Lucy Worsley

This year is the bicentenary of Jane Austen's death, and Lucy Worsley's biography is an excellent memorial to her. The prose does at times get a bit affected, but this is overall a warm, clear-eyed look at the life of a pioneering author. Worsley is careful to avoid sensationalism—she neatly dismantles, for instance, the old canard that Tom Lefroy was the "real Mr. Darcy", the love of Austen's life who got away—or the temptation to assume that all of Austen's heroines are somehow copies show more of her, their narratives the key to Austen's own private life. Instead, to much greater effect than any other biography of Austen's that I've read, Worsley teases out the quiet desperation of being a woman perched on the precarious ranks of the lower gentry in Georgian England, the way Austen's novels turn on issues of home and security, and the then revolutionary nature of Austen's prose and her concern with the importance of women's feelings. (How many novels before Austen foregrounded women's wants and desires?) It's still quite astounding to think that a woman with little formal education, who was never part of salon society or a correspondence networks of other authors, managed to sit in a succession of small rooms and come up with an entirely new approach to novel writing which may now seem commonplace but which still resonates. show less

Recent books and films have overturned the popular image of Queen Victoria as a dour recluse widow of ponderous dimensions to include the lively, stubborn girl-queen who loved dancing and wine and the young wife who enjoyed sex.

Lucy Worsley wanted to expand Victoria's story beyond the "dancing princess to potato" to include the woman who preserved the monarchy and ruled an empire. Worsley draws from Victoria's diaries and journals, probing behind the polished exterior presented for show more posterity. Her Victoria is a fully human, complicated, person, someone we can admire and dislike at the same time.

The book concentrates on twenty-four days in Victoria's life through which readers come to understand her family background and relationships, her love for Albert (who both supported and limited her as queen), the places she loved, her political alliances and battles, the few people who became more than servants and valued as trusted friends, and her grief, loneliness, and physical incapacities in old age.

Worsley writes in the preface, "I hope that seeing her [Victoria] up close, examining her face-to-face, as she lived hour-to-hour through twenty-four days of her life, might help you to imagine meeting her yourself, so that you can form your own opinion on the contradictions at the heart of British history's most recognizable woman."

The physical woman Victoria is given attention. At her prime, Victoria was 5 feet and 1 1/4 inch tall, with tiny feet, large blue prominent eyes, and a "fine bust." Her lower lip hung open, but she also had a wide-open smile when delighted. Her weight yo-yoed with health, illness, pregnancy, dieting, and the incapacitation that in old age left her unable to walk. And she loved to walk on a brisk, cold day.

Victoria ruled throughout most of the 19th c when monarchies across Europe were ended by revolutions. She came to the throne with everything against her, especially being a young and inexperienced girl.

She was constantly being watched for signs of madness, both genetic and related to the "female problems" which were believed to trigger hysteria and madness.

It was imperative that she marry and it was arranged she marry her German cousin Albert. She fell in love with his beauty and goodness. To compensate for his parental scandalous infidelities he was committed to being a loving father and husband. But Albert was a German and he had to win the British people's trust and love. His German coldness and exacting values could be hard to live with. He did not approve of Victoria's love of dancing and drinking.

With Victoria perpetually pregnant (nine times!), Albert applied himself to fulfill her duties. Victoria came to rely on his guidance; his early death was devastating to her as queen as well as wife.

In spite of her liaisons with unsuitable friends, the gilly John Brown and the Muslim Abdul, Victoria became the public image of the proper Victorian wife and widow, an "ordinary good woman."

I found the book to be vastly interesting and enjoyable. It expanded my understanding of Victoria. It amazed me how much of Victoria's life Worsley covered in those twenty-four days!

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. show less

What a fascinating and immersive way to get into Henry VIII's Court! I loved spending time with Eliza, she was such a real, honest character that I felt like I knew her. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Tudor times, especially those who don't mind something written for a young adult audience. (Though this 30-something enjoyed the heck out of herself.)

Also, I've seen lots of newer publications with strange fonts and print sizes and things lately, so I feel the need to mention that show more I loved how this novel was presented. A nice, slightly larger font that was easy to read, plenty of white space on the pages, and the binding was lovely. Tight, but not too tight so you were forced to break the spine (one of my pet peeves). The physical experience of reading this was wonderful, and only enhanced this well-written and well-researched novel. If I wasn't already a fan of Ms. Worsley, I would be now for sure! show less

Lucy Worsley's biography of Agatha Christie is a fantastic read. Worsley delves into the life of this very private author with respect but without rose-coloured glasses. She provides great context for the life of a woman who was born into privilege in the late Victorian-era and lived through two marriages, two wars, and significant social upheaval. Worsley is a sympathetic biographer, particularly in the section about Agatha Christie's infamous disappearance in 1926, but never glosses over show more some of the more problematic aspects of Agatha Christie and her writing (particularly her anti-Semitism). I particularly enjoyed that Worsley is a presence in the biography and occasionally her first person perspective on events is included (I laughed aloud at one particular comment about a photograph of Agatha Christie's first husband), a vivid reminder that biographies are not impartial but are shaped by their authors' own views and prejudices. Highly recommended both for Agatha Christie fans and for readers who enjoy a good biography. show less