REIGN OF MADNESS

Book ID/图书代码： 04332810B39156

English Summary/英文概要： At the novel’s outset, Princess Juana of Castile -- known to history as Juana the Mad -- isn’t mad at all. Just fourteen and raised in the conservative, Catholic court of Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II, she can’t fathom that her parents might be having affairs, or that her betrothed, Duke Philip of Burgundy, will turn out to be anything but his namesake, Philip "the Good." She soon learns, amid parties and feasts after her marriage, that her new husband sees her as little more than a way to seize power in Spain -- after, of course, she provides him with heirs. Struggling to maintain her resolve after a series of bitter disappointments, from the shock of adjusting to life in the tumultuous Flemish court and embarrassment of her husband’s affairs, to separation from her children, lead poisoning, and rumors of growing insanity that eventually rob her of her power, REIGN OF MADNESS is at once a story of love (the forbidden kind, between Juana and Diego, son of Christopher Columbus), lust, and mother-daughter struggle, as Juana comes to understand who her powerful mother really was. Featuring familiar characters from history -- Christopher Columbus pays a visit to Queen Isabel’s court bearing gold, hutias, and "cannibals," REIGN OF MADNESS brings the most tumultuous years of the Renaissance to life, when the Hapsburgs ruled Europe and Spain began its conquest of the New World. Readers will delight in the details of the Spanish and Flemish courts that Cullen so accurately portrays: ladies in waiting, court ceremony and dances, horseback riding and hand-drawn baths. All together it makes for a richly rewarding tale -- a perfect companion to THE CREATION OF EVE, and not soon to be forgotten.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 卡斯蒂利亞女王胡安娜，人稱瘋女，出生於托萊多，她是阿拉貢國王斐迪南二世和卡斯蒂利亞女王伊莎貝拉一世之次女。
小說之初，胡安娜一點都沒瘋，年僅14歲的她傳統而保守，怎也不會料到在她今後的生活中，背叛、婚外情會接踵而來，以及那個給她造成一生悲劇色彩的男子——神聖羅馬帝國皇帝馬克西米連一世之子菲力浦。
婚後的胡安娜很快學會了游走於宴會之中，在權利與黨派間周旋。儘管胡安娜對她的丈夫腓力一世癡心一片，這個男人卻只是將胡安娜當做了邁向權力的工具，不久後，他如願以償地得到了議會的肯定，他們承認胡安娜和她的丈夫為西班牙諸王國王位的繼承人。
胡安娜的一生中從沒有朋友或者是可以信賴的人。她的親人們對他並不誠實，她被父親、丈夫、兒子無情的利用，加上之後的一系列打擊，終於使這個女子精神開始失常。《瘋女》為讀者講述了一場悲劇的愛情故事(包括胡安娜與哥倫布之子迭戈間不被允許的愛戀)、欲望、以及母女之爭。
Lynn Cullen的這部小說將我們帶回了文藝復興時期最混亂的年代，也重現了那個年代的生活點滴，讀者們將為他刻畫入微的細節深深吸引而著迷。(Ruby)

Awards/获奖情况：Set at the dawn of Spain’s Golden Age, this is the story of Juana of Castile (1479–1555), known to history as Juana la Loca (Juana the Mad). Cullen’s page-turning account depicts the intelligent, caring woman behind the legend. The novel opens in 1493 at the court of Juana’s parents, Isabella and Ferdinand. Cristóbal Colón has just returned from his voyage to the Indies, and Spain is positioned to become a major European power. Juana’s parents marry her to Philippe the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy, in order to cement a political alliance with the Habsburgs. The initially passionate marriage turns sour when Philippe becomes abusive and seeks to rule Spain as its king, not merely Juana’s consort. ¬VERDICT Cullen’s second historical novel (after The Creation of Eve) is a sweeping study of political intrigue. But an equal focus on character development and plot makes for a satisfying blend of romance, family drama, and royal machinations. While not as well known to American readers as her mother, Queen Isabella, or her son, Charles V, Juana is a sympathetic heroine, and lovers of historical fiction will enjoy her story. [For another take on Juana, consider C.W. Gortner’s The Last Queen.—Ed.]—Carly Thompson, Chicago Ridge P.L.

About the Author/作者介绍： Lynn Cullen is the author of numerous award-winning novels and picture books for children, including the critically acclaimed Moi and Marie Antoinette, The Mightiest Heart, and The Backyard Ghost. I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, the result of eight years of research and travel, is her first novel for a general audience. An avid traveler and self-taught historian, Lynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she spent much of her childhood combing the public library for biographies and roaming the riverbank near where the legendary pioneer, Johnny Appleseed, planted a grove of apple trees. She now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Michael, and three daughters, and is intrigued that artifacts from the Civil War have been unearthed in her backyard.
Lynn Cullen著有多本青少年小說與童書，作品包括《Moi and Marie Antoinette》、《The Mightiest Heart》、《 The Backyard Ghost》等等。她的首部成人小說《I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter》(我是倫布蘭特的女兒)被美國圖書館協會評選為2008年「最佳書籍」（An ALA Best Book）。
Lynn Cullen在印第安那州的韋恩堡長大，從小就對旅行與歷史充滿了求知的渴望。Lynn Cullen現在與家人們居於亞特蘭大。

Format:PROOF

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