Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey (PDF)

Description

Lytton Strachey´s “Queen Victoria”, appeared in 1921, is the definitive biography of Britain’s greatest monarch, who “was hailed at once as the mother of her people and as the embodied symbol of their imperial greatness.”Originally written for an adult audience, “Queen Victoria” is readily accessible to young adult readers. At slightly more than three hundred pages, it is relatively brief, but the most important aspects of Victoria’s reign, both personal and political, are adequately covered. Most Important for the young reader, not a dull page appears in the book. Strachey catches the reader’s attention with the first inverted-order sentence and holds it to the very last, lengthy one.Although sympathetic to Victoria, Strachey points out the queen’s failings: her impulsiveness, her intractability, and her passionate and personal interest in politics. While she was not particularly intelligent, duty and responsibility were Victoria’s watchwords. Through Strachey’s narrative, the reader watches the young Victoria, full of gaiety and impetuosity, become the doting wife, then the somber widow, and finally a grandmotherly figure whose deficiencies are universally ignored.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Well, upon finishing this mean-spirited exposé I feel I still have little conception of what Queen Victoria was really like due to the obvious cynicism and abject misogyny of Lytton Strachey, which only grew more pronounced as the book progressed.I have no way to know where to draw the line between what might actually be true and what are merely Mr. Strachey’s imaginings and ramblings about her.He seemed to have a vendetta against Victoria, and women in general, it would appear. Of course, the people then and the time in which she lived were very harsh and unfair to women, Queen Victoria herself being especially cruel in her attitudes. But that does not excuse Strachey.If nothing else, the decades of devoted love and commitment that existed between Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, was an incredible story; more amazing than any Romeo and Juliet. Strachey doesn’t even give her much credit for that. My sense of Lytton Strachey is that he must have been a mean, cynical and selfish person.What is the good of reading a biography like this? I feel I know very little about the real Victoria, and I care even less about Strachey’s snide conjectures now than I did when I started.

⭐Giles Lytton Strachey was an early 20th century writer and biographer who developed a reputation for writing biographies that dealt with individuals as people, rather than the events they were associated with. His 1921 biography of the British monarch, Queen Victoria, is a highly readable insight into this long-reigning queen.Many public domain books can be slow to read, with language that is sometimes archaic when compared to contemporary writing. This is not the case with Strachey’s work. Not only does it thoroughly cover Victoria’s life from childhood to death, but it is an engaging read that explores Victoria’s relationships, both personal and professional. I particularly liked reading of the love between Victoria and her husband, Albert, much of which is detailed in Victoria’s journals and letters. I also enjoyed Strachey’s turn of phrase and his ability to create such effective word-pictures of this fascinating monarch and her life.If you have any interest in history or curiosity about British monarchs I think you will enjoy this book. I certainly did – far more than I expected to.

⭐This is (I’m ashamed to say) the first biography I’ve read since high school. It was well written, engaging and descriptive without being boring. I’m so glad I stumbled across this book. It has inspired me to find other biographies of the royal family. The only drawback, in my opinion, is that a third of the book was essentially a biography of Prince Albert. However, the book also eloquently gives a tangible picture of who she was as a young woman before the throne and how she matured as a daughter, a wife, a mother and the Queen of England.

⭐Very good account of Queen Victoria

⭐This is an okay book. There were moments where I had to restart a paragraph because I ended up getting lost. It was the first book I read on my Kindle, so maybe it was getting use to that. It dragged from when Prince Albert died until the end. I felt like it was cut up quite a bit, as well. The Kindle version was apparently edited by a volunteer and it was free, so maybe it was that. But overall, it is a good book to read if you would like to learn a little on Victoria’s life.

⭐Revel in the writing. You won’t find better. I love finding a new word or one not often used on almost every page. Within this writing Strachey captures Victoria and those who share her journey to a tee. The final pages are exquisite.

⭐Sometimes biographers bore us with facts and dates and ordinary history. Not this time…well researched and revealing incites into this grand woman. My respect and admiration for her has reached new heights

⭐Engaging and witty account, although should have been titled, “Albert.”

⭐He made use of The Greville Memoirs for Queen Victoria which is another set to the original 8 volume edition brought out by Henry Reeve, Greville’s friend & executor in 1887. Since both sets are practically unobtainable, I must have bought highlights – have read The Greville Memoirs Selected by Christopher Lloyd, Macmillan to find out exactly! “Leaves from The Greville Diary was published by Philip Morrell in 1929”. Bernard Shaw also used Macmillan publishers obviously earlier. See my review of Lytton Strachey by Holroyd on my Profile page.

⭐Having seen the story of Queen Victoria’s life on television it was good to have it all written down in an easy to read book.This is a historical account that is easy understand and brings her story to life.

⭐Interesting

⭐Why on earth has the author’s surname been incorrectly given on the front cover? A very basic error. Not good.

⭐good

Keywords

Free Download Queen Victoria in PDF format
Queen Victoria PDF Free Download
Download Queen Victoria 2022 PDF Free
Queen Victoria 2022 PDF Free Download
Download Queen Victoria PDF
Free Download Ebook Queen Victoria