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Victoria & Abdul (Movie Tie-In)
Victoria & Abdul (Movie Tie-In): The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant | Shrabani Basu
Soon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Dame Judi Dench from director Stephen Frears, releasing September 22, 2017. Historys most unlikely friendshipthis is the astonishing story of Queen Victoria and her dearestcompanion, the young Indian Munshi Abdul Karim. In the twilight years of her reign, after the devastating deaths of hertwo great lovesPrince Albert and John BrownQueen Victoria meets tall and handsome Abdul Karim, a humble servant from Agra waiting tables at her Golden Jubilee. The two form an unlikely bond and within a year Abdul becomes a powerful figure at court, the Queens teacher, her counsel on Urdu and Indian affairs, and a friend close to her heart. This marked the beginning of the most scandalous decade in Queen Victorias long reign. As the royal household roiled with resentment, Victoria and Abduls devotion grew in defiance. Drawn from secrets closely guarded for more than a century, Victoria & Abdul is an extraordinary and intimate history of the last years of the nineteenth-century English court and an unforgettable view onto the passions of an aging Queen.
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thea-block
Victoria and Abdul | Shrabani Basu
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Mehso-so

As much as I love this story and the author‘s focus on including as much source information as possible, I found the book was lacking in storytelling. Even a non-fiction historical account must engage the reader, if not with a narrative, then with questions which challenge the reader to draw their own conclusions or seek more answers. This account was too dry, too repetitive, and poorly organized.

⭐️⭐️1/2

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Butterfinger
Victoria and Abdul | Shrabani Basu
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"In her defence of the Munshi, she felt she was taking on a fight for the underdog against the racism and snobbery of the upper classes." The queen demonstrated enlightening ideas, but couldn't she have granted independence to his nation during her lifetime?

9 likes1 stack add
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comics_librarian
Victoria and Abdul | Shrabani Basu
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Mehso-so

There's very little sentiment to be found here, but that's to save room for the bevy of research and recovered accounts of this nearly-buried historical relationship.

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Jen2
Victoria and Abdul | Shrabani Basu
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Pickpick

So interesting!!!

rubyslippersreads Have you seen the movie yet? It's really good. 7y
DivineDiana @rubyslippersreads I saw the movie last week! So well done! I would love to read Abdul‘s actual journal! 7y
booksandsympathy I'm going to see the movie today! 7y
DrexEdit Saw the movie this past weekend. It's very good! I don't know if the actual journals can be read, but the movie is based on this book. 7y
DrexEdit Ugh! Sorry @Jen2. Posting too fast and not reading carefully. I blame my enthusiasm. Hope you are enjoying the book! After seeing the movie it's on my #tbr. 7y
75 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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BookishRedhead
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I've been on the fence about getting this book.
Decided to give it a go