Becoming Victoria

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not terribly exciting
Review: I think the thing I found most interesting about this book was the total screwiness of Victoria's mother, the Dutchess of Kent. I admit that the Dutchess was in kind of a rough spot: She was raising a monarch after all, and yet wanted to raise her to within the standards of ladylike behaviour. Can't have her going around refering to herself with male terminology like Queen Elizabeth I did, y'know.

But in the process, the thing the Dutchess seemed to always have her eye on was the possibility of a Regency. She *wanted* to be Regent. How screwed up do you have to be to *want* to be Regent? All the responsibility, none of the adoring crowds. Yuck!

So she was torn between the necessity of producing in Victoria a princess who could eventually take the throne (because if she failed in providing an appropriate education and upbringing the King had made it pretty clear that he *would* ensure Victoria received same, even if it meant removing her from her mother's tender care) while wanting to keep her daughter from being *able* to take the throne at 18 (there was a possibility of a regency until she reached 21), all the while hoping that King George would hurry up and die already. Which may in part be the author's spin on things, but the good Dutchess did *repeatedly* write about the possibility of a regency until Victoria was 21 even *after* Victoria was declared competent to take the throne when she reached majority at 18 (said declaration taking place several years ahead of time), which kind of points to having some serious hopes caught up in that regency.

Victoria herself just seems like a kid caught in the middle and kept from having much fun. She got to read a lot of "improving" books, which are those sort of kids books that beat you over the head with the idea that you should always do what Mommy tells you and never, ever, talk to strangers and aren't a lot of fun, and the rest of her childhood really does fit with that choice in reading material.

Rating:
Summary: Informative, but dull.
Review: I was expecting a biography on Victoria's early life, but I would not classify this book as such. It was more a dissertation on how the child rearing practices of Georgian England ultimately affected the personality of the future Queen Victoria.

You can tell after skimming just a few pages of this book that a huge amount of research went into it (there are more that 40 pages of footnotes and references), but I found it very difficult to read and even harder to follow. It concentrated almost exclusively on the mundane facts of how she lived, rather than on who she was. There are hundreds of detailed descriptions of the clothes she wore, the books she read, the food she ate, and the toys she played with. There were even more descriptions on how the people around her influenced the food she ate, the books she read, the toys she played etc, etc.

So don't get this book if you are looking for a biography about Victoria's early life, but check it out from the library if you want to see some truly beautiful illustrations (some by Victoria's own hand) and some outstanding photographs.

Rating:
Summary: A great historical and cultural study crafted around a bio
Review: Lynne Vallone's 'Becoming Victoria' is a superior exploration of the complex historical, cultural, and familial influences which shaped and prepared the Princess for the roles she would assume as the future queen of England. The book explores Georgian child-rearing practices, Victoria's diversions and amusements, studies and training appropriate to her station, the children's literature she enjoyed reading (and writing), drawings and pictures (both of Victoria and by Victoria - an accomplished artist in her own right), the ever-changing political climate of the time, and key individuals who played important roles in Victoria's development. An avid journaler, the book also heavily quotes Victoria's own diaries and notebooks she kept religiously from a very young age on until her death.

Although it would be fine if 'Becoming Victoria' was your first introduction to the life of this remarkable monarch, the book works best as an companion to an existing broader biography - like Christopher Hibbert's 'Queen Victoria: A Personal History,' or any of the other carefully referenced suggestions in the book itself. 'Becoming Victoria' is a marvelous book in its own right, and the only reason I suggest another reference in addition to this one is the very specific scope and focus of this book (which is 'limited' to extensive details from Victoria's birth through her ascension to the throne at age 18 in 1837).

The hardcover book itself it lovely - an unusual yet handy size with fantastic illustrations and reproductions throughout.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Princess
Review: Princesses have become an item of interest in the past few years. Possibly they always have been, but series such as The Royal Diaries--fictional diaries by true life princesses-- are filling library and bookstore shelves.

In this aristocratic climate, Becoming Victoria by Lynne Vallone stands out. Becoming Victoria examines the girlhood/teenagehood of the young woman who became Queen Victoria and consequently, the enduring symbol of an era. Ms Vallone has undertaken the remarkable task of examining how Victoria was reared, comparing her upbringing to the upbringing of contemporaries (not princesses), chronicling Victoria's relationship with her mother and illustrating the gap between the portrayal of Victoria's youth, both at the time and retrospectively, and how Victoria herself truly felt and acted.

The reader leaves this book convinced that truth is indeed stranger than fiction or at least as strange and as remarkable. Although Becoming Victoria is not necessarily geared towards teens (and is more expositive than books such as The Royal Diaries), the insight into a princess' curriculum, familial relationships, day-to-day activities should fascinate the readership that delves into Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries and Gail Levine's The Princess Tales.

Becoming Victoria ends, rather disappointingly, at Victoria's ascension to the throne. This is, however, in accordance with the task set by the author. Victoria the child and teenager is Ms Vallone's focus, and she ends once her subject passes into a different stage. Consequently, the reader's appetite is whet to do further study on a most fascinating woman and queen.

Recommendation: The price is not too bad. It is a beautifully bound book and may be worth buying new. However, if your interest is in the content, not the appearance, try used.

Rating:
Summary: Informative, but dull.
Review: This work was full of interesting facts, but was written more like a college text book. It paints a picture of a very charming child and gives the reader insight into the influences in Victoria's early life and the early formation of her character as she grew into the roll of Queen Mother. The facts are nice, the subject is great, but the text book feel is dull and dry.

Rating:
Summary: A SUBSTANTIAL WORK OF SCHOLARSHIP
Review: While much has been written about the monarch who gave an era its name, few words have been devoted to Queen Victoria's girlhood. That oversight has been rectified with this edifying and thoughtful account of Victoria's early years.

She was a woman never remembered for her youth, the author notes, "but for her seemingly never ending old age: her years of mourning, her black dress, her dour expression, her iconic stature...........yet Victoria was a young queen and once popularly called `the rose of England.'"

We learn how this "rose" was formed by the children's books she read; we gain insight into her early ardor and stubbornness from her letters, stories, and drawings. Nonetheless, above all, she was a royal child who at a scant eight months of age edged closer to the throne with the unexpected death of her father, Edward, duke of Kent.

"Becoming Victoria" details her life from birth until June 20, 1837 when she ascended to the throne. Even more this well illustrated volume is a remarkable picture of Georgian childhood among the privileged, a commentary on that period's political climate and mores. It is a substantial work of scholarship, one that will be especially enjoyed by those with an interest in history and the royals.