Scan barcode
punkinmuffin's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a bit of a sucker for historical fiction and have been meaning to read Philippa Gregory for a while now. The book is clearly very well-researched and I learned a lot about 16th century Spain from it.
As a character, Katherine drew me in despite knowing how it would ultimately end for her, alone and poor, disregarded. The book doesn't take us there thankfully, it ends as she is about to give her testimony before the Papal Legate court convened to hear "The King's Great Matter". What we do experience is her years of widowhood before marriage to Henry. I had no idea how it had been for her. This, coupled with her early life as Catalina, Infanta of Spain, fascinated me.
The only criticism I have is that reading the long passages in italics (for Katherine's internal monologues) got a little wearisome. Other than that, if you like historical fiction then you will probably enjoy this novel.
As a character, Katherine drew me in despite knowing how it would ultimately end for her, alone and poor, disregarded. The book doesn't take us there thankfully, it ends as she is about to give her testimony before the Papal Legate court convened to hear "The King's Great Matter". What we do experience is her years of widowhood before marriage to Henry. I had no idea how it had been for her. This, coupled with her early life as Catalina, Infanta of Spain, fascinated me.
The only criticism I have is that reading the long passages in italics (for Katherine's internal monologues) got a little wearisome. Other than that, if you like historical fiction then you will probably enjoy this novel.
an_cailin_corcaioch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
yarm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An interesting story based on the historical account of Katherine of Aragon. Katherine is depicted as a brave and heroic woman with an unbreakable desire to be Queen of England as that is what she was brought up to believe her purpose. She becomes a victim of her father and father-in- law’s vindictive greed as well as her second husband’s feebleness. She is a woman whose strengths and assets have probably been overlooked by history.
hazelcoleman's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sezzysoo91's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lesapaul's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD performed by Jill Tanner
Book six in her Plantagenet and Tudor series focuses on Catalina, Infanta of Spain, daughter of Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand, and known in English history as Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII.
I admit that I knew little about Katherine, other than her end (thrust aside in Henry’s mad affair with Anne Boleyn). I never realized that she was the daughter of Isabela and Ferdinand, that she’d been trained as a warrior queen, and that she’d been betrothed to Henry’s older brother Arthur when she was but four years old. This was one fierce lady; intelligent, mentally and emotionally strong, an astute observer and able to plot and plan with the best of them.
Gregory gives the reader a strong female lead, and I was caught up in the story at the beginning, but I found that the story seemed to bog down in details. I got tired of the “waiting” and can only imagine how Katherine felt enduring those years of “limbo” while she waited for a marriage and an heir.
Jill Tanner does a fine job performing the audiobook. She sets a good pace and really brings Katherine to life. I get the sense of how young they all were at the outset. (Katherine and Arthur were married only five months when he died, leaving her a widow at age seventeen.) And Tanner gives the young Henry a boyish immaturity that really contrasts with Katherine’s steady and superior thought process.
Book six in her Plantagenet and Tudor series focuses on Catalina, Infanta of Spain, daughter of Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand, and known in English history as Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII.
I admit that I knew little about Katherine, other than her end (thrust aside in Henry’s mad affair with Anne Boleyn). I never realized that she was the daughter of Isabela and Ferdinand, that she’d been trained as a warrior queen, and that she’d been betrothed to Henry’s older brother Arthur when she was but four years old. This was one fierce lady; intelligent, mentally and emotionally strong, an astute observer and able to plot and plan with the best of them.
Gregory gives the reader a strong female lead, and I was caught up in the story at the beginning, but I found that the story seemed to bog down in details. I got tired of the “waiting” and can only imagine how Katherine felt enduring those years of “limbo” while she waited for a marriage and an heir.
Jill Tanner does a fine job performing the audiobook. She sets a good pace and really brings Katherine to life. I get the sense of how young they all were at the outset. (Katherine and Arthur were married only five months when he died, leaving her a widow at age seventeen.) And Tanner gives the young Henry a boyish immaturity that really contrasts with Katherine’s steady and superior thought process.
megw91's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
It's very oddly paced. I know Katherine was in England for longer than she was married to Henry (because of the whole brother marriage thing) but it feels like trying to cover her whole life until Henry moves on was just too much and so some parts feel like they aren't being written with as much care as others (particularly towards the end)