Lady of Hay: Amazon.ca: Barbara Erskine: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Erskine's first novel gets off to a fine start. As a participant in a college research project on hypnotic regression, Jo Clifford is almost too good a subject. Under hypnosis, she relives the final, tortured moments in the life of Matilda, a 12th century Welshwoman. In the process, Jo herself comes close to death. The story then jumps 15 years. Jo, now a journalist researching regression, is again hypnotized and again regresses to Matilda's excitement-packed life. Unfortunately, the pace of the early pages is not maintained. The problem is not with Jo/Matilda, who are both well-drawn, or even with the whopping coincidences Jo encounters. What slows the narrative is the bevy of minor characters, Jo's acquaintances. They talk to her and about her, they try to help her and they conspire against her, all at the expense of the central plotline. This is still a good read, but it could have been better. Doubleday Book Club and Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Matilda de Braose was an actual 12th-century Englishwoman who angered and was put to death by King John. Fictional journalist Jo Clifford undergoes hypnosis while researching the story of her previous life as Matilda. As she becomes increasingly obsessed with the story, her male friends assume the roles of Matilda's husband, lover, and the king, manipulated by "mad scientist" Dr. Sam Franklyn, who hypnotizes all of them. Jo's story is initially an annoying intrusion in a historical drama that could easily have stood on its own merits. The modern-day characters are all "types," none of them particularly likeable. However, as Matilda's death nears, this complex first novel turns in to an engrossing gothic that races to an exciting conclusion. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates. Marcia R. Hoffman, M.L.S., Hoechst Celanese Corp., Somerville, N.J.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

31 Reviews

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!!, Jun 9 2009

By

Anne Knight (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Of Hay (Paperback)

This is a 700+ page turner and I've read it completely from cover to cover three times in the past 5 years. I felt a real connection to the main character, Isabella Buchan and once I began my geneoligical journey tracing back my ancestors, I realized why! My Great-Great Grandmother's name was Isabella Buchan (maiden name) Everything happens for a reason and even without this connection to Ms Erskines real life characters, I loved the story, the passion, the gut wrenching scenes of death and evil men. Once you read this move on to Daughters of Fire.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A little bit different from your "usual"historical fiction, Jan 27 2007

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Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Lady of Hay (Paperback)

I enjoyed this, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had all been in Matilda's past and skipped the stuff in the present time. The idea of regression was interesting, but it got to be a bit much after a while. I mean, how many people do you know that are experienced hypnotists? And Jo was hypnotized by was it four or five different people? That did become a bit of a stretch towards the end of the book.

Also, unless I missed something, I don't think Sam's obsession with the whole Jo/Matilda thing was explained to my satisfaction. How did he become so evil -- to the point of harming his brother.

You should be advised that this is not your "true" historical fiction. Matilda, William De Braose, Richard, etc. were real people, but as the author notes at the end not all that happened in the book to Jo/Matilda actually happened to the real Matilda. I almost didn't read this book because of what really happened to Matilda -- yes she was held prisoner with her son and they starved to death but the story ended a bit more gruesome than that, if what I read in SKP's Welsh trilogy is true. I was relieved that Erskine left that part out.

Otherwise an interesting read, I blew through it quickly. Four stars instead of five for the inconsistencies.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Promising start...but ultimately disappointing, Oct 22 2003

By

Barbara "bnkf" (Union City, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady of Hay (Paperback)

Lady of Hay makes a promising start. Jo is a young journalist who researches past life regression for a magazine article. As research, she undergoes hypnosis and discovers that she is not only easily hypnotized (so easily that later in the book someone calls and hypnotizes her over the phone!) but in a previous life she was Matilda de Braose, a 12th century Welshwoman. How exciting, I said to myself. This could be very fun. Matilda is a real historical figure. I love historical fiction. I would enjoy the puzzle of matching past lives with present characters, and of course I hoped for romance. But alas...it was not to be.

The first half of the book was great. It keeps up a good pace and intriguing events unfold as Jo and her present life alternate with regressions to Matilda's existence. But by the second half of the book there is no new material and far too much repetition as well inexplicable violence against the main character that simply turned me off to her possible love interests. In the 1st half of the book we learn that 3 men love Jo in both the past and the present and we know who they were in their past lives. We also learn about the end of Matilda's life very early in the story. So where can the author take us from here?

I hoped that some of the modern day characters besides the 3 men would eventually be revealed to have some involvement in the past lives or a more important role in the present. However, they don't. I also expected that that the author might expand on history and offer an explanation for the legend of Matilda building Hay castle in one night. She doesn't. And I was disappointed with the mundane theory about rumors that Matilda was a witch. The explanation: she studied herb lore with her nurse Jeanne and rides horses swiftly, like a man. But perhaps most disappointing of all is the fact that Nick, the man she is in love with in the present was very cruel to her in her past life and not very nice to her in the present and there is no satisfactory explanation of why. Nor did it seem that his behavior was ever an obstacle to their relationship in the present. And what about Sam's behavior? The actions of 2 of Jo's lovers leaves me questioning how much if at all, they really care(d) for her. Richard was the one nice guy and I was hoping he would somehow turn out to be a hero, but when he turns out to be a junkie I think my hopes for a satisfying finale were extinguished.

Maybe the fact that 3 men are supposedly in love with the main character is the romantic attraction of this book. Or is it Jo's suffering that is intended to be attractive? Perhaps I was ultimately disappointed because of the promising start, but my advice is to skip this book.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful history, it's the modern people I want gone...
I bought and read this book when I was 13 and visited London. At 13 I adored it passionately. At much older than 13, I find it a bit laughable. Read more

Published on May 9 2003 by E. A. Lewis

1.0 out of 5 stars Shame on Erskine!
Disappointing. No thoughtful, self respecting woman would be attracted to this book or to this author after reading this book. Read more

Published on Sep 28 2002 by Mr. Stuart I. Roosth