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There are currently 21 member reviews
for And They Called It Camelot
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Barbara L. (Novato, CA)
For One Brief Shining Moment...
This is a fictional account of the private and public life of Jackie Kennedy. Having grown up in the 1960's, I, along with most Americans, was mesmerized by the almost royalty of the First Family . But Jackie was always such an enigma; reserved, cool, elegant and greatly admired. To read this fictional account of her perhaps private thoughts, joys, and sorrows was just delicious!
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Portia A. (Monroe Township, NJ)
Mixed Feelings
Generally I liked the book, written in the voice of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Whether the references to their "hooked noses" when referencing a couple of Jewish persons were her statements or that of the author alone I don't know, but they were off putting to me so It took some of the positive feelings away.
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Gail L. (Dallas, TX)
Historical Fiction or Romance Literature?
As our author reminds us in her notes, this book is a work of fiction, not history. I found it mostly enjoyable, especially the last half of the book. The first half focused too much on Jackie's relationship with the men in her life, and the book was presented like Romance Fiction. The flowery dialogue was distracting.
Nevertheless, I learned many impressive facts about Jacqueline and learned to appreciate how capable she was in many roles, specifically her roles in historical preservation and foreign diplomacy. She also was obviously a devoted mother.
I was a high school student living in Dallas when President Kennedy was assassinated. I have been a life-long student of the Kennedy Family as a result. Reading this book has changed my perception of Jacqueline Kennedy.
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Carolyn D. (Chico, CA)
Camelot with adjectives galore
This book is OK, but I would not have finished it if I hadn’t agreed to do a review. "My very blood thrummed with the sheer pleasure of it all…' (p. 210) is a bit on the purple prose side for me. Jackie’s life was plenty big without the "trembling knees" and other florid turns of phrase. So many adjectives ... no noun was safe. The book does not present Mrs. Kennedy as intelligent or canny – it all just sort of happened. I am not a chick-lit or romance lover in general so that may be my bias. I hoped for a book that would treat the subject seriously and illuminate the singular life of Jackie Kennedy. There is plenty of drama in her life without the flourishes. It is a fast read and the subject will probably make it popular. But, alas, there is never an editor around when you need one.
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Marybeth T. (Bellingham, WA)
Underwhelmed
This was not a bad book. I loved learning more about Camelot and the Kennedy family. What I didn't like where the voice of Jackie specifically. I thought she was written as very melodramatic with her interactions with Kennedy Clan. I felt like I was reading a romance novel instead of a historical fiction.
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Barbara C. (Fountain Hills, AZ)
Camelot?
And they Called It Camelot reminded me of a paperback romance novel. The dialogue was contrived and venal. the constant descriptions of Jackie's designer wardrobe was tiring and intrusive. I'm sure the author researched her subjects, but what was fact and what was fiction? I would rather have a biography about famous people and know that the facts are true rather than suggestive innuendo creating characters with feet of clay. If you want a juicy novel about wealthy people with cavorting with each other, then Camelot is for you.
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Joan V. (Miller Place, NY)
Not what I expected
Perhaps no woman other than Princess Diana has so enthralled the world as much as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Therefore, I was really looking forward to reading this book to see if there were any new insights into Mrs. Onassis' life. Unfortunately, this book does not live up to that.
Obviously, Ms. Thornton did a lot of research. However, she writes in such florid prose that she manages to make Mrs. Onassis sound like a heroine from a Barbara Cartland novel. At the same time, she stresses how intelligent Jackie is, but she "melts at his touch" so often that after awhile it's hard to take the book seriously. Ms. Thornton also throws in some French expressions which I began to find annoying.
I had a hard time finishing this book and I hope Ms. Thornton has a better editor next time around. She does have talent, but just not in this book.
