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First Sentence
A brilliant beam of sunlight reflecting on the water momentarily blinded him, then, in the blink of an eye, a radiant vision appeared before him. Read the first page
The true story of lowborn but beautiful Elizabeth Gunning (1733-1790), who took Georgian England by storm and became a duchess twice, is vividly fictionalized in this unconventional romance from Henley (Ravished, etc.). Born into an impoverished family, Elizabeth and her older sister Maria, both aspiring actresses, apply their talents offstage when their ambitious mother decides they should pose as members of the minor nobility. In London, their bold maneuvering, good fortune and the girls' own magnificence catapults them into society, where they draw the attention of noblemen and even the heir to the throne. The one man who knows Elizabeth's secret is John Campbell, the future Duke of Argyll, whose love for her isn't enough-at least initially-to overcome the difference in their status. She's also coveted, for much darker reasons, by John's enemy, the powerful Duke of Hamilton. The details of the Gunnings' rise will delight; at one point, the fearless Mrs. Gunning hires actors to mob her daughters whenever they appear in public and an actress to play their ladies' maid. Possessing all the sensuality and glitter of a more traditional romance but enriched by the plot's complexity and the heroine's genuine growth, this captivating tale will leave readers amply satisfied.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:3.9 out of 5 stars 26 reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsWell-Written, but Too Sad30 Jun 2004
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Virginia Henley is a gifted writer. Her books stand out among the best. This book was also well-written. My problem with it was the very sad turn of events it takes. It was too much. Even though the ending made up for it, I was too wrung out.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsVery intense, dramatic and more than a little tragic.18 Jan 2004
By Thea - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I am always advocating for more drama in romance novels, so I didn't think I would say this, but this novel had too much drama. I just finished reading it and it has my emotions in turmoil. I would certainly recommend it, but beware, this is not a lighthearted, easy to read story, nor is your usual, uncomplicated romance. This book gets you emotionally involved, makes you lose sleep and throws your feelings into a whirlwind at times. I think for the first time since I started reading romance novels, I found one that made me unsure it would have a happy ending. The novel got so complicated and tragic at times that I really feared for their "happily everafter".
I just learned when I read the review in this page that this novel is loosely based on real facts. Maybe that explains some things that happened that I considered unnecesarilly tragic, like the death of someone towards the end of the book that made absolutely no sense to me, since it didn't contribute anything important to the main story and was a very sad event. I won't say who it is as to not spoil the surprise. You'll know who I'm talking about if you read the novel.
The one complain I have about this book is that it was too long. In fact the first one hundred pages or so, where so slow that I actually put it down 3 times and read other books before I finally decided to finish this one. In the end I'm glad that I read it completely, because after the first initial calm the book picks up the pace, but after that outburst, it slows down again after Elizabeth marries. Her married life took too much of the novel, and John Campbell, who was supossedly the other main character rather dissapears from the book for long periods of time, only appearing sporadically. During that time the story is only from Elizabeth point of view, and we don't know much about John. The novel was more about Elizabeth journey from an innocent little girl to a mature woman, and I felt that John was only slightly more important in the novel than the rest of the secondary characters. To put it in other words, if the novel was a movie we would probably be seeing more of the villain and the support cast than the hero. I really think that more than 400 pages of small print were not justified to tell the love story of this book. But then that is just my personal opinion.
This said, I can only add that if you are ready for a strongly emotional and intense novel, don't miss this one. If you are just looking for a light and fun read, "Undone" is not for you.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsExceptional Historical Romance!!!10 April 2004
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After reading the reviews that panned UNDONE, I felt I had to write a review. I very much enjoyed this story and read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! It is an extraordinary example of the BEST that Romantic fiction has to offer!!!
There are two points I wanted to make in response to other reviews posted here.
I appreciate the research that Ms. Henley and her team has done and it made this novel exceptional in its genre. I researched Elizabeth Gunning online and I also saw that Elizabeth had three children from her marriage with James. However, I give Ms. Henley kudos for her use of artistic license which allows Elizabeth to have one child from that marriage. It is essential to the storyline, and in keeping with our ideas of what a romance novel should be, that the child be fathered by her true love and not the "villain". Three, all fathered by John and not James, would have been ridiculous.
Yes, we DO expect to see the lovers end up happily together in the end. THAT is what makes it a romance novel. I enjoyed the twists in the storyline which kept the lovers apart and kept me on the edge of my seat. Ms Henley has created wonderful complex characters in this novel and I enjoyed watching them grow and mature through the story, especially our heroine. Elizabeth begins our story as a 16 year old girl who is completely controlled by her mother and becomes a strong and courageous woman and mother before the story is through. I was shocked when Elizabeth refused to marry her true love after she had become a widow, but after reading on it all became clear. Elizabeth was refusing MARRIAGE (essentially a state of ownership in those times) not LOVE. After considering this last twist I also understood that Ms. Henley was being true to her characters and I appreciated the novel all the more for it.
Thank you, Ms. Henley for an extraordinary novel!!!
