Anna Beer

This was a really fascinating mix of biography and literary criticism of a select group of women writers. I knew the names of all but only had real familiarity with Austen, but I’m definitely interested in learning more. The author does a great job at placing them in their times and how it could have affected their words. I tend to enjoy more speculative biography and so had fun most with the Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe chapter (since there’s almost nothing known about them besides their written words).… (mais)

Sir Walter Raleigh, a poet, an adventurer, a soldier, is one of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan golden age. I assume that's mostly because he was such a gifted writer, while other notable figures left behind much less prolific written records.

Ms. Beer clearly finds Sir Walter an irresistible figure. She finds intrigue, wonder and excitement where I did not.

I fault myself.

I picked up a review copy of the book from the publisher to learn more. I think the writer assumes the reader knows a bit about Sir Walter and the history of the times. I knew very little, but after reading, feel like I know a lot more about the era.

But I don't find Raleigh any more compelling than I did before reading the book.… (mais)

Sir Walter Raleigh (author's chosen spelling) is a complex figures and Beer choses to showcase his many facets). While she introduces the book with his death, the first several chapters each focus on an aspect of his life -- soldier, colonizer, lover, writer, etc. All these many parts created the man who rose so high and fell so far. The second part of the book is more traditional chronology of his life as his political mistakes take him from favorite of Elizabeth I to enemy of James I, prison, and execution. Then book is well researched and quite readable. The questions of the title "Patriot or Traitor" is left as an exercise to the reader.… (mais)