Before I read this book, I read, from several sources, the historical facts of Queen Victoria’s life, and after reading the book, I think this queen was treated unfairly. Granted, the book is very well written and is highly enjoyable to read; however, there is too much of Hollywood in it.

The characters are well-rounded but as the author sees them. Then melodrama invades and shadows the main story a little too often. The most important of relationships that could have added to the quality of the story are left out or twisted, such as Victoria’s mother’s relationship with her daughter and Victoria and Albert’s relationships. On the other hand, Victoria and Lord Melbourne’s ambiguous relationship is shown as the love affair of the century, which it probably was not.

As to the characterization, Victoria is shown as an immature eighteen-year-old who plays with her dolls and her dog and is extremely overprotected by her mother and the mother’s lover with their idea of managing her throughout her life. Still, Victoria musters up the courage to stand against her mother and her mother’s lover, although she is just thrown into being a queen when she is not ready. Still, she makes some important decisions.

Then, in a conflicting twist, Victoria, as a young girl-queen, is more interested in clothes and hairstyles than learning of the ins and outs of being a queen and the rules of the government In addition, she is much more taken captive by her feelings for Lord Melbourne--whom she calls Lord M--than the man she is to marry. Yet, in the end, her mind is diverted quite quickly to Albert whom she picks as her beloved husband while almost in a haze. Be it that Victoria was only eighteen and became nineteen by the end of the novel, I didn’t like the presentation of her as a childish, unsophisticated, and shallow person.

I am not a TV or movies person, and I haven’t seen the movie or TV version of this book, but I like historical fiction, and I was rather disappointed with the book or rather its author’s treatment of Queen Victoria. If this story’s names were changed to an unidentified queen and the people in her life in a fantasy setting, I might have enjoyed the book more.

different tastes than mine who are more keen on romances than historical accuracy.

Lord Melbourne's character.

Victoria's characterization as the author saw her.

never read books on which TV and movie films are made.

cheapened.

is Daisy Goodwin, a writer and TV producer.

The story flows and is written well if you like romance novels.

it is not for you if you want a good historical fiction.

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Created Mar 25, 2018 at 3:25pm • Submit your own review...