Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell: Lady Scoundrels' discussion: The Sister Queens

This time we discuss The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot

Ana: Who loved this wretched book? Who?

Ram: Not me.

Blod: Yes fine fine! No I did not love the book I chose. *swears*

Ram: In Swedish? Gimme examples. Teachers skipped that part.

Blod: Satans helvete också!

Ana: You know, let’s stick to Queen’s English...

Ram: Why? This is more interesting than the book.

Ana: Should I write something in a fine Polish slang? Don’t tempt me.

Blod. yes please

Ram: Yes!

Ana: The Sister Queens - jaka cholerna szmira!

Blod: Lol, yes we obviously do not want to talk about the book.

Ram: Ugh, no we don’t. And I haven’t DNFed it officially.

*Ana grits her teeth* It is supposed to be a historical fiction account told by two Middle Ages queens: Marguerite de Provence, the Queen of France and the wife of Louis IX (also known as Saint Louis, a devout Catholic who expanded the scope of the Inquisition in France ) and her sister Eleanor de Provence, the Queen of England. 13th century. And what I get? A first person narration of two very modern ladies. They use modern French. They think like a 21st century woman would. Let me also add: a very shallow woman.

Ram: A first person narration from alternating points of views. Their voices were indistinguishable.

Ana: : Here I agree completely. Sometimes I had to check several times which of the two sisters’ narration I was reading.

Blod: I got tired of the book and went on wikipedia and checked some stats instead, that was more interesting than the book. The book was all, ohhh sex, happy, orgasm, oh no my hubby does not love me *yawn*

Ram: Yeah. I’d rather have read the dry historical facts than this fictional account, although it’s not the worst possible. I would imagine.

Blod: I agree, it was not BAD, it was just....I did not care.

Ram: The quintessential MEH.

Ana: I would compare this book to a Barbie doll dressed up as a medieval princess or to one of the productions of André Rieu who takes a popular classic tune, rapes it, makes it wear a whore’s clothes and pimps around, pretending it is still a classic, cheapening the whole experience.

Blod: applauds, well said

Ram: And not being offensive at all while doing it...

Blod *dead silence*

Ana: EVERYBODY agrees? Gasp!

Ram: ...Could not care less. And I’ll still end up finishing the book.

Blod: I read the end, still I did not care. I do want to read about these women, just not this book

Ram: It’s historical fiction. There are no such things as spoilers.

Blod: I had to see if it improved...it did not.

Ram: I was told, by the person whose review convinced me to put this on my tbr shelf, that the start is bad but that it gets better. It does get better, marginally.

Ana: I haven’t noticed. Really it gets better? I can’t believe it.

Your least favourite character?

Ram: Of the two sisters? Marguerite.

Blod. Whiny Marguerite

Ana: What about our dear saintly king Louis?

Blod: Boring mama’s boy. And yes stupid religious ass. He was more fun when he smexed Marg up all the time.

Ram: I’m predisposed to hate all things religious, well, not quite. But he didn’t have a voice in the book.

Ana: I so hoped that Blanche de Castille would be a more pronounced character. NO such luck. She was one kick ass lady.

Ram: Marguerite was on her way getting there, to becoming the second dragon, but then she had the affair. And that’s as far as I’ve read.

Ana: LOL but but...it was a DNF? Don’t tell me I was the only one who got to the end.

Blod: I Dnf:ed, since it was my book I felt I could ;) I did not want the torture to continue. It was not true his fic. It was more lalala pretty princesses in lala land.

Ram: I’ve not DNFed. Officially. I’ll still read the end but I was... distracted while reading this. A lot. Pretty clouds outside. Should I send you pictures?

Ana: Yes please *cries*. I am horrible at not finishing a book.