About this title: The exciting fiction debut of acclaimed historian Weir breathes life into themany dynamic personalities involved in this fascinating novel. Losing none ofits historical authenticity, the author takes the reader inside the minds andhearts of the key characters in Lady Jane Grey's story.
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Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. 0345494857 Condition: VERY GOOD. (Book may have one or a combination of the following characteristics: former library book, cover wear, name written inside cover, light underlining/highlighting, remainder mark, etc. Overall, the book is in solid shape. This is a blanket description. Please email us if you require a specific, detailed description of the book condition. We will typically respond within one week of your request). read more
Description: Very Good. Ballantine, TPB, 2006, 1st PB printing (2007). Clean, reasonably tight, light wear, name on IFC but no other markings. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780345495341ISBN:0345495349
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 419 p. Audience: General/trade. 2007 trade softcover-spine not creased-no marks or tears-near fine read more
Description: Good. 0345495349 Paperback with moderate shelf-wear, creases, rubbing, fraying, tears, fading, smudges, stains, chipping and bumping to the cover, edges, corners, and spine. Binding is tight and square. Inside pages are free from underlining, note taking, and/or highlighting. Book is in stock and ready to ship same or next business day. Select Expedited shipping and receive your book within 3-5 business days. Buy with confidence! Please leave feedback after your purchase. It helps other buyers ... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 2007-11-06
ISBN-13:9780345495341ISBN:0345495349
Description: Very Good. Pages are clean, crisp and unmarked. Cover shows light wear.; 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Free Delivery Confirmation! Ships same or next business day! read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780345495341ISBN:0345495349
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Spine straight w/o creases, binding tight, no reader/remainder/library marks, ft cover slight curl/crease, pgs flat w/slight corner curl, very slight shelf wear. 419 numbered pgs., Audience: General/trade. Photos or other information available by e-mail. Daily orders/e-mail responses. E-mail confirmation of shipment. Check our feedback. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 2007-02-27
ISBN-13:9780345494856ISBN:0345494857
Description: New. Book is Brand New, Gift condition. Free tracking # included! International buyers are welcome. We ship every business day. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
"Lady Jane Grey was born as a disappointment-a daughter instead of a son. Her mother said upon her birth in this historical novel (Page 5): "I should be joyful, thanking God for the arrival of a lusty child. Instead my spirits plummet. All this-for nothing." Daughter of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk and Frances Brandon, grand-daughter of King Henry VII and related to King Henry VIII, her parents' ambition dominated Jane's life. Her parents' goal? A marriage that would bring the family power. The original hope was for her to marry Edward, son of Henry VIII.
As a child, Jane is treated poorly by her parents, although her father shows some interest in her. She is an engaging child, with a curious mind. She enjoys learning-from languages to music to the classics. The book's treatment of her makes her into a little woman when she was probably too young to think in the manner attributable to her. Still, in that era, childhood as we know it did not exist.
Events in the book are portrayed first person, through the eyes of a number of people-from Lady Jane Grey to her parents to Mrs. Ellen to Queen Jane Seymour to Queen Mary to the Duke of Northumberland and so on. While this adds a personal perspective that works pretty well, it can sometimes be a bit too kaleidoscopic for my taste. Through these various characters, we learn of the great events of the day as they happen-Henry VIII's marriages to Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, Katherine Parr, Edward VI's brief reign, internal and external crises facing the country.
But, of course, the arc of this work is the brief reign of Lade Jane Grey as Queen Jane. Her parents and important figures such as Northumberland maneuvered to make her Queen rather than allowing the Catholic Mary to gain the throne. They trusted that the English citizenry would reject Mary and that they could manipulate Jane as a figurehead to run England as they chose. The novel shows how Jane tried to be a Queen but found herself thwarted by those who would use her. Her miserable marriage to a Dudley did not help matters. After only a fortnight as Queen, forces loyal to Mary overthrew the lot of nobles who had plotted to make Jane Queen. Then, the slow denouement, as Mary slowly came to see that, for many reasons, she had to remove Jane from the scene-although she saw her as innocent. The very title of this work, "Innocent Traitor," says a great deal. The novel ends with real emotional pop, as Jane prepared a simple speech to give before her death. Her dignity, compared with the whimpering of men much more guilty than she, provides a remarkable contrast (this isn't a spoiler; if people don't know what happened to Lady Jane Grey, they don't know much about history!).
Anyhow, despite some problematic choices by the author, Alison Weir, this is a compelling piece of historical fiction. Do read the author's note at the end. The author discusses the choices that she made in writing portions of the book where there is uncertainty in the historical record or where she took a certain degree of creative license."
"This was Alison Weir's first historical fiction attempt and it is clear she has spent a great deal of her time writing non-fiction. I had a hard time adjusting to her writing style; it felt like it was set up nicely to turn into a screenplay, but the grammatical tense that was used just seemed awkward. Am I reading about someone reflecting on their life, in the moment of the experience, or a mix of the two?
The style also seemed a bit mechancial, as if the hope was to educate and stay extremely close to actual events, as opposed to exploring the emotional component of the characters.
There was a section where an attack is made on Jane's mother, and yet I barely registered the danger or understand the reasoning behind the attack. It seemed too minor to mention; or, if the intent was to be a precursor to another event, I don't see the connection.
Oddly enough, I did find myself, at the end, hoping for an outcome that I knew could not occur. It is easy to identify with Lady Jane, especially as a fellow bibliophile. What wouldn't I give to join her in quiet contemplation and study for just a few days (but perhaps I would not bring up religion)."
"The device of having multiple narrators is a useful one, making it easy to reveal the thoughts of key characters, but I'm not convinced that Wier has the novel-writing expertise to pull it off. It was also hard to remember just how young Lady Jane was. There were obvious gaps in her understanding when she was very small, and no doubt she was forced to grow up quickly, but there was little difference between her voice at four years and at sixteen. Even the most precocious and formal of children betray their age at some points and she would have been a more endearing - rather than merely sympathetic - character had we seen more of her childish, as opposed to technical, innocence.
What does come across in this account is Jane's integrity: she may have been a pawn of more powerful people in terms of being placed on the throne, but here she has to be convinced that there is some justification for it first, and it is her courage in holding fast to what she believes to be right that is the ultimate reason for her death at the hands of a reluctant Mary.
In spite of its flaws, a powerful telling of the tale of one of Britain's often overlooked monarchs."
"Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir is an amazing book written about Lady Jade Grey, her growing up, her rule, and her death. This book taught me a lot about Lady Jane that I'd never known before. She was extremely educated and spoke five languages counting Greek, Latin and English. She was slightly scared of court and court intrigue and if not for her parents would never have been part of it. Her parents married her off to a Dudley when they knew her blood could get her the throne of england. She herself was used as a pawn to allow the Dudley family rise to power with a queen who was only there for show. She revolted some; not allowing her husband into her bed after their wedding night and not allowing the men to walk all over her, but in the end, she was killed by Mary (King Henry the 8th's oldest daughter) who crushed their plan (and them) when King Phillip of Spain said he would not (could not) marry her if Lady Jane and Lord Dudley were still alive. All in all, Lady Jane's rule lasted a grand total of nine days until she was imprisoned and beheaded in the Tower of London. I felt very connected to Jane throughout this book and this story of her life and felt horrible that she was killed because her family cared more about the throne than their daughter."
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