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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This is the story of Katharine, Queen of England under Henry VIII. She was his first wife, and was eventually divorced when Henry decided to marry Anne Boleyn. However, this story takes place prior to the Anne Boleyn saga, beginning with Katharine's early childhood in Spain. Her parents were the remarkable King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel of Christopher Columbus fame, who not only succeeded in exploring the New World, but managed to drive the moors from Spain and reclaim it for Christendom. The book describes her life in the moorish culture of the Alhambra palace, and eventually her travel to England to pursue her destiny as Queen of England. Gregory creates her own answers to the questions surrounding the brief marriage of Katharine to Arthur, elder brother to Henry, and the question of what did, or did not, happen between them on their wedding night and the months of marriage that followed. I enjoyed Gregory's perspective on the life of Katherine, and only wish they had chosen a narrator with a Spanish accent to read the part of Katharine, who never became fully fluent in English.
The beauty of going into a book with low expectations is that they are quite often exceeded. I was told by several trusted literary friends that this was a weak installment by Philippa Gregory and should be skipped. Unfortunately, I have this awful OCD quirk that simply does not allow for series to be read out of order - it's just forbidden. Maybe it is because of these low expectations, or maybe it is because I am woefully ignorant of the Tudor history and therefore had no preconceptions of what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would easily recommend it to friends.
It has been a while since I read historical fiction and this book reminded me why it is one of my favorite genres. I found Catalina's story to be very intriguing and where others felt it dragged, I wanted several parts to be expanded upon and felt like I didn't get enough of her story. As for the gigantic "lie", I am no historian and as stated, am not very informed of Tudor history but I do not find it hard to believe someone in her shoes would bend the truth for either monetary gain (for survival/security, not greed in this case) or to fulfill what you feel to be is your religious duty or destiny. According to Gregory, Catalina had both reasons in her court. I would have lied my arse off as well. :)
It has been a while since I read historical fiction and this book reminded me why it is one of my favorite genres. I found Catalina's story to be very intriguing and where others felt it dragged, I wanted several parts to be expanded upon and felt like I didn't get enough of her story. As for the gigantic "lie", I am no historian and as stated, am not very informed of Tudor history but I do not find it hard to believe someone in her shoes would bend the truth for either monetary gain (for survival/security, not greed in this case) or to fulfill what you feel to be is your religious duty or destiny. According to Gregory, Catalina had both reasons in her court. I would have lied my arse off as well. :)
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
one of the first Philippa books I read and one of my favorites to read again.
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is by far my favorite of Philippa Gregory's books. Katherine of Aragon is extremely likeable compared to some of her other characters. I am really excited for her next book to come out next month!
Not as good as The Other Boleyn Girl but still an interesting read to get a fictionalized view into the woman than Anne Boleyn had cast aside.
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I couldn't put this down. I know it's historical fiction--but I find the Tudors oh-so-fascinating. And reading about a possibility (however fictitious it is) of how Katherine of Aragon lived and fought for her right to the crown is interesting. If you're interested in historical fiction and/or reading a story about a strong woman, this book is for you.
This is the first Philippa Gregory book that left me thoroughly disappointed. Despite the characters being based on fascinating Tudor figures, none ever felt real to me. The over the top lovey-dovey feelings Katherine expresses about Arthur throughout the book were unrealistic and made my eyes roll every time. Her admirable ambition was overshadowed by her internal monologue incessantly repeating that she did it all for the boy she was in an arranged marriage to for 5 months. Yeah, right.
Also, the constant switch from omniscient third person to first person was frustrating, especially since Katherine's first person passages just reiterated what we already inferred from the third person dialogue. Phillipa Gregory is great at bringing Tudor characters to life in her work, but this is not the book for that.
Also, the constant switch from omniscient third person to first person was frustrating, especially since Katherine's first person passages just reiterated what we already inferred from the third person dialogue. Phillipa Gregory is great at bringing Tudor characters to life in her work, but this is not the book for that.