tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post7138261562007874510..comments2023-11-12T09:52:42.825-05:00Comments on Medieval Woman: Blogging with Historical Novelist Susan Higginbotham: A Letter to Margaret of AnjouSusan Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-70060500321762244832010-04-20T19:17:41.194-04:002010-04-20T19:17:41.194-04:00Elizabeth, glad you liked it!
Kathryn, I agree!
...Elizabeth, glad you liked it!<br /><br />Kathryn, I agree!<br /><br />Mirella, thanks!Susan Higginbothamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-26191200033145494352010-04-19T21:11:44.561-04:002010-04-19T21:11:44.561-04:00I very much enjoyed reading these letters. It hel...I very much enjoyed reading these letters. It helps to make them real and give us an insight into their thoughts and fears. Thanks for finding and posting them. Congratulations on the release of your book too!Mirella Patzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14928081276314403541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-38588831727662892832010-04-19T07:10:43.315-04:002010-04-19T07:10:43.315-04:00Very interesting to see these letters, and I agree...Very interesting to see these letters, and I agree that this one is poignant. <br /><br />Having a fifteenth-century nobleman and soldier like John Neville declare "I hate war!" strikes me as implausible in the extreme!Kathryn Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397714441908100576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-27183633068830601252010-04-18T13:40:47.726-04:002010-04-18T13:40:47.726-04:00Despite the many troubles she certainly endured du...Despite the many troubles she certainly endured during her reign and her life thereafter, it must have been a great comfort to her to have had so many staunch and loyal supporters sending their best wishes and guidance while they were the ones imprisoned. I agree with Ragged Staff that the letter is very poignant, especially with us being aware of the fates that awaited these men. Thank you for posting these letters - very interesting to read.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06863958329151143572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-43068146968169302022010-04-18T09:23:12.340-04:002010-04-18T09:23:12.340-04:00I know the book well, Susan, and that particular p...I know the book well, Susan, and that particular passage resulted in wall-hurling #37! A lot of historical novelists seem to have difficulty with characters of any more than one dimension, and as for moral ambiguity... Free John Nevill! I say.Ragged Staffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13285451640470655380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-80027725336946087292010-04-18T08:19:49.270-04:002010-04-18T08:19:49.270-04:00Thanks, Ragged Staff!
Su, isn't that the trut...Thanks, Ragged Staff!<br /><br />Su, isn't that the truth! There's one novelist who goes so far as to portray John as a man who hates war (in case the reader misses the point, he's made to tell his wife, "I hate war!"). I suppose he might have hated war, but he was certainly good at it! But this novelist also has John as being Richard, Duke of Gloucester's mentor, and since her Richard is saintly and peace-loving, her John has to be also.Susan Higginbothamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-59629484834671246612010-04-18T05:55:04.989-04:002010-04-18T05:55:04.989-04:00Excellent post, Susan.
Yes they were executed by &...Excellent post, Susan.<br />Yes they were executed by 'nice' John Neville - not a bit like his brother Richard!! Another example of how people judge men by different standards as it suits them. John 'reluctantly' turned from Edward (or was wearing his livery coat at Barnet if you go to the extreme) - and so he must be 'nice'. Hence John always seems to get a good press in historical novels and Warwick doesn't. As Karen said in her post about Barnet both men knew why they were there and the consequencies that would follow. :-)Su_Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847666627709808316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21031350.post-84239028069029488792010-04-18T04:38:18.468-04:002010-04-18T04:38:18.468-04:00Nice post, Susan. Letters from exiles are nearly ...Nice post, Susan. Letters from exiles are nearly always poignant. It was such a strong theme in Old English literature and seems still to strike a chord, more especially if it's real writing by real people.Ragged Staffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13285451640470655380noreply@blogger.com