My Scottsdale sojourn was great fun. Visits to the Poisoned Pen always go well; if you believe, as I do, that independent bookstores need to be supported by readers, check out their website at www.poisonedpen.com. The PP customers are invariably enthusiastic and receptive, people who love books, and what greater compliment can there be than that? Diana Gabaldon and Dana Stabenow kindly lent their star-power to my event, and we discussed books with one another and the audience, with Barbara Peters gently nudging the conversation in the right direction from time to time. The Poisoned Pen began life as a mystery book store, but Barbara has inclusive instincts and she always found room for my historical sagas, just as she did for Diana’s Outlander series; now the Poisoned Pen has branched out into “good fiction, history, books on dogs and cats—whatever the staff likes.” Barbara’s husband, Rob, is a superb cook, and so I was very well fed during my stay, although I had to miss his culinary triumph, the TurDucken that he was planning to cook for Thanksgiving—a turkey stuffed with duck, stuffed with chicken, and how much more medieval can you get than that? To see Rob’s TurDucken, click onto this link. http://tinyurl.com/599k2q
Of course turkeys were not known in the Old World, but the medievals did love exotic recipes like that. One such was a “cockentrice,” an odd concoction in which the front half of a chicken was sewn to the back half of a pig, and vice versa. Another strange delicacy was a “glazed pilgrim,” a pike that was boiled at the head, fried in the middle, and roasted at the end, accompanied by roast lampreys to serve as the pilgrim’s staff. But as alien as some of the medieval dishes sound to us, I think that the Romans’ enjoyment of roasted mice is far more bizarre!
I got sidetracked by my yearning to sample Rob’s TurDucken, sorry. Back to the book news I learned at the Poisoned Pen. Diana’s new Outlander novel, ECHO IN THE BONE, will be published in October of 2009, and the Poisoned Pen is already taking orders for signed copies. Dana’s next book in her Kate Shugak series, WHISPER TO THE BLOOD, will be published in February of next year; I am already starting to count the days for that one. If you’ve attended any of my book signings, you’re sure to have heard me rave about Dana’s Alaskan mysteries; Kate Shugak is one of the most compelling and vivid characters I’ve encountered in print. I can also recommend Dana’s latest book, PREPARED FOR RAGE, a gripping account of a terrorist’s plot to strike at an American icon; to research it, she actually spent two months aboard the US Coast Guard cutter Munro. You might also want to check out Dana’s website at www.stabenow.com, for she has posted a video that offers a tongue-in-cheek summary of all fifteen of the Kate Shugak books to date; it is faster than the proverbial speeding bullet and a lot funnier. I hadn’t visited her website for a while and was interested to find a listing for all the reviews she’s posted on Amazon.com. Naturally I had to check this out—I’ll go to great lengths to avoid doing my own work. I was delighted to discover that Dana also loves one of my favorite books, Farley Mowat’s THE BOAT WHO WOULDN’T FLOAT, a hysterical account of his obsession with a schooner that seemed bound and determined to commit suicide and take him down with it. While I’m at it, I might as well recommend two other Mowat books that I love: THE DOG WHO WOULDN’T BE and NEVER CRY WOLF. And Dana also likes my own favorite of Ellis Peters’s Brother Cadfael series, THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE. I bought this many years ago when I stopped in a Shrewsbury bookshop on my way into Wales, and I was so taken with it that I actually drove back to Shrewsbury to buy as many other Brother Cadfael books as I could find. But I still think THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE is the best of the lot, and am glad that Dana agrees with me. Any other Brother Cadfael fans out there besides me and Julie?
I was delighted to learn from Barbara that Lindsey Davis has a new Falco mystery coming out next May, earlier in the UK for you lucky British readers; the title is ALEXANDRIA. And good news for Carrie–Laurie King will be bringing out a new Mary Russell mystery in May, which should be of interest to Sherlock Holmes fans, too. I also have great news for fans of P.F. Chisholm’s wonderful Elizabethan mysteries. After a long hiatus, she is working on another one. So there is time for those of you who haven’t read her other novels to catch up; the titles are A FAMINE OF HORSES, A SEASON OF KNIVES, A SURFEIT OF GUNS, and A PLAGUE OF ANGELS. She also writes historical novels under the name Patricia Finney, set in Elizabethan times. Elizabeth is the only interesting Tudor in my admittedly biased opinion; you think I’ve forgiven Henry Tudor for Bosworth Field? So I can recommend Patricia’s Elizabethan novels with a clear conscience. I can’t resist throwing out this query for discussion, though. Have many of you read Philippa Gregory’s novels about the Tudors? And what do you think of them?
I was given a surprise treat by Barbara; she allowed me to read the manuscript of Priscilla Royal’s new mystery, CHAMBERS OF THE DOOMED, which will be published next year. I am happy to assure Priscilla’s fans that this is her best book yet; she just keeps getting better and better. Her characters are so firmly grounded in the thirteenth century that reading one of her books is like a form of time travel. That matters a great deal to me. No matter how well written a book may be, I cannot enjoy it if the characters seem like anachronisms to me. I’ve often wondered if others feel as strongly about this as I do. How much leeway will you allow an author? Does it matter to you if medieval characters display an enlightenment that was centuries removed from their era?
Sometimes I do think that historical novelists are obsessive-compulsive about our writing and researching, and we can occasionally lose touch with the real world. I was chatting with Patrick, the Poisoned Pen’s Customer Services Manager, when a customer came up to buy some books. After he left, Patrick asked me if I’d recognized him, and when I confessed I hadn’t, he identified the customer as Luke Wilson. I’m sorry to say it took a moment for the synapses of my brain to make the connection. Wilson? Actor? Owen Wilson’s brother? In my defense, though, I am sure I’d have recognized George Clooney.
I can’t end this without giving credit to Diana Gabaldon for her marvelous theory about fictional characters. She divides them into three categories: onions, mushrooms, and acorns. Onions reveal themselves slowly to the reader, have to be peeled back, layer by layer. Mushrooms pop up suddenly, without warning, and in full bloom. And then there are the hard nuts to crack. I asked if her Lord John was a mushroom, and she agreed that he was. One of my mushrooms was Davydd ap Gruffydd, brother of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd in FALLS THE SHADOW and THE RECKONING. He was never supposed to have so much time on center stage, but from his first appearance, he proved to be a born scene-stealer. I am enjoying the Sebastian St Cyr mysteries by C.S. Harris, and I think her female character, Hero Jarvis, is a perfect example of an onion, revealing a little more of herself in each succeeding book. In my mysteries, I think Durand de Curzon is a mushroom, albeit a dark mushroom, another character who somehow muscled his way into the storyline before I realized what he was up to. What do you think of this theory? Can you think of any other onions, mushrooms, or acorns in my books?
The trip would have been perfect if only I could have ended it by saying, “Beam me up, Scotty.” Unfortunately I had to rely upon US AIR, not the Starship Enterprise, and the return flight was wretched in every sense of the word. I’ll spare you all the dreary details, but if any of you have your own travel horror stories to share, feel free to vent here! I hope you all were blessed with a special thanksgiving. See you next week.
PS I see there are some additional questions posted, so I will go over them as soon as I can and either answer you privately or in my next blog.
December 1, 2008
Just wanted to say that I loved The Other Boleyn Girl, but felt the rest in that series paled in comparison. Your question about onions, mushrooms and acorns is intriguing. Ranulf…onion – we get to see him develop – very cool. Hywel (sp)… mushroom – a good one. In Here be Dragons – Eleanor is an acorn – but then she develops in later books. Just my opinions – but this will be fun to ponder!
I’ve never read any Philippa Gregory — I’m not deliberately avoiding her, but I’m a little worried her scholarship won’t match up (I did see the movie of The Other Boleyn Girl on an airplane, but I know better than to judge a book by its screen adaptation!). I’m also embarrassed to admit I have not the slightest idea who Luke Wilson is.
I suspect the classification of onion/mushroom/acorn would be different for the author than for the reader — someone might be a tough nut for you, but if you succeed with him, he might seem like an onion to us. Are mushrooms necessarily scene stealers, or just any characters that pop up, fully formed? I’m rereading Time and Chance right now, and I agree w/ Michele above that Hywel is a mushroom. I’d put Countess Maud in that category too. I would think that most major characters almost have to be onions — that’s where the interest is, watching them develop. I’d put Becket in your acorn category though — I’m not sure you or we ever fully get inside his head.
In regard to food, quite a few years ago (probably more than 10 — before I’d really developed a serious interest in medieval history), I remember reading an article in Scientific American about medieval cuisine and how it differed from our views on food today. I wish I could remember more details but one thing I remember was how instead of dividing a meal into a savory main course and a sweet dessert like we do today, they liberally mixed sweet in with savory throughout the meal. The authors related all this to medical theories of the time, the four humors, and so forth, and then how the changes to those theories during the enlightenment gave rise to modern European cuisines. I’ve often wished I could track that article down again…
Suzanne, why don’t you ask your local librarian to help you track down that article? It’s very likely that they can help you, especially if it really was in Sci Am. They have access to databases like Dialog that can track that stuff down very quickly.
That’s a really interesting theory about the onions, mushrooms, and nuts. Very cool.
One particular sentence in this blog caught my attention, and that was where you said that they only interesting Tudor, in your opinion, was Elizabeth (and yes, I see how you could be baised 🙂 ) That’s been my opinion for quite some time too, but recently I read a book by Linda Porter called “The First Queen of England: the myth of “Bloody Mary” which made me regard with Mary I with much more interest than I ever had (kind of like The Sunne in Splendour did for Richard III in my mind). I don’t know if you enjoy reading straight-up history books, but if you do, that’s a good one.
Philippa Gregory’s books are fun but soapy and the history is very suspect, but they are a good read.
Davydd ap Gruffydd is one of my favourite characters of yours, he must have been so much fun to write.
Richard III I would say is very much an onion!
I love Ellis Peters, too, although I think my intro to the series was St. Peter’s Fair. I loved The Virgin in the Ice because of Olivier, who was very much a mushroom!
I got turned on to your books because I was discussing King John in a book group — can’t even remember what book — and made a comment about John always being the villain of the piece, and someone told me to read Here Be Dragons for a more nuanced picture. Even before I finished it I had to go find the rest of your books!
I just finished reading The Devil’s Brood and all I can say is “Wow.” I really enjoyed your portrayal of Richard the Lionheart. You made him seem more like a real person than the one-dimensional character who has appeared in so many books and movies. I also was intrigued by your theory of Henry’s relationship with Alys. It makes much more sense. I’m very happy to hear that you will be writing more about this disfunctional family that continues to fascinate after hundreds of years.
On a different note, I read The Other Boleyn Girl before the movie was released. I can’t say I liked either the book or the movie. While I know authors have to be allowed some poetic license, Phillipa Gregory just went to far into the stratosphere for me.
Finally, I’m sorry I missed your appearance at The Poisoned Pen. It would have been a treat to meet someone I admire very much. I look forward to your next book and hope you stay in good health.
Hi Sharon,
The Poisoned Pen sounds like a great store. I too, have a soft heart for the independent bookstores. It seems, unfortunately, that there aren’t many around these days. I just made a temporary move to Boston from Denver, and I have to say that the Tattered Cover is a place that I miss tremendously! I can lose a full day in a store like that! I have seen and met you twice at that store. Unfortunately, the one in Cherry Creek is no longer around, but they still have two stores, and both are wonderful!
On another note, I am reading the Devil’s Brood and I LOVE it so far! I have never read an author whose books are easier to get into. I have thoroughly loved each of your books, so I was naturally excited to read that you plan to continue on where Devil’s Brood left off! I imagine this family sucks you in as a writer as much as it does with us as readers!
Wishing you all the best over the holidays!
Hi Sharon
Its Gwen, Val’s friend who met with you in Paris and London. I just contacted Val again to see how you were and she pointed me here. I’ve loved reading your blogs and as a Diana Gabaldon fan too I especially liked this one.
I too love independant bookstores although I’m sad to say they seem to be a dying breed in the UK as well as the US.
Seems Penguin are still being difficult, it really bugs me that we have to wait until next year for Devils Brood. Never mind I’m sure it will be worth waiting for. I’m currently re reading The Sunne In Splendour which I have to say is one of my favourite books of all time. Also looking forward to Lionheart.
I’ve never read any Phillipa Gregory for the same reason as some of the others have mentioned. I’m sure they are a good read but messing about with history does annoy me so I probably wont.
Anyway, just wanted to say hello. Have a lovely Christmas and keep up the good work
I don’t know how I missed the release date for Devil’s Brood. I have been checking in on the progress of this book for years, and I’m absolutely mortified that it’s been out two months now and I’ve missed it! Thank you so much for putting an excerpt of it up on this site. A bit of instant gratification, though I intend now to run out tomorrow and buy it.
For your onion/mushroom/acord categories – my now, it’s been too many years since I’ve read (and reread) all of your books, but getting to see Ranulf pop up in the first chapter of Devil’s Brood was almost like coming home again. I remember reading somewhere that he made an appearance in your books and carried himself away, and I can understand that, because he is one of my favorite characters of this series – a definite mushroom and he keeps on growing.
I have read many Philippa Gregory books, but after three or four they failed to grab me, and I haven’t bothered to read any of the latest. I don’t think she is a great writer, and I honestly don’t like almost any Tudor novels – they are so popular these days and so overdone that they make me sick – I refused even to take history courses on them. As far as I’m concerned, the world began with Eleanor of Aquitaine, ended temporarily after Richard III, and picks up again with the Stuarts. For this reason perhaps – and possibly because they are better written – Gregory’s three non-Tudor novels, the Wideacre Trilogy, are much more enjoyable and readable.
That said, I have no found historical fiction writer that comes anywhere near to comparing with every single book you have come out with.
I have read Phillipa Gregory but I can’t say I am a big fan as I don’t like her take on the personalities or the history, but “The Constant Princess” about Catherine of Aragon was pretty good. Elizabeth is certainly my favorite Tudor and may be the most fascinating historical charecter of all time, but I don’t agree with Phillipa Gregory’s assumption that Dudley was her lover as I do think she was too fearful of loosing power to take a lover. Of course, having said that I did read a great book (I think it was a Patricia Finney) about a lost diary of Elizabeth’s when she was young that was a great story with a different twist on that subject…but can’t remember the name. Well I got Devil’s Brood today and that is how I will be spending the next few days. Happy Holidays!
If you like straight up history written well, check out the trilogy on the Byzantine Empire by British author John Julius Norwich. I have not been able to find them in the U.S., but on http://www.amazon.co.uk they are available. Byzantium-The Early Centuries; Byzantium-The Apogee; Byzantium-The Decline and Fall. Just fascinating. You can get the stats from amazon and then order from your local bookstore ‘-)
A wonderfully poetic book about Maria Stuart (“Mary Queen of Scotts”) is by an Austrian athor: Stefan Zweig. Originally published in 1935, it looks like it was just re-released in Nov. of this year by Boughton Press. If the English translation is half as good as the German original, you are in for a rare treat of a greyt biography and musings about her life and what made her tick. Some good insight into Elizabeth here, too.
Noreen it’s so nice to hear others have balanced the opinions that have dogged John in many other literary and theatrical mediums. I was disappointed in the play/movie the Lion in Winter (with Patrick Stewart) and the portrayal of John as a simpleton if not somewhat devious.
I admit to reading Here be Dragons probably 4 or 5 times over (as it is my favourite of all your novels Sharon) and just could not reconcile this interpretation and indeed what we know of John from the annuls of history, with the rather pathetic portrayal in the above. That’s not to say he wasn’t as devious and black hearted as he must have been to be a part of the atrocities of war in that time but his obvious fondness for Joanna helps one to take a somewhat (very slightly) lenient view of his character.
I am also a great lover of Brother Cadfael and have quite a few of the novels but don’t have Virgin In The Ice so will look for that one.
Speaking of all things vegetable, I thought Ellen was a bit of an acorn but I warmed to her as she grew. Simon de Montfort I also though a bit of an onion and admit to heaving sobs as I read of his demise. I agree that Ranulf is a favourite character and look forward to seeing him in the new book; it has just been released in Australia.
I am also thrilled to see you have started another book to follow the Devil’s brood….perhaps Here Be Dragons can get a well earned rest for a while.
All the best to you all over the Christmas periods and happy reading, although I know you will all be thinking Onions and Mushrooms!
Have a lovely Christmas and best wishes for a successful 2009!
I was a big fan of Philippa Gregory. I read The Virgin’s Lover first, and I adored it and while I was on the waiting list for The Other Boleyn Girl at the library, I read Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth. Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth were fantastic, sweeping in scope and I fell desperately in love with the characters. I did eventually read The Other Boleyn Girl and while I wasn’t as impressed as I was with Virgin Earth and Early Joys, I did enjoy it.
However, her most recent books leave a lot to be desired in my opinion. I found the characters to be unsympathetic and the interpretation of their actions or the reasons behind their actions to be unbelievable. Finishing The Constant Princess and The Boleyn Inheritance took all of my willpower and as you can tell, I’m not likely to recommend them.
I just finished Devil’s Brood. It was amazing and completely worth the wait. I love ALL of your books but, The Sunne in Splendour is my favorite.
I saw your post about gruesome medieval deaths and I’ve always wondered about Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry II’s father. It’s shocking in When Christ and His Saints Slept to have him gone so suddenly.
I have read all of Philippa Gregory’s Tudor books, with the exception of her newest, The Other Queen, because I found it so boring that I couldn’t get past the first 75 pages. I’m so glad I waited for it at the library instead of buying it. I was very disappointed, how could a book about Mary Queen of Scots possibly be boring?
I think The Other Boleyn Girl is by far her best, (the movie, btw, was absolutely horrible), but for me the runner up is one that no one here has mentioned yet, The Queen’s Fool, where the main character is the fictional Hannah Green, Queen Mary’s court fool, who is chosen for the job because she has occasional visions of the future. She’s Jewish and lives in constant fear of persecution, and she has an unrequited love for Robert Dudley. I think she’s really well written.
Those are the only two books I liked enough to buy for my own bookshelf. I did like The Boleyn Inheritance and to some degree, the Constant Princess. I also read Wise Woman, which was a little odd and not that great, and her first book, Wideacre, which I didn’t like at all. Not because of the whole incest theme, but because I hated the heroine. I had no desire to read the other books in the trilogy.
I was so fortunate to have discovered both your books and Diana Gabaldon’s books last year. I’ve devoured the Outlander series. I’m working my way through her Lord John series right now. I was a little disappointed with the first one, I thought it was boring, but I really like Lord John. I can’t wait to see how he and Willie figure into Echo in the Bone. And though I’m not a fan of graphic novels, I will definitely be buying Outlander when it comes out.
I love your books, too. I started with Here Be Dragons and I love the whole Welsh trilogy. My favorite character is Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. I just finished The Sunne in Splendour and I loved Richard. I wanted to learn more about him but had to stop looking up books about him because the things they said about him upset me too much! I like you version of him so much better! I’ll be starttin the Henry/Eleanor trilogy next.
Thanks for writing such great books! Keep it up!
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