Tech Review - Onyx Boox Go Color 7

I recently found myself wanting a new e-reader and, after some (probably too much) research I settled on the Boox Go Color 7, by the company Onyx. This is my review of the reader after having it for a couple of weeks. 

This review isn't sponsored (though if Onyx would someday, that'd be cool, hint hint).

Image from B&H - 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1836428-REG/boox_opc1210r_7_go_color_e_reader.html

Even though (or probably because) I'm used to reading on my phone screen, I wanted an e-ink display. While most tablets have a clear, glassy, LCD color display, e-readers are known for having basic, black and white screens. While they look dull next to an iPad, e-ink displays have the benefit of looking much like real paper, making them easier on the eyes. This is what I wanted the most. 

I initially looked into getting a Kindle, but for two reasons decided against it -- Libby and Hoopla. I read a lot on these library apps and Kindles don't let you download any apps or use any services other than the proprietary Kindle system (Libby can work with Kindle, but it's a workaround). The Boox tablets, in contrast, are full Android tablets, and the Color Go 7 runs Android 12. The Google Play Store is included and allows the user to install any Android app (though I wouldn't try running games like Genshin Impact), including library apps like Libby, Hoopla, and Flipster; as well as other e-book apps like Kindle and Kobo; and manga and webcomic apps. This gives me the flexibility of reading I wanted -- I like manga (no kidding) and I especially use Hoopla, so being trapped in one ecosystem to me is a waste of the resources e-publishing can offer.

A book in the Kindle app

Besides any e-reader app you could want to install, Onyx has its own reading program, BOOX Neo Reader, as well as a built-in storefront made up of free public domain books from Project Gutenberg. It's just public domain texts and the categories are a little janky (it put Jack London's White Fang under, inexplicably, fanfiction). I imagine most readers will add their own books or use apps like Kindle and Libby rather than this store. Books can also be added via cloud services like Google Drive, Zotero, and Dropbox, as well as several Chinese services such as Youdao Note and Baidu Cloud. 

Anyone else reading Dan Da Dan?

The Go Color 7 has a 7 inch color e-ink Kaleido 3 display, with a density of 300 ppi for black and white and 150 ppi for color. Colors are muted, unlike the vibrancy you'd expect from an LCD screen like on an iPad. I would liken the visual feel of the screen to roughly that of newsprint. This is not an issue for reading text or manga, but for manwa, webcomics, and Western graphic novels this may be a dealbreaker. (Don't know what manwa is? Take a look at my previous post to find out!)

The MANGA Plus app, demonstrating the color e-ink screen

The unit has a 2.4 Ghz octa-core processor, which is definitely enough to handle the daily work of an e-reader. As I said before, it's not going to be your new streaming or gaming device, but it does what it needs to do well. In fact, I've noticed it downloads apps from the Play Store quite quickly. It's certainly faster than my old 2017 Kindle Fire. It has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage, which can be expanded with a micro SD card. Audiobooks can be listened to via the built-in speakers or via Bluetooth, though I'll keep using my phone for audiobooks.

My current lockscreen - Edward Gorey

Customization is limited, but possible. You can set your own lockscreen and power off display. This is far nicer than the Kindle's omnipresent ad screens -- one of the reasons I was tired of my Fire was the ads -- especially the lockscreen, which you have to pay to remove.

The build quality is good. I've heard complaints that the back, which is textured, feels cheap, but since I keep mine in a case I haven't noticed anything. Having the page turn buttons is really nice, even if there are only a few apps the work with -- they work with the built-in reader, Kindle, and Libby, but not Hoopla or MANGA Plus, but that's an issue for the app developers, rather than the hardware. The 7 inch screen is just the perfect size for reading, and the unit as a whole feels really nice in the hand. 

After spending a few weeks with the Boox Go Color 7, I like it a lot. It's as flexible in its apps as any Android device, and it feels great to hold and look at. It won't replace your smart phone or tablet in everything but it doesn't need to -- all it needs is to be a solid e-reader.

Netgalley Manga Review Grab Bag

Today I’ll be posting some of my Netgalley reviews in a single blog post, rather than separately. This way, we can get them all out of the way at once and I don’t have to write a full post for something I may not have much to say about, and if you're not interested in manga you can easily skip this post.

I received free ARCs of these books from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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Title: I See Your Face, Turned Away Vol 1.

Author: Rumi Ichinohe

Rating: 2/5

Published by Kodansha and available May 7, 2024, I See Your Face, Turned Away is a shoujo high school story about teenagers being unable to express their feelings or even pinpoint what they feel. The dialog is a little choppy and I felt through much of it that I was just hearing parts of conversations rather than being privy to the characters’ thoughts and experiences. The art is serviceable realistic shoujo, but the two boys of the friend group look too similar suggesting that character design wasn’t a priority. There is some interesting commentary on beauty standards in the form of Hikari, the main point of view character, thinking she’d be more attractive with a double eyelid than a monolid, but this isn’t focused on for very long. Other than that brief nod to something deeper, this introductory volume didn’t grab me.

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Title: The Beast Player

Author: Nahoko Uehashi

Rating: 3/5

Published by Kodansha and available May 14, 2024, The Beast Player is a shounen fantasy based on the novel of the same name taking place in a fantasy world similar to Central Asia. The protagonist, Elin, comes from a culture that raises a species of crocodilian dragon called the toda. The world and their creatures is interesting and beautifully drawn, reminding me of Studio Ghibli's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The opening plot regarding Elin's mother is a bit predictable, straying into Dead Manga Mother territory, though as always this is a setup to the hero's journey for Elin. Overall, I'm intrigued to see more of this world and how the story progresses, and see how the title ties into the story.

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Title: Alley

Author: Junji Ito

Rating: 2.5/5

Published by Viz and available July 23, 2024, Alley is a collection of short stories by the modern master of Japanese horror, Junji Ito. This was my first time reading something by Ito, and while I can definitely see his skill, I wish I had been introduced to him via one of his other works, like Uzumaki, since this was just okay. Ito's style of horror may just not be mine-- things simply happen and there isn't a sense of rising terror or suspense in these short stories. This may just not be his best work, as I've seen other reviewers have similar opinions as mine on this volume. This should appeal to fans of supernatural and urban horror, as many stories are centered around town locations, as well as body horror-- while the writing may be a bit weak at times, the art is always atmospheric and captivating.

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Title: Hirayasumi 

Author: Keigo Shinzō

Rating: 4/5

Published by Viz and available May 21, 2024, Hirayasumi is a seinen slice of life manga staring an easy-going part-timer and his anxious art student cousin. I was instantly drawn into this beautifully illustrated, sweet story about life. This was definitely my favorite of the handful of volumes in this review batch. The omniscient narrator adds a lot to the story. This will definitely appeal to fans of slice of life (a manga genre focusing on day-to-day life) and anyone wanting an emotional but gentle read. 

Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law - A Review

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Title: Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law Vol. 1

Author: Yoshie Kaoruhara

Publisher: Kodansha

Rating: 3/5

I promise this isn't becoming a manga blog, though I will be posting a few more manga reviews in my capacity as a Netgalley reviewer. Today's review is of Kei X Yaku: Bound by Law Vol. 1, by Yoshie Kaoruhara, published by Kodansha and available May 14th.

Kei X Yaku has a clever title. Kei is the first part of keisatsu, police, and yaku is from yakuza, the Japanese system of organized crime. Put together, keiyaku can mean "contract" (Kei X Yaku pg. 160, Translation Notes). The main characters, Ichiro, a policeman, and Shiro, a member of the yakuza, find themselves in a strange contract-- faking being boyfriends to solve the apparent murder of a woman who matters to both of them. 

This is just the beginning of the series, which has been in publication in Japan since 2019. I think the first volume sets up an intriguing premise, one that will especially appeal to fans of "odd couple" pairings and tense mysteries. The first chapter moves rather quickly and it isn't exactly obvious what the opening event has to do with the story at large until later, which was confusing at first. Since this is a BL (Boy's Love, manga centering on romantic relationships between men, also often called yaoi), the two main characters are bound to get together at some point-- volume 1 just has tension. However, it's a good start and will leave BL fans, and fans of crime drama, excited for more. 

The art is decently skilled, though not exactly groundbreaking-- which is not necessarily a bad thing, it's not a niche genre work where more unique drawing might be expected. Some panels give us chibi versions of Ichiro and Shiro, as do the bonus comics between chapters that have a more slice of life tone.

Overall, I'm intrigued to see where the story goes and how the relationship between the leads will progress. 

Highly Recommended Review: Frau Faust by Kore Yamazaki

 As promised in my previous post, it's time for a first on this blog-- a review of a manga series. Today I'd like to talk about Frau Faust by Kore Yamazaki. I must admit that starting this review is a little difficult. How do you begin to talk about something that's captivated you as much as this series has me? 

To make things easier on me and my readers, I'll start at the beginning. Frau Faust by Kore Yamazaki is a manga adaptation of the Faust legend, especially based on the work of Goethe. The series was originally run in Itan, a josei (manga aimed at an adult female audience) manga magazine owned by Kodansha. The unique premise is, as suggested by the title, the legendary Johann Faust was actually Johanna Faust, a charismatic if very eccentric lady scholar who is the subject of many rumors and myths. At her side is her demon Mephistopheles, who has been her companion since the two made a contract during Johanna's youth. The pair have a complicated relationship, to say the least -- Johanna's mission through the series is to reunite Mephistopheles' body parts that have been scattered as a punishment for his actions, in order for her to finally punch him in the face. 

A cover of Itan highlighting Frau Faust

The crime of the demon Mephistopheles? Making a human immortal. The terms of the contract were
that, at Johanna's death, Mephistopheles would take her soul. When the time came for her to die, instead of taking her soul, the demon made her functionally immortal -- able to survive what otherwise would be deadly, but each time being worn down a little more. For his transgression, Mephistopheles was quartered and imprisoned by the Inquisition, and is only with Johanna in partial form. One hundred years after this bargain gone wrong, we meet our protagonist searching for a demon piece and meeting a new companion, a boy named Marion who aspires to be a scholar himself. Marion, our Point Of View (POV) character gets dragged into Johanna's mission and from there we learn that the legends of Dr. Faust, which are present in the world of the manga, are based on the real Johanna, though some details have changed and many others have been exaggerated. 

Now for my impressions. No doubt every reviewer has a book or film or album that has impacted them so much that they cannot simply write a review of it. This series is it for me-- how can I, in an at least semi-professional manner, review something that has, to put it bluntly, rewired my brain?

Frau Faust is so unique it's hard to know where to start describing it.

While Goethe's is the only version of Faust that Yamazaki stated was an influence, it's hard not to see echoes of Marlowe's Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Berlioz's Damnation de Faust, and even the original published legend, the Faustbuch. This is on top of the references to even older traditions-- the demons Ino and As are inspired by Greek and Abrahamic mythologies respectively. Goethe references are not limited to the more famous Part One-- one of the main characters is a homunculus created by Johanna and her research partner Wagner, much like the one created by Goethe's Wagner in Faust Part Two. At the same time, Yamazaki doesn't limit the story to a straight retelling of the legend and creates new characters and plot lines to keep the series fresh. It's a great example of the transformative aspect of the Faust legend where each incarnation adds something to the mix but the central story remains identifiably Faust.

Manga is a visual medium and the art of Frau Faust is striking. Yamazaki, best known for another fantasy series, The Ancient Magus' Bride, is an expert at creating weird and wonderful beings. Her design for Mephistopheles is truly unique, taking nothing from the traditional red-suited figure of Goethe and instead being all her own. He cuts a dapper and mysterious, almost gothic figure in his oversized overcoat with checkered lining, dark indigo according to the covers of the books; a long black ponytail, and a mask reminiscent of a plague doctor-- perhaps a reference to the plague that Goethe's Faust's father tried and failed to cure. 

The thing that stands out the most in this series is the relationship between Johanna and Mephistopheles. While the plot is based on Goethe, especially with their contract framed as a game or a bet, their relationship is more like the one portrayed in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. The two of them are locked in a codependent partnership that is equal parts violent and tender (after all, Johanna's goal is to punch Mephistopheles in the face, and he's the one who ended her life to begin with!) Their relationship, and how it reminds me of Marlowe is a topic worth its own post so I'll leave it for another day. 

Frau Faust is one of those series that you never want to end, but it ends all too soon-- the series only has nineteen chapters, split into five tankobon (volumes of manga consisting of chapters gathered after serial publication, the most common way of reading manga in the West). There was never an anime series and the only other material are three short bonus books (one being a picture book retelling of the Faust legend) that were never translated into English (oddly enough, they were translated into German) and the delightful art cards that were included with special editions of the Japanese tankobon. It is also hard to find fan engagement, though it does exist. This makes it all the more exciting when I discover a lone piece of fanart on Instagram or Pixiv or find someone else online who loves this series too. It may be obscure, but it isn't unloved, and it quickly became my favorite version of the Faust legend. I highly recommend it to fans of the Faust legend, monster/human relationships, and those interested in manga with unique art.

Anne and Louis: Forever Bound Review

Before I begin this review, I need to apologize for its lateness. I fully intended to have this book finished and reviewed in May, but family health issues and my own employment situation took up so much of my time this summer that I'm yet again late with my writing schedule.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I was also personally asked for a review by the author, Rozsa Gaston.

Title: Anne and Louis Forever Bound: The Final Years of Anne of Brittany's Marriage to Louis XII of France
Series: Anne of Brittany, book 4
Author: Rozsa Gaston
Rating: 3.5/5

Rozsa Gaston's series following the life of Anne of Brittany reaches its conclusion in Forever Bound, beginning in 1508 and ending in 1514 with Anne's untimely death at 36. I've reviewed its predecessor, Rulers and Lovers, in a post last year. 

The easiest way to begin is to look at what I liked. There are more narrative scenes and Anne has a much stronger personality than in the previous book and the ones before it. Claude has a whole chapter to herself, which will win me over any day. The eponymous Anne and Louis have a nuanced marriage -- loving and supportive, though often strained by their roles as politicians with contradicting goals. I loved the references to Louis's family, including his grandmother Valentina Visconti (appearing here as a painting Louis talks to for advice) and his father Charles d'Orleans, who I've written about my love for on this blog before. This ties in with the increased emphasis on family bonds, which is explored through Anne's fight for her daughters' inheritances, the loss of Louis's nephew Gaston of Foix, and Louise of Savoy's scheming for her own children.

Anne herself has some excellent moments-- especially with other characters. Her confrontation with Louis over his fight with the pope stands out, especially when she snaps and says she's not going to risk the souls of their subjects (France was facing the possibility of being placed under interdict, which would bar all subjects from taking part in the sacraments), and that Louis only cares about the Chruch when it's on his side. Her interrogation of a suspected spy in the household is also done well and has some great tension, and her finally meeting with her rival Louise of Savoy is also a delight. I also very much do enjoy the inclusion of historical images as illustrations and to give the reader a bit more context for the era and people.

This brings me to some issues I had with Anne and Louis.

My major issue with this book is one I have with most historical fiction, including my own attempts-- it is overwhelmingly exposition, with very little action. Most of the major events are related to us by the narrator, rather than through scenes of a story, and what events are deemed important enough to actually show is uneven. Hete we have scenes of the cook and kitchen maid discussing Anne's matchmaking, but the Battle of Saint-Mathieu and the loss of the Marie-la-Cordelière, one of the great tragedies of the era, as well as the reactions of Anne and Louis, are only briefly mentioned. I got the feeling I was reading a textbook rather than historical fiction and that the book wanted to be both. There is a bibliography at the back, but several books cited are completely unrelated, fiction, or both (like Anya Seton's Katherine). I noticed this with the previous books and I still do not understand why this is included. The dialog was decent but stilted-- Anne's habit of addressing Louis as "husband" was especially grating and made me glad when most of their conversations were over.

My second issue is with the portrayal of Louise of Savoy. Louise is Anne's main rival, now that Anne of Bejeau is no longer the major player she was in French politics. I don't object to portraying them as rivals, they obviously were, but I would liked to have seen a more nuanced take on Louise. She's the designated villain in this story, and I would accept that as just being from Anne's perspective except the book is from multiple third-person points of view. Louise was a rival to Anne, yes, and she was dedicated to her son (to the point of overprotective) but I think she had reason to be-- she was widowed at a young age with two small children, in a precarious political situation.

There's a lot you could do to compare her with Anne of Brittany, and nearing the end, Anne does realize that she also would do anything for her son had he lived, and she's already doing whatever she can for her daughters. A major issue that I found Anne and Louis XII dealing with was that they wanted what was best for their countries and those goals put them at odds, especially over their children, even though they want what's best for Claude and Renée. Louise is the same, we just don't get to sympathize with her.

Anne and Louis is a good read for nonspecialist readers interested in the era and the people, especially those who want a general overview given in a narrative format. Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC and thanks to Rozsa for being interested in my feedback!

Bliss and Blunder: A Review of The Green Knight (2021)

Arthurian literature is a tricky thing. While the general image of King Arthur, Merlin, and Camelot have been ingrained in the minds of most anglophone people, there is no real "canon" of authoritative versions of the legends in the way there is a Shakespearian canon. While the most familiar version of Arthur began with England's Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, Welsh and Breton sources date even further back. After Geoffrey, French and English-language authors wrote their own adaptations, including Chrétien de Troyes, who introduced the Grail Quest, and most pertinent to this discussion, the anonymous author of the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Each new version adds something to the legend, resulting in hundreds of different plots and variations on them, often contradictory characterizations, and no "correct" version of whatever story a modern bard will present. Even I, a certified The Book Was Better Than The Movie Snob, must admit that any adaptation of the Matter of Britain will be both its own thing and an addition to the ever-evolving state of Arthurian fiction.

Enter The Green Knight.

Nigel Saul's The Three Richards -- A Review

I just finished The Three Richards by Nigel Saul. For this review I'm stepping out of the character of the Persnickity Historian and just sharing my Goodreads review.

It's pretty disorganized though the premise seems simple enough, comparing the three English kings named Richard. There are a few issues with how Saul does this, however. The book is divided into topics, beginning with a biographical chapter for each Richard and then topical chapters-- religion, appearance, family, etc. and within that, each Richard in order. Things are admittedly skewed toward Richard II, in part because the most information on his reign survives, and also probably because Saul's main topic is Richard II, he's written the biography that's still the standard. It gets a little frustrating when trying to compare things that don't have the same amount of information. While comparing people of the same name and of such varying reputation is an interesting idea, the three Richards lived in different eras and covering such vast periods of time and changes in England is also going to be difficult. It'd be like trying to talk about the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War in Europe), the American Civil War, and the Vietnam War in one book, but structured as a biography of William Pitt, Ulysses S. Grant, and Creighton Abrams.

This book reminded me of the usual five paragraph essay structure, and especially a kind of paper assigned in my US history class-- three primary sources to be used to answer a question like "How did Americans before WWI define freedom?" The question here might be "In what ways were Richard I, Richard II, and Richard III similar? In what ways were they different?" Saul's major problem is there's no thesis, no reason to care about the information presented. I really love Richard II (including being sympathetic to him, not just an interest in him) but I don't know a whole lot about Richard I and definitely don't know anything about Richard III. Unfortunately (this may be my fault, I'm biased in my interests) I wasn't as interested in the sections on Dicks I and III. If it's not entirely my fault, it's probably because the topics didn't fit together well enough to show me why comparing the three is important.

 There are also a few issues with Saul's information in general. Perhaps the most inexplicable is when in the sections on their wives, he talks about Margaret of Anjou (wife of Henry VI) rather than Anne Neville, wife of Richard III. I didn't get the sense that he hates Richard III, but I'm not a Richardian so I might not pick up on more subtle signs of dislike. He certainly doesn't show Dan Jones-level of hatred, with whom it's obvious how much he dislikes Edward II and Richard II; but I did notice he is 100% sure Richard killed his nephews and doesn't even mention any theories to the contrary, which isn't very fair. And on the subject of murders, he says all three died violently, which is only partly true. Richards I and III did indeed die in war, but Richard II most likely died of starvation at Pontefract, though the whole being actually physically murdered with a knife version is most well-known and certainly exciting-- but there is no sign of violence on his skeleton. Being starved to death still counts as murder but it's not exactly violent.

The conclusion was disappointing. As I said above, he has no thesis and just states what he already has earlier, at the beginning of the final chapter and the end of it. I was left thinking "so what?" The information was interesting (aside from the things I've mentioned above, there may have been other issues I didn't catch) but it wasn't organized in a meaningful way so I wouldn't really recommend it.

Persnickety Historian Review - Victoria ITV

ITV's Victoria wrapped up its second season here in the States a couple of weeks ago. It ended with some bombshells-- okay, the revelation of bombshells we the audience already knew about, only now to other characters. We get another heaping of sumptuous settings, pretty costumes, and the lovely Jenna Coleman. Joining the cast this season is Diana Rigg as the Duchess of Buccleuch, playing the same character she does on Game of Thrones, and adding a lot of old-lady sass and wisdom. I love this woman. So, does Victoria reign supreme? Why am I resorting to reviewer cliches? I'll answer one of those in this review, which is more about the series as a whole but most examples are from the recent season.

First, the show as just a show. Every historical drama now has to measure up to Downton Abbey, which, let's face it, isn't going to happen. Victoria definitely succeeds in the sheer gorgeousness of the setting and costuming, bringing to life the early Victorian period (when you think "Victorian," you're probably thinking of Sherlock Holmes era, some forty years after this show). It truly is some eye candy, especially when they visit locations outside of London. Unfortunately storywise, there isn't much to hold my attention.

To put it bluntly, Victoria fails to have the dramatic and emotional depth to be more than another period piece. It tries desperately for a fictional downstairs story, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me and I can't remember any of the servants' names, except for Mr. Penge (also, is it just me or does Buckingham have far too few servants?). The same goes for the upstairs-- even with the Queen I find it hard to become invested in the fictional plotlines. The trouble, I think, comes from there not being an overarching plot with a single goal in mind to connect episodes and make a meaningful season finale (think the "myth arc" vs. the "monster of the week" formula from The X-Files-- some episodes form a series-spanning plot, others are just one-offs). I was very excited to have Ada Lovelace and Isambard Kingdom Brunell guest star, but I felt like this was something special, rather than just other historical figures in a show about history.

Acting-wise, it's a bit hit-or-miss, especially considering historical portrayal. The first season was graced with Rufus Sewell, who is missed, and this season has the wonderful Diana Rigg, who's worth watching the show for alone. Jenna Coleman continues to be a sweet, energetic Queen, but she doesn't reflect Victoria's forceful personality in its more flawed sense. There never seems to be anything really negative from her, she's just a high-spirited monarch here, despite her historical serious temper and obstinateness. Granted, Queen Victoria was a remarkable figure and I'm not sure she ever truly could be fully emulated. Jenna is still enjoyable though, and I don't fault her too much, just the writing. On the other hand, Tom Hughes, Jenna's real-life boyfriend, is a boring and frustrating Albert. Like his portrayal of the Duke of Aumerle in The Hollow Crown version of Richard II (2012), he seems blank at best and sometimes zoned-out. His ongoing borderline power struggle with Victoria and the inaccurate portrayal of their relationship initially being testy rather than love-at-first-sight as it was historically leave them seeming to not be a good match.

Now for the history.

This show is frustrating. Daisy Goodwin, series creator and head writer brags about balancing history and fiction, but I don't think she's done that at all. Historical fiction can be an awesome genre when done well, but to make it so requires attention to detail and the understanding that history is exciting enough on its own and doesn't need embellishment. Goodwin alters things, saying "My rule is that I can change the odd date, move people around here and there, so long as I am faithful to the emotional truth of the characters."¹ She goes far beyond that-- she does everything from change the ages of figures, like the Duchess of Bucchleuch (who was actually in her thirties at the time) to creating whole new relationships, as with Alfred Paget and Edward Drummond, who weren't actually in one-- which was disappointing, since they were one of the best parts of the season. The decision to include queer characters was great, if only Goodwin had invented them, or better yet found some in history rather than making up a relationship.

Rather unsurprisingly, some things are made a little more positive or palatable to modern viewers, like the episode on An Gorta Mór--  the Irish Famine. Queen Victoria is portrayed as caring a lot about Ireland, whereas in history she wasn't all that concerned-- she certainly isn't appreciated in Irish history, being called "The Famine Queen." However inaccurate the portrayal is, I do see something good came out of the episode as a whole. British viewers were shocked at the depiction of the Famine, having not been taught much about it.²  This is called a difficult encounter in public history, and it forces us to face something we don't want to think about, and I have to praise the show for doing that, even if Victoria's reaction is sanitized (which is still an issue).

I was, however, surprised to find out that some of the stuff that sounded made-up to me (my specialty isn't this period so I've been doing a lot of fact checking) actually do have basis in fact, like the rumor that Albert is actually a bastard, which did exist. In the show, Uncle Leopold claims he believes he is actually Albert's father. This particular paternity claim, made by David Duff (1972) is iffy at best, but works for the show since Uncle Leopold continues to be the Cigarette Smoking Man of the series. On a more verifiable front, this was the first time I'd heard of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, and I learned more about her after looking her up. That's part of the fun of good historical media, learning about the real thing and maybe being introduced to something new in the process.

Victoria isn't perfect, though it has promise. It's held back by its lack of narrative direction, and more seriously it's marred by Goodwin freely admitting she makes things up but still remains true to the history, not to mention inaccurate portrayals of some serious things, like the Queen's reaction to the Famine. However, it's had some great non-political figures appear, like Ada Lovelace, and it's been the first exposure many people have had to some of the period's more difficult topics. It also has prompted me to research more of this period, if just to know the background. Goodwin says season 3 will explore more "sexual tension" between Victoria and Albert, which I can only guess means Tom Hughes will learn to make some facial expressions, but if it means that there will be a more accurate portrayal of this love story, that'd be worth it. Let's just hope Goodwin, who's based the show more or less off of Victoria's copious personal diaries, will let her subject herself tell the story more in the future.

¹ Daisy Goodwin, "Victoria writer Daisy Goodwin: how I struck a balance between drama and historical accuracy," RadioTimes, accessed March 6, 2018, http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2018-03-03/victoria-season-2-finale-itv/.

2“British TV viewers shocked by Famine scenes in Victoria,” Raidió Teilifís Éireann, accessed March 8, 2018, https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/1003/909290-british-tv-viewers-shocked-by-famine-scenes-in-victoria/.