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jmmoore2003's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ladyethyme's review against another edition
1.0
The best thing about this book, frankly, is the narrator. I’m not sure who the narrator is on audible, but she does an absolutely fantastic job. I actually went and looked to see if there were multiple voice actors involved, because she does male voices so incredibly well.
Onto the book.
Really, really sadly disappointed. I had thought Allison to be a well researched writer, but this is the first and only book I will ever read of hers if this is the level of research she does. She claims to have done research, but….
It was absolutely pathetic, a regurgitation of Victorian romance tropes written by Victorian “historians”, who enjoyed putting the wives into categories like “saint“, “whore“, “innocent“,… When the reality was far more complicated and interesting.
So let’s get some basic stuff out-of-the-way, first off, Anne did not wear white to her wedding. This is almost an eyeroll level error… Queen Victoria was the first English queen to wear white at her wedding, and it was quite a scandal, as all English queens before her more very rich embroidered fabric and cloth of gold. This was absolutely standard and could not have been any other way in a medieval wedding, even a private one - which Henry and Ann had.
Secondly, there’s far too many references to having flowing hair, or having your hair down in public… which was absolutely not a thing in any historical sense whatsoever… It’s why the French hood was so risqué and considered so very shocking, because it *gasp* kept the front part of your hair which was pulled back showing while the rest was covered. Unlike the gable hood which covers everything on your hairline completely on the side of your head. Once you hit marriageable age, you covered your hair, period.
Weir claims there was no successful cesarean preformed before the 20th century. This isn’t true. According to the nih, “Perhaps the first written record we have of a mother and baby surviving a cesarean section comes from Switzerland in 1500 when a sow gelder, Jacob Nufer, performed the operation on his wife.” Also recorded is 1794 as the first US successful cesarean where both mother and child survived. These are easily googled, from reputable government sources, so I don’t know why once again she is misinformed.
And in a household extremely wealthy aristocratic people, the mother would not be baking or cooking herself. That is just absolutely ridiculous, it would be considered almost shameful… There is no way that at that level of society did not employ an army of servants and a cook.
The idea that Henry would have Anne’s old dresses burned is absolutely off the wall. In the book, he has the jewels taken off the dresses and then the dresses were burned. This would absolutely not happen, as often fabric was far FAR more expensive abd valuable than the jewels on top of them…
Many of them had cloth of gold inserts, which basically means the cloth itself is woven from gold thread. Real gold. Spun into thread. Cloth was not so “fast fashion“ as it is today… Not even Henry VIII could afford to burn fabric. Fabric would be re-cut, reused, until it literally disintegrated upon the wearer.
And Tudors didn’t ‘have a bath’. That…. wasn’t a thing. Even if there WAS- they’d have to heat each panful of water over a fire and dump it in a ‘tub’ (which they didn’t have-not like we do). Which would take ages-but in the book it’s like her maids just ran her a bath in the tap; as it’s ready in the space of five lines of conversation.
There could be a whole book on medieval bathing and hygiene-but I’m not going to write it here and bore you all to death. But basically, linen rubbing was the norm, as bathing would open the pores, which was considered unhealthy.
Also, for the references to the supernatural are just cringe. Edward seeing a vision in a cup of water, Jane hearing the words of the yet to be Queen Elizabeth at Hatfield, visions of ghosts; all of these weird occurrences which… Never happened, and are just ludicrous to the point of laughability, and quite frankly, taking the reader out of the construct and the time period. Weir also refers to this in her endnotes as if it actually occurred-it didn’t.
In a scene where Jane visits the tower… I was completely confused if the author had even ever been to England, or visited the tower. Because the tower is not… A tower. It’s not some tower in the middle of a cornfield just sitting there with a bunch of rooms in it. The “Tower” of is a complex series of buildings, with many many interconnected courtyards and was in fact a royal residence, where Anne and Henry stayed for their honeymoon.
So… having it be in a scene where it is basically just a scary Gothic tower in the middle of nowhere when Jane observes Anne ‘in a ‘secret meeting’ Is ludicrous. I know I keep using that word, but there’s really no other way to describe this book.
Thomas More is heralded as some kind of humanist, deeply spiritual man and protector of the people-who ‘died for his conscience’ - when he in fact burned people alive in his back garden, and had a…uncomfortably close relationship with his oldest daughter. All of these things are recorded in primary sources which can be found by any historian that bothers to actually do research.
The princess Mary is also treated gently, being referred to continuously as kind and gentle. This is completely at odds with reports of her; she was very intelligent, skilled and accomplished, but this is Bloody Mary we’re talking about… Who gleefully sent hundreds of people to be burned alive in one of the most sadistic culls ever to occur in England, in an attempt to force the country back into fundamentalist Catholicism… Which they absolutely did not want- which is why it failed so spectacularly.
Indeed her youth was…stressful to the extreme, absolutely. And I do feel empathy for the young girl. But the woman she became was another matter. It is a reason, but not an excuse.
But let’s get to the real travesty of this book. The real, actual issues that I have:
The treatment of Anne and Henry. It appears that Henry is completely let off the hook for discarding and killing his wives, as he is shown to be a sympathetic and completely manipulated husband; under the throes of a harridan, a nagging “fish wife“.
He has absolutely no responsibility for this attack on Anne whatsoever in the book, and I find that really irritating. Also Henry whining that Anne MADE HIM “send Moore to his death”
Onto the book.
Really, really sadly disappointed. I had thought Allison to be a well researched writer, but this is the first and only book I will ever read of hers if this is the level of research she does. She claims to have done research, but….
It was absolutely pathetic, a regurgitation of Victorian romance tropes written by Victorian “historians”, who enjoyed putting the wives into categories like “saint“, “whore“, “innocent“,… When the reality was far more complicated and interesting.
So let’s get some basic stuff out-of-the-way, first off, Anne did not wear white to her wedding. This is almost an eyeroll level error… Queen Victoria was the first English queen to wear white at her wedding, and it was quite a scandal, as all English queens before her more very rich embroidered fabric and cloth of gold. This was absolutely standard and could not have been any other way in a medieval wedding, even a private one - which Henry and Ann had.
Secondly, there’s far too many references to having flowing hair, or having your hair down in public… which was absolutely not a thing in any historical sense whatsoever… It’s why the French hood was so risqué and considered so very shocking, because it *gasp* kept the front part of your hair which was pulled back showing while the rest was covered. Unlike the gable hood which covers everything on your hairline completely on the side of your head. Once you hit marriageable age, you covered your hair, period.
Weir claims there was no successful cesarean preformed before the 20th century. This isn’t true. According to the nih, “Perhaps the first written record we have of a mother and baby surviving a cesarean section comes from Switzerland in 1500 when a sow gelder, Jacob Nufer, performed the operation on his wife.” Also recorded is 1794 as the first US successful cesarean where both mother and child survived. These are easily googled, from reputable government sources, so I don’t know why once again she is misinformed.
And in a household extremely wealthy aristocratic people, the mother would not be baking or cooking herself. That is just absolutely ridiculous, it would be considered almost shameful… There is no way that at that level of society did not employ an army of servants and a cook.
The idea that Henry would have Anne’s old dresses burned is absolutely off the wall. In the book, he has the jewels taken off the dresses and then the dresses were burned. This would absolutely not happen, as often fabric was far FAR more expensive abd valuable than the jewels on top of them…
Many of them had cloth of gold inserts, which basically means the cloth itself is woven from gold thread. Real gold. Spun into thread. Cloth was not so “fast fashion“ as it is today… Not even Henry VIII could afford to burn fabric. Fabric would be re-cut, reused, until it literally disintegrated upon the wearer.
And Tudors didn’t ‘have a bath’. That…. wasn’t a thing. Even if there WAS- they’d have to heat each panful of water over a fire and dump it in a ‘tub’ (which they didn’t have-not like we do). Which would take ages-but in the book it’s like her maids just ran her a bath in the tap; as it’s ready in the space of five lines of conversation.
There could be a whole book on medieval bathing and hygiene-but I’m not going to write it here and bore you all to death. But basically, linen rubbing was the norm, as bathing would open the pores, which was considered unhealthy.
Also, for the references to the supernatural are just cringe. Edward seeing a vision in a cup of water, Jane hearing the words of the yet to be Queen Elizabeth at Hatfield, visions of ghosts; all of these weird occurrences which… Never happened, and are just ludicrous to the point of laughability, and quite frankly, taking the reader out of the construct and the time period. Weir also refers to this in her endnotes as if it actually occurred-it didn’t.
In a scene where Jane visits the tower… I was completely confused if the author had even ever been to England, or visited the tower. Because the tower is not… A tower. It’s not some tower in the middle of a cornfield just sitting there with a bunch of rooms in it. The “Tower” of is a complex series of buildings, with many many interconnected courtyards and was in fact a royal residence, where Anne and Henry stayed for their honeymoon.
So… having it be in a scene where it is basically just a scary Gothic tower in the middle of nowhere when Jane observes Anne ‘in a ‘secret meeting’ Is ludicrous. I know I keep using that word, but there’s really no other way to describe this book.
Thomas More is heralded as some kind of humanist, deeply spiritual man and protector of the people-who ‘died for his conscience’ - when he in fact burned people alive in his back garden, and had a…uncomfortably close relationship with his oldest daughter. All of these things are recorded in primary sources which can be found by any historian that bothers to actually do research.
The princess Mary is also treated gently, being referred to continuously as kind and gentle. This is completely at odds with reports of her; she was very intelligent, skilled and accomplished, but this is Bloody Mary we’re talking about… Who gleefully sent hundreds of people to be burned alive in one of the most sadistic culls ever to occur in England, in an attempt to force the country back into fundamentalist Catholicism… Which they absolutely did not want- which is why it failed so spectacularly.
Indeed her youth was…stressful to the extreme, absolutely. And I do feel empathy for the young girl. But the woman she became was another matter. It is a reason, but not an excuse.
But let’s get to the real travesty of this book. The real, actual issues that I have:
The treatment of Anne and Henry. It appears that Henry is completely let off the hook for discarding and killing his wives, as he is shown to be a sympathetic and completely manipulated husband; under the throes of a harridan, a nagging “fish wife“.
He has absolutely no responsibility for this attack on Anne whatsoever in the book, and I find that really irritating. Also Henry whining that Anne MADE HIM “send Moore to his death”
bec_wheels's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This novel brings Jane Seymour to life as we get insight into her upbringing and life before becoming Henry's queen. We get to see see her devotion to Katherine of Aragon, her dislike of Anne Boleyn and the reasoning why Henry was attracted to her. Additionally, we have some insight into Jane's personality, and it was interesting to see Anne's downfall from Jane's perspective. Finally, Alison Weir gives a detailed explanation of Jane's death came to be which was incredibly insightful. I enjoyed this book as Jane is brought to life as an actual woman rather than just the wife who died giving Henry an heir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
unsolvedmysteries1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
freyathefridayfairy's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could give more than five stars. This book is amazing!!
lee25's review against another edition
4.0
With each of [a:Alison Weir|6583|Alison Weir|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557954502p2/6583.jpg]'s Six Tudor Queen novels, I have thought that I didn't like the next queen and I probably wouldn't enjoy the next book, but each time I was wrong.
I hated Anne Boleyn while reading [b:Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen|26236852|Katherine of Aragón The True Queen (Six Tudor Queens, #1)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449888641l/26236852._SY75_.jpg|45978892], but once I started reading [b:Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession|30231546|Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession (Six Tudor Queens, #2)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493929186l/30231546._SY75_.jpg|50692058], I respected and was sympathetic to Anne (if not actually liking her). While reading [b:Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession|30231546|Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession (Six Tudor Queens, #2)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493929186l/30231546._SY75_.jpg|50692058], I really disliked Jane Seymour, but while reading[b:Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen|34020932|Jane Seymour The Haunted Queen (Six Tudor Queens, #3)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1499969374l/34020932._SY75_.jpg|55019323], I came to understand why Henry would have loved her.
[a:Alison Weir|6583|Alison Weir|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557954502p2/6583.jpg]'s ability to portray the queens, Henry, and the courtiers completely different from each queen's perspective makes the same events seem almost completely different with each book. This is an amazing series.
I hated Anne Boleyn while reading [b:Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen|26236852|Katherine of Aragón The True Queen (Six Tudor Queens, #1)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449888641l/26236852._SY75_.jpg|45978892], but once I started reading [b:Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession|30231546|Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession (Six Tudor Queens, #2)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493929186l/30231546._SY75_.jpg|50692058], I respected and was sympathetic to Anne (if not actually liking her). While reading [b:Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession|30231546|Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession (Six Tudor Queens, #2)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493929186l/30231546._SY75_.jpg|50692058], I really disliked Jane Seymour, but while reading[b:Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen|34020932|Jane Seymour The Haunted Queen (Six Tudor Queens, #3)|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1499969374l/34020932._SY75_.jpg|55019323], I came to understand why Henry would have loved her.
[a:Alison Weir|6583|Alison Weir|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557954502p2/6583.jpg]'s ability to portray the queens, Henry, and the courtiers completely different from each queen's perspective makes the same events seem almost completely different with each book. This is an amazing series.
teklagyorgy's review against another edition
5.0
Jane Seymour a rettegett VIII. Henrik harmadik felesége volt, és azt mondják, hogy talán őt szerette a legjobban a király az összes felesége közül. Ettől függetlenül a tragédia Jane királynét sem kerülte el, noha az ő története talán a legkevésbé véres mind közül.
Alison Weir munkássága kiemelkedő: nemcsak történelmileg hiteles, de ezt a tudásanyagot olvasmányos és élvezetes stílusban képes átadni. Noha a Jane Seymour – Az üldözött királynő történelmi fikció, azonban a laikus olvasó is bátran a kezébe veheti a könyvet, ugyanis viszonylag részletesen ismerteti a szerző nemcsak a karaktereit, hanem a kor sajátosságait is.
Bővebben: https://www.gyorgytekla.hu/2024/01/alison-weir-jane-seymour-az-uldozott-kiralyno/
Alison Weir munkássága kiemelkedő: nemcsak történelmileg hiteles, de ezt a tudásanyagot olvasmányos és élvezetes stílusban képes átadni. Noha a Jane Seymour – Az üldözött királynő történelmi fikció, azonban a laikus olvasó is bátran a kezébe veheti a könyvet, ugyanis viszonylag részletesen ismerteti a szerző nemcsak a karaktereit, hanem a kor sajátosságait is.
Bővebben: https://www.gyorgytekla.hu/2024/01/alison-weir-jane-seymour-az-uldozott-kiralyno/
fenwench's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lisamshardlow's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fictional biography of Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII. Eleven days after the execution of Anne Boleyn (Henry’s second wife), Jane is getting ready for her wedding to the King. She has witnessed the failure of Henry’s first two marriages and knows that she must bear him a son or face ruin. All the while, Jane tries to expose a gentler side to the King.
Oh, Jane! Wasn’t she lovely? She was so kind and caring; I don’t think Henry deserved her at all. Well, he didn’t really, since Jane couldn’t say no to marrying him in the first place! But I loved how Jane tried to reunite Henry with his daughter, Mary, following the aftermath of his previous marriages. By this point in history, Henry was deluded, but Jane seemed to be one of the only people who could get through to him, to try to change his mind about some questionable choices he was making regarding the country and religion. And, of course, Jane was the only one of his wives to be able to bear him a living son. It was obvious that Henry loved her for this. I wonder if things would have been different if Jane had lived longer than she did.
I felt that this book's first half was very slow, as it covered some of the same events as the first two books. I know this was because Jane was present at the royal court for Katherine of Aragon’s later reign and most of Anne Boleyn’s reign as queen consorts. But I just wanted the story to progress a little bit quicker than it was, as I’d already read the first two.
Overall, the story was very interesting, and I learned a lot about Jane Seymour and her relationships with the people around her. I even shed a little tear at the end! The only downside was the slowness of the first half. Therefore, I give Six Tudor Queens - Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen 4 out of 5 stars!
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is interested in Tudor history and strong, resilient women.
Oh, Jane! Wasn’t she lovely? She was so kind and caring; I don’t think Henry deserved her at all. Well, he didn’t really, since Jane couldn’t say no to marrying him in the first place! But I loved how Jane tried to reunite Henry with his daughter, Mary, following the aftermath of his previous marriages. By this point in history, Henry was deluded, but Jane seemed to be one of the only people who could get through to him, to try to change his mind about some questionable choices he was making regarding the country and religion. And, of course, Jane was the only one of his wives to be able to bear him a living son. It was obvious that Henry loved her for this. I wonder if things would have been different if Jane had lived longer than she did.
I felt that this book's first half was very slow, as it covered some of the same events as the first two books. I know this was because Jane was present at the royal court for Katherine of Aragon’s later reign and most of Anne Boleyn’s reign as queen consorts. But I just wanted the story to progress a little bit quicker than it was, as I’d already read the first two.
Overall, the story was very interesting, and I learned a lot about Jane Seymour and her relationships with the people around her. I even shed a little tear at the end! The only downside was the slowness of the first half. Therefore, I give Six Tudor Queens - Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen 4 out of 5 stars!
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is interested in Tudor history and strong, resilient women.
witchqueen5's review against another edition
5.0
I love it when a book opens up my perspective and presents facts from a different angle, which is why I loved this book. We all thought Queen Jane was a meek, daft English rose, yet throughout this story we see a smart, calm and calculating woman, who used her standing to bring about kindness and (fragile) peace in the realm.