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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This book took me a while, it was written differently then Philippa's books are usually written because it jumps between 3 different people instead of the one that her book usually contain. With that being said it does have the same format of 'diary styled' book which jumps between the three stories and shows how they were intertwined.
It was interesting to see the two wives coming together and the people around them facilitating things, such as affairs and babies out of wedlock which would not normally be facilitated if the third parties were not involved. I was interesting to see the link between the previous wives and this current book as well, it was surprising how intertwined the situation during Henry 8th court was.
It was interesting to see the two wives coming together and the people around them facilitating things, such as affairs and babies out of wedlock which would not normally be facilitated if the third parties were not involved. I was interesting to see the link between the previous wives and this current book as well, it was surprising how intertwined the situation during Henry 8th court was.
I am becoming addicted to Philippa Gregory's novels. Impeccably researched and masterfully narrated stories of the women in the murderous court of Henry VIII, they hook the reader like a thriller. We know what happens to them, these women who are mostly used to further the ambition of the men in their families. They are killed, or discarded when no longer useful. Some lucky few escape, like Anne of Cleves and Mary Boleyn. Others, like little Katherine Howard, never stood a chance.
But it's Gregory's imagining of these women's inner voices that pulls us in. In this, the third of the Tudor Court series, the least-known of Henry's wives are given the ability to tell their own tale. Anne of Cleves is desperate to escape the cruelty and neglect of her family. Picked out by Thomas Cromwell as a means to ally England with Protestants in Europe, she is utterly unprepared for the real Henry Tudor. No longer the dashing prince beloved for his good looks and heroic sportsmanship, he rails in vain against his increasing age and toxic leg wound while gorging himself at dinner and lets himself believe Kitty, Anne's pretty young maid-in-waiting, is actually in love with him. Both women are treated appallingly by their families: neglected and ignored until they are seen to be of use. And now that Henry is able to remake England's laws and religion with impunity they, like all his subjects, are at his capricious mercy.
A third narrative voice comes in the person of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and wife to George. Their ghosts haunt her, the bright, shining, most beautiful pair ever to be seen at court. The part Jane played in their deaths, and the role she now assumes in the Queen's chambers under the auspices of her uncle Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, tell a story of a woman desperate for some power of her own.
I've already reserved a copy of "The Taming of the Queen", Katherine Parr's story, from my library. Can't wait!
But it's Gregory's imagining of these women's inner voices that pulls us in. In this, the third of the Tudor Court series, the least-known of Henry's wives are given the ability to tell their own tale. Anne of Cleves is desperate to escape the cruelty and neglect of her family. Picked out by Thomas Cromwell as a means to ally England with Protestants in Europe, she is utterly unprepared for the real Henry Tudor. No longer the dashing prince beloved for his good looks and heroic sportsmanship, he rails in vain against his increasing age and toxic leg wound while gorging himself at dinner and lets himself believe Kitty, Anne's pretty young maid-in-waiting, is actually in love with him. Both women are treated appallingly by their families: neglected and ignored until they are seen to be of use. And now that Henry is able to remake England's laws and religion with impunity they, like all his subjects, are at his capricious mercy.
A third narrative voice comes in the person of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and wife to George. Their ghosts haunt her, the bright, shining, most beautiful pair ever to be seen at court. The part Jane played in their deaths, and the role she now assumes in the Queen's chambers under the auspices of her uncle Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, tell a story of a woman desperate for some power of her own.
I've already reserved a copy of "The Taming of the Queen", Katherine Parr's story, from my library. Can't wait!
dark
emotional
medium-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
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not nearly as good as The Other Boleyn girl, but a good read if you enjoy this genre.
This is my second read of this one and I still feel it's a weak link. I love Anne of Cleves as a historical figure and she certainly comes out of this one the best but I feel like this novel gets let down by one-dimensional characterisation - Katherine Howard is a silly girl, Jane Boleyn is quite likely a complete psychopath. Trying to build a story around 3 of the least well known women in the Tudor period is difficult and it often feels repetitive and simplistic.
Small historical points irritate too. Anne Boleyn being killed on "the block" is repeated several times in some detail despite the fact she probably didn't use one. Jane Boleyn's "son" is repeatedly mentioned despite there being no evidence she ever had one.
Not the best entry in the series in my opinion.
Small historical points irritate too. Anne Boleyn being killed on "the block" is repeated several times in some detail despite the fact she probably didn't use one. Jane Boleyn's "son" is repeatedly mentioned despite there being no evidence she ever had one.
Not the best entry in the series in my opinion.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We love a bit more Anne of Cleves on a rainy winter's evening (I do anyway), Kathrine Howard has always been done dirty and her portrayal of the loose woman is so tiring given that she was a young girl, and Jane Rochford is delightfully manipulative and wicked (with a fear for her past mistakes).
There's a lot of artistic licence going on here (as always) because we know what life was like for women and girls of the Tudor era (it sucked) but hey, Philippa Gregory's just got a way with POV's that kind of suck you in and you're half way through before you realise it's too late.
There's a lot of artistic licence going on here (as always) because we know what life was like for women and girls of the Tudor era (it sucked) but hey, Philippa Gregory's just got a way with POV's that kind of suck you in and you're half way through before you realise it's too late.
slow-paced