Originally published in 1945, The Passionate Brood is Margaret Campbell Barnes’ somewhat fanciful take on Richard the Lionheart, son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. As the book opens Eleanor is out of her Salisbury prison (not much mention of any rebellion with her sons, just that Eleanor had too much control over the boys). Geoffrey is dead, and Henry the younger is uncrowned and whining for lands. Richard has a foster-brother of peasant stock called Robin (son of his nursemaid Hodeirna), who has been well-educated and he and Richard’s sister Johanna share a love they know can never be. Johanna’s marriage has just been settled, Rosamund Clifford (old Henry’s mistress) is dead of poison and he’s now lusting after Richard’s intended, French Princess Alys (called Ann in this book). Richard and young Henry spot the pair in a clutch and the king bans Richard to Navarre, where he meets the Princess Berengaria and the two fall in love. Just for fun I looked up some dates (all of them according to Wik):
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Eleanor’s Years of imprisonment 1173–1189.
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Rosamund Clifford died 1176.
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Joanna betrothed in 1176.
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Geoffrey died in 1186.
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Henry the younger crowned 1170, died 1183.
Just not adding up, is it? I know, I know, Eleanor was let out of Salisbury on occasion but in this book she was out for good and never went back.
Fast forward ten years or so, both Henrys are dead and Richard is King, but he’s hot to go a-crusading with Phillip of France and leaves England in what he believes are capable hands. Eleanor brings Berengaria to Richard en route to the Holy Land and the two marry and continue on their merry way with a side trip to Sicily to pick up a now widowed Johanna (who still pines after Robin) and then Cyprus for a little battle action before landing in Acre and hitting the major leagues. Meanwhile, back in England the always dastardly John stirs up mischief aplenty as he desires England’s crown for himself and tries everything in his power to stop Richard from returning and reclaiming it – but will our dear Robin (outlawed by an angry Richard) save the day? Will he and Johanna ever find true love and happiness? Will that awful Ida Comnenos come between Richard and his beloved Berengaria?
Well you know I’m not telling but if you know your history you know the rest of the story, and if not I’m not going to spoil. While I am willing to overlook minor historical errors in an older book, as yesterday’s authors didn’t have the immediate access we have today, I have to say this one was so far off base it was virtually impossible to take seriously. The timelines (as I’ve briefly detailed above) just don’t all fit. The rebellion of his sons against Henry II is a mere mention of some familial difficulty, and Eleanor’s long imprisonment gets the same shrift. As for Richard and Berengaria being in true love with a grand passion? I’m not buying it one bit, but the worst sin of all that completely threw me out of the story and never let me back in was Richard’s constant longing for the green grass of England. I do believe he rarely spent anytime there at all and was more interested in bleeding it dry to fund his crusade. We got a good chuckle at Goodreads over this quote from Eleanor to Richard,
But the citizens of London will probably build a splendid statue of you so that when John has turned them into a nation of shopkeepers they may still see the inextinguishable spirit of their breed in your uplifted sword.
There was one interesting tid bit that I did pick up on whilst discussing the book over at Goodreads (thanks to you know who for your valuable input), was that Richard did have a “milk brother” Alexander de Neckham, who was a renowned scholar. While the writing itself is not bad, the story itself and her characters just doesn’t come off well, and seems based on the myths we’ve heard over the years. Barnes’ 
Richard is a pale comparison to the one Sharon Penman wrote in her fabulous Devil’s Brood, and I suspect Sharon’s fans will be sorely disappointed in this one. I obtained my copy from the library, but there is a brand new edition coming out soon from Sourcebooks and as much as I appreciate them republishing these oldies, this is one that IMHO should have stayed dead and buried.
Yes, we learned a lot discussing this one…not from the book though!!
It’ll be very interesting to see what people make of the new edition when it comes out.
Why change Alys to Ann? You could anglicise it to Alys to make it easier to read/pronounce.
I’m anxious to see how others react as well. It really felt like something written for very young teens.
As for the name changes, she did that on others as well. John’s wife (couldn’t tell if it was #1 or #2) had a very odd name. They had a son at the end named Henry, but any mention of that wife was that was she was of more common stock and that doesn’t fit with Isabella.
Doesn’t really fit with either wife. I could understand changing the name of one wife if she mentioned both, so as not to be confusing, but I can’t see the point of changing a character’s background for no reason.
Was it Avisa/ Avoise/Hawisa? This was the alternate name of Isabel of Gloucester, granddaughter of Robert of Caen, Earl of Gloucester, Empress Matilda’s commander and loyal half-brother.
Thank you for your reviews. I find that almost none of Eleanor’s biographies or novels about Eleanor are worth buying. I can deal with different viewpoints but not bad history (I go to archiveofourown.org for alternate history) nor bad writing.
I guess what I need is a version of Yale’s Monarch series on Eleanor! I regret not reading the books about Henry I or Henry II when I had access to them. Too expensive to buy or to get via ILL (I live outside the United States).
I have an older copy of this (with the second cover you included) and have it on my list to read later this year. I’ll probably go ahead and read it but it does sound rather funky.
I really would like to see some other opinions, so please do.
Excellent review Misfit. This isn’t one that’s going to be joining my TBR!
I’m pretty sure this would do serious wall damage for you 🙂
I found your review very helpful – I knew that this author tended to make things pretty, but this would be too fanciful to stick with. I probably would have looked for this one, as I’m reading a mystery which has Alys solving a mystery for eleanor!
Hi Holly, I would definitely wait for more reviews and/or library only.
Thanks for the great review Misfit! I had this on my “wish-list” which will now be taken off..I havent read my copy of “the Devils Brood” by Sharon Penman..and would rather read a “truer” version.
you saved me pocket money for another book..and a dent in my wall.
Gawd, I think the folks at SB are going to hate me now 😉
I appreciate your review and subsequent discussion. I just removed the book from my wishlist…..time is valuable and there are many better books waiting to be read. Thanks.
You are very welcome 🙂
Love the quote, LOL, especially with the picture. That is just too funny. I’m familiar with Barnes, of course, but I took a quick peek and don’t see one book by her on my shelves. I’ll make sure this isn’t the one I pick up when I do get around to her books….
Yeah, that quote was a classic and they even went on to make a joke about Westminster – and lookee where the statue was. I’m thinking Barnes had it in mind when she wrote the quote.
I may give this one a whirl, but I’ll do it with my tongue firmly in my cheek & a realization that this is a HEAVILY romanticized Richard, “uplifted sword” and all. 😉
I have read a few books from this author. I have a feeling that they rereleased the better books first and then we are getting the rest of the ones that maybe should have been left alone. I didn’t really enjoy the last book that I read from her either.
Speaking of statues…was the concept of larger than life stone images of head cheeses popular at the time? (Pagan Rome had it, but Christian lands?) Of course I’m just going by the movies, but I don’t recall statues of kings littering street corners and medieval shopping malls in panoramas of medieval England. At this point in time, I’d think religious figures would be more prevalent than secular figures. I’m no doubt totally wrong.
But quite the far-seeing character there. 😉
I loved this book as a teenager about twenty years ago. It might not be a good historical reference, but I found it very entertaining. As an adult, its inaccuracies would probably grate on me. But as a 14 year old, I would say it actually encouraged my interest in history and got me to study more about that period just for my own satisfaction.
That doesn’t surprise me as this read very much like a YA novel. Even when she’s older Johanna has a very *youthful* look at the world. But, if it get you reading more that is always a good thing 🙂
I’m just starting this one now. I’ll have to try to put all the inaccurate dates out of my mind and see how I like it.
curious to see what you think.