- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Harper; (Reissue) edition (5 Mar 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007224931
- ISBN-13: 978-0007224937
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 182,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Praise for ‘Portrait of an Unknown Woman’:
'Bennett's background detail is impeccable – part love story, part thriller, all excellently imagined and written.' The Times
'There is plenty to admire and enjoy in Bennett's portrayal of a society convulsed by radical change…Vanora Bennett is a writer to watch.' Times Literary Supplement
‘There is much to admire in this curate’s egg of a novel.’ Sunday Telegraph
'Distinguished…Romance, intrigue and art history are confidently blended, and Holbein canvases are afforded starring roles.' Daily Mail
‘If you want a classier-than-average romantic read, one contender is this fine historiccal debut, a ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’-style tale.’
Sunday Times
'An atmospheric, passionate novel set against a backdrop of religious and political upheaval.' Woman and Home
More praise for ‘Portrait of an Unknown Woman’:
'Fans of Tracy Chevalier and Philippa Gregory will lap up this meticulously researched historical tale…A brilliant study of passion, politics, religion and art.' Eve magazine
'Fans of Girl with a Pearl Earring will greet this with open arms: it's a similarly intriguing, clever web of art, passion and historical characters…atmospheric and alive with philosophy and treachery – exhilarating.' Easy Living
‘Rich in period detail, full of human passion, ‘Portrait of an Unknown Woman’ mingles art, politics and family drama to evoke the period when humanism was taking root in England. A fascinating tale, skilfully told and highly recommended.’
Iain Pears, author of ‘The Portrait’
'An enjoyable read.' Guardian
‘If only history was taught by people like Vanora Bennett…I loved this book.' Penny Smith, First magazine
Evening Herald (Dublin)
'One of the best books we'll read this year.'
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a romantic romp through one of the great mysteries of Tudor times. It is set in the 16th Century, in the family of Sir Thomas More, one-time chancellor to Henry VIII who defied him and was executed. The bookends of the story are two portraits of the More family done by Hans Holbein, the German artist who became Henry's court painter. The first portait is a charming sketch of the family dating from 1528, but by 1532 when the work is redone, the family members have moved around, a mysterious man has entered the picture, and family solidarity is clearly threadbare. Meg Giggs, Sir Thomas's erudite ward, appears as a central character in the first sketch, but later is elbowed aside by her adoptive sister, who seems to be casting a lascivious glance at Meg's husband. Many experts have wondered what is going on here. Bennett's novel fills in the story between the first and second pictures, focusing on Meg and the two men in her life, her weak husband John Clement and Holbein, the clumsy genius. Bennett acknowledges a debt to an art historian who has a startling theory about the true identity of Meg's husband.
It's surprising at first that the characters speak in 21st century English, and there are no thee's and thou's. But the purpose is to show that in affairs of the heart there is scant difference between 16th century women, in their fierce pentagonal bonnets, and ourselves. Read this for a fascinating peek into life in a great Tudor family.
It's surprising at first that the characters speak in 21st century English, and there are no thee's and thou's. But the purpose is to show that in affairs of the heart there is scant difference between 16th century women, in their fierce pentagonal bonnets, and ourselves. Read this for a fascinating peek into life in a great Tudor family.
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
sorry to be a negative voice here: I always want to find good historical novelists and so was ready to love this book but was disappointed.
The plot just tries to do too much and fails to tie the whole thing together: the characters are a mystery in that they say and do things that are at odds which what we've been told they feel; and the historical sense seems all wrong.
I was interested in reading a book set in the early Tudor period that doesn't focus on either Henry or Anne Boleyn and Thomas More is an interesting subject. However the man is made a mystery (in an unsatisfying way) in his combination of erudite humanism and his grisly, sinister torturing of both 'heretics' and himself (the hair shirt) for his religious beliefs. The revelation at the end of his early love is equally out of keeping with everything we have learnt about him.
Similarly Meg Griggs, the heroine, moves off in all kinds of odd directions that never come together: she's part educated woman, part superstitious herbalist rejecting 'scientific' medicine; part Latinist, with a feeling for protestantism; she discovers a sinister side to the man she knows as father and yet manages to forget it. And her relationships with the two men which should have been the heart of the story are shallow and over-romanticised.
Also the narrative is structured in an odd way: it's mainly a first-person narrative by Meg, but then there are interspersed narratives by Holbein and John Clement that just appear and then disappear again...
All together there could have been a good book at the heart of this but it unfortuantely reads like a first draft that needs more work. The plot needs pruning, the narrative needs tightening up and the characters clarifying. At the moment there's a sudden flurry of information in the last chapter which completely changes the story and the characters (or ought to) and yet it's all just swept away for an obligatory happy ending.
For a brilliant though very different read, try Peter Ackroyd's biography of Thomas More.
The plot just tries to do too much and fails to tie the whole thing together: the characters are a mystery in that they say and do things that are at odds which what we've been told they feel; and the historical sense seems all wrong.
I was interested in reading a book set in the early Tudor period that doesn't focus on either Henry or Anne Boleyn and Thomas More is an interesting subject. However the man is made a mystery (in an unsatisfying way) in his combination of erudite humanism and his grisly, sinister torturing of both 'heretics' and himself (the hair shirt) for his religious beliefs. The revelation at the end of his early love is equally out of keeping with everything we have learnt about him.
Similarly Meg Griggs, the heroine, moves off in all kinds of odd directions that never come together: she's part educated woman, part superstitious herbalist rejecting 'scientific' medicine; part Latinist, with a feeling for protestantism; she discovers a sinister side to the man she knows as father and yet manages to forget it. And her relationships with the two men which should have been the heart of the story are shallow and over-romanticised.
Also the narrative is structured in an odd way: it's mainly a first-person narrative by Meg, but then there are interspersed narratives by Holbein and John Clement that just appear and then disappear again...
All together there could have been a good book at the heart of this but it unfortuantely reads like a first draft that needs more work. The plot needs pruning, the narrative needs tightening up and the characters clarifying. At the moment there's a sudden flurry of information in the last chapter which completely changes the story and the characters (or ought to) and yet it's all just swept away for an obligatory happy ending.
For a brilliant though very different read, try Peter Ackroyd's biography of Thomas More.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was given this book for Christmas; i do not usually read historical fiction. However I really enjoyed it. I did find the writing rather laboured in the first few chapters, notably when the narrator was speaking; however, since she starts the book as a young and naive girl, I wondered if this was a narrative device to reflect this,as I didn't notice it as the book progressed and she became more mature and in control of her life. The plot, set amidst Sir Thomas More's house and milieu was really interesting and pacy and the period detail was fascinating.
I will certainly be reading more historical novels, having found this one so rewarding.
I will certainly be reading more historical novels, having found this one so rewarding.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Where was the editor?
This started off promisingly enough, but I rapidly grew frustrated with it. The grammar and punctuation is poor and it's stuff that the editor should have picked up, which makes it... Read more
Published 4 months ago by WhiteHare
A missed opportunity!
One of the most tiring books I read in recent years. It is merely the concept that is interesting; the story of Meg-a young girl in Thomas More's household-unfolding in the 16th... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Violet Stanley
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
What a brilliant book, I really enjoyed it I had just finished reading about Sir Thomas More by Jean Plaidy and wanted to find out more, then I came across this book, as I'm also a... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Jules Lyus
Excellent read
I love Vanora Bennetts books, this one took a while to get into but cant put it down now. Great detail for the period and the upheavals surrounding Meg. Read more
Published 20 months ago by J. Tye
First-class, well researched historical novel
This is one of the best historical novels I have ever read. In fact, it is so well researched and written that I tended to forget it was fiction. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Fleur
A great read
I found this book a realy good read although i was a little dissapontied with the happy ever after ending that seemed a little unrealistic. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2010 by L. Murrell
A fine historical novel
Vanora Bennett is one of our finest historical novelists. She writes with integrity and a sure feel for the period. Her characters are real people whose lives are vividly evoked. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2009 by Alison Weir
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
A fictional account woven in to real historic events. The characters are well developed and the story line much deeper than it first seems. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2007 by Liam
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
This is the best book I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down. Beautifully written, superb prose, great pace, amusing, poignant - everything I could ask for in a book. Read more
Published on 5 Nov 2006 by Louise Campbell
An enthralling story, beautifully told.
I began reading this book at 9pm, thinking I would just dip into it to see if it took my fancy. Next thing I looked at the clock, and it was 2 in the morning! Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2006 by Jane Andrewski
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
