Eleanor Burford

[paigenumber]

I did not know that of the many pseudonyms that Eleanor Burford wrote under, she used Jean Plaidy most often. When I was first introduced to her books, under the name Victoria Holt, I thought Holt was her real name. Later, when I came across a Philippa Carr book, it said it was a pseudonym for Victoria Holt, which further embedded the notion. Some time after, I ran across a Jean Plaidy, and it also said it was a pseudonym for Victoria Holt. Imagine my surprise when I later discovered they were all pseudonyms for Eleanor Hibbert, nee Burford. She wrote under her real name as well, but they are lesser known works. Recently, I discovered that she was most prolific writing as Jean Plaidy, concentrating on romances involving the British monarchs. Since I have always concentrated more on the "gothic" side, I have yet to explore these other historical romances. Has anyone read any of them?

[Cherchezlafemme]

I've read a few of her Plaidy books. They're pretty good historical fiction, though a bit "dry" compared to say, Phillipa Gregory (that is, no turgid love scenes and fictionalized drama). I can't tell if they're very accurate, but the history looked sound to me. If you've read her Carr books, I'd say the books she wrote under the "Plaidy" name were like that, but with real people.

[Penfeather]

Eleanor Alice Burford-Hibbert. With a name like that, who needs high-button shoes?

[AliceChell]

This made me literally laugh out loud!

[bronte]

I LOVE Victoria Holt books. I started reading them when I was about 13 or 14. I think "Legend Of The Seventh Virgin" is my favorite. But I also love "Pride of the Peacock" and "Kirkland Revels" and the "The Shivering Sands".

[Artemis]

"On the Night of the Seventh Moon" by Victoria Holt is my particular favourite , pure escapism and enjoyment. Also I enjoyed the connection to old folk and fairy tales.

[Penfeather]

"On the Night of the Seventh Moon" by Victoria Holt is my particular favourite , pure escapism and enjoyment. Also I enjoyed the connection to old folk and fairy tales.

That is something which sets Holt and Mary Stewart apart, I think -- their erudition. You can surmise that both these women were well educated and familiar with the canon of western literature. The references to mythology, classics, poetry, art, and of course history (with these themes sometimes even interwoven into the fabric of the story) make their prose richer and more resonant than the average. And folklore too. I also enjoyed Seventh Moon very much. Holt conjured up a 19th-century Bavaria the way mad King Ludwig might have envisioned it, like a romantic fairy tale.

[Artemis]

"On the Night of the Seventh Moon" by Victoria Holt is my particular favourite , pure escapism and enjoyment. Also I enjoyed the connection to old folk and fairy tales.

That is something which sets Holt and Mary Stewart apart, I think -- their erudition. You can surmise that both these women were well educated and familiar with the canon of western literature. The references to mythology, classics, poetry, art, and of course history (with these themes sometimes even interwoven into the fabric of the story) make their prose richer and more resonant than the average. And folklore too. I also enjoyed Seventh Moon very much. Holt conjured up a 19th-century Bavaria the way mad King Ludwig might have envisioned it, like a romantic fairy tale.

Well said. The references to art and history etc. make the reading experience richer and on a deeper level.

[AmbularNubular]

Definitely a fan of the Holt/Carr books of her's more than the Plaidy books. However, I will say that the Plaidy's historical accounts are impeccably researched.

These are my favorites:
Mistress of Mellyn
Secret for a Nightingale
Pride of the Peacock
On the Night of the Seventh Moon
Devil on Horseback
The Demon Lover
The Time of the Hunter’s Moon
Secret for a Nightingale

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P.S. And oddly enough, I just made a wreath using the pages of an old Jean Plaidy's 'Katherine of Aragon'. The wreath is massive but very lovely.