Brillliant, intelligent, utterly gripping
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This is the story of the ultimate duchess... Sarah Jennings rose through the ranks of society from butcher's daughter to become the richest woman in Britain. It's also the story of a strong and enduring love, and a fascinating examination of what it took to succeed as a forceful, intelligent woman in an age of enormous upheaval. Ophelia Field is a bright new talent on the biographical scene and I'm looking forward to reading more by her.
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A good read for its genre
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When I first picked up this lengthy tome and saw it was the author's first book, I nearly balked. Yet the book was half price in the Blenheim Palace giftshop, the subject matter seemed fascinating, so I bought it, expecting to be disappointed. Ophelia Field's treatment of Sarah, the bright young thing (think Lady Diana Spencer) who became one of England's most powerful and rich matriarchs (she once held the reins of the Bank of England) is thorough and perceptive. The insight of the political powerplay between Sarah, Queen Anne and Sarah's rival is interesting. The only flaw is that John Churchill is seen to be somewhat of a weak character compared to Sarah, seemingly hopelessly submissive to her, which I'm not sure was the case.
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The Favourite
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The Favourite is a facinating story, compellingly told. Ms Field charts perfectly the parabola of Sarah's career, her extraordinary rise and her bond cushioned fall are set out in exquisite detail. The book vividly brings to life the nuanced, complex central figures at the heart of Queen Anne's court.
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My favourite? Maybe not...
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On the face of it you just can't see how this could fail to be riveting - in fact, it almost reads like the outline of an 80s sex & shopping bonkbuster - Sarah Jennings rises from humble origins (with a mother who was possibly a madam) to Duchess and the richest woman in Europe, via a lesbian affair with the Queen of England, marriage to the most famous and sexy soldier of the day (the one who famously pleasured her with his boots on) and a life of political graft which resulted in the nation footing the bill for Blenheim Palace. And yet... Partly, any quibble is because Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, despite Ophelia Field's valiant attempts to present her as a strong minded woman trapped in an age designed for men, does just come across as superbitch: a nagging, complaining, quarrelsome, vindictive and petty woman who treated Queen Anne appallingly, criticised everyone else for corruption while having made several million herself out of official offices, a blackmailer and an appalling mother who tyrannised, and was loathed by, most of her family. And partly I did find myself longing for Field to sometimes drop the fairminded historiography in favour of just expressing a human emotion. But there. Can't have everything. Although, to judge by this biography, Sarah did try.
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