Game of Thrones

Lots of premieres and other events building up to the third season of Game of Thrones starting the end of this month. A heck of a lot of premieres in the US already; it must get quite boring for the cast. The women must have had to pack a lot of clothes.  The actors have mostly been fun and enthusiastic in their many interviews. Sophie Turner looks so sophisticated but is still a sweet young girl, Maisie Williams is engaging, I always enjoy Michelle Fairley's interviews and of course, Richard Madden!


(Source: http://princesselaenatargaryen.tumblr.com)

I've decided to like Oona Chaplin a lot too because she not only declared Richard the best kisser but described him as "the lovely and adorable and wonderful Richard Madden."


(Source: Wicnet interview)

I'm looking forward to the third series with trepidation because of you-know-what. I don't think I'll be able to watch.

The White Queen and Richard the Third

I've just read Philippa Gregory's The Kingmaker's Daughter, the fourth in her series on The Wars of the Roses from the women's points of view. I enjoyed this one the most because it's more sympathetic to Richard of Gloucester, later Richard the Third. It's told from the point of view of Anne Neville, the second daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker, briefly wife to Henry VI's son Edward and then wife to Richard of Gloucester. While Gregory is sympathetic to Richard she doesn't attempt to whitewash him but presents him as a man of his time and she shows his good points. The most disturbing issue that she brings up in her series is his alleged seduction of his niece Elizabeth.

Philippa Gregory has posted her thoughts on the discovery of Richard the Third's remains, in which she writes "but those of us who cannot help but admire Richard," clearly showing her sympathies. This makes her achievement in writing her three other books in the series from the point of view of Richard's enemies rather remarkable to me. I thought that she as an author loathed Richard.

I'm looking forward to seeing, if my magic website works, the BBC's The White Queen that is based on Gregory's books. This photo shows the three York brothers: David Oakes as George of Clarence, Max Irons as Edward IV and Aneurin Barnard as Richard of Gloucester.



I like David Oakes but he unfortunately seems to be getting typecast as a psychotic character.