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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
The author certainly has strong opinions about the Boleyns! Dramatised history
I indulged in this book when I started getting burnt out on my non-fiction reading goals this summer. It was a very quick read.
I didn't know much about the scandal that surrounded Anne Boleyn's rise and fall. It was interesting to learn, but what fascinated me more by far was the story of her sister, Mary. Hers is a bitter sweet saga of courtly love and deceit. Married at 12, mistress to the king at 14, widowed by 20, Mary manages to stay under the radar with her two children (bastards of the king) when the King becomes pope of England, and a bitter tyrant whose agenda (to have a legitimate male heir) is never met.
I'm glad to be a woman in this century, and not the 16th. Woman were property - they owned nothing for themselves. They were valued by how much power they could bring to their families. If they failed they were thrown aside, perhaps to a man 3 times their age, or to a convent. I'm not sure which I'd prefer!
I was a little disappointed in the ending. It was inconclusive, flat, weak. Perhaps I was waiting for the story to continue on to Anne's daughter, Elizabeth I (who becomes the greatest queen England ever sees). This book has sparked my interest in the Tudor legacy. Any book that encourages me to read more non-fiction deserves 4 stars or more.
I didn't know much about the scandal that surrounded Anne Boleyn's rise and fall. It was interesting to learn, but what fascinated me more by far was the story of her sister, Mary. Hers is a bitter sweet saga of courtly love and deceit. Married at 12, mistress to the king at 14, widowed by 20, Mary manages to stay under the radar with her two children (bastards of the king) when the King becomes pope of England, and a bitter tyrant whose agenda (to have a legitimate male heir) is never met.
I'm glad to be a woman in this century, and not the 16th. Woman were property - they owned nothing for themselves. They were valued by how much power they could bring to their families. If they failed they were thrown aside, perhaps to a man 3 times their age, or to a convent. I'm not sure which I'd prefer!
I was a little disappointed in the ending. It was inconclusive, flat, weak. Perhaps I was waiting for the story to continue on to Anne's daughter, Elizabeth I (who becomes the greatest queen England ever sees). This book has sparked my interest in the Tudor legacy. Any book that encourages me to read more non-fiction deserves 4 stars or more.
I am the world's slowest reader and I'm flying through this book. Can't wait to finish it so I can read the next ones!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
fast-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:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is serious book-crack for me. If you need an escapist novel of court intrigue, this is it.
It's a great finish, but a long, slow climb to the end of this story that's by turns absorbing and utterly conventional.
This book kind of holds up with time, which is impressive. STILL AS TRASHY AND DELIGHTFUL AS IT WAS!
Loved this book! The story was fast paced and kept me interested throughout, I couldn't put it down! Can't say much for the historical accuracy, but it is a great story nonetheless.