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The Darling Strumpet (2011)

by Gillian Bagwell(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0425238598 (ISBN13: 9780425238592)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Berkley Trade

review 1: I read one other book by this author and my opinion of her products is the same. She is a good writer, able to describe details of the historic eras, but when it comes to story telling and character development she fell short. Her heroines don't seem to do much at all to take charge of the situations. They just seem to drag on day to day and do whatever the men in their lives tell them to, which isn't the point of these stories.
review 2: I received The Darling Strumpet as part of a Goodreads giveaway.As a fan of medieval/early modern historical fiction who is often tired by the glut of Tudor-era stories, I was excited to read a novel set during the Stuart dynasty, specifically during the Restoration era.Some people might not be a fan of the graphic sexual cont... moreent (in some cases, sexual violence) aimed at women and children, particularly Nell. That said, disturbing as it was to read, it was a sad reality for characters of their station and time period and I was personally glad it wasn't glossed over.Bagwell brings Nell to life, from her storied wit to her complicated relationships with King Charles, his advisors, her fellow royal mistresses, the actors and other players from her life on the stage, and even her own mother. Given the wide array of characters and "worlds" she had to introduce and realistically portray, from the dregs of the London streets to brothels to the world of the 17th-century stage to the highest echelons of political power, Bagwell does an excellent job of bringing each place and its inhabitants to life.If I had a criticism, I'd say that the book rather quickly glosses over the last 10-15 years of her life, which saw the deaths of many of the people closest to her. For a woman who died in her late 30s, it seemed like a significant proportion of her life to simply rush through. She herself was experiencing illness at this point in her final years as well, so perhaps it wasn't particularly exciting as her intrigues as an actress or as the king's beloved mistress, but I was a little surprised at how quickly the book sped up in the last 50 or so pages.Very good read, however. Well worth the time for someone who likes the Stuart/Restoration era, or perhaps someone looking to branch out from the veritable mountain of Tudor historical fiction out there. less

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