Licia Flynn's Book and Movie Review Blog

Queen Margot , based on the 1845 historical novel by Alexandre Dumas, is one of my favorite films because it focuses on the 16th century and the battles between Catholics and Protestants. In the late 16th century, Catholics and Protestant Huguenots were fighting over political control of France, ruled by a mad King, Charles IX, and his scheming mother, Catherine de Medici. This film is probably memorable to many viewers because of the erotic affair between Queen Margot, played by Isabelle Adjani, and the soldier La Mole, played by Vincent Perez. However, I think the friendship that develops between Margot and the man she is forced to marry, Henri de Bourbon, King of Navarre, deserves better credit. Initially, Margot despises Henri, but as murders by poison ensue, and the notorious St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre erupts, the young queen must confront the complete insanity of the sadistic members of her family while Catherine plots to place her son, the Duke of Anjou, on the th...

John Jake's North & South isn't the type of book that I typically review. However, I enjoyed this novel because it provides excellent insight into the American Civil War and West Point Military Academy. It also reinforces social and class values, mainly what it means to be a gentleman. The saga is primarily about two men, their families, and relationships before and after the Civil War. George is the son of a steel mill owner in Pennsylvania, and Orry Maine is the son of a Southern Plantation owner. The slave-owning Mains are rural gentleman planters while the big-city Hazards live by manufacturing and industry, their differences reflecting the real divisions between North and South which ultimately led to war. The story begins as the two men start their education at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Orry and George form a deep bond as they play pranks and battle a sadistic lieutenant named Elkanah Bent. The companions graduate and become officers in the...