≡ [PDF] Legacy Susan Kay 9780380703227 Books

Legacy Susan Kay 9780380703227 Books

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Legacy Susan Kay 9780380703227 Books

Legacy is a lengthy, satisfying, and gorgeously written novel about Queen Elizabeth I and the most important men in her relatively long life and reign.

Ms. Kay uses the omniscient, third person perspective throughout, but she still manages to develop the characters very well, whether male or female. To this day, I still give a slight edge to Miles' I, Elizabeth, which is written in first person using Elizabeth as the narrator. But the difference in quality is not great between Legacy and I, Elizabeth, probably amounting to a difference of one-tenth of a point on a typical Olympic judging scale. In short, Legacy is a wonderful work of historical fiction.

Legacy goes over 600 pages, which you can devour like a tray of fudge, or savor, as I did, over many weeks. Kay's rich prose does invite, I'm sure, repeated readings over time.

This novel has in common with I, Elizabeth and Gregory's The Virgin's Lover an interpretation of Elizabeth's sexuality -- that is to say, each of these books speculates in the same way that Elizabeth had one or two sexual encounters with Robert Dudley over her lifetime, although the encounters are written in wholly unique ways with varying degrees of explicitness. In addition, both Legacy and The Virgin's Lover contain theories about Sir William Cecil's involvement in the plot to have Amy Dudley killed. These theories can't have been dreamed up by both Kay and Gregory, so I am sure they are drawing on previous speculation from several historians.

Susan Kay makes Elizabeth quite believable and human. She obviously finds many things to admire about this amazing regent, while pointing out her flaws simultaneously. She definitely likes Elizabeth much better than does Philippa Gregory, who never portrays Elizabeth in a positive light. Seen through the eyes of various men like Thomas Seymour, Dudley, William Cecil and his son, or the quixotic Earl of Essex, Elizabeth glows, bewitches, and smiles, sometimes malevolently and other times enigmatically. Elizabeth's very close relationships with men such as Robert Dudley are presented as stormy and dramatic, and rightly so.

In my opinion, Elizabeth is portrayed as the essence of womanhood. Mystery is what draws her men so irresistibly. Elizabeth's moodiness, flirtatious gestures, outright deceptions and delicate physicality lead to correspondingly endless frustration, carnal desire, bemusement, and protectiveness among men. If she were an ordinary maid, men would eventually have mastery over her, but as she is their queen, they can only hope to bask in her reflected glory. I think there's never been another woman like her, and Ms. Kay dares to show how Elizabeth used her power over courtiers and subjects alike. Along the way, however, Elizabeth experienced much danger to her life, and Kay does not skimp on the circumstances surrounding this fact, especially when she covers the threat to Elizabeth's life while Mary was on the throne.

I liked the ending of the book. It's creative and satisfying. You cannot say that about many other contemporary works of fiction.


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Legacy Susan Kay 9780380703227 Books Reviews

I LIKE TO LEARN NEW THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW AND THIS BOOK DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. A QUOTE ON JESUS BLEW ME AWAY. ALSO, REASONS FOR LOYALTY AND FRIENDSHIPS WELL EXPLAINED. IT YOU'RE NOT INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE TUDORS, THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.
3.75 Stars. The author didn't make Elizabeth out to be the perfect heroine, like most HF authors do today, which was a positive. The story is seen through the eyes of the men in her life, letting you see all sides of Elizabeth. I simply didn't get attached to the characters or even Elizabeth (which I usually do) so I wasn't emotionally attached to this read. I am very familiar with Elizabeth's reign, so even though parts of this book didn't flow, I had no problem following. The writing style just didn't hold my attention. I didn't agree with some of the author's story telling, but, hey it's fiction, I know.
It started strong with the perspective of the rat, but after that it was just lightly written. I do recommend this for readers who want to know more about Elizabeth. This covers her whole life and due to that the author keeps it light and it isn't weighed down.
I have been reading novels and biographies of Elizabeth I for 50 years now and this work of fiction is the best bar none. Kay's interpretation of Elizabeth's relationship with her favorite - Robert Dudley was unparalleled in my opinion. I gained a new plausible explanation for their love-hate affair and by the end of the novel understood why Elizabeth went into a slow decline after his death. I couldn't put this book down and lost much too much sleep reading far into the night. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining a new understanding of Elizabeth and reading a thoroughly enjoyable work of fiction.
I have read many fictionalized biographies of Elizabeth I, but this one is the gold standard. It is quite remarkable that Kay is able to detail Elizabeth's entire life in under 500 pages, yet I did not feel anything important had been overlooked or shortchanged. This would be a terrific first read as well as entirely satisfying to someone already very familiar with the details of the Virgin Queen's life and reign. Kay's depiction of Elizabeth's psychology rings very true and, although she answers the age-old "did she or didn't she" question differently than many historians have, her portrayal of Elizabeth's intimate relationship with Leicester is completely believeable. Kay has managed to synthesize the "feel" of the period without bogging down in unnecessary, dry historical discourse. I felt I understood Elizabeth and her motivations and inner workings more intimately than in any other biography of her I have read. There is no white washing of her shortcomings or exaggeration of her virtues. In my opinion, this author comes as close as possible to capturing the essence of this queen, both as a woman and as a ruler. Remarkable and exceptional writing. Very highly recommended.
This is a well written long book about Elizabeth. My problem with it was that I do believe I needed to know more history to truly enjoy it. So many names, multiple ones for the same people, the same names for different people. I learned a lot. Good historical fiction. My biggest problem with it was that I felt I couldn't judge the truthfulness of the portrait of the Queen. Was the Queen really like as described or was it all imagined. I have no idea. The book takes a lot of focus which I must admit is not a personal strength at this point in my life. I did find watching Wolf Hall helpful.
Legacy is a lengthy, satisfying, and gorgeously written novel about Queen Elizabeth I and the most important men in her relatively long life and reign.

Ms. Kay uses the omniscient, third person perspective throughout, but she still manages to develop the characters very well, whether male or female. To this day, I still give a slight edge to Miles' I, Elizabeth, which is written in first person using Elizabeth as the narrator. But the difference in quality is not great between Legacy and I, Elizabeth, probably amounting to a difference of one-tenth of a point on a typical Olympic judging scale. In short, Legacy is a wonderful work of historical fiction.

Legacy goes over 600 pages, which you can devour like a tray of fudge, or savor, as I did, over many weeks. Kay's rich prose does invite, I'm sure, repeated readings over time.

This novel has in common with I, Elizabeth and Gregory's The Virgin's Lover an interpretation of Elizabeth's sexuality -- that is to say, each of these books speculates in the same way that Elizabeth had one or two sexual encounters with Robert Dudley over her lifetime, although the encounters are written in wholly unique ways with varying degrees of explicitness. In addition, both Legacy and The Virgin's Lover contain theories about Sir William Cecil's involvement in the plot to have Amy Dudley killed. These theories can't have been dreamed up by both Kay and Gregory, so I am sure they are drawing on previous speculation from several historians.

Susan Kay makes Elizabeth quite believable and human. She obviously finds many things to admire about this amazing regent, while pointing out her flaws simultaneously. She definitely likes Elizabeth much better than does Philippa Gregory, who never portrays Elizabeth in a positive light. Seen through the eyes of various men like Thomas Seymour, Dudley, William Cecil and his son, or the quixotic Earl of Essex, Elizabeth glows, bewitches, and smiles, sometimes malevolently and other times enigmatically. Elizabeth's very close relationships with men such as Robert Dudley are presented as stormy and dramatic, and rightly so.

In my opinion, Elizabeth is portrayed as the essence of womanhood. Mystery is what draws her men so irresistibly. Elizabeth's moodiness, flirtatious gestures, outright deceptions and delicate physicality lead to correspondingly endless frustration, carnal desire, bemusement, and protectiveness among men. If she were an ordinary maid, men would eventually have mastery over her, but as she is their queen, they can only hope to bask in her reflected glory. I think there's never been another woman like her, and Ms. Kay dares to show how Elizabeth used her power over courtiers and subjects alike. Along the way, however, Elizabeth experienced much danger to her life, and Kay does not skimp on the circumstances surrounding this fact, especially when she covers the threat to Elizabeth's life while Mary was on the throne.

I liked the ending of the book. It's creative and satisfying. You cannot say that about many other contemporary works of fiction.