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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
"Women's lives do not matter to anyone at this court. Before every queen stands her pretty successor, behind her a ghost" (Taming of the Queen, page 409).
Another well written and intriguing Tudor tale from one of my most read and loved authors. Although I found the beginning rather slow, the pace quickened as the plot thickened. I appreciated the interesting take on the scholarly Kateryn Parr and her relationship with the 'serial killer' Henry VIII. The inclusion of other historical figures and sources was particularly clever. I think Philippa Gregory has certainly offered some interesting insights into what might have been their royal lives and how unsteady life was in the Tudor court. The ending did become strange, yet I felt the intentions of the author were justified within the author's notes as none truly knows what goes on behind closed doors.
I didn't want the book to end! Where was the romance that I was so long awaiting!
Highly recommend to historical fiction lovers!
Another well written and intriguing Tudor tale from one of my most read and loved authors. Although I found the beginning rather slow, the pace quickened as the plot thickened. I appreciated the interesting take on the scholarly Kateryn Parr and her relationship with the 'serial killer' Henry VIII. The inclusion of other historical figures and sources was particularly clever. I think Philippa Gregory has certainly offered some interesting insights into what might have been their royal lives and how unsteady life was in the Tudor court. The ending did become strange, yet I felt the intentions of the author were justified within the author's notes as none truly knows what goes on behind closed doors.
I didn't want the book to end! Where was the romance that I was so long awaiting!
Highly recommend to historical fiction lovers!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is so well written. Towards the end, I almost forgot that I knew how the story ended and could not put it down because I was so terrified for the main character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Philippa Gregory's latest novel from the Tudor period is the tale of Henry VIII's last wife, Kateryn Parr. She was an incredibly interesting and talented woman and it is clear why Gregory chose to tell her story.
At the beginning of the novel Kateryn is involved in a love affair with Thomas Seymour. However, she hears that the King has chosen her for his next wife, and she has little choice but to obey. Initially, the King is very supportive of Kateryn; she is allowed to study religious texts and translate some herself. She becomes a published author (she was the first woman to publish in English in her own name) and she is named Regent in the King's absence and becomes a mother figure to his three children. However, Henry is always portrayed as a monster; he has gout, an infected leg wound, and he is manipulative, controlling and psychopathic. As time goes on, Kateryn becomes more and more fearful of her life, with the threat of what happened to his previous wives hanging over her. The King's advisors fear that she is too progressive, and she is powerless to stop their influence over Henry.
For fans of Gregory's other novels and/or people who are interested in the Tudor period in general this is a great novel. It is fairly slow paced, particularly the middle section but the author builds the tension very effectively throughout.
At the beginning of the novel Kateryn is involved in a love affair with Thomas Seymour. However, she hears that the King has chosen her for his next wife, and she has little choice but to obey. Initially, the King is very supportive of Kateryn; she is allowed to study religious texts and translate some herself. She becomes a published author (she was the first woman to publish in English in her own name) and she is named Regent in the King's absence and becomes a mother figure to his three children. However, Henry is always portrayed as a monster; he has gout, an infected leg wound, and he is manipulative, controlling and psychopathic. As time goes on, Kateryn becomes more and more fearful of her life, with the threat of what happened to his previous wives hanging over her. The King's advisors fear that she is too progressive, and she is powerless to stop their influence over Henry.
For fans of Gregory's other novels and/or people who are interested in the Tudor period in general this is a great novel. It is fairly slow paced, particularly the middle section but the author builds the tension very effectively throughout.
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
You can find my full review at http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com.
I don't think I will ever get tired of reading about the Tudors or reading Philippa Gregory's books! It was actually Philippa's novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, that really cemented my love of historical fiction. While I've found myself getting behind with reading her newest books the last few years, my introduction to my library's audiobook rentals has presented the perfect way to get caught up. First up on the available books to listen to: The Taming of the Queen.
The Taming of the Queen is Henry's last wife - Kateryn Parr's - story and stretches from right before they are married until shortly after Henry's death. While there isn't anything new or revolutionary in this telling (at this point how could there be?!) I did find it to be a very interesting and entertaining presentation of what it would have been like to be married to such a mercurial and vicious man. Being from Kateryn's point of view we are able to see her husband go from a caring and giving man to one who gets pleasure from manipulating and abusing those closest to him at the drop of a hat. We also get to see her grow into an intelligent and thoughtful woman ready to fight, however she can, for the reformist cause.
While I enjoyed seeing the political side of Kateryn's time at court, my favorite aspect of the story by far was the more emotional and tender personal side she had to keep as hidden as possible from those that would use that information to their advantage. Her love for Henry's mistreated and often ignored children was tangible and it was interesting seeing her effect on them, especially Elizabeth, knowing how their lives would eventually unfold. Her great love for Thomas Seymour was also very clear to see and I liked that he was presented as truly loving her as well and not just the cad he's often depicted to be. Her sister, Anne, also played a large part in the story, protecting her and guiding her as best she could, and their relationship was quite interesting as Anne, having served each of Henry's wives, was able to guide her like no other. I would love to read a book with Anne as the main protagonist as she comes off as very strong, capable, and intelligent in this story.
The narrator, Bianca Amato, was wonderful and did an amazing job of moderating her voice to keep the tone of the story appropriate: when Kateryn's marriage is new, happy, and the bond between husband and wife respectful, if not overly loving, the tone is appropriately light and hopeful; when Henry's leg begins to fester and his mood darkens the tone becomes tense and stifling. She really shone during these darker times and I give her credit for making the fear and anguish surrounding the court palpable for the listener.
Having loved Philippa Gregory novels in the past but having always read them instead of listened to them, I am very pleased with the audiobook version of The Taming of the Queen. Those who are already fans can find a new way to appreciate her work, and those new to her might find a story style to appreciate further. I definitely recommend this to those who love Tudor history as much as I do, or someone looking for something to keep them occupied during a long commute.
I don't think I will ever get tired of reading about the Tudors or reading Philippa Gregory's books! It was actually Philippa's novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, that really cemented my love of historical fiction. While I've found myself getting behind with reading her newest books the last few years, my introduction to my library's audiobook rentals has presented the perfect way to get caught up. First up on the available books to listen to: The Taming of the Queen.
The Taming of the Queen is Henry's last wife - Kateryn Parr's - story and stretches from right before they are married until shortly after Henry's death. While there isn't anything new or revolutionary in this telling (at this point how could there be?!) I did find it to be a very interesting and entertaining presentation of what it would have been like to be married to such a mercurial and vicious man. Being from Kateryn's point of view we are able to see her husband go from a caring and giving man to one who gets pleasure from manipulating and abusing those closest to him at the drop of a hat. We also get to see her grow into an intelligent and thoughtful woman ready to fight, however she can, for the reformist cause.
While I enjoyed seeing the political side of Kateryn's time at court, my favorite aspect of the story by far was the more emotional and tender personal side she had to keep as hidden as possible from those that would use that information to their advantage. Her love for Henry's mistreated and often ignored children was tangible and it was interesting seeing her effect on them, especially Elizabeth, knowing how their lives would eventually unfold. Her great love for Thomas Seymour was also very clear to see and I liked that he was presented as truly loving her as well and not just the cad he's often depicted to be. Her sister, Anne, also played a large part in the story, protecting her and guiding her as best she could, and their relationship was quite interesting as Anne, having served each of Henry's wives, was able to guide her like no other. I would love to read a book with Anne as the main protagonist as she comes off as very strong, capable, and intelligent in this story.
The narrator, Bianca Amato, was wonderful and did an amazing job of moderating her voice to keep the tone of the story appropriate: when Kateryn's marriage is new, happy, and the bond between husband and wife respectful, if not overly loving, the tone is appropriately light and hopeful; when Henry's leg begins to fester and his mood darkens the tone becomes tense and stifling. She really shone during these darker times and I give her credit for making the fear and anguish surrounding the court palpable for the listener.
Having loved Philippa Gregory novels in the past but having always read them instead of listened to them, I am very pleased with the audiobook version of The Taming of the Queen. Those who are already fans can find a new way to appreciate her work, and those new to her might find a story style to appreciate further. I definitely recommend this to those who love Tudor history as much as I do, or someone looking for something to keep them occupied during a long commute.
The Taming of the Queen is wonderfully feminist in its titular character, Kateryn Pare, the sixth and final queen of King Henry the 8th. The novel follows her as she becomes a woman of scholarship and religious learnings to the Lutheran way. It follows her as she navigates her way through the minefield that is King Henry’s love: the rise and the fall. I loved reading this book because it became less about her eventually finding love and more about finding herself.
Wasn't super impressed at all with this one. Kateryn Parr is known not only as a survivor of Henry VIII's court, but also as an intellectual who had a more mature relationship with him. I wanted to see more of that intellectual basis for their marriage, so I was disappointed that Gregory chose to portray her as this pretty court lady caught in a gross old powerful guy's traps. Kateryn came across as a little more naive than I felt she should be at thirty, and it didn't seem like she reflected on either of her two previous marriages at all as context for this one. Furthermore, why does Philippa Gregory choose to only portray Henry as a fat, narcissistic tyrant and not add more dimension to him? Henry VIII was actually quite politically savvy, but we were never really given another context by which to judge his character. Overall this seemed like a repetition of "The Boleyn Inheritance" and I think I'm quite ready to move out of the Henry VIII part of Gregory's Tudor series.
I don’t read much historical fiction currently but it’s definitely a comfort read to me. Especially the Tudor period and the Wars of the Roses. I enjoyed this as there is not as much known about the last Henry’s wives.
It's been a while since I've read any Philippa Gregory novels and this was probably the best one to come back to after time away.
Though Kateryn is a remarkable woman and extremely well characterised, it's almost the portrayal of Henry which deserves to be pointed out. It's the way that in some of the more tender scenes you're led to trust him, almost like him - "he's not so bad", you find yourself thinking - only for it all to be turned on its head a moment later and you remember exactly why he's often considered a tyrant and a serial killer. Philippa Gregory has perfectly captured the mood swings of this spoilt child stuck in the ailing body of an old man and it's quite a feat, I feel.
I'd definitely recommend this, if only to see Henry's final years as king from a different perspective.
Though Kateryn is a remarkable woman and extremely well characterised, it's almost the portrayal of Henry which deserves to be pointed out. It's the way that in some of the more tender scenes you're led to trust him, almost like him - "he's not so bad", you find yourself thinking - only for it all to be turned on its head a moment later and you remember exactly why he's often considered a tyrant and a serial killer. Philippa Gregory has perfectly captured the mood swings of this spoilt child stuck in the ailing body of an old man and it's quite a feat, I feel.
I'd definitely recommend this, if only to see Henry's final years as king from a different perspective.