Earthly Joys

John Tradescant (the elder) was one of the most skilled and famous gardeners in English history. He originally makes his mark creating gardens for Sir Robert Cecil before moving to Essex to work for the infamous George Villiers, favorite of kings James I and Charles I. Eventually, John’s talents are requested once again – this time by King Charles himself. Philippa Gregory brings John’s love for gardening and botany, as well as his yearning to discover and procure new species of flowers and trees, to life in such a way that the reader can easily share in John’s pride and fulfillment in his humble occupation.

My one complaint about the story is that John seems to step wholly out of character when it comes to Villiers, becoming show more decidedly wishy-washy and taking leave of his senses in a way that seems otherwise incompatible with his personality, even taking into consideration their lord/servant relationship. Despite this, I’m eager to read the sequel, which focuses on John Tradescant (the younger). show less

Philippa Gregory takes a step outside her Tudor / War of the Roses comfort zone in this thoroughly enjoyable book set in early 17th-century England and focusing on the comparatively unfamiliar figure of John Tradescant the Elder. The most celebrated horticulturalist and naturalist of the age, Tradescant served successively as gardener to Sir Robert Cecil and the Duke of Buckingham - a task which takes him across Europe in search of new and exotic specimens for his lords' gardens. Many of the plants he brings back have become mainstays of English gardens - the horse-chestnut, for example. Gregory conveys the thrilling possibilities of an age when any journey might result in discoveries of plants and animals - and an age when an expanding show more world was also the catalyst for new ideas about duty, kingship and the rights of the people. As Tradescant watches from the outer ring of court hangers-on, he sees the English monarchy losing its place in people's hearts as the throne passes from Elizabeth to James and then to Charles. Times are dangerous and radical ideas even begin to take root in the loyal Tradescant's own family.

I haven't read many of Gregory's books and I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. My main criticism would be that, as ever, she can't resist sexing up history a little bit - and I suspect that poor old Tradescant would turn in his grave if he could see what his fictional self was getting up to. But, if you take this with a small pinch of salt, it offers a glimpse into an aspect of British history that very rarely crops up in novels, and the combination of sprightly writing and loving descriptions of gardens should appeal to lots of green-fingered readers. For myself, I very much enjoyed the chance to learn more about Tradescant - a remarkable man - and I'll be looking out for a proper biography in the hope of filling in some of the gaps (and learning more about his travels, which were much more significant than Gregory gives them credit for, I think). In any case, it's always good to find a novel set in a less familiar period of history, and I'm going to be reading the sequel, Virgin Earth, before too long.

For a full review, please see my blog:
http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/earthly-joys-philippa-gregory.html show less

While mysteries and suspense are my favourite genres, I do enjoy historical fiction as well. I've often had patrons at the library recommend Philippa Gregory to me. Earthly Joys is the first book I've read by Gregory.

Earthly Joys opens in 1603 with the death of Queen Elizabeth and the succession of her cousin King James VI of Scotland - the beginning the Stuart reign of England. Earthly Joys is written through the eyes of and life of gardener John Tradescant. It was only on further investigation that I learned that Tradescant is an actual historical figure. He was gardener to the aristocracy , a traveler, a collector and much, much more.

Gregory's research is detailed and her fictionalization of Tradescant's life is fascinating. He is a show more strong personality, but loyalty, honour and duty drive the decisions in his life. I quite liked him to begin with, but found my opinion often changed as his life progressed. And that was true of many of the characters, including his wife Elizabeth and son John. They are not as mercurial as John the Elder, but I applauded their views, beliefs and hopes for a different society. There are some particularly vile characters - notably the Duke of Buckingham.

Tradescant's love of plants and trees and his skills are so vividly depicted that I felt I could 'see' his garden. Rich detail is woven throughout Gregory's narrative clearly illustrating both time and place.

Now, this isn't a time period I would normally gravitate to, but I chose to listen to Earthly Joys, which made a huge difference. I felt drawn into the story, could make sense of what political machinations were afoot and the characters sprang to life for me.

The reader was David Rintoul and he was absolutely wonderful. He has a powerful voice and uses it well. He captured the character of John the Elder perfectly, using his voice to interpret Gregory's work and bring it life. His tones are rich and sonorous with a lovely gravelly undertone. He uses a softer tone for the female players that works just as well. His voice is pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. He matches his voice to the tenor of the tale. Listen to an excerpt of Earthly Joys.

Earthly Joys covers the whole of John the Elder's life. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Tradescant story continues in a sequel titled Virgin Earth with John the Younger taking the lead role. show less

Probably the best of Philippa Gregory's that I've read; she seemed to put more thought and effort into her characterisation here than she did with her other works. Tradescant is not an easy character to like, nor is his employer Villiers, but I found their relationship engaging and far from one-sided—not to mention deliciously homoerotic. The plotting and pacing do lurch a bit, and she'll never be known as a great prose stylist, but this was enjoyable.

Summary From Publishers Weekly
Seventeenth-century England is the setting for this engaging historical novel based on the life of John Tradescant, a gardener of common birth who transforms plain plots of land into slices of heaven on earth. As vassal to the secretary of state, Sir Robert Cecil, Tradescant—who, as fate would have it, had no sense of smell—places his master's garden above all else, much to the chagrin of his wife, Elizabeth, and young son, J. Tradescant's affinity for botanicals is matched by his thirst for adventure; in the service of his lord, he travels to distant lands to defend his country's honor (and collect cuttings of rare and exotic plants). When Tradescant is summoned by King James I's closest confidante, show more the dark-haired and devious Duke of Buckingham, he is immediately taken by the nobleman's beauty. Devotion soon turns to erotic obsession, and Tradescant must face the consequences of loving a fickle, heartless man. Gregory (The Virgin's Lover; The Other Boleyn Girl) renders lush details of plants and clever commentary on the passions and power plays of the British royal court.

I forgot just how much I love Philippa Gregory's books. When I was in college, I loved her; The Other Boleyn Girl got me hooked, and then I devoured her Wildacre Series (which was good, but may win the title of most depressing book, definitely a 'And Then Things Got Worse' type of book...), etc, but I hadn't picked anything up by her since then. I'm glad I did...

I really liked this book. I love flowers, so I found the descriptions of the gardens and flowers really soothing and beautiful, and the first half of the book became my comforting, calming afternoon read. And then when John falls head over heels for the Duke of Buckingham, it picked up a lot. After that section ended, I still enjoyed it, although by the end of the book it did feel a bit long. 30 years is lot to cover in one book. Because of that, I'm not sure I'll read it again, at least not for a while.

That said, I really liked this book. show less

A delightful and fascinating background to much of modern gardening as well as the social history of the time. Anyone with only a passing interest in gardening, history and family loyality, will find something of joy in 'Earthly Joys'. The travails of John Tradescant are set against a turbulent climate in Britsh history, that aside we are never far from the emotions of one man and his family. I shall always now think of John Tradescant when looking at my tradescantia!

I'm perplexed why this book gets such a low rating! I think it may be one of the best Gregory books out. England under King James and King Charles, from the point of view of a very highly regarded gardener - I thought the concept was a little far-fetched, until I found out that John Tradescant was a real person, and really did most of these things, with the exception perhaps of the affair with his master the Duke of Buckingham. But I thought the relationship was handled pretty well - his fascination with and devotion to this man, who became one of the most hated men in England, the whole thing was hard to stop reading. A dangerous and doomed relationship, for a man who really should have just stuck to his exotic plants. But a good read.