Historical romance and horror
I stumbled across another piece of under-told British history that would make another fine historical novel/movie, though this one has more of a horror aspect.
The Thomas Overbury affair was the greatest scandal of seventeenth century England featuring a heady mix of adultery, murder and necromancy, and has been described as "one of the most sensational crimes in English history".
As riveting as this read was, it seems to skim over a crucial aspect of the story: The woman behaving badly in it is only thirteen when she is betrothed, and sixteen when she is supposed to take up married life. Her youthful marriage was not atypical for the times, but I'm thinking of the raging teenage hormones that drove a lot of the her actions (no excuse, just upping the drama in a way). The corrupt power-maneuverings of others at court (including royal participation / looking the other way) could add some gloomy texture and modern relevance. It could sweep the Oscars!
The Thomas Overbury affair was the greatest scandal of seventeenth century England featuring a heady mix of adultery, murder and necromancy, and has been described as "one of the most sensational crimes in English history".
As riveting as this read was, it seems to skim over a crucial aspect of the story: The woman behaving badly in it is only thirteen when she is betrothed, and sixteen when she is supposed to take up married life. Her youthful marriage was not atypical for the times, but I'm thinking of the raging teenage hormones that drove a lot of the her actions (no excuse, just upping the drama in a way). The corrupt power-maneuverings of others at court (including royal participation / looking the other way) could add some gloomy texture and modern relevance. It could sweep the Oscars!