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The Darling Strumpet: A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles II Paperback – January 4, 2011

by Gillian Bagwell (Author)

4.2 462 ratings

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A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans.

From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.

Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] richly engaging portrait of the life and times of one of history’s most appealing characters!”—Diana Gabaldon, author of The Scottish Prisoner

“Bawdy and poignant...An ebullient page-turner!”—Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Romances

“Hard to resist this sort of seduction.”—C. C. Humphreys, author of Shakespeare’s Rebel

About the Author

Gillian Bagwell grew up in Berkeley, California, and began her professional life as an actress, studying at the University of California Berkeley and the Drama Studio London at Berkeley before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. She moved into directing and producing theatre, founding The Pasadena Shakespeare Company, where she served as artistic director for nine years, producing thirty-seven critically acclaimed productions.

She united her life-long love of books, British history, and theatre in writing her first novel, The Darling Strumpet, based on the life of Nell Gwynn. Her second novel, The September Queen, is the first fictional account of the perilous and romantic odyssey of Jane Lane, an ordinary English girl who risked her life to help the young Charles II escape after the disastrous Battle of Worcester in 1651 by disguising him as her servant. Gillian recently returned to Berkeley and is at work on her third novel, about the formidable four-times widowed Tudor dynast Bess of Hardwick. Visit Gillian’s website, www.gillianbagwell.com, for further information about her books and upcoming events, and links to her blogs, articles, and videos of sites in Nell Gwynn’s London.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group (January 4, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0425238598
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0425238592
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.96 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,065,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,639 in Biographical Historical Fiction
- #4,962 in Historical British & Irish Literature
- #6,124 in Biographical Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 462 ratings

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Gillian Bagwell’s richly detailed historical novels bring to vivid life England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Venus in Winter, based on the first forty years of the life of the formidable four-times widowed dynast Bess of Hardwick, begins with Bess’s introduction to the court of Henry VIII just as the king weds Anne of Cleves. Bess quickly learns to navigate the treacherous waters, and survives the turbulent reigns of five Tudor monarchs to become of the most powerful women in the history of England

The Darling Strumpet puts the reader smack in the tumultuous world of seventeenth century London, charting Nell Gwynn’s meteoric rise from the grimy slums to triumph as a beloved comic actress, through the cataclysmic years of the last plague epidemic and the Great Fire of 1666, to the licentious court and the arms of the king.

"The King’s Mistress" (U.S. title "The September Queen") is the first fictional accounting of the extraordinary real-life adventure of Jane Lane, who risked all to help the young Charles II escape after the disastrous Battle of Worcester in 1651, saving his life and the future of the English monarchy.

Gillian uses her years of experience in theatre an actress, director, and producer to help authors give effective public readings, through workshops and private coaching.

Her life-long fascination with British history and dedication to research infuse her novels with a compelling evocation of time and place, and provide fodder for her non-fiction writing, including articles on “Frost Fairs on the River Thames”

(http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/2011/01/guest-post-giveaway-gillian-bagwell-the-darling-strumpet.html), “The Royal Miracle: The Biggest What-If in English History,”

(http://www.historyinanhour.com/2012/07/14/charles-ii-royal-miracle), and “1660: The Year of the Restoration of Theatre.” Gillian blogged her research adventures for The Darling Strumpet (http://www.nellgwynn.blogspot.com) and The September Queen, including the day-by-day events of Charles II’s dramatic escape after the Battle of Worcester (http://www.theroyalmiracle.blogspot.com).

Please visit Gillian’s website, www.gillianbagwell.com, for more on her books and upcoming events.

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4.2 out of 5

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Renee Thorpe

From grubby to gilded, a true Cinderella story

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2011

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Lifelong anglophile and former stage actress in her own right, Gillian Bagwell debuts as talented novelist with a true Cinderella story.

Will try to not repeat the many synopses already given by other reviewers, so I'll just stick with my evaluation and recommendation.

There are moments in the book when Nell's heart very nearly pounds audibly: a gang rape, the show-and-tell after a shopping spree, a visit to her dressing room by a nobleman, and an ill-advised wager in a card game. These and the delightful descriptions of 17th c London keep the story vivid and fun.

Herein are wonderful little tidbits about theatre life and how to act on the stage. Acting students could actually glean a bit of advice from Nell's mentor Charles Hart, and it's great fun for us non-actors to read his witty instructions to young, illiterate Nell, one of London's first female actors. Reader sees how all this tutoring (and Nell's gift for comedy) dovetails with her seduction under famous libertine, the Earl of Rochester, to create the kind of woman a randy king could not resist. Yet there is a palpable chemistry, too, for Nell is full of good humor, speaks from her heart, and truly loved the king from the moment she first saw him through the starstruck eyes of a poor oyster girl.

I wished for more description of Nell's first command performance at the palace. Strangely, this was tossed off without a word about servants' entrances, chandeliers, or courtiers or simply what Nell's sharp senses would pick up while being ushered into a grand place forbidden to all commoners save servants and craftsmen. Odd to not milk this important event for its obvious pizzazz and color, because Bagwell's research is impeccable. Editor mistake, I wonder? Descriptions of other eventful settings (the London fire, a theatre roaring with rabble and royalty alike, angry mobs in Oxford) are nicely written to evoke the emotions of the moment. But it is Bagwell's knowledge of the vernacular (shown in her vivid dialog) that's the strongest suit, and a screenplay from The Darling Strumpet would be a cut-and-paste no-brainer from Bagwell's finely wrought words.

More fun to read than the other Nell Gwynn books out there (written by men, and not in novel form). Buy it, read it; it's a joyride into Restoration England.

4 people found this helpful

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Karsiyaka

A Social Climber

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2014

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I happened to buy "The Darling Strumpet" by Gillian Bagwell, "Royal Harlot" and "Duchess: a Novel of Sarah Churchill" by Susan Holloway Scott without knowing how well these books would complement each other, describing the era of Restoration. This is the one about the relationship between the King Charles II and one of his mistresses, Nell Gwynn, "one of the first actresses in the newly opened playhouses" in England. Although the title gives you the impression that this was an exclusive and a romantic love affair, it isn't the case. After reading the book, it is obvious the King had multiple mistress and she was an afterthought who became very important to the King after a while because she was the only one he could come to share his troubles with, and the one who made no demands by tolerating his affairs with others in addition to acting like she had no needs of her own. The story is mostly about a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks and her struggle to overcome obstacles for providing a decent life for herself and her children. Nell Gwynn, one of the first female actresses in the English theater, is described as someone very passive, sweet and accommodating in this book. Actually, looking at her life story, one can say she used every opportunity to climbing out of poverty stricken life by being smart and calculating as well knowing how to use people and to take advantage of opportunities .Being a historical fiction, it is debatable how much of the text is fiction and how much of it is historical facts.

This is a well-written and an entertaining book which brings seventeen century London to life making the reader feel being transported through time. The external facts and circumstances were described well but not the internal life of the characters. What I didn't like about this book is the sex acts described in detail in some parts of the book in a very distasteful way, objectifying Nell, lacking any emotions or feelings and reading like sexual assault/ acts of violence.

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Amber

Superb!

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2011

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Nell Gwynn was a poverty-stricken seventeenth century Londoner who began her whirlwind of a life as first a prostitute, then as an orange-girl-turned-comedic-actress, before becoming the mistress of King Charles II of England. She became well-known throughout her acting career by the common people and the nobility. It was her more affluent contacts that led her to the king's bed. She was witty, charming, and pretty. Nell was well-loved by the common people because she was one of them and her dislike for politics along with her lack of desire for power endeared her to the king and the nobles closest to him. They all found Nell to be a genuinely kind-hearted person. Out of the other three mistresses Charles had during Nell's lifetime, she is usually made out to be the only one who truly loved him. I have only read books from Nell's point-of-view, and historical fiction at that, so I cannot outright say this is historical fact, but it seems like there is truth in it. There is one thing for sure: King Charles was not lacking in virility or charisma.

The Darling Strumpet is a very thorough fictional work about Nell's life, beginning in her not-so-innocent adolescence and ending with her death. She was such an extraordinary woman. Although she lacked an education, she was highly intelligent and picked up the lines of all of the plays she heard when she sold oranges at the playhouses. She must have been an inspiration to others who came from a similar background because of her successful acting career alone. Nell also was a kind and honest person to the point of being blunt. She always tried to help others in need when she could by sharing the unexpected wealth bestowed upon her by the king, but she could also give someone a verbal kick in the butt if necessary.

Google "The Musings of ALMYBNENR" to see this review in full in its original format and to follow my book review blog.

2 people found this helpful

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MissEloisabeth

Ruined My Sleeping Pattern!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2012

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This is a wonderful book, and within the first day of recieiving it in the post, I'd already gotten to chapter 7. I needed to put it down; I didn't want to finish it too soon! 'The Darling Strumpet' by Gillian Bagwell is compelling, and has ruined my sleeping pattern completely, as I stayed up most nights until two in the morning reading unable to put it down!

Gillian is also a compassionate author, who cares for fans of her work. She recorded a series of youtube videos documenting each main place from the book, and explains in detail about Nell's history with them. She will also answer any questions about Nell on Twitter, as I found out when I needed a bit of trivia about Ms Gwynne. (@GillianBagwell)

The book documents little Nelly's life, from when she was a humble oyster seller, heaving around a large basket of smelly oysters. Bagwell documents each transition of Nell's life wonderfully, with compassion and pure writing talent. Nell then goes on, marvelling at her sister's beautiful dresses, to become a child whore, working where her sister did at Madam Ross's. There are some graphic sexual scenes, including some mildly violent ones before she moved to Madam Ross's. With a stroke of luck and help from Rose, Nell then begins work as an orange seller at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, and from here the seeds of her most famous relationships and roles were planted.

The book is wonderous. It's a real page turner, and has sex and murder; the two things needed in a novel about the Stuart era. The Darling Strumpet fabulously tells the story of one of England's first actresses and one of the most famous courtesans ever. As a massive Nell Gwynne fan, I think the Darling Strumpet is a wonderful recollection of the events and struggles of Nelly's life. Huzzah!

3 people found this helpful

Chocolate

Non, non et non!

Reviewed in France on January 21, 2012

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Pourtant, le sujet était intéressant: l'ascension de Nell Gynn des rues malfamées de Londres jusqu'au Palais Royal de Charles II dont elle fut la maîtresse, en passant par les théâtres où elle fut parmi les premières femmes à monter sur scènes. Mais non, non et non! Il y a trop de violence dans ce roman: des agressions sexuelles à répétition, un viol collectif, une prostituée qu'on tabasse, une autre qu'on égorge. Au bout d'un moment, ça suffit! Tout cela était-il vraiment nécessaire pour laisser entendre que la vie des jeunes filles sans argent était rude dans l'Angleterre du XVIIème siècle? On ne s'en serait pas douter! Comme si elle ne l'avait pas été de tout temps. C'est à se poser des questions sur les motivations profondes de l'auteur et sur le public qu'elle a souhaité atteindre. Après une centaine de pages, je n'en pouvais plus et j'ai laissé tomber.

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Claire Simmonds

A pleasant surprise!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2012

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To be honest I wasn't expecting much from this, I only chose to try it as I've never read about Nell Gwynn and didn't know much about her. There are so many second-rate historical fiction authors out there, who churn out saccharine, boring bonkbusters without an ounce of research. Thankfully I was proved completely wrong with this book.
What you get is a very well-researched, readable novel, written with care and accuracy. Bagwell has managed to pull off something clever and unusual in that her dialogue is true to the period and yet is never cloying or irritating. Also she has to be commended as a lot of American authors who set their stories in historical Britain make laughable attempts at recreating the speech of the time, or just don't bother. There was ONE (just the one) 'fall' instead of 'autumn' and ONE 'ass' instead of 'arse' but apart from that the writing was true to the period and believable.
It's hard to believe this is Bagwell's first novel actually - her descriptions, particularly of 17th century London are crystal clear and really transport you into that time. She's not taken too many liberties with the realities of Nell's story - although I found the first few chapters of the book where Nell, aged ten, becomes a prostitute a little hard to stomach. But such things happened, and it is to Bagwell's credit that she isn't afraid to deal with this part of Nell's life.
The reason for four stars and not five is because the middle part dragged a little for me. I loved the parts at the theatre when Nell made it from orange seller to popular actress, but got a little bored (and confused) when all these dukes and earls turned up and took turns to sleep with her.
The last third of the book is relentlessly depressing - ultimately her story is not a happy one - but by then I'd become so emotionally involved with Nell that I just had to keep reading.
This book has made me want to find out more about her, and am now looking for a decent biography so I can separate the facts from fiction - Bagwell admits that where the facts ran out she had to use her imagination to suit the story. But overall a moving, impressive read.

One person found this helpful

NortybutNice

A Darling Indeed!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2012

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I loved this book!!...Totally out of my normal genre but I decided to give it a go because it was about significant characters from a space in history that really interests me and was pleased to find that it was pretty factually correct with regards to the history itself.

The main character, Nell, from the outset is believable and charming and endearing in her naivety and bravery to find her own way in the world. She soon discovers that earning your own money doesnt make you free and in fact the more money she aquires throughout the story the more turmoil and anguish she suffers.

She longs to be more than she can ever be and when she finds herself in the bed of the King, thinks she has cracked it, but girls from her background could never be raised to the heights she dreams of.

However, she loves wholly, and gives as much as she can to all that she can and as a result is loved by everyone around her, but this comes at a price as she begins to lose the people she loves and who love her as much, who have got here to where she is, she begins to realise that wealth is nothing without those you love around you.

It is a heart warming read with a heart breaking end....if you are a historical romance fan, read it, if you aren't a historical romance fan, read it!

I feel the urge to head off down to London and stroll around the streets she frequented and visit the church where she was laid to rest...as I myself now count myself as one of the many people who loved Nell Gwynn!!

One person found this helpful

C

My Darling Strumpet

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2012

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Although I found the title of this book somewhat off putting, it was a great read and the author was able to combine history and storytelling to great effect. When reading, you felt you were there back in Seventeenth Century England, and old London, with it's sights ans smells and great contrasts between the struggle of ordinary people to survive and the lavish lifestyles of nobility. Nell Gwyn is depicted without apology, as a survivor of an appalling upbringing, who uses her whiles and brute strength of character to leap across the social hierarchy. It is sad of course, that this is achieved by becoming a mistress but there were very few, if any other options open to non educated women. Interestingly, the people see her as a sort of heroine and she does become more than a mere lover of the King. They are devoted friends and her son and the King 's many other illegitimate children, are the predecessors that spawned many of the old noble families of the day, related to the likes of the Spencer's, The Fergusan's, the de Lisle's and The Duchess of Corwall. So, it is good to get a chorus- girl or a commoner into the genetic mix, I think, then as now!

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