Thursday, May 28, 2015

She Meditated Vengeance

Hey I am reading another book by Peter Ackroyd. It's not this one ("click" here) that I mentioned recently nor this one ("click" here) that I mentioned recently. It's another one! It's about the Tudors. Hey remember when I got so sick of reading books about kings that I just couldn't stand it anymore? When I bought this one at Square Books a week or two ago, Kaitlyn said, "I'm glad you've come back around." Ha ha! I don't know. This one has so many executions it actually gave me nightmares. Executions that defy description! Though Peter Ackroyd certainly gives it the old college try. I'm ashamed to say I read this part to Dr. Theresa the other night: "When the executioner held up the head, its eyes and lips moved." That's by far one of the milder executions. BY FAR. Oh brother! You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let me put it this way: if the king LIKED you he'd have your head cut off. So imagine if you made him mad. But anyway the queens take over about halfway through book so that's nice for a change of pace. I just read a couple of good things about Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (pictured). "She rode fast and furiously; she wore a steel helmet and carried a brace of pistols at her side." And: "Mary returned in triumph to Edinburgh where she meditated vengeance on her feckless and unstable husband."