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The Sunne In Splendour: A Novel of Richard III | 
 enlarge | Author: Sharon Kay Penman
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $9.96
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Avg. Customer Rating:  148 reviews
Sales Rank: 31739
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 944
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.7
ISBN: 031237593X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780312375935
ASIN: 031237593X
Publication Date: January 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A glorious novel of the controversial Richard III---a monarch betrayed in life by his allies and betrayed in death by history In this beautifully rendered modern classic, Sharon Kay Penman redeems Richard III---vilified as the bitter, twisted, scheming hunchback who murdered his nephews, the princes in the Tower---from his maligned place in history with a dazzling combination of research and storytelling. Born into the treacherous courts of fifteenth-century England, in the midst of what history has called The War of the Roses, Richard was raised in the shadow of his charismatic brother, King Edward IV. Loyal to his friends and passionately in love with the one woman who was denied him, Richard emerges as a gifted man far more sinned against than sinning. This magnificent retelling of his life is ?lled with all of the sights and sounds of battle, the customs and lore of the ?fteenth century, the rigors of court politics, and the passions and prejudices of royalty.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 143 more reviews...
 Very much worth your time... November 28, 2008
I've collected most of Penman's books over the years, though this is the first I've read. And, while, I'm not immediately going to tear into another, Sunne in Splendour is nearly as good as historical fiction gets. It's the story of Richard III, the princes in the tower, and the coming of Tudor rule. Richard III faced many tragedies during his short and turbulent reign and the author employs these to create an inner turmoil, a self-doubt, a crisis of conscience that adds remarkable depth to this Yorkist sovereign.
Penman's characters are well-formed, her narrative skills excellent, and her research clearly outstanding, (though her conclusions are no less controversial). I enjoyed Sunne in Splendour and always looked forward to returning to it after I'd set it down. There are, however, a few issues that keep me from rating the book higher. Penman's attempt at period English begins to grate with her liberal substitution of the verb "be", as in: "Be you annoyed if I continue to write such sentences?". In addition, she could have implied half the heavy petting and been ahead of the game. That kings, too, have intimate relations I think we all understand.
In the end, though, these complaints merely deflate a 5-star rating to one of 4+. Regardless of my literary predilections, I believe the book well worth the reader's time.
Murderer or Hero? November 26, 2008
Everyone knows the stories about the monster, Richard III, who killed his nephews, the poor little princes in the tower. But what if the stories were wrong? What if they were lies perpetrated to discredit Richard in order to justify Henry VII stealing the throne of England? They say that the winner gets to write the history books and since the Tudors won, they made sure that their version of events leading up to Bosworth Field painted them in the best light and condemned Richard as a vile murderer who deserved to die.
Historians have long since come to believe that Richard was not the man portrayed in Shakespeare's "Richard III" but a generous and honorable man who tried to do the right thing for his country. The play is based on stories that were written by supporters of the Tudor family. Also keep in mind that the Bard was writing during the reign of Elizabeth I, the granddaughter of the man who defeated Richard in battle and seized the crown of England. With only a tenuous claim to the throne, Henry Tudor had to make it seem as if he was the country's savior -- not the leader of a coup.
This is a fascinating book about political intrigue and the struggle between these two powerful factions who both felt they had the right to rule England. Richard's story is only the last act in the War of the Roses which had been going on for year and years. Sharon Kay Penman is a wonderful writer who breathes life into her characters and makes them seem real. I felt as if I was transported back in time to another century to live among characters I came to really care about. In fact, I admit I fell in love with Richard and even though I knew the final outcome of the book, I still grieved when he died so unfairly.
The Sunne in Spendour November 23, 2008
Sharon Kay Penman is one of the best authors for those who love historical fiction. I would heartily recommend all of her books.
Excellent November 22, 2008
I love to read historical fiction, but don't love the droning of history books. This was a fun, entertaining, easy to read novel of 15th century England.
Great story of Edward IV and Richard III November 3, 2008
Penman's books are all fairly lengthy, but by the time you get to the end, you don't want it to be over. This one is no exception. I actually preferred the character of Edward to Richard in this book. Probably because he seemed more believable. Penman let his flaws show brightly and therefore seem more relatable (I think that's probably why Anne was probably my least favorite character). The almost saintly portrayal of Richard is pretty much my only complaint though. I was thoroughly entertained by this book. The relationship between Edward and Richard was touching and the shift in Edward's character throughout the book was very well done.
I think the reason why I'm such a huge fan of SKP is her ability to really make you sympathize with the characters. She always makes their motives really clear and you almost can't dislike any of them, because you really feel like you understand them. The best example of this was Richard's decision in the final battle.
The best part, for me, is that the history is amazingly well researched, as always. There's only one fictional "main" character, and she's not a very important. The story just sucks you in even if you don't have much background knowledge. This one is definitely a keeper!
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