course the feud with Thomas Becket, were much more interesting, and the final third of the book raced by. My favourite characters (if one can call historical personages "characters") were Eleanor with her resolve and quick wit, and Hywel, the poet son of Owain, whose sparkling conversation livened up any Wales scene he appeared in. It was also amusing to see the future Richard Lionheart and John Lackland as kids. I would recommend this if you're interested in the Henry II/Thomas Becket feud, although there is more of a focus on Henry's perspective, and if you have enjoyed Penman's other books. (  ) rabbitprincess | Apr 30, 2013 | Henry II of England was a formidable historical figure - just think of all that he accomplished or was involved with - Henry FitzEmpress later known as Henry Plantagenet, ruled as Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Nantes, King of England (1154–89) and Lord of Ireland; he also controlled Wales, Scotland and Brittany. He fathered 8 children on Eleanor of Aquitaine, two who later became king - Richard the Lion-hearted and John of Robin Hood fame. This part of the trilogy concerns the time of strife when Harry was in constant disagreement with Thomas Becket, his Archbishop of Canterbury, over the manner in which the punishment of the clergy concerning wrongdoings. Becket wanted he Church to maintain its sovereignty and Harry wanted the misdeeds punished under normal English law. In the end, after 6 years of exile, Becket was murdered. Thinking of all that you would believe that the story that was told here would have been a bit boring, but Harry is brought to life with all his vigor, faults, and personality that this reader is eager to take up the next part of the tale of King Henry and Queen Eleanor. (  ) cyderry | Apr 27, 2013 | Didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous book. It felt that it jumped about too much, and didn't cover the period as well as it might. The disagreement between Henry 1 and Thomas Becket was detailed well, with the exasperation of both parties being made quite clear. But the equally interesting estrangement between Henry and Eleanor appeared glossed over in contrast. I also found it slightly annoying that there were explanations of things that had occured in the previous book. I know you can't expect everyone to have read the previous book, but it got on my nerves a bit. Overall, good but not brilliant. (  ) Helenliz | Apr 1, 2013 | no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0345396723, Paperback)The Sunne in Splendour confirmed Sharon Kay Penman's place in the upper echelons of historical fiction, combining a breathtaking panoply of the past with an acute psychological observation of her characters. Time and Chance is the second part of her planned trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, beginning in the glory years of their reign. Penman conjures for us an astonishing era in which Henry battles with the Welsh and the French king, appoints Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury, and, by taking a mistress, makes a bitter enemy of his wife.Readers know the scalpel-like precision of Penman's character building from her earlier work, and the emotional lives of Henry and the troubled Eleanor are powerfully realized. As in the first book of the sequence, When Christ and His Saints Slept, conflict is ever the driving force. Henry and Eleanor's remarkable partnership was proving highly fecund, both politically, and physically, as Eleanor gave birth to five sons and three daughters, laying to rest her reputation as a barren queen and founding a dynasty that was to last three centuries. But auguries of trouble ahead were apparent: war with the Welsh; acrimonious battles with Eleanor's first husband, King Louis VII of France. But the truly destabilizing factor was Henry's decision to appoint his friend and confidant Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry had assumed that the worldly, ambitious Becket would be the perfect ally, and was devastated when the new archbishop cast off his own worldly past as he embraced his role as Defender of the Faith, swapping dissolution for piety. As Penman vividly demonstrates, Henry saw Becket's action as a humiliating betrayal. One of the most famous murders in history followed, with further conflict in the kingdom caused by Henry's liaison with the daughter of a baron. In bedding Rosamund Clifford, Henry put his marriage and even his kingship at risk. As always, Penman handles her research lightly; the personal drama is the engine of her narrative, with each fresh scandal and intrigue delivered with a beguiling combination of relish and restraint. She is assured in her detailing of the political and ecclesiastical clashes of the court, but it is Henry II who strides her novel like a colossus--just as he did the kingdom he ruled. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk (retrieved from Amazon Thu, 03 Jan 2013 03:25:33 -0500) A novel about the English king Henry II and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. (summary from another edition) |
LibraryThing AuthorSharon Kay Penman is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing. Author ChatSharon Kay Penman chatted with LibraryThing members from Aug 10, 2009 to Aug 21, 2009. Read the chat.
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I'd read "When Christ and His Saints Slept" several years before reading this, so I was familiar with the background and some of the characters.
My main criticisms of this are the use of fictional characters like Ranulf, although I can see why SKP found this necessary; and that sometimes it feels like she puts words in people's mouths that they would never really have said.
Having said that, I found this a good and readable account of an interesting period of English history, with Henry II, the future kings Richard I and John as children, and the Thomas Becket affair and assassination. (