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mugglemom's review
2.0
Very selective extracts from Queen Victoria’s personal diary – only the scarce parts that deal strictly with Scotland vacations starting in 1842, 1847-50, 1852-53, 1855-67, 1870-72 and ending with a few days in 1882-83. Super short – abridged from her physical book. On the audio, no significant personal insights other than ones that seem to be for public reading. Very polite and very proper, not many negative observations whatsoever unless calling someone “fat” is highly negative. This is might be due to her daughter, Princess Beatrice, editing her mother's diary and destroying the originals.
What I liked: her love for Albert, her patriotism to Scotland, her overflowing admiration of Mr. Brown in 1850 – makes the rumors seem awfully true….secretly going “undercover” while touring, hearing her comment that someone read her “Pride and Prejudice” and her love for Balmoral.
What I didn’t care for: it reads like a play by play description as she looks out her carriage as it rolls past the countryside. Her generic descriptions are everyday 'Every.Day.', weather reports... lots….You get no sense of her life other than civil dialogue.
The audiobook has additional sounds: birds chirping, crowds cheering, guns firing, horses clomping, sea noises, rain, AND LOTS of BAGPIPES! Definite needed the added sounds as the material is quite bland. I can’t imagine reading it unless I needed to do research...
What I liked: her love for Albert, her patriotism to Scotland, her overflowing admiration of Mr. Brown in 1850 – makes the rumors seem awfully true….secretly going “undercover” while touring, hearing her comment that someone read her “Pride and Prejudice” and her love for Balmoral.
What I didn’t care for: it reads like a play by play description as she looks out her carriage as it rolls past the countryside. Her generic descriptions are everyday 'Every.Day.', weather reports... lots….You get no sense of her life other than civil dialogue.
The audiobook has additional sounds: birds chirping, crowds cheering, guns firing, horses clomping, sea noises, rain, AND LOTS of BAGPIPES! Definite needed the added sounds as the material is quite bland. I can’t imagine reading it unless I needed to do research...
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