Sick sick sick. Down with the flu or throat infection or whatever it is, it feels like I've swallowed a sock; cotton mouth, sore throat and a clogged nose. I've spent the better part of today either sleeping or reading, only getting out of bed to put food in my mouth.
I'm almost finished with The Other Boleyn Girl. It has the epic melodrama I expected; hate, love, rivalry, deceit, and every other equally compelling, sordid quality that we ensconce in our hearts. I don't know about historical accuracy as I am terribly ignorant of these things, but any novel that keeps me enraptured and awake in my woolly deficiency has to be decent. What I liked best about it was the embroiling love/hate relationship between the sisters; hating and resenting with so much conviction but keeling over at the next step out of love, obligation and kinship. I can't but think it uncannily accurate although this was set in far, far, far more extreme circumstances.
There were all these funny things that kept popping to mind though, during the novel. Like how do they keep themselves so alluring and perfumed when they only wash once every few days?! And what do they use to wash their hair. How does a girl manage to get through life unscathed when married at a very pubescent age of 12? Is it possible for noble families to be so schemingly treacherous? How is it a kingdom guided by cardinals and popes could live lives entrenched in such lustful deceit and loosely use the will of God for their own selfish interests?
And the whole time I was reading it, I was recalling the first Trusts lecture we had about how equity came about in the medieval courts. That going by the king's judgment wasn't a floating subjective instinct or notion but was guided by the idea that the king was put in charge of the land by God and he was accountable to God as to how he managed the land and his people. And that makes me sort of wonder how kings and nobles and courtiers were really like in medieval history, stripping away the romanticised glitter and sparkle of gallantry and chastity. Were they godly men living in His grace or... not?
But then again, I really don't know a thing about medieval history so everything that pops into my head is a mere whim and speculation. I can't wait for the movie to be out!
annonymous: Thank you very much :)
lynn: Yes I remember you! How are you?
I'm almost finished with The Other Boleyn Girl. It has the epic melodrama I expected; hate, love, rivalry, deceit, and every other equally compelling, sordid quality that we ensconce in our hearts. I don't know about historical accuracy as I am terribly ignorant of these things, but any novel that keeps me enraptured and awake in my woolly deficiency has to be decent. What I liked best about it was the embroiling love/hate relationship between the sisters; hating and resenting with so much conviction but keeling over at the next step out of love, obligation and kinship. I can't but think it uncannily accurate although this was set in far, far, far more extreme circumstances.
There were all these funny things that kept popping to mind though, during the novel. Like how do they keep themselves so alluring and perfumed when they only wash once every few days?! And what do they use to wash their hair. How does a girl manage to get through life unscathed when married at a very pubescent age of 12? Is it possible for noble families to be so schemingly treacherous? How is it a kingdom guided by cardinals and popes could live lives entrenched in such lustful deceit and loosely use the will of God for their own selfish interests?
And the whole time I was reading it, I was recalling the first Trusts lecture we had about how equity came about in the medieval courts. That going by the king's judgment wasn't a floating subjective instinct or notion but was guided by the idea that the king was put in charge of the land by God and he was accountable to God as to how he managed the land and his people. And that makes me sort of wonder how kings and nobles and courtiers were really like in medieval history, stripping away the romanticised glitter and sparkle of gallantry and chastity. Were they godly men living in His grace or... not?
But then again, I really don't know a thing about medieval history so everything that pops into my head is a mere whim and speculation. I can't wait for the movie to be out!
annonymous: Thank you very much :)
lynn: Yes I remember you! How are you?
1 Comments:
hope you feel better :D
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