21. “Earthly Joys” by Philippa Gregory: A Reading Log

 

 

37 Responses to “Completed Reading Log: “Earthly Joys” by Philippa Gregory”

1. code318 Says:
   October 20, 2008 at 12:51 pm   editJohn Tradescant, the gardener, discusses the gardens and politics with his master, Sir Robert Cecil, former advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. and now advisor to her successor, King James I (formerly king of Scotland). The two men have a rapport and respect for each other’s duties.
2. code318 Says:
   October 21, 2008 at 9:04 am   editJames has seen the new King James of England fall into a drunken stupor on his first visit to Sir Robert’s elaborate ancestral home.
3. code318 Says:
   October 21, 2008 at 10:13 pm   editThe English have signed a peace treaty with the Spanish, but now rumors indicate that Catholics may make headways into the court as a result. John becomes a messenger in the Guy Fawkes incident. This incident shows the author’s ability to “show” rather than “tell” a story. She uses characters to reveal the history. We see the clever dealings of Sir Robert Cecil, and I am already suspicious of the relationship of John and Robert (if you catch my drift). p.34
4. code318 Says:
   October 22, 2008 at 1:01 pm   editSir Robert must exchange his magnificent house for Hatfield House because the king wants Sir Robert’s ancestral home. John says he will go with Sir Roger, who will increase his salary, give him a house, and more control of the landscaping decisions. This arrangement allows John to go ahead with his wedding plans to marry his betrothed, Elizabeth. Thoughout the writing, I am impressed with John’s (and the author’s) horticultural knowledge. John has arrived at Elizabeth’s home.
5. code318 Says:
   October 23, 2008 at 9:09 pm   editAfter John’s wedding, he tells the vicar he intends to make Sir Cecil’s garden a “glory to God.” The honeymoon leaves much to be desired. When John leaves the next day to meet Sir Cecil in London, Elizabeth is still a virgin. He has made it clear, his master comes first. (Not good!)
6. code318 Says:
   October 24, 2008 at 9:35 am   editJohn and Sir Cecil purchase 6 rare chestnuts (Is this going to be important to the story?). Two months later, he returns to Elizabeth and their new home. John softens and expresses love and concern for Elizabeth by giving her one of his rare chestnuts. Elizabeth is now pregant (not the result of the chestnut).
7. code318 Says:
   October 24, 2008 at 6:31 pm   editElizabeth has a healthy Baby J., but will not be able to have other children. John says he is content to consider him a rarity and take pride in rearing his only son. He soon leaves for Holland, becomes involved in Tulip-mania, returns months later to find his son jealous of his attention to his mother. John, however, has developed wanderlust and intends to see a “wider word”-the East.p.96
8. code318 Says:
   October 25, 2008 at 9:10 am   editJohn travels around the England’s countryside buying trees and gathering saplings for the gardens of Sir Cecil’s new house. Sir Cecil had a wooden post in the staircase carved in the likeness of John holding a rake and plant. King James is depleting the coffers of the former Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry. John takes Elizabeth to their newly built house on the Sir Cecil’s Hatfield estate. On the way they argue about John’s loyalty to Sir Cecil, but Elizabeth is delighted with her new house and garden.
   Sir Cecil, always frail and sickly, dies. John mourns and tells Elizabeth, “Loving a woman is a private pleasure. Loving a great lord takes you into the wider world; it is a matter of pride.” Then he tells her he wants them to move so he can be a gardener for Lord Wootton at Canterbury. (The chestnut sapling would be moved there.) The healthy, tyrannical Prince Henry, died and his lame, ugly brother is to take over the throne. His sister Elizabeth would be next in line. Captain Argall tries to convince them to go to the Virginia Colony. They invest money, visit Pococantas (Mrs. John Rolfe), but stay until John travels by ship to the Norwegian coast with Sir Dudley Digges. He gathers samples and cares for the sea-sick Dudley who urges him to go to Russia and then to China, but John returns home.
9. code318 Says:
   October 26, 2008 at 11:36 am   editDear Readers,
   I looked John Tradescant up on my search engine and found several helpful articles. Biographies have been written about both he and his son. I can clearly see why Gregory wrote the sequel “Virgin Earth.”Is any one reading my log? Sometimes, I get lonely. “Is anyone out there,” I ask myself.
10. BarbTX Says:
    October 26, 2008 at 4:18 pm   editDear Logger,I just read your log and find it sad you are feeling lonely today. I think you should get out of the house and go and get a grande latte. Don’t sucker for the pumpkin cheesecake though as someone changed the formula (recipe) and it is not as good as the one served at BN October 2007. Perhaps they froze it in ’07 and defrosted it especially for me the other evening. WHATEVER, I cannot recommend it.As for the book, there are just too many love-sick, sea-sick, liquor-sick (hangover) sections. I don’t advise you read this book while drinking your latte and nibbling your biscotti. Downer.BTW, who is this mysterious chestnut? A horse, a nut, a bad joke?
11. code318 Says:
    October 26, 2008 at 4:39 pm   editDear Barb,
    Thanks for reading my lonely post. I wasn’t lonely. My post was feeling lonely. As a matter of fact, I just returned from B&N where I drank a chocolate banana Vivano protein drink. Thanks for the tip about the pumpkin cheesecake.Actually, Barb, these characters so far are abstemious types. John is very loyal to the royal hierarchy and has recently warned his wife, who has been attending some suspicious prayer meetings, that she should adhere to the Biblical principle of women submitting to the authority of their husbands. But he is beginning to doubt that God created the diversity of plants and animals in just six days. He, too, is in danger of being declared heretical.The chestnut is a rarity he purchased in the early part of the book. Since the author reports on Elizabeth’s caring for it from time to time, I assume it is some kind of symbol.
12. Dianne Says:
    October 26, 2008 at 6:40 pm   editJoAnn, your log brings back my memories of reading this. As is my tendency, I pushed forward and read the sequel. I enjoyed both books but, as you know, I struggled with being judgmental about some of our dear gardener’s character flaws. I admire your discipline. It is admirable of you to share so much of your time with all of us. I appreciate it. A good role model is difficult to find, especially, since living alone has decreased my self-discipline/personal accountability. Thanks, Toots!
13. code318 Says:
    October 26, 2008 at 7:02 pm   editDear Dianne,
    Thanks for your encoragement to keep plugging. I’ve come to a very interesting part.John has been “asked” by the favorite of the court, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, to come to New Hall and be his gardener. John is charmed by the handsome, charismatic, powerful duke.
14. BarbTX Says:
    October 27, 2008 at 11:28 am   editJoAnn,The protein drink sounds delicious.I hope your log is feeling comforted by the fact there are at least 2 of us dropping by for a peek and so the words are not just flying off into an unknown void.Concerning women submitting to their men, Biblically and otherwise…
    My ex and his wife, residents of Alaska, recently visited my daughter and her family in Dallas. Word is that Alaska’s “first dude” has always spent at least 50% of his time ensconced in the governor’s office. I did not ask if he believes he was elected or merely must supervise the one who did get the governorship.Which reminds me, it is getting to be time for me to get up and out of the house and Go Vote!
15. Judy P. Says:
    October 27, 2008 at 2:11 pm   editJoAnn, I’m reading your log, and have been all along, because I appreciate your excellent review of the book and your taking time to give it to us. Glad you took some time off to go get a protein drink to keep you going.Dianne, I loved what you said about “…..living alone has decreased my self-discipline/personal accountability.” That so fit for me, too!
16. code318 Says:
    October 27, 2008 at 5:11 pm   editThanks, readers. I have found renewed vigor to carry on.John has discovered that the charming Duke of Buckingham is a scoundrel. He “acquired” his bride in a scandalous manner. He has further engaged in scandalous activity by leading Prince Charles over to Spain intending to negotiate his marriage to the Infanta. He and Charles return with no marriage contract. Elizabeth considers him evil because bringing a Catholic princess to Protestant England would have dire consequences. John refuses to leave until he has fulfilled his promise to create gardens for the Duke.
17. BarbTX Says:
    October 27, 2008 at 5:32 pm   editVoting mission accomplished. Back to the books…
18. code318 Says:
    October 27, 2008 at 10:06 pm   editYes, the Duke of Buckingham is truly a a scoundrel. He was the “favorite” (in many ways, gentle reader) of the King. Then he took up with the king’s son, luring him away from the king. The king was miserable because he had lost his son’s affection and because he was jealous that the Duke, once his favorite, had taken up with another. A double whammy!When the king got a mild fever, the Duke summoned his mother to care for him and under her “careful” supervision he died.
19. Yvonne Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 9:50 am   editDear JoAnn,Please tell your log blog that it should not feel lonely at all. It is not alone; I am here often, even in the wee hours of the evening when most of us get lonelier. I am also, too, reading and enjoying it, but am somewhat confused, but not so much that I don’t want to read it soon, but not so much wanting to read it soon that you should worry about revealing too much, also, too.
20. BarbTX Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 11:56 am   editJoAnn,Correction, I meant to write I find it interesting that one of the main characters of the book is a gardener. England has such a history of great gardens (and the innovation of the mixed border) that it is nice to hear this book weaves the creation of one into the plot. Gertrude Jekyell appeared on the scene later than the characters in the book and it was she who did so much to change the focus of gardening. Here is a link to a page with info on some of her work:http://www.gertrudejekyllgarden.co.uk/During my Master Gardener days I experimented with trying for an English garden look (mainly in my wild garden) using native plants. The garden always looks fabulous in spring when the bluebonnets, evening primrose, Tx verbana, turk’s cap, and salvias, etc. bloom. It is all over by late spring though and most things either go dormant or simply burn up. I am no longer up to the care and maintenance of a large garden. People are generally surprised to learn just how much work it is to tend a “wild garden”. I have been greatly rewarded though this summer and fall with caterpillars feasting on the butterfly weed and butterflies sipping upon old timey zinnias.

    I looked up info on the chestnut tree. Apparently the tree was once part of large forests in the eastern part of the US. A fungus was introduced from Asia in the early 1900s that decimated the trees which had no resistance to the disease. There is work in process to breed a hybrid which does have blight resistance. After reading the stories, I am pulling for the tree.

21. code318 Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm   editDear BarbTX,
    I would love to see your garden at one of its peak times. I am not including much detail about the gardens John creates because the descriptions are too technical. But that’s what makes reading the book so valuable. I just stick pretty much to the plot. You would like this book and its sequel.
    JoAnn
22. code318 Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 1:28 pm   editDear Fran,
    Yes, in keeping a log one must reveal a lot of the plot. It is not a review or recommendation, it is a log. Talking about the plot, in some cases, should not discourage one from reading the book. The author’s narrative style is far superior to a running log. However, readers, if knowing too much bothers you, STOP READING NOW! (But then the post will be lonely again.)
    Editor
23. code318 Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 6:14 pm   editBack to the drawing board:Charles became king, the duke went to France to arrage the king’s marriage. John feels deserted by his master, and Elizabeth feels deserted by John whom she thinks has been corrupted by the ways of the court. Later he is delighted to be sent for by the duke to come to France. Son John tells Elizabeth that the people are discussing ways to control the king. He says he intends to be his own master.When in France, John is sent by the duke to buy tulips in Amstersam. The tullip trading frenzy is in full swing, but John buys real tulips, not paper trading notes. The duke shows up in Amsterdam and tells John they must pawn the crown jewels so the king can launch an attack against Spain and restore the king’s sister to her Bohemian throne.They were unsuccessful in finding anyone who would accept the pawned jewels arrangement, but John returns with 6 rare tulips.
24. code318 Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 9:11 pm   editThe duke is blamed by the public for all the ills suffered by the English-from the plague to failure in war. The parliament impeaches the duke on eight counts, including regicide. But the king dissolves parliament and imprisons the accusers. John remains loyal to the duke. When his son asks him why he remains loyal, he says he remains faithful because he is duty-bound and because he loves his master. Son John repeats the rumor that he is a sodomite, and John Sr. knocks him to the ground.I am sure all readers want to know what John Sr. means when he declares his love for the duke. The author is coy.Elizabeth protests when the duke asks John (now 60) to go with him to end the beseiged Protestant Huguenots in France. John replies, “I will turn you out if you speak against the king. I have given my heart and soul to the duke and the king, I am their man.”John goes with the duke and after failing to force the French in the fort to surrender by cutting off their food and supplies, the duke decided to attack. The attack failed because the ladders they used were too short to reach the top of the citadel. When the English were forced to withdraw, they suffered a massacre as they tried to reach the safety of their ship.
25. code318 Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 10:49 pm   editEver-faithful John goes to the duke’s cabin to bring him some food on their somber trip home. Well, gentle reader, the duke and John become lovers. John is very much in love with the duke who seemingly sorely needs his support. However, when the king welcomes him home as if he were a conquering hero, the duke casts John aside. John returns home bitter and regretting his oath to be the duke’s “own man.” He tells Elizabeth he has lost his faith in Lord, master, and God. Elizabeth tells him the chestnut from Turkey has flowered. He tells her they have put a new tree in the gardens of England.
    p.332
26. Yvonne Says:
    October 28, 2008 at 11:17 pm   editJoAnn, It seems to be you are reading very fast. How can your log keep up?
27. code318 Says:
    October 29, 2008 at 11:50 am   editDear Yvonne,
    It’s a little difficult to slow down to the speed of log. So, I’d better add before I forget.After his reunion with Elizabeth, son J. enters dressed in plain clothing, speaking of wanting to live a simple, Godly life. He takes John to London to meet the family of the girl he intends to marry, Jane Hurte. Jane’s father is a shop keeper and reformed Protestant minister. They treat John kindly, and Jane listens sympathetically to his account of longing to be called for by the duke. However, her father, Josiah, prays “that we may all serve a greater master.”
28. code318 Says:
    October 29, 2008 at 9:54 pm   editJohn had begun to appreciate his home life when the news came that the duke was planning another invasion of the Isle of Rhe. Men were being pressed into this highly unpopular war. John receives orders from the duke to accompany him on the mission. His family considers his going to be a certain death warrant. But John feels he must obey.
29. code318 Says:
    October 30, 2008 at 8:12 am   editJohn goes to Portsmouth to report to the duke’s headquarters. When he sees him, he is again overcome with fascination for the “beautiful, laughing boy.” News arrives that the English have been freed and there is no reason to go to fight for them on French soil. However, the duke, is obsessed with war and possible glory for himself and vows to march into Paris. John is stunned by his foolhardiness and eagerness to send thousands more to their deaths. A disgruntled Engish officer, Felton, enters the room where the nobles have gathered and stabs the duke. Since John had known that Felton was a possible assasin and softly whispers, “Save us from him. . . Do it” before Felton lunges toward the Duke, John feels guilt for not stopping Felton’s attack.He returns home to make plans with the Hurte family to survive the loss of John’s position as gardener for the vilified, debt-ridden, deceased duke.
    With the duke’s diamonds left in John’s care and Josiah’s land holdings, they set up a profitable trade in rare seeds and plants.
30. code318 Says:
    October 30, 2008 at 9:52 am   editJohn becomes increasingly prosperous. He devotes part of his expanded home to an exhibition, open to the public, of rarities he has gathered and that continue to be sent to him through former orders of the duke. He now pays for the shipments and makes them profitable.Meanwhile an uneasy peace is somehow maintained. The king has dissolved parliament because they object to his Papist leanings and economic policies. Problems are not being handled, but no general uprising has occured.The king has ordered John to maintain his gardens at Oatlands Palace. John responds, “I shall be delighted to attend.”
31. code318 Says:
    November 2, 2008 at 1:49 pm   editJohn’s son, J., does not want to serve a master and wants to go to Virginia. His wife dissuades him, he stays, but is not often called to Oatlands. He does finally go, meets the Queen (who he dislikes), but discovers that there are others at court who are disgruntled.
32. code318 Says:
    November 3, 2008 at 10:52 pm   editElizabeth dies from a physical ailment. Jane has a baby boy. Later, she visits her mother and is stricken with the plague and dies. John and son John suffer their personal losses and continue to suffer economic losses because of the king’s many taxes.A Semper Augustus, a rare and expensive tulip bulb, is offered for sale to them by Henrik Van Meer of Amsterdam. They risk a sum of six year’s wages to purchase the bulb.The bulb blooms, and they are on the way to becoming the “richest gardeners in the world.”
33. code318 Says:
    November 3, 2008 at 11:32 pm   editThe tulip mania comes to an abrupt end. The market for tulips has crashed. Van Meer, and many others in Amsterdam, commit suicide. John and J. are near to bankruptcy, but think they will be spared because of the trees they are growing. J. suggests John send him to Virginia to find plants. Since John could not scrape up enough money, J. asks the queen to send him to find plants and rarities in the colony. The king signs orders and he is off aboard the “Brave Heart” to the New Land.
34. code318 Says:
    November 4, 2008 at 11:11 am   editJohn is concerned that son John’s children do not have a mother. He urges J. to marry. While J. is away he chooses Hannah Pooks to be J.’s bride. She comes to John’s house, cares for the children, manages the house, and takes care of the business. John dies and J. has not returned to England to approve his bride. You must read the sequel to find out .The End
35. code318 Says:
    November 4, 2008 at 11:20 am   editThis log was not intended to be a review. But, of course, I want to make a brief statement of opinion. I enjoyed the book a lot. The love stories were moving and complex, the descriptions of the gardens were impressive, the author’s historical details were well-chosen. Philippa Gregory has done what she does best-combine history with human interest. You do not have to read the sequel to appreciate the book. I would like to read one of her books set in America. I may choose the sequel, “The Virgin Earth” or the book recommended by BarbUK, “A Respectable Trade”JoAnn
36. BarbUK Says:
    November 7, 2008 at 10:49 am   editJoAnn,I know you do not have to read the sequel, but did you not feel that the story was left incomplete ?
    Its a long time ago I read Earthly Joys and your log was reminding me of it. When I read the line “you must read the sequel to find out” I remembered that it was exactly the same conclusion that lead me to leaving Gregory alone for a while. It truly annoyed me that the book wasn’t complete. If I had been aware at the beginning it was to be one of a series, I wouldn’t have felt deceived.
    However, have now started on The Other Queen, so I guess all is forgiven
37. code318 Says:
    November 7, 2008 at 11:25 am   editDear BarbUK,No, I didn’t think the story was left incomplete. For me, this book was the story of Trandescant’s contributions to horticulture, his love for George Villiers, and the story of the relationship of a subject to the hierarchy of which he is a part. The sequel, his son’s being in America, will probably be very different.I agree that before I read a book that is part of a series, I want closure to major issues in each book.I read “Wide Acre,” tried to read the second book, “Meridon,” but didn’t find it interesting. But “Wide Acre,” is still one of my favorite page-turner-type books.

    Thanks for reading the log to the end.

    JoAnn

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