Not a Captive Book

I am utterly disappointed.

I have a few authors that I try to read everything they write: Shirley Jackson, Alison Weir and Phillippa Gregory.  In fact, I also try to obtain a copy of everything they write as well.  I read other authors, as I am a voracious reader.  However, those three woman are my favorite, and therefore, I have a book shelf just for them.

My disappointment is with Alison Weir's novel, The Captive Queen.

Weir is a historian and has written many biographies and biographical books about the monarchy in England and other surrounding nations.  Her books about the Tudor dynasty were the ones that got me hooked on her writing.  However in the last few years, Weir has left her roots of biographical books and taken a fictional look at Jane Grey, Elizabeth, and now: Eleanor of Aquitaine.

I am currently on page 352 of 473 and I really cannot get myself to complete the book.  I really do not have an interest to continue with such sub-par dialogue and a ridiculous queen with an insatiable appetite for sex.  Yes, you "read" me: sex.

There are three types of historical novels: biographical/autobiographical; historical fiction; and historical romance.  When I was younger (i.e. teenager), I loved reading historical romance.  Historical romance is a completely fictional story written during a particular time in history.  Most often there is tons of sex and the plot is pretty simple to follow.  However, I was under the impression that Weir had written a historical fiction book: one that is historically factual about that person but dialogue and situations are fictionalized to keep the book moving.

I am really not interested in Eleanor and her lust after Henry, which made her get an annulment from her first husband, Louis.  The name of the book is: the Captive Queen.  I was more interested in her years as a prisoner of Henry's.  Her time in captivity started in part four, which starts on page 331.  What was that time like for her?  How did she keep her wits?

So I finally get to part four, and the book feels like it is racing with the clock to get past Eleanor's captivity.  I just could not understand why Weir named the book: The Captive Queen, if she was going to focus on the relationship with Eleanor and Henry.  The book should have been named: Eleanor and Henry - a lustful relationship ruined by greed.

My dilemma is that I really wanted to like this book.  I really did.  I enjoyed her first fictional novel attempt: Innocent Traitor, which followed the life and short-lived reign of Lady Jane Grey.  The dialogue did not seem forced, and the plot was intriguing and suspenseful - even if I knew how it ended.  I had high hopes for Captive, and it has not come close.

I feel cheated as a reader and a fan.  I feel like Weir's recent novels are only getting published because of her fantastic success with her historical biographies.  Her latest novel is, The Lady in the Tower.

I received this book as a Christmas gift along with the Eleanor book.  Will I read it?  Yes, I will try.  However, it will NOT be the next book I grab from my pile.  Instead I will read a book that was highly suggested by my husband: The Book of the Dun Cow from Walter Wangerin Jr.