Tally Ho, Bookworms!
I’m not really sure if “tally ho” is actually something associated with fox hunting, but in my mind it is, and is therefore completely appropriate to start off today’s discussion of Daisy Goodwin’s new novel, The Fortune Hunter
Set in Victorian England (where the actual Queen Victoria makes appearances), The Fortune Hunter focuses on the lives and exploits of an unlikely trio of characters. First is the Austrian Empress, Elizabeth (aka Sisi). The aging “most beautiful woman in Europe” has crazy long hair and the tortured demeanor of a woman denied her passions in life by duty. She’s convinced her emperor husband to allow her to spend the winter fox hunting in England to escape her mundane existence.
Bay Middleton is a man with no fortune or titles, but he’s got a handsome face, dashing mustache, and makes an impressive figure on horseback. He’s fond of hunting, flirting, and the occasional tryst with a married woman. He’s quite the cad, actually, until he meets Charlotte Baird, the only woman he can fancy himself marrying. Bay’s life amps up a bit in complexity when he is tapped to be the empress’s pilot for the upcoming hunting season. Sisi may not be as young as she once was, but she’s still pretty hot.
Charlotte Baird is the heiress to the vast Lennox fortune, but rather than be concerned with balls (giggle-snort) and the latest fashions, she spends her time fiddling around with the new-fangled science of photography. Her well-meaning brother and his snooty fiance have Charlotte’s (and their own) best interests at heart, but leave Charlotte craving freedom and a chance at true love.
Anybody smell a love triangle?! The ambiance of Victorian England is beautifully drawn, and Goodwin does a fabulous job of displaying the lives and social conventions of the upper-crust. It was incredibly frustrating, actually, to experience just how stifling the lives of these characters could be, and all for different reasons. I will admit that I’m terribly conflicted in my feelings about Bay. He’s a bit of a scoundrel. A scoundrel with a conscience maybe, but he certainly displays some ungentlemanly behavior. I wasn’t sure if I should root for him or not! If you dig historical fiction, the Victorian era, and/or fancy folk fox hunting, you should definitely give The Fortune Hunter
Talk to me, Bookworms. Do you ever feel conflicted about rooting for a character who is meant to be the hero?
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Andi (@estellasrevenge)
Oooh, sounds right up my alley. Dishy and Victoriany. Love it!
TJ @ MyBookStrings
I’ve been eyeing this book, and not just because of the pretty cover. Yes, I think I really want to read it now.
Megan M.
Ah, historical fiction. I don’t really think of myself as an outspoken or like, fiercely independent person, but when I read stories where women just plain weren’t ALLOWED to do anything, it chafes. I just re-read The Witch of Blackbird Pond and would like to thank my lucky stars that I was not a young woman in Puritan America.
Sometimes I’d rather root for someone a bit villain-ish. The “good guys” can be a bit boring.
AMB
“Anybody smell a love triangle?!” Yes, from a mile away! I’ve been reading more historical fiction these days, but I think these characters might annoy me too much.