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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The Boleyn Inheritance is the story of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife; Jane Boleyn, her lady-in-waiting and Anne Boleyn's former sister-in-law; and Katherine Howard, a beautiful young maid-in-waiting. By now, Henry is a hugely fat, sick, stinking, paranoid tyrant. These three women try their best to keep him happy and stay safe.
I went into this knowing only a tiny bit of these ladies' stories. [b:Sovereign|138684|Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake #3)|C.J. Sansom|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uZ%2Bo8TRKL._SL75_.jpg|1698960], by C.J. Sansom, is set around this time and the tempestuous life at court was discussed a little bit.
Even knowing how this turned out generally, I found myself getting nervous along with the women as Henry's moods turned for the worse. I was sitting there thinking, "Okay, I know this happened. Right? So it's okay. But what if I'm wrong? I could be wrong. I'm so glad I didn't live in this time." And it was an emotional roller coaster all the way through. I was cautiously optimistic when Henry was happy. I got nervous when he got sick or grumpy. When he was bed-ridden or in a foul mood, I would have bitten my nails with anxiety if I were a nail biter.
Aside from that, the women came to life for me in these pages. Little Kitty especially. She reminded me of Eartha Kitt singing "Santa Baby." "Slip a sable under the tree--for me. I've been an awful good girl." That was pretty little Kitty. Another character compared her to a magpie, collecting shiny things. That fit too. She was vain and couldn't think of anyone or anything outside herself and her wants, but I couldn't help but like her. There was no true malice in her. Every one of her chapters started off with, "Let me see, what do I have?" and then she enumerated her possessions. It sounds terrible, I know, but really I just had to smile at this fourteen-year-old girl and her vanity.
I was surprised that I liked Jane Boleyn as well as I did. I remember what she got up to in [b:The Other Boleyn Girl|37470|The Other Boleyn Girl|Philippa Gregory|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255579290s/37470.jpg|3248536], and even in Sovereign she was a mean, scheming thing. She was still definitely a schemer, but being inside her head, I saw that she wasn't quite "right," and she was being manipulated even more than she was manipulating. I mostly liked her too.
Anne was the one who really shone for me. I had an idea of her as an awkward, frumpy woman who was probably pretty unpleasant. Here, she was awkward from shyness, but I liked her for her resoluteness and her desire to be free. Free to be her own person. I enjoyed watching her inward journey from the abused middle sister of the Duke of Cleves to becoming the Queen of England. In the end, she became a woman I would like to know in real life.
As for the Duke of Norfolk--!! I'll just say that if half the stuff I've read in historical fiction is true, there must be a special pit in hell for that man. He'll gamble anything to gain power in court, as long as he himself doesn't have to pay the price. Forget him having your back. He'll shove you under the bus when you're not looking. He was awful.
The only thing that really bothers me about these books is that I'm never entirely clear as to where the "historical" part ends and the "fiction" begins. That's not really the author's fault. She does explain a little at the end about what she knows is real, what she thinks might have happened, and what she blatantly made up. One of these days I'm going to have get brave and pick up a real history on the Tudors.
I went into this knowing only a tiny bit of these ladies' stories. [b:Sovereign|138684|Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake #3)|C.J. Sansom|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uZ%2Bo8TRKL._SL75_.jpg|1698960], by C.J. Sansom, is set around this time and the tempestuous life at court was discussed a little bit.
Even knowing how this turned out generally, I found myself getting nervous along with the women as Henry's moods turned for the worse. I was sitting there thinking, "Okay, I know this happened. Right? So it's okay. But what if I'm wrong? I could be wrong. I'm so glad I didn't live in this time." And it was an emotional roller coaster all the way through. I was cautiously optimistic when Henry was happy. I got nervous when he got sick or grumpy. When he was bed-ridden or in a foul mood, I would have bitten my nails with anxiety if I were a nail biter.
Aside from that, the women came to life for me in these pages. Little Kitty especially. She reminded me of Eartha Kitt singing "Santa Baby." "Slip a sable under the tree--for me. I've been an awful good girl." That was pretty little Kitty. Another character compared her to a magpie, collecting shiny things. That fit too. She was vain and couldn't think of anyone or anything outside herself and her wants, but I couldn't help but like her. There was no true malice in her. Every one of her chapters started off with, "Let me see, what do I have?" and then she enumerated her possessions. It sounds terrible, I know, but really I just had to smile at this fourteen-year-old girl and her vanity.
I was surprised that I liked Jane Boleyn as well as I did. I remember what she got up to in [b:The Other Boleyn Girl|37470|The Other Boleyn Girl|Philippa Gregory|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255579290s/37470.jpg|3248536], and even in Sovereign she was a mean, scheming thing. She was still definitely a schemer, but being inside her head, I saw that she wasn't quite "right," and she was being manipulated even more than she was manipulating. I mostly liked her too.
Anne was the one who really shone for me. I had an idea of her as an awkward, frumpy woman who was probably pretty unpleasant. Here, she was awkward from shyness, but I liked her for her resoluteness and her desire to be free. Free to be her own person. I enjoyed watching her inward journey from the abused middle sister of the Duke of Cleves to becoming the Queen of England. In the end, she became a woman I would like to know in real life.
As for the Duke of Norfolk--!! I'll just say that if half the stuff I've read in historical fiction is true, there must be a special pit in hell for that man. He'll gamble anything to gain power in court, as long as he himself doesn't have to pay the price. Forget him having your back. He'll shove you under the bus when you're not looking. He was awful.
The only thing that really bothers me about these books is that I'm never entirely clear as to where the "historical" part ends and the "fiction" begins. That's not really the author's fault. She does explain a little at the end about what she knows is real, what she thinks might have happened, and what she blatantly made up. One of these days I'm going to have get brave and pick up a real history on the Tudors.
My full review is here on my personal website. I'll post a few excerpts here, though:
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is the bouncing narrative. We switch from one woman to the other constantly and it gets confusing. Especially when the characters begin to interact with each other more. You have to take a step back and remember who the narrator is at times.
The very best thing about this book is Anne of Cleves. I really like the way her character is portrayed. Other than Katherine of Aragorn, it seems like she’s the first character to be a decent human being who isn’t obsessed with intrigue and whatnot.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is the bouncing narrative. We switch from one woman to the other constantly and it gets confusing. Especially when the characters begin to interact with each other more. You have to take a step back and remember who the narrator is at times.
The very best thing about this book is Anne of Cleves. I really like the way her character is portrayed. Other than Katherine of Aragorn, it seems like she’s the first character to be a decent human being who isn’t obsessed with intrigue and whatnot.
Loved this book. At first Anne of Cleves was my favourite character, didn't really care too much for the monstrosity that was Jane Boleyn, but the more I read the more I loved Kitty (Katherine Howard). That poor girl, she was such a believable and innocent character, she was only a child and should never have been treated the way that she was. Only in Henry VIII's reign would something like this be allowed to happen. Anne of Cleves was bad ass though, and I loved her grace and discretion even when she wasn't being treated as she deserved. Overall it was a good read and I'd recommend it to anyone.
I don't quite know what to rate this book. I do have to admit I enjoyed reading it, and will likely read another couple in the series. I got it initially because it was a kindle daily deal. It's certainly a bit silly, but at the same time it was engrossing and easy to read--good for my commute and as I go to sleep at night. This won't change the way you think about anything at all, but it will pass the time!
Another book by Philippa Gregory that captivates and immerses me into the Tudor world. The fact that it followed the narratives of three very different women, each with her own affairs and troubles was wonderfully entertaining. I read more than half the book in one day but then slowed down tremendously just so I wouldn't finish it, to prolong the action.
Not as bad as some of the reviews imply. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I found this both interesting and enjoyable. It certainly has left me wanting to find out more about the lives of the wives of Henry VIII.
I really loved this book! I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning just to see what would happen next. It was even better than "The Other Boleyn Girl". I do not know much about this time period, other than what I read on Wikipedia, but I love the flavor and ideas I get from Gregory's books, and then I enjoy going to read about the real people and how it is believed to have really taken place. I can't wait to read more by this author!
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reads quickly. The three person narrative kept me reading long after I would normally have put it down. Each segment was so short, obviously I had time to read just one more. I found Hilary Mantel's Cromwell series to be far more engrossing, although this book is reasonably entertaining.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes