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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
The story of Katherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife. Her life kind of goes like this:
Not so great
Could be better
Worse
Awful
Amazingly blissful
Terrible
Downhill from there
Might as well die now
She had an exciting life but reading about it is kind of a downer since things don't end well. I was amazed by how long things took, and how long she ended up waiting for the bad things to happen. Ugh. Poor Katherine. Also I thought it was sad that her favor with others around her depended so much on England's relations with her relatives in Spain. Wouldn't want to be her!
The writing style here is very straightforward, a this-is-what-happened sort of approach. As author Alison Weir is a historian, I was not surprised it read this way. I was glad I could trust the author's details, and this is a great way to learn history (which I generally don't love studying). Much better than a textbook. On the down side, I didn't feel much connection with the characters—I think she stuck to facts so well that she didn't take as much time to develop the characters and make me love them.
I'm still trying to decide whether I want to read the books about Henry VIII's other five wives when they come out.
Content warning: this book goes a little farther into the bedroom than I like. Nothing gross or graphic, and it is relevant to the plot, but I could have done with less.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads
Not so great
Could be better
Worse
Awful
Amazingly blissful
Terrible
Downhill from there
Might as well die now
She had an exciting life but reading about it is kind of a downer since things don't end well. I was amazed by how long things took, and how long she ended up waiting for the bad things to happen. Ugh. Poor Katherine. Also I thought it was sad that her favor with others around her depended so much on England's relations with her relatives in Spain. Wouldn't want to be her!
The writing style here is very straightforward, a this-is-what-happened sort of approach. As author Alison Weir is a historian, I was not surprised it read this way. I was glad I could trust the author's details, and this is a great way to learn history (which I generally don't love studying). Much better than a textbook. On the down side, I didn't feel much connection with the characters—I think she stuck to facts so well that she didn't take as much time to develop the characters and make me love them.
I'm still trying to decide whether I want to read the books about Henry VIII's other five wives when they come out.
Content warning: this book goes a little farther into the bedroom than I like. Nothing gross or graphic, and it is relevant to the plot, but I could have done with less.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads
I have read much Weir, both fiction and non-fiction, and I think I prefer her fiction--it's much more fun to inhabit a character's head and let her lead the story while setting all of it in a web of actual historical fact.
I did find Katherine of Aragon somewhat infuriating as her marriage was falling apart. I admire someone who can stand up for her convictions the way she did. BUT. I guess I hadn't realized the extent to which Henry flat out told her that there was no way that he'd either 1-come back to her or 2-recognize the authority of the Pope if the Pope disagreed with him. I knew it happened, but they apparently had many letters and conversations about it. With that in mind, Katherine would have been much better off just accepting her fate and being treated like Henry's sister (hey, it worked REALLY WELL for Anne of Cleves later. But that's neither here nor there). I just was frustrated that she kept being angry at Henry for essentially doing what he said he would. I get exactly why she acted as she did, but it screwed over far more people than just herself, and her naivete in thinking Henry would suddenly go along with the Pope once the Pope made a decision in the "Great Matter" was...well, I need a stronger word than frustrating.
I did find Katherine of Aragon somewhat infuriating as her marriage was falling apart. I admire someone who can stand up for her convictions the way she did. BUT. I guess I hadn't realized the extent to which Henry flat out told her that there was no way that he'd either 1-come back to her or 2-recognize the authority of the Pope if the Pope disagreed with him. I knew it happened, but they apparently had many letters and conversations about it. With that in mind, Katherine would have been much better off just accepting her fate and being treated like Henry's sister (hey, it worked REALLY WELL for Anne of Cleves later. But that's neither here nor there). I just was frustrated that she kept being angry at Henry for essentially doing what he said he would. I get exactly why she acted as she did, but it screwed over far more people than just herself, and her naivete in thinking Henry would suddenly go along with the Pope once the Pope made a decision in the "Great Matter" was...well, I need a stronger word than frustrating.
emotional
informative
reflective
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:
Complicated
Written by acclaimed Tudor historian Alison Weir, this novel follows the life of Katherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII, from her arrival in England in 1501 to marry the Crown Prince Arthur, to her long marriage to Henry, to her death in obscurity in 1536.
I picked this up because my Shakespeare professor recommended the nonfiction works of this author, so I thought that reading this first would give me a bit of a crash course into the era before going into dense nonfiction. Who better to read historical fiction from than one of the biggest scholars of that time period? At the very least it's going to be very accurate.
Unfortunately, this was only slightly drier than nonfiction. This book takes place over 30+ years, and it felt like it. We get lists of events that happen, like a short scene and then getting told that somebody died and got replaced, only to have it happen again the next chapter. I don't think the characters were very well developed. There was nothing that was pushing me to go on reading this. However, I did find the last section more insteresting than the beginning. Learning just how badly Katherine was treated by Henry was awful, particularly because Katherine does nothing but love him. I can appreciate a woman who is loyal and so stubborn, especially back then.
Overall, this was dry and a drag to get through, but I did learn. If the next book was much shorter, I might be interested in attempting the next one, but I don't find that likely.
I picked this up because my Shakespeare professor recommended the nonfiction works of this author, so I thought that reading this first would give me a bit of a crash course into the era before going into dense nonfiction. Who better to read historical fiction from than one of the biggest scholars of that time period? At the very least it's going to be very accurate.
Unfortunately, this was only slightly drier than nonfiction. This book takes place over 30+ years, and it felt like it. We get lists of events that happen, like a short scene and then getting told that somebody died and got replaced, only to have it happen again the next chapter. I don't think the characters were very well developed. There was nothing that was pushing me to go on reading this. However, I did find the last section more insteresting than the beginning. Learning just how badly Katherine was treated by Henry was awful, particularly because Katherine does nothing but love him. I can appreciate a woman who is loyal and so stubborn, especially back then.
Overall, this was dry and a drag to get through, but I did learn. If the next book was much shorter, I might be interested in attempting the next one, but I don't find that likely.
I have yet to read a positive portrayal of Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII's six wives. The rule of historical fiction seems to be portraying Katherine as a weak, stubborn figure, and this novel does not differ.
As she is an established historian who ought to be well aware of Katherine's impressive achievements, I wish [a:Alison Weir|6583|Alison Weir|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557954502p2/6583.jpg] would have taken them into account when writing this. Katherine deserves to be seen as a feminist icon, a woman who played an important role in world politics. As the youngest daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, whose union united Spain, Katherine's childhood was overshadowed by war with the Moors, whose defeat at Granada in 1492 was Ferdinand and Isabella's greatest victory. Katherine would have surely taken her mother into account in her idea of a queen. Katherine led an impressive victory against the Scots at the battle of Flodden in 1513, was the first female ambassador in Europe, and bravely fought for her rights and her daughter's; all of which are glossed over by Weir in favour for Katherine's failures. Ironically, it was her failures in womanly exploits, such as the birth of an heir, that led to her downfall.
This is important to the novel. A strong female heroine, which in this novel Katherine is not, is preferable to a weak one. Her ordeals are boring when she does not do anything about them. (Sometimes, as in for the first twenty years of her marriage, there aren't even that many ordeals.) This stereotypical Katherine is evident throughout the novel, with other characters also stereotypical; Henry VIII, for example. I’ve seen these characters dozens of times; I would love to see a new version of them! Although I should note that this novel did succeed with some other female characters, like the tragic Juana of Castile and Katherine's friend Maria de Salinas. I would have liked to read about Mary I though (Katherine’s daughter AKA Bloody Mary)
Other Notes: On the Did Katherine of Aragon consummate her first marriage? issue, Weir takes a stance that I disagree with (all the evidence points to the other theory!). The book is strongest in the period of time that Katherine is widowed, as it shows her as a strong, capable woman - I loved it when she was appointed as the Spanish ambassador. If only that was explored more. The novel noticeably picks up when the Anne Boleyn affair (a.k.a the Great Matter) occurs, but by then it is too late.
'Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen' could have been so much better. Weir, an English historian, chose to write about Katherine purely in an English context. It could have been so much better if she had begun with Katherine's fascinating childhood, and then portrayed her as a a strong, determined woman, a rival rather than simply an easily defeated obstacle to Anne Boleyn, who emerges from this as an engaging opportunist, something Katherine really was. And it is Anne's daughter, Elizabeth I, who currently overshadows Katherine's daughter Mary, the vilified first queen regnant of England.
In regards to Weir's new historical fiction (one book for each Henry VII wife), I did not like this, but I did like [b:A Dangerous Inheritance: A Novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower|12959266|A Dangerous Inheritance|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326549930l/12959266._SY75_.jpg|17229103]. So I’m going to keep my hopes up for the sequel.
Also, this is the first historical fiction cover I’ve seen where Katherine has red hair (as she did in history), so good job to the designer:)
As she is an established historian who ought to be well aware of Katherine's impressive achievements, I wish [a:Alison Weir|6583|Alison Weir|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557954502p2/6583.jpg] would have taken them into account when writing this. Katherine deserves to be seen as a feminist icon, a woman who played an important role in world politics. As the youngest daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, whose union united Spain, Katherine's childhood was overshadowed by war with the Moors, whose defeat at Granada in 1492 was Ferdinand and Isabella's greatest victory. Katherine would have surely taken her mother into account in her idea of a queen. Katherine led an impressive victory against the Scots at the battle of Flodden in 1513, was the first female ambassador in Europe, and bravely fought for her rights and her daughter's; all of which are glossed over by Weir in favour for Katherine's failures. Ironically, it was her failures in womanly exploits, such as the birth of an heir, that led to her downfall.
This is important to the novel. A strong female heroine, which in this novel Katherine is not, is preferable to a weak one. Her ordeals are boring when she does not do anything about them. (Sometimes, as in for the first twenty years of her marriage, there aren't even that many ordeals.) This stereotypical Katherine is evident throughout the novel, with other characters also stereotypical; Henry VIII, for example. I’ve seen these characters dozens of times; I would love to see a new version of them! Although I should note that this novel did succeed with some other female characters, like the tragic Juana of Castile and Katherine's friend Maria de Salinas. I would have liked to read about Mary I though (Katherine’s daughter AKA Bloody Mary)
Other Notes: On the Did Katherine of Aragon consummate her first marriage? issue, Weir takes a stance that I disagree with (all the evidence points to the other theory!). The book is strongest in the period of time that Katherine is widowed, as it shows her as a strong, capable woman - I loved it when she was appointed as the Spanish ambassador. If only that was explored more. The novel noticeably picks up when the Anne Boleyn affair (a.k.a the Great Matter) occurs, but by then it is too late.
'Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen' could have been so much better. Weir, an English historian, chose to write about Katherine purely in an English context. It could have been so much better if she had begun with Katherine's fascinating childhood, and then portrayed her as a a strong, determined woman, a rival rather than simply an easily defeated obstacle to Anne Boleyn, who emerges from this as an engaging opportunist, something Katherine really was. And it is Anne's daughter, Elizabeth I, who currently overshadows Katherine's daughter Mary, the vilified first queen regnant of England.
In regards to Weir's new historical fiction (one book for each Henry VII wife), I did not like this, but I did like [b:A Dangerous Inheritance: A Novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower|12959266|A Dangerous Inheritance|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326549930l/12959266._SY75_.jpg|17229103]. So I’m going to keep my hopes up for the sequel.
Also, this is the first historical fiction cover I’ve seen where Katherine has red hair (as she did in history), so good job to the designer:)
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Over my life of reading, I have read many perspectives (historically, and now in historical fiction) of the lives that are explained and explored in this book.
All the other histories that I've read...were mostly from the perspective of King Henry the VIII and were not very flattering, at all.
This story, though it does NOT pull punches, it does convey the story from Queen Katherine of Aragon (the spanish daughter that was brought in and loved by the English people).
The start of her time in England was with the oldest son, Arthur, but because of his sickness, and early end, Katherine was given to the younger son...Henry.
His capriciousness was ever present, but her love for him (and at the beginning his love for her) was well know and witnessed.
I was truly intrigued by how she handled herself when she was scorned. She really was a woman of great faith, and devotion. By the end of the book...I had gained a lot of respect for her, and how she comported herself, and never gave excuse for betrayal against her husband, and king.
Very interesting story, and I with more people could/would read this series. A real eye opener, indeed.
All the other histories that I've read...were mostly from the perspective of King Henry the VIII and were not very flattering, at all.
This story, though it does NOT pull punches, it does convey the story from Queen Katherine of Aragon (the spanish daughter that was brought in and loved by the English people).
The start of her time in England was with the oldest son, Arthur, but because of his sickness, and early end, Katherine was given to the younger son...Henry.
His capriciousness was ever present, but her love for him (and at the beginning his love for her) was well know and witnessed.
I was truly intrigued by how she handled herself when she was scorned. She really was a woman of great faith, and devotion. By the end of the book...I had gained a lot of respect for her, and how she comported herself, and never gave excuse for betrayal against her husband, and king.
Very interesting story, and I with more people could/would read this series. A real eye opener, indeed.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went through a strange journey with this book. First, I was indifferent. Then, I enjoyed it immensely. And, at last, I wanted to throw it against a wall due to frustration.
This book is just way too long. The main story took so long to progress anywhere. Most of the book is waiting for something to happen, which is fine to read, but cannot the the main thread pulling a story along.
I did appreciate the love the author clearly had for Katherine.
Eh. I had wanted to read the next novel but now I’m unsure. I want to read more about the Tudors, but probably read works by different authors.
This book is just way too long. The main story took so long to progress anywhere. Most of the book is waiting for something to happen, which is fine to read, but cannot the the main thread pulling a story along.
I did appreciate the love the author clearly had for Katherine.
Eh. I had wanted to read the next novel but now I’m unsure. I want to read more about the Tudors, but probably read works by different authors.