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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Katherine Parr is one of the more interesting wives of Henry VIII, which I only just discovered by reading this book. I was bored at first until Gregory revealed Katherine's scholarship and cleverness. This author is always so great at making a reader feel as powerless as her female characters, and that frustration puts you back in the 1500s so you can understand what it must have felt like to be a woman at that time, living with that madman.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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 book had strong religious themes, which is reflective of the time period. However, I felt that it made it slow-paced and I sometimes felt myself zoning out and not being as engaged with the story. Despite this, I really liked the way Katherine Parr’s character was depicted. It doesn’t help that I was getting a bit sick of Henry’s repetitive and irrational cruelty, and I’m glad that his reign is finally over in the series.
I loved reading about King Henry VIII's last wife, who published under her own name. How neat. Go Philippa Gregory! This book was great.
Visit the locations in the book
Philipa Gregory has immersed me so much in the world of the Tudors and the Plantagenets and fascinated me with the royal comings and goings. I realise the books are fiction of course, but it’s the way she recreates the time, the customs, the traps of court that really fascinate me. She gives voices to those who history has forgotten or pushed to one side. After reading her novel about Anne Boleyn, I went to Hever Castle, took the book and felt wrapped up in history as never before.
This book was particularly good as it’s about Henry VIII’s last wife. She gives her voice to events and I felt close to her, her fears, worries and her desire to be defined by more than her marriage to the tyrant king.
It’s always fascinating to get an alternative view of history and this series is an enjoyable one. Put this in the modern day however and it’s an example of coercive control which is as frightening whether you’re a non royal in the modern day or a queen back in the 1500s.
Philipa Gregory has immersed me so much in the world of the Tudors and the Plantagenets and fascinated me with the royal comings and goings. I realise the books are fiction of course, but it’s the way she recreates the time, the customs, the traps of court that really fascinate me. She gives voices to those who history has forgotten or pushed to one side. After reading her novel about Anne Boleyn, I went to Hever Castle, took the book and felt wrapped up in history as never before.
This book was particularly good as it’s about Henry VIII’s last wife. She gives her voice to events and I felt close to her, her fears, worries and her desire to be defined by more than her marriage to the tyrant king.
It’s always fascinating to get an alternative view of history and this series is an enjoyable one. Put this in the modern day however and it’s an example of coercive control which is as frightening whether you’re a non royal in the modern day or a queen back in the 1500s.
Even if you think you’ve read every Tudor book under the sun. this stands out as a real labour of love. Kateryn Parr is the only woman to have truly survived Henry and her story is one of the most fascinating I’ve read. She was ahead of her time and dared to challenge convention so she fascinated me for that reason. It was the story of how Henry grew so vicious in his later years and tried to tame this woman that I felt was really brought to life. I’m no Tudor expert but I love the way Philippa makes you care for these women despite the life and times being so different to ours now.
Philippa really brings this period to life for me in a way no one else does and she paint such a vivid picture that I too was afraid of Henry appearing in the court or hearing an order come bellowing down the hallowed corridors.
I always want to read books like this next to a roaring fire with a goblet of wine.
I think this might be closer to a 3.5 than a 3. A lot of the reviews seem to fault Philippa Gregory for not being "historically accurate," which displays a bit of a misunderstanding about what historical fiction is, and is a little unfair to PG. I appreciate her author's notes, which help illuminate some of the challenges of writing about women from the past, and explain some of the choices she made.
In many ways, this book was hard to listen to (I had the audiobook version), because Henry VIII is portrayed as a vile human, physically and in every other way. Perhaps this was a little gratuitous at times, but ultimately, I think it served the story well--a young woman married to a disgusting, selfish, insane tyrant and forced to pretend she's happy for the honor really would be quite the burden and balancing act. I also think it helps explain her motivations--it's not surprising that a woman in that horrible and dangerous situation would find solace in spiritual life and learning, or would look for a larger purpose in her yucky marriage. I was surprised by the amount of theological discussion in this book--it wasn't necessarily deep or anything, but it was extensive, which I found an interesting choice for a secular book. Then again, the theological positioning within the Tudor court was not inconsequential, and defined a lot of the stakes present in Katherine's story, so I can see why PG spent the time on it that she did.
I think
Anyway, a good enough read, and a pleasant audiobook experience, like most PG books!
In many ways, this book was hard to listen to (I had the audiobook version), because Henry VIII is portrayed as a vile human, physically and in every other way. Perhaps this was a little gratuitous at times, but ultimately, I think it served the story well--a young woman married to a disgusting, selfish, insane tyrant and forced to pretend she's happy for the honor really would be quite the burden and balancing act. I also think it helps explain her motivations--it's not surprising that a woman in that horrible and dangerous situation would find solace in spiritual life and learning, or would look for a larger purpose in her yucky marriage. I was surprised by the amount of theological discussion in this book--it wasn't necessarily deep or anything, but it was extensive, which I found an interesting choice for a secular book. Then again, the theological positioning within the Tudor court was not inconsequential, and defined a lot of the stakes present in Katherine's story, so I can see why PG spent the time on it that she did.
I think
Spoiler
the relationship between Katherine and Thomas Seymour was one of the less convincing parts of the story. What, they have sex six times and she's so consumed with passion for him that she can't even look at him for the next four years even though she rarely sees him? Ok. I guess I could see a woman in that position building up a rich fantasy life because of the mess she was married to, but the passion of Katherine and Thomas seemed a little over the top to me. But, I know that's part of what some people like about PG's books, so I can't blame her for giving the people what they want! It's fiction, after all.Anyway, a good enough read, and a pleasant audiobook experience, like most PG books!
This was decent, but I'm starting to realize I might not be as big a fan of Philippa Gregory's books as I was in highschool. There's nothing wrong with them, but I may have burned myself out on anything having to do with the Tudors...
I did enjoy hearing about Katherine Parr and the last years of Henry. Parr is easier to like than Anne or Catherynne of Aragon. From the very beginning Katherine is in the game because she has to be. She doesn't want to be Queen, she just wants to keep her life the way it is. But Henry wants her, so she's forced to be his wife.
I did enjoy hearing about Katherine Parr and the last years of Henry. Parr is easier to like than Anne or Catherynne of Aragon. From the very beginning Katherine is in the game because she has to be. She doesn't want to be Queen, she just wants to keep her life the way it is. But Henry wants her, so she's forced to be his wife.
informative
tense
medium-paced
Definitely not bad, but I think I'm just growing tired of Gregory's writing style. It's becoming pretty repetitive to me, because to me it feels as though all the books she's released in recent years have exactly the same structure/build up.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading about Catherine Parr. I feel like she's often neglected by writers/historians, and out of Henry VIII's wives the one that's least written about.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading about Catherine Parr. I feel like she's often neglected by writers/historians, and out of Henry VIII's wives the one that's least written about.
Fantastic
Another fantastic boo by Philippa Gregory. I only wish it had gone on longer to Katherine's marriage to Thomas Seymour.
Another fantastic boo by Philippa Gregory. I only wish it had gone on longer to Katherine's marriage to Thomas Seymour.
Interesting book, Bianca Amato, the reader, does a great job. The book seems anachronistic in tone but Queen Katherine does seem like a modern feminist as one of the first published women. Henry VIII is a harbinger for today's election, narcissistic and hedonistic leaders turn against their friends as often as their enemies.