The Darling Strumpet opens in May 1660. As the restored King Charles II makes his official entry into London, the young Nell Gwynn is taking the first steps in a career which will take her from oyster seller, to prostitute, orange girl, actress, courtesan and finally to royal mistress. At this stage in her life, sex is a means to an end for Nell, but Gillian Bagwell conveys her sensual nature by describing her pleasure in eating a hot pie she buys after selling her virginity for sixpence.
Voraciously, she bit into the pie, the crust breaking into tender shards that seemed to melt on her tongue. The rich warm gravy filled her mouth as she bit deeper, into the hearty filling of mutton and potatoes. She thought nothing had ever tasted so good. The pie seemed to be filling not only her belly, but crannies of longing and misery in her heart and soul.
(Quote from ARC).
Nell’s life as an actress and Restoration playgirl will be familiar territory to anyone who has read Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber, but whereas Winsor was interested in the rivalry between the actresses, Gillian Bagwell focuses on the camaraderie of the theatre, which becomes a true home and a second family for Nell. Nell’s roles also allow her to create a public image and to win popularity.
Nell listened to the buzz of the audience, impatient to make her entrance for the prologue. She knew her costume alone, an outsized cartwheel hat and ridiculously broad belt that mocked the fashions of the French court, would bring down the house. She enjoyed speaking prologues and epilogues more than almost anything else she did onstage. She did not have to put on the character of some dignified and highborn lady, but could be herself, or at least those aspects of herself that audiences most adored and responded to. She was speaking lines written for her, directly to the audience, picking out familiar faces to address. It was during prologues and epilogues that she most truly felt she was loved, and she had missed that love.
At last the musicians stopped, the prompter waved her on, and she entered.
“Nelly!” Cries of her name and cheers rang through the house. Yes, she thought, this is where I belong.
(Quote from ARC).
Forever Amber, for all its racy reputation, never ventures beyond the bedroom door – I remember being particularly frustrated when Amber breezes in after her first night with the king – to which the reader is not made privy! By contrast, The Darling Strumpet is refreshingly frank, and while the sex scenes are not just vanilla (there’s definitely some chocolate and raspberry ripple in there too) they are both well written and true to the time and the historical record. The Restoration, at least for the court, was a period of hedonism and sexual freedom comparable to the Swinging Sixties three hundred years later – and Nell makes the most of it. She is a born survivor who has to learn to trust her head over her heart, yet she never loses her compassion for those still mired in the poverty into which she was born.
The atmosphere of Restoration London is beautifully rendered in this richly textured novel. Sedan chairs, frost fairs, hot wassail, changeable silks – the details on every page evoke time and place, while the dialogue strikes the right note between authenticity and accessibility. The Earl of Rochester in particular has some wonderful lines, as does King Charles, whose relationship with Nell is realistically drawn. The Darling Strumpet packs the events of twenty-five years into fewer than four hundred pages, and while I found it enjoyable and very readable, the relatively limited page space and the breaking up of the narrative into short scenes meant that it sometimes seemed a little breathless. I find it easier to engage emotionally with longer scenes and one in particular, Charles’s last meeting with Nell, has stuck in my mind as particularly moving.
I would definitely recommend The Darling Strumpet to anyone looking for a rich and spicy January read and especially to participants in the Royal Mistress Challenge. I’m also delighted to say that I will be posting an interview with Gillian Bagwell in the near future!
Thanks to Berkley for providing me with a review copy of The Darling Strumpet.
Tags: charles ii, gillian bagwell, nell gwynn, the darling strumpet
I received a copy of this to review as well – I was a little hesitant about accepting it since it’s not a period I normally read about and I know nothing about it. It sounds interesting though so I think I”ll be glad I”m giving it a try.
I think it’s a good introduction to the Restoration, both the background and the important historical characters – Charles himself, his mistresses and courtiers. Hope you enjoy it!
I have been excited about this novel since I first learned of it a few months ago! Glad to hear it is so good
My lord! Have you no mercy, milady? Do you wish to bankrupt us all? Or should we die from unfulfilled longing for books we could not find?
There’s always the library, Meneldur.
I don’t want anyone to die from unfulfilled longing!
Oh cool. I’ve been nervous to try some of these coming out since my luck with many of them has been poor to middlin’
This sounds good! Haven’t read much about anything Charles II related. I hope I get my hands on this.
I’ve been on a fantasy kick lately but I’m craving some historical fiction and something with a little spicy romance sounds good about now.