Judith Merkle Riley (1942–2010)
Author of A Vision of Light
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
Judith Merkle Riley, née Judith Astria Merkle. Please do not combine with Judith Riley.
Series
Works by Judith Merkle Riley
2006 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Riley, Judith Astria Merkle
- Birthdate
- 1942-01-14
- Date of death
- 2010-09-12
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of California, Berkeley (PhD)
- Occupations
- historical novelist
professor of government - Short biography
- Born on January 14, 1942, Judith Astria Merkle grew up in Livermore, California. Her great-grandfather was a Swiss emigrant, who moved to the United States in 1860. Her uncle was the famous baseball player Fred Merkle. Her father, Theodore Charles Merkle was controller of Project Pluto; and her brother Ralph C. Merkle is technological professor at a computer science school. Judith held a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and taught in the Department of Government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. She wrote six historical novels, including three in a series featuring the character Margaret of Ashbury.
- Nationality
- USA (birth)
- Birthplace
- York, Maine, USA
- Places of residence
- Livermore, California, USA
- Place of death
- Claremont, California, USA
- Disambiguation notice
- Judith Merkle Riley, née Judith Astria Merkle. Please do not combine with Judith Riley.
- Associated Place (for map)
- California, USA
Members
Discussions
Historical Fiction-Illiterate Medieval woman dictates life story to a scribe in Name that Book (July 2010)
Reviews
Witty historical fiction with a bit of fantasy (in this case, angels and demons), this book is set during the reign of Henry VIII in England, and includes scenes in France as well.
I loved the main character, painter Susanna Dallet - she is captivating and has a rather droll sense of humor. Daughter of a Flemish artist and trained by him, she's married to another cheating artist (who was only trying to get her dad's secrets from her) and trying to be a good wife. She takes on a commission show more on behalf of her husband for a miniature of Mary Tudor, sister of the king, intending to pass her work off for his, but then her husband is caught in bed with another woman and killed, and Susanna has to pretend his ghost did the work.
That starts off a romp of an adventure that has Susanna working for Cardinal Wolsey and ultimately sent to France as part of Mary Tudor's entourage for her marriage to its aging king. There's also a plotline involving a mysterious book sought by the Priory of Sion as well as a villian in England, the involvement of demons and imps and angels and cherubs (rather silly, but fun), and of course romance.
Each section of the book begins with an art catalogue description of one of thirteen paintings supposedly done by Susanna, but attributed to others or unknowns. Susanna then makes a retrospective comment about the painting that foreshadows what is to come in the book. I loved this, and only wish I could have seen the actual portraits, as I believe some are real (for example, there are a number of portraits of Mary Tudor by unknown artists). I also loved all the description of painting techniques and processes included in the story.
I think author Judith Merkle Riley may have based Susanna on the real female Tudor era artist Susannah Hornebolt, who was known (like her father Gerard) for her miniatures. Interestingly, this artist had a brother name Lucas Horenbout, and the art catalogue descriptions of two of the thirteen paintings list him as the artist - which makes me wonder if perhaps the real-life Susannah's work was mistakenly attributed to her brother!
Sadly, we can't ask the author, as she died in 2010. I plan to read the other five of her historical novels show less
I loved the main character, painter Susanna Dallet - she is captivating and has a rather droll sense of humor. Daughter of a Flemish artist and trained by him, she's married to another cheating artist (who was only trying to get her dad's secrets from her) and trying to be a good wife. She takes on a commission show more on behalf of her husband for a miniature of Mary Tudor, sister of the king, intending to pass her work off for his, but then her husband is caught in bed with another woman and killed, and Susanna has to pretend his ghost did the work.
That starts off a romp of an adventure that has Susanna working for Cardinal Wolsey and ultimately sent to France as part of Mary Tudor's entourage for her marriage to its aging king. There's also a plotline involving a mysterious book sought by the Priory of Sion as well as a villian in England, the involvement of demons and imps and angels and cherubs (rather silly, but fun), and of course romance.
Each section of the book begins with an art catalogue description of one of thirteen paintings supposedly done by Susanna, but attributed to others or unknowns. Susanna then makes a retrospective comment about the painting that foreshadows what is to come in the book. I loved this, and only wish I could have seen the actual portraits, as I believe some are real (for example, there are a number of portraits of Mary Tudor by unknown artists). I also loved all the description of painting techniques and processes included in the story.
I think author Judith Merkle Riley may have based Susanna on the real female Tudor era artist Susannah Hornebolt, who was known (like her father Gerard) for her miniatures. Interestingly, this artist had a brother name Lucas Horenbout, and the art catalogue descriptions of two of the thirteen paintings list him as the artist - which makes me wonder if perhaps the real-life Susannah's work was mistakenly attributed to her brother!
Sadly, we can't ask the author, as she died in 2010. I plan to read the other five of her historical novels show less
I don't give up on books very often, but I gave up on this one. It just didn't seem worth the bother.
I should know better than to read medieval historical fiction: I am a medieval historian, and a historical novel has to be really REALLY good before it can distract me from its historical inaccuracies (or at the very least, it has to be clear to me from a literary standpoint why the inaccuracies were necessary). All in all, Riley did her research well, but there were still some really big show more historical inaccuracies that didn't need to be there. To name just a few: women in the 14th century generally didn't marry until their late teens or early twenties (not 14, like Margaret); the witch scare didn't begin until the 16th century, so all the fear of witchcraft in the book is an anachronism; there was a good legal system in England, and lords couldn't just punish people however they wanted to; women had legal rights to inherit, so Margaret could have had her first husband punished and inherited his fortune (and they did not make people walk on hot coals to test if they were guilty!).
But historical inaccuracies aside, I just didn't enjoy the book. It seems like there's a rape or a wife-beating on every other page, which gets depressing and tedious. The theological/philosophical discussions seem trite and forced (Riley just seems to be quoting basic textbooks about medieval theology, instead of really understanding the debates). The story was entirely uninteresting, but I just never knew where it was going. The characters were likable (well, the ones who weren't wife-beating rapists), but not very original (the wise old midwife, the hypocritical cleric, etc.) I thought there was lots of room for interesting development with Margaret's visions and her gift for healing, but Riley never took it anywhere.
So all in all, this book just didn't seem worth the bother to me. show less
I should know better than to read medieval historical fiction: I am a medieval historian, and a historical novel has to be really REALLY good before it can distract me from its historical inaccuracies (or at the very least, it has to be clear to me from a literary standpoint why the inaccuracies were necessary). All in all, Riley did her research well, but there were still some really big show more historical inaccuracies that didn't need to be there. To name just a few: women in the 14th century generally didn't marry until their late teens or early twenties (not 14, like Margaret); the witch scare didn't begin until the 16th century, so all the fear of witchcraft in the book is an anachronism; there was a good legal system in England, and lords couldn't just punish people however they wanted to; women had legal rights to inherit, so Margaret could have had her first husband punished and inherited his fortune (and they did not make people walk on hot coals to test if they were guilty!).
But historical inaccuracies aside, I just didn't enjoy the book. It seems like there's a rape or a wife-beating on every other page, which gets depressing and tedious. The theological/philosophical discussions seem trite and forced (Riley just seems to be quoting basic textbooks about medieval theology, instead of really understanding the debates). The story was entirely uninteresting, but I just never knew where it was going. The characters were likable (well, the ones who weren't wife-beating rapists), but not very original (the wise old midwife, the hypocritical cleric, etc.) I thought there was lots of room for interesting development with Margaret's visions and her gift for healing, but Riley never took it anywhere.
So all in all, this book just didn't seem worth the bother to me. show less
One of 3 loosely-linked historical novels (with a soupçon of fantasy) by Judith Merkle Riley, this historical novel deals with the miniaturist, Susanna Dallet. Left in poverty by the death of her philandering husband, she becomes paintrix to Thomas Wolsey, and accompanies Mary Tudor to her wedding with Louis XII of France.
Deftly written, I enjoyed this. Susanna is not a simpering miss of a heroine, but a woman who isn't sure she wants a man back into her life after the way she was treated show more by her late husband. Certainly not the mildly misogynist Robert Ashton who is told by Thomas Wolsey to look after his investment.
There is some period fantasy - angels and demons, along with Black Magic, but not enough to mark this as a historical fantasy.
Recommended. show less
Deftly written, I enjoyed this. Susanna is not a simpering miss of a heroine, but a woman who isn't sure she wants a man back into her life after the way she was treated show more by her late husband. Certainly not the mildly misogynist Robert Ashton who is told by Thomas Wolsey to look after his investment.
There is some period fantasy - angels and demons, along with Black Magic, but not enough to mark this as a historical fantasy.
Recommended. show less
Genevieve Pasquier is a girl crippled from birth by being born with a clubfoot,loved by her scholarly father but despised by her beautiful and vain mother who dotes on her more beautiful older sister.
She is in short an ugly duckling but a smart duckling ;)
Her father educates her and gives her books to read.
When on his deathbed he sends for her and gives her some words of wisdom.
But her mother thinks Genevieve was told where her father hid a vast fortune.But Genevieve of course dont know show more anything and is then put through such abuse that she has no other choice but to leave home.
While escaping she happens on the powerful society witch Catherine Montvoisin wwho proposes a deal:work for her and get revenge.
She become the Marquess, an allegedly 200 year old fortune-teller who acquired immortality through an elixir and its not long before she is popular in the aristocratic circles of Paris.
But things get dangerous when Athenais Montespan,the kings mistress,ask to get her fortune told.
It seems like Monvoisin has some darker agenda that could shake France if the plan is ever carried out.
I dont want to give to much away,but there is enough suspense so you wont get bored.And all the characters feel real and has motivation for their actions. And there is a romance but it takes a while for the heroine to realize who truly loves her.
Judith Merkle Riley has written other historicals wich ive also enjoyed but this book remains my favorite of them.
There is some horrible elements in this story(rape,occult rites,poisoning) But in the end the good prevail.
This is built around an actual event in history,the affair of the poisons.And even though the author takes some artistic liberties it stays mostly true to history. show less
She is in short an ugly duckling but a smart duckling ;)
Her father educates her and gives her books to read.
When on his deathbed he sends for her and gives her some words of wisdom.
But her mother thinks Genevieve was told where her father hid a vast fortune.But Genevieve of course dont know show more anything and is then put through such abuse that she has no other choice but to leave home.
While escaping she happens on the powerful society witch Catherine Montvoisin wwho proposes a deal:work for her and get revenge.
She become the Marquess, an allegedly 200 year old fortune-teller who acquired immortality through an elixir and its not long before she is popular in the aristocratic circles of Paris.
But things get dangerous when Athenais Montespan,the kings mistress,ask to get her fortune told.
It seems like Monvoisin has some darker agenda that could shake France if the plan is ever carried out.
I dont want to give to much away,but there is enough suspense so you wont get bored.And all the characters feel real and has motivation for their actions. And there is a romance but it takes a while for the heroine to realize who truly loves her.
Judith Merkle Riley has written other historicals wich ive also enjoyed but this book remains my favorite of them.
There is some horrible elements in this story(rape,occult rites,poisoning) But in the end the good prevail.
This is built around an actual event in history,the affair of the poisons.And even though the author takes some artistic liberties it stays mostly true to history. show less
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Statistics
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- 11
- Members
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- Popularity
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- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 78
- ISBNs
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