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Chargement... Great Maria (1974)par Cecelia Holland
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Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. A slightly fictionalized version of the Norman conquest of southern Italy, with an imaginary (as far as I know) family replacing the Hautevilles. Maria daughter of another Norman, marries one of them --the smarter, less dashing one, as in Kings in Winter-- and becomes his valued partner over the years. However, the story in other respects is realistic; she spends a lot of time bearing and raising children, not adventuring, though capable of very effective leadership in a crisis. aucune critique | ajouter une critique
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Courage of a king, Strength of a knight, Heart of a woman "A literary phenomenon." -"New York Times" "Her father is a robber baron..." "Her husband has grand ambitions and a quick temper..." "She will become...the Great Maria." A lush portrait of the eleventh century that leaves out none of its harshest nature, "Great Maria "is Cecelia Holland at her most evocative. A mere fourteen years old, strong-willed Maria is betrothed to Richard. Theirs is a marriage of conflict, yet one that grows over the years into respect and partnership. As they struggle-at times against each other, at times side-by-side-Maria and Richard emerge as full-blooded characters you'll never forget.What Readers Are Saying ""Holland's characters are so complex and vividly drawn that the reader actively participates in their adventures."" "An intriguing plot, unforgettable characters, and a wonderful sense of place makes this one of the finest books I have read." ""If Hemingway had written historical fiction, he would have had a hard time beating Ms. Holland. Her terse, tense writing style is incomparable, and her character development is superb."" "A stunning book." ""Characters so believable, they walk off the page and into the room. Few authors can bring the past to life as powerfully as Cecelia Holland. I'd recommend her to any fans of historical fiction."" -Elizabeth Chadwick, author of "The Greatest Knight "and "To Defy a King" "This novel's success is assured by its own excellence." -"Library Journal" ""One of the very best historical novelists of our day."" -Larry McMurtry Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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Being a Holland novel, no-one gets off lightly. Maria's life is charted from her prepubescent innocence to her wily middle age. The daughter of a powerful Norman robber-knight in southern Italy in the early 11th century, she is married off to one of his more ambitious men, Richard (despite her own preference for Richard's younger brother, Roger.) When her father decides that Richard is getting a bit too big for his britches, his plan to kill him fails and Richard takes ownership of his castle and lands. Richard's ambitions are to rise above the role of thief, and he sets out to carve out his own place in the world.
Maria never questions her subservient role in this world. She doesn't long to be a knight or agitate for voting rights or rail against the closed medieval mind. Hers is a medieval mind. When her husband beats her, she doesn't like it or even love him for it, but she has to accept there's nothing she can do about it and her fate is tied to his. Gradually she comes into her own, prescribed, female role, often bringing Richard's violent wrath down on herself, sometimes because she is foolish, sometimes because she is clever, always because she is headstrong. Risking his temper is a thing she is prepared to do to get her way. Nonetheless, he grows to rely on her and her attraction to him is as much physical as it is anything else.
She has babies, not all of whom survive, and they grow, and Richard extends his conquests and his power, and there is danger and intrigues and violence and tempestuous scenes and passionate... stuff and eavesdropping and betrayals, all told in Hollands crisp, plain, practical style that makes no apologies for characters that are compelling and multi-faceted and sympathetic even with their monstrous faults, such as domestic abuse and murder. ( )