Katherine

Critics

• Katherine

  Katherine Anya Seton Chicago Review Press Paperback 512 pages May 2004 Published over fifty years ago, Katherine is one of Seton’s most significant works: a retelling of the fourteenth-century love affair between a beautiful, convent-raised young wom ... (read full critics)

  curledup published on Tue, 7 Sep 2010

• Katherine

  Desert Isle Keeper Review Katherine (This DIK review was written by a reader) She was born a commoner - he, the third son of King Edward III. And, yet, students of history know the twice-widowed Duke shocked royal circles in 1396 when he married this ... (read full critics)

  likesbooks published on Tue, 31 Aug 2010

3 Reviews

• 5 people find this helpful

  

  I'm only halfway through it, but I think I can safely say that I don't like it, and that the last 300 pages are not gonna change anything.

  I mean, it's not badly written, but it's... romance.
  When I bought it I knew it was gonna be about the "epic love story" between Katherine Swynford and John of ... (continue)

  I'm only halfway through it, but I think I can safely say that I don't like it, and that the last 300 pages are not gonna change anything.

  I mean, it's not badly written, but it's... romance.
  When I bought it I knew it was gonna be about the "epic love story" between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, but I didn't think it would be so cheesy.
  My main problem is with Katherine herself: she's sweet, cute, shy, she has a happy disposition, she takes care of a husband she does not love, she never cheats on him, she's always nice to her awful sister. She's never angry, she never shouts at anybody. She's a saint. This is so boring! Why should I be interested in someone like that? There's no depth, she just stands there being beautiful and not doing anything.
  The love story is boring as well, they love each other to death, they are tender, passionate and blah blah, they haven't quarreled a single time so far, they have promised each other eternal love, and, obviously, his wife is a witch.

  I know that John and Katherine's really was deep, for ever love. She was his mistress for such a long time, and he married her even though she was a commoner, even though none of his relations would approve. They had four children together and he made sure they were legitimised after the wedding. So I don't think that the amount of love they had for each other is exaggerated here. But Seton could've handled it differently.
  The whole book is made of an endless series of scenes like these:
  -Katherine thinks about how much she loves John;
  -Katherine and John talk about how much they love each other;
  -Katherine reflects on the fact that adultery is a mortal sin and she and John shouldn't live like this but, really, whatever, she loves him and that's all that counts;
  -Katherine is an angel to John's children because she loves him so much;
  -love love love love. There's nothing else, there's no digging into what people think of her, how she's treated by his family if/when they encounter her. There's no real relationship with her daughter, like there was no real relationship (no love, but not even hate, pity, respect, whatever) with Hugh, her first husband. And there's no John. John is only there to be handsome, tall, and valiant. There's nothing else to him. Early on Seton makes an attempt on giving him some dimension, but then she just gives up, and she was right in the end, because this is the book people who love english medieval history mention as their favourite novel. And if such a book is the best, it's no wonder that so many women with no talent at all get published.

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  Claire N. said on Oct 23, 2010 | 6 feedbacks

• 

  one of my favourite books EVER- although it is supposed to suit women more than men

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  said on Jan 23, 2012 | Add your feedback

• 

  Possibly my favourite book and definitly ignited my love of English medieval history. Tells the story of Katherine Swynford who became the mistress of John of Gaunt. Beautifully written

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  murphsmum said on Aug 1, 2007 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Paperback 576 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0340839880
• ISBN-13: 9780340839881
• Publisher: Hodder Paperback
• Pub date: Mar 13, 2006
• Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette and Library Binding
• In other languages: other languages Libri Italiani

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