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nomadreader's review against another edition
4.0
(originally published at http://nomadreader.blogspot.com)
The basics: Godiva is fictional retelling of the infamous Lady Godiva, her husband, and best friend Lady Abbess Egdiva.
My thoughts: I'm particularly fascinated by old, old history. There's something about trying to imagine life more than a few hundred years ago that challenges my mind. This phenomenon is at least partly attributable to my lack of knowledge about the actual history of these time periods, but Lady Godiva is a name I've heard for years and was curious to learn more about someone who definitely fulfills the bumper sticker, "well-behaved women rarely make history." Nicole Galland, a new-to-me author, makes Godiva come alive from the novel's first pages. I love dynamically drawn historical characters based on real people, and Godiva is a delightful one.
What I liked and appreciated about this novel even more, however, was how lively Galland drew the setting. Often I struggle with how to picture the world in old historical fiction, but as I read Godiva, I was so caught up in the story, I never stopped to ask myself if I was making false visual assumptions. Throughout this novel, I felt like I was watching a movie almost as much as I was reading a book, and this sensation is not normal for me.
The verdict: Godiva is a fun, adventurous, and fascinating historical romp. Galland brings both Godiva and the time period to life in a beautifully visual novel.
The basics: Godiva is fictional retelling of the infamous Lady Godiva, her husband, and best friend Lady Abbess Egdiva.
My thoughts: I'm particularly fascinated by old, old history. There's something about trying to imagine life more than a few hundred years ago that challenges my mind. This phenomenon is at least partly attributable to my lack of knowledge about the actual history of these time periods, but Lady Godiva is a name I've heard for years and was curious to learn more about someone who definitely fulfills the bumper sticker, "well-behaved women rarely make history." Nicole Galland, a new-to-me author, makes Godiva come alive from the novel's first pages. I love dynamically drawn historical characters based on real people, and Godiva is a delightful one.
What I liked and appreciated about this novel even more, however, was how lively Galland drew the setting. Often I struggle with how to picture the world in old historical fiction, but as I read Godiva, I was so caught up in the story, I never stopped to ask myself if I was making false visual assumptions. Throughout this novel, I felt like I was watching a movie almost as much as I was reading a book, and this sensation is not normal for me.
The verdict: Godiva is a fun, adventurous, and fascinating historical romp. Galland brings both Godiva and the time period to life in a beautifully visual novel.
lcannone's review against another edition
1.0
*This review is for the AudioBook*
Let me first begin by saying that the narrator did a great job. Secondly, the content did nothing for me, personally. I found that the story did not hold my attention.
Let me first begin by saying that the narrator did a great job. Secondly, the content did nothing for me, personally. I found that the story did not hold my attention.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
4.0
I'm having a shockingly hard time writing this review given that I had a great time with it and was provoked and amused by our heroine, Godiva.
Set in 11th century England, the novel follows two friends: the titular heroine Godiva, a flirtatious landowning noblewoman; and her best friend, Edgiva, niece of King Edward (the Confessor) and abbess of Leominster Abbey. Both girls grew up together in Leominster, but Godiva knew she would eventually marry while Edgiva, whose possible offspring could be contenders to the throne, was dedicated to the church. She became abbess at 18 without having the chance of deciding if this was her vocation.
It's this lack of choice that Godiva fights, for she is as active and commanding a ruler as her husband Leofric. One of the three most powerful lords in the kingdom, Leofric's wealth and army is a threat to the king, who maintains a harsh tax to pay for a foreign mercenary army to keep England under his rule.
Ostensibly, it is this tax that provides the catalyst for the novel's events. Shifting the legend a hint -- rather than her husband refusing to remove this tax, it is now Edward who levies it -- Galland posits that it might have been Godiva's frank sexuality and political manoeuvrings that provoked Edward into making his shocking demand: that Godiva ride naked thru Coventry.
Godiva, as we see from the opening scene, using her sexuality boldly, wrangling unruly lords into submitting to decisions they might otherwise fight. She will be, I suspect, a polarizing heroine for people because of this. Even I had a very uncomfortable response to her coquetry and impetuous use of her charms to get things done. And yet, as I discussed with Jessie of Ageless Pages Review on GoodReads, I don't believe that wives of rulers didn't use their skills to enact change as needed, wresting power as they could. Godiva's flirtatiousness is no different a strategy for control than a ruler's physical prowess or immense wealth.
Tangled in with Godiva's story is Edgiva's. A competent abbess and Godiva's closest friend, she has her own scandalous challenge, one that is worsened by Godiva's meddling. The two women have a loving and emotionally rich friendship, which is tried when Edgiva learns of Godiva's involvement in, well, I don't want to give away the details. But Galland doesn't shy from having these two fight -- painfully! -- and it brought tears to my eyes.
One of the things that delighted me most about I, Iago was Galland's emotionally resonate exploration of Iago. For Godiva, Galland took her own naked ride on a horse which influenced how she wrote Godiva's own nude ride. That section was particularly poetic, pretty, and moving, I found, and now I understand why!
The style of this book is 'lighter' than I, Iago, which isn't a bad thing; in many ways, the narrative style echoes Godiva: quick, pretty, flirty, surprising depth. Galland takes a brutal era and two stories -- one legendary, one historic -- and creates a novel that touches on surprisingly deep themes.
Set in 11th century England, the novel follows two friends: the titular heroine Godiva, a flirtatious landowning noblewoman; and her best friend, Edgiva, niece of King Edward (the Confessor) and abbess of Leominster Abbey. Both girls grew up together in Leominster, but Godiva knew she would eventually marry while Edgiva, whose possible offspring could be contenders to the throne, was dedicated to the church. She became abbess at 18 without having the chance of deciding if this was her vocation.
It's this lack of choice that Godiva fights, for she is as active and commanding a ruler as her husband Leofric. One of the three most powerful lords in the kingdom, Leofric's wealth and army is a threat to the king, who maintains a harsh tax to pay for a foreign mercenary army to keep England under his rule.
Ostensibly, it is this tax that provides the catalyst for the novel's events. Shifting the legend a hint -- rather than her husband refusing to remove this tax, it is now Edward who levies it -- Galland posits that it might have been Godiva's frank sexuality and political manoeuvrings that provoked Edward into making his shocking demand: that Godiva ride naked thru Coventry.
Godiva, as we see from the opening scene, using her sexuality boldly, wrangling unruly lords into submitting to decisions they might otherwise fight. She will be, I suspect, a polarizing heroine for people because of this. Even I had a very uncomfortable response to her coquetry and impetuous use of her charms to get things done. And yet, as I discussed with Jessie of Ageless Pages Review on GoodReads, I don't believe that wives of rulers didn't use their skills to enact change as needed, wresting power as they could. Godiva's flirtatiousness is no different a strategy for control than a ruler's physical prowess or immense wealth.
Tangled in with Godiva's story is Edgiva's. A competent abbess and Godiva's closest friend, she has her own scandalous challenge, one that is worsened by Godiva's meddling. The two women have a loving and emotionally rich friendship, which is tried when Edgiva learns of Godiva's involvement in, well, I don't want to give away the details. But Galland doesn't shy from having these two fight -- painfully! -- and it brought tears to my eyes.
One of the things that delighted me most about I, Iago was Galland's emotionally resonate exploration of Iago. For Godiva, Galland took her own naked ride on a horse which influenced how she wrote Godiva's own nude ride. That section was particularly poetic, pretty, and moving, I found, and now I understand why!
The style of this book is 'lighter' than I, Iago, which isn't a bad thing; in many ways, the narrative style echoes Godiva: quick, pretty, flirty, surprising depth. Galland takes a brutal era and two stories -- one legendary, one historic -- and creates a novel that touches on surprisingly deep themes.
gratefullive's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lisa_cannone's review against another edition
1.0
*This review is for the AudioBook*
Let me first begin by saying that the narrator did a great job. Secondly, the content did nothing for me, personally. I found that the story did not hold my attention.
Let me first begin by saying that the narrator did a great job. Secondly, the content did nothing for me, personally. I found that the story did not hold my attention.
abookishaffair's review
3.0
I'm guessing there are many people out there who knew very little about Lady Godiva than her infamous naked ride like myself. This legendary tale was pretty much the only thing that I knew about Godiva before reading this book. Galland shows us that there is so much more to this lady than just that juicy tale.
I love books that take a story or legend that many know so little about and turn it into a full length book. On top of reading a great story, you get to learn a little something as well. "Godiva" is about so much more than just that infamous ride. This book starts out a little slowly but picks up as we learn more about the relationships between Godiva and her husband as well as the relationship between Godiva and her best friend, who has become a nun and is hiding a major secret. I almost enjoyed the relationship between Godiva and Edgiva more than any of the other story lines in the book.
I did find myself wanting to learn a little bit more about why Godiva takes her famous ride. It seems very risky for the time, even for someone of such social stature and someone so outspoken as Lady Godiva. Why does she care about the taxes so much? Is she trying to prove a point? Is she being altruistic? We get little bites of what her reasoning may be. I really wanted to know more.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. Female friendships are always very interesting to me, especially those of women who have such different lives like Godiva and Edgiva. This book is a great jumping off point for those who want to get to know the woman behind the story.
I love books that take a story or legend that many know so little about and turn it into a full length book. On top of reading a great story, you get to learn a little something as well. "Godiva" is about so much more than just that infamous ride. This book starts out a little slowly but picks up as we learn more about the relationships between Godiva and her husband as well as the relationship between Godiva and her best friend, who has become a nun and is hiding a major secret. I almost enjoyed the relationship between Godiva and Edgiva more than any of the other story lines in the book.
I did find myself wanting to learn a little bit more about why Godiva takes her famous ride. It seems very risky for the time, even for someone of such social stature and someone so outspoken as Lady Godiva. Why does she care about the taxes so much? Is she trying to prove a point? Is she being altruistic? We get little bites of what her reasoning may be. I really wanted to know more.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. Female friendships are always very interesting to me, especially those of women who have such different lives like Godiva and Edgiva. This book is a great jumping off point for those who want to get to know the woman behind the story.
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