Scan barcode
mari1532's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
1.0
I checked this hardcover out from my library.
Brief Summary: This is a compilation of the research notes that Pope-Hennesy made during his work writing the biography of Queen Mary. Each chapter is a period that he spent with someone he interviewed for the biography and his thoughts about the interactions. This is a companion to the Queen Mary biography, NOT the biography itself.
Thoughts: I have been asking myself why I read this entire book and the only answer I can come up with is that this book provided a biased, but more honest examination of the British aristocracy that is rarely if ever seen. Before the 1980s, there was a deal to only focus on positive or pertinent coverage of the aristocracy and after the 2000s has focused largely on sensationalized stories about the monarchy. Pope-Hennesy's notes show an observational and often unflattering view of members' personalities, styles, and opinions.
That being said Pope-Hennesy's diary read like a misogynistic, fat-phobic, bashing of the people he interviewed. I think the value this book provides is to demonstrate how awful the aristocracy can be and how to keep the system going a lot of things got overlooked or were brushed over in biographies and press of these individuals and the monarchy.
Brief Summary: This is a compilation of the research notes that Pope-Hennesy made during his work writing the biography of Queen Mary. Each chapter is a period that he spent with someone he interviewed for the biography and his thoughts about the interactions. This is a companion to the Queen Mary biography, NOT the biography itself.
Thoughts: I have been asking myself why I read this entire book and the only answer I can come up with is that this book provided a biased, but more honest examination of the British aristocracy that is rarely if ever seen. Before the 1980s, there was a deal to only focus on positive or pertinent coverage of the aristocracy and after the 2000s has focused largely on sensationalized stories about the monarchy. Pope-Hennesy's notes show an observational and often unflattering view of members' personalities, styles, and opinions.
That being said Pope-Hennesy's diary read like a misogynistic, fat-phobic, bashing of the people he interviewed. I think the value this book provides is to demonstrate how awful the aristocracy can be and how to keep the system going a lot of things got overlooked or were brushed over in biographies and press of these individuals and the monarchy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, War, Classism, Grief, Racism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death of parent, Mental illness, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Ableism, Addiction, Cancer, Child death, and Miscarriage
bookscatsyarn's review against another edition
4.0
Fun to read after re-watching the second season of The Crown - the chapter on the Gloucesters is hilarious.
persey's review against another edition
4.0
Dishy, witty, incisive and subversive, there's fodder here for royalist and republican. In the latter camp, I admit to being appalled at how deep-rooted and persistent is the aristocracy of birth.
More...