Too late....You get the stones.

Ha! To me, Plaidy does have a rather old-fashioned writing style, but that is actually one of the things I like about her books. I always enjoy the older books best, but you may not. We'll still let you hang with us if you decide you aren't a Plaidy fan. ;-)

I have read about 30 of Plaidy's books and they definately vary in quality.  There are a few I didn't like at all; there are a few I absolutely love.  Most, in my opinion, are in between.  Although The Plantagenet Prelude was not one I would consider "horrible", I thought it was on the low end of "average".

I'm not a Plaidy fan. Like you, I don't like her writing style.

The group here still talks to me. :)

I just started this book. I've only read about 20 or so pages and though the style is a little different, I think I'm going to like it. I really want to read the whole series since I'm a Plantangenet freak.

To date my only experience with Plaidy is her Plantagenet Series.  I am enjoying this series because it gives me a very good feel for the history  of this period.  Currently I view Plaidy's writing as primarily history that is filled out with some conversation etc.  I guess that places it somewhat on the "dry" side.  However it does give me a good background on the history and then other writings make more sense to me.

I've read Plaidy for so long I can't even contemplate what her style is. I guess it's really the first style of Historical Fiction I started with.

BIG Plaidy fan here. I'm slogging through the P-Series at the moment but hit a brick wall due to my currenlty busy schedule. I find her books play closer to the facts than most historical fiction authors do.

I just saw a survey that 9 out of 10 penguins enjoy Plaidy.

Genie, I didn't know that you don't like Plaidy. *gasp*  Genie, I thought we were copasectic. I thought we saw eye to eye. I thought we were like this *holding 2 fingers together*.  Now, I don't feel like I know you at all. Oh well...at least we both agree that we don't like historical fiction about cows. :-P

We can still be friends,  but I'm going to have go tag you as "Plaidy Hater" on my buddy list. Oh, the horror...LOL!

Rebecca, you'll have to be tagged as "Possible Plaidy Hater". I'm going to give you another chance because you've only read the one Plaidy book. There is still a chance that you may be redeemed from the Plaidy-hating depths. I have hope for you.

Seriously...Rebecca, I think you should try one of the books about Henry the VIII's wives. They seem to be written a bit more like modern fiction to me. They don't seem as dry as some of the earlier books. Plus, there is too much drama to be boring! I don't think anyone could make such a dramatic and exciting period of history boring.

Yes,  Rebecca,  take Valli's advice.  I have read all of Plaidy's books about Henry VIII's wives.  I thought that they were all great.  As a matter-of-fact, I started reading everything I could find about Henry VIII, because Plaidy's books made me feel as though I personally knew the characters.

Haven't been bored with a Plaidy book yet,

LisaCherie

LOL, Valli! Ya made me look up that there word, copasetic. Maybe I should read Plaidy, if she uses these $10 words!

Anyways, I should be in league with Rebecca. I only tried one Plaidy book. I think it was Plantagenet Prelude. I got halfway through it. I just couldn't adapt to her writing style.

Maybe, if you let me off the hook, I'll try one of the Henry VIII books. Any particular one you recommend? Did she do Jane Seymour? Did she treat her like a wallflower?

Rebecca, try reading one of the books she wrote as Victoria Holt. My favorite is My Enemy My Queen, about the relationship between Lettice Knowles, cousin to Queen Elizabeth and rival for Robert Dudley. This is THE book that introduced me to historical fiction. Prior to reading it, I stuck to history/bios/memoirs -- no fiction.

This is an old topic, but I have been enjoying Jean Plaidy novels.  My favorite is Courts of Love about Elanor of Aquitaine. Some books are definately better than others. What are you favorites and least favorites?

Alice

I think my favorite is The Lady in the Tower.

My least favorites were The Norman Trilogy (The Bastard King, The Lion of Justice and The Passionate Enemies) and The Hammer of the Scots (about Edward I).

I have yet to read a Plaidy (although I think I have The Lady In The Tower on Mt. TBR), but I wanted  Valli and Genie to know that I bust a gut laughing reading this thread.  Thanks for the laugh. I'm sort of glad I have yet to disagree with Valli on a book.  Well, wait! I guess there is The Worst Hard Time, but maybe she missed the post where I said I found it boring and had to quit reading it. 

Off to look up "copasetic."  Or not.  I'm kind of tired and want to go read.  Maybe someone will be kind enough to post the definition . . .

Copasetic, also spelled copacetic or copesetic, means very satisfactory. I have yet to be able to use it in a sentence. Humph!

Ok, I don't post much in this forum, because I'm fairly new to my historical fiction obssession and I feel pretty out of the loop from all you knowledgible folks.  But this thread, coupled with some books I've picked up lately has certainly sparked an interest in The Plantagenents for me!

I picked up a copy of A Secret Alchemy at the library the other day on a whim. I tried reading it, but not knowing the history, I felt pretty lost.  I'm almost done with Philippa Gregory's The White Rose and I feel a little less lost.  I know lots of folks don't care for her writing but I enjoy her style.  I don't completely trust her facts though, she seems to play fast and loose with those.

Genie - Thank you for posting the definition.  It was very copasetic for me to find it here rather than having to look it up.  (Okay, lame attempt, but I tired!)

Melani,    If your Interested in the Plantagenents, try Sharon Peman, her treatment of Henry II, Eleanor their children and grandchildren, sets the bar very high for other authors.   Her first novel is "The Sunne in Splendor" and deals with the end of the Plantagenents with Edward IV and Richard III it's brilliant. " When Christ And His Saints Slept" is the beginning of a saga with King Stephen and the Empress Maude, who was Henry II mother, it ends With Henry marriage to Eleanor. Then  "Time And Chance", then "The Devil's Brood".  Then there are my favorites "Here Be Dragons" which deals with John, after that is "Falls The Shadow" and then "The Reckoning", which brings you up to Edward I,  You will have no complaint about the lack of historical fact or how she fleshes out historical figures.  These books are worth reading and can be found in most libraries.  

The other author I will suggest to you is Elizabeth Chadwick while her characters are retainers of the Plantagenents they are in there and EC is an AMAZING author,  when searching for her books remember she is the English Elizabeth Chadwick not the American romance writer.  Her books are hard to come by, I have all of them and I couldn't part with them, you can find them on most book sites and I've seen some in libraries.  If you wish to continue, on to Edward II  Susan Higginbotham "The Traitor's Wife" can't be overlooked, along with  "Hugh and Bess", and the up coming "The Stolen Crown"  which is set in the War of the Roses period,  unfortunately we have to wait until March for that one.   I hope that this helps.

Edited because I can't keep from writing Huge instead of Hugh.

Well yes, Jean Plaidy's writing style is a bit old fashioned because well, the books are old.  Eleanor Hibbert (her real name) died in 1993 at the age of 86.  So her earlier works are over 60 years old.  But many of her books are still being re-issued so some people may not realize how long ago they were actually written.

I have most of her books under the Plaidy, Carr and Holt names in hardback, and I continue to look to upgrade those I have in paperback.  Lately I have begun seriously considering posting my paperbacks here for trade and just keeping the hardbacks, I need to do some serious de-cluttering.

LOL about using "copacetic." While I was growing up, my mom continually referred to something being copacetic or not copacetic -- and until I was an adult, I assumed that she made up the word (because she often mangles words). Boy, was I surprised when I came across the word one day in the newspaper!!

db

Jerelyn - THANK YOU for the good info!  I downloaded the first SKP you recommended to my Kindle.

The first Victoria Holt book I ever read was Mistress of Mellyn.  My 8th grade history teacher loaned it to me.  I don't think I've ever read any of her books about royalty though.

stupid double post