Here was a Man
by: Norah Lofts
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
In one of her earliest works, beloved author Norah Lofts brings us her riveting and romantic account of Sir Walter Raleigh and the court of Elizabeth I. Raleigh knew from the time he was a boy that his life would be exceptional. He dreams of someday exploring the New World he's heard about in snippets of sailors' stories on the docks of the fishing villages where he was raised; and his good fortune leads him to rise in the court of Elizabeth I, becoming a most trusted friend and advisor to the power players of the day.
This one was simply ok for me. I did enjoy reading more about Walter Raleigh, a man who no one in America really knows much about except perhaps his dropping his cloak so that the queen wouldn't get her feet wet. Lofts fleshed him out into a real character made a man who was believeable and created an Elizabeth which balanced out the reports of her being loved by her people and yet being a tyrant to her court. I enjoyed how Lofts managed to make the dear Gloriana someone to be pitied in spite of her quick temper and swiftly brutal punishments. It was also enjoyable to see the great writers of the age with Shakespeare, Marlowe and Spencer all making appearances.
Why such a low rating you ask? I just found the novel hard to read. The plot was good as was her character developments but her sentence structure was confusing. I would have to go back and reread sentences to make sense of what she was saying. I feel that if she had her sentences polished up it would be an amazing novel.
Here was a Man
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