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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
3.5 - clearly well-researched but large portions feel like they could be condensed or put in as footnotes, and it feels a bit dry at times.
Very thorough and unbiased version of Anne's final days. Good read for Tudor lovers.
informative
*This review is based on a copy of the book I won through Goodreads FirstReads Giveaways.*
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
The first--and so far only--book I've won through a Goodreads give away!
I have a great interest in the Tudor dynasty, especially the era of Henry VIII's reign, so I was really excited to get my hands on this book.
I was not disappointed either. This is the first book by Ms. Weir I've read, but was so impressed that before even finishing this one I went out and bought one of her other books, [b:The Six Wives of Henry VIII|10104|The Six Wives of Henry VIII|Alison Weir|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166115512s/10104.jpg|430173].
This is not so much a biography of Anne's life, but more of the events before, during and after her arrest, trial and execution.
Anne Boleyn is an intriguing person. So often times she's cast as either the completely innocent saint, or the most egregious sinner known to man. In my opinion, she was neither, but more likely fell somewhere in between. I do not, for one moment, believe her--nor those she was accused with--to be guilty of the offenses for which they were executed, but yet I don't quite believe her to be the innocent pawn of her family either.
What Ms. Weir's book does quite successfully is lay out the facts--those precious few that remain--of the case against Anne, explore all of the possible scenarios and allows the reader to come to their own conclusions. She doesn't try to force her own opinions on the reader, and tries to be as unbiased as possible. I also like the way she portrayed all of those involved as neither absolute heroes or villains, but as complex, real people.
The book is extensively researched, extensively footnoted, and it certainly shows. There is a wealth of information to digest in this book, but one never feels overwhelmed by it, as Ms. Weir expertly guides the reader through the text, laying things out in an easy to read, almost novel-like manner.
The depictions of the executions themselves can best be described as horrifying, those scenes stayed with me long after I closed the book for the night.
The copy of the book I received was an Advance Uncorrected Proof, and I must say that I'm seriously considering looking into buying a copy of the finished novel. I'd love to have the complete version with the 16 pages color insert that was mentioned in my copy, but had not yet been added to the book.
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
The first--and so far only--book I've won through a Goodreads give away!
I have a great interest in the Tudor dynasty, especially the era of Henry VIII's reign, so I was really excited to get my hands on this book.
I was not disappointed either. This is the first book by Ms. Weir I've read, but was so impressed that before even finishing this one I went out and bought one of her other books, [b:The Six Wives of Henry VIII|10104|The Six Wives of Henry VIII|Alison Weir|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166115512s/10104.jpg|430173].
This is not so much a biography of Anne's life, but more of the events before, during and after her arrest, trial and execution.
Anne Boleyn is an intriguing person. So often times she's cast as either the completely innocent saint, or the most egregious sinner known to man. In my opinion, she was neither, but more likely fell somewhere in between. I do not, for one moment, believe her--nor those she was accused with--to be guilty of the offenses for which they were executed, but yet I don't quite believe her to be the innocent pawn of her family either.
What Ms. Weir's book does quite successfully is lay out the facts--those precious few that remain--of the case against Anne, explore all of the possible scenarios and allows the reader to come to their own conclusions. She doesn't try to force her own opinions on the reader, and tries to be as unbiased as possible. I also like the way she portrayed all of those involved as neither absolute heroes or villains, but as complex, real people.
The book is extensively researched, extensively footnoted, and it certainly shows. There is a wealth of information to digest in this book, but one never feels overwhelmed by it, as Ms. Weir expertly guides the reader through the text, laying things out in an easy to read, almost novel-like manner.
The depictions of the executions themselves can best be described as horrifying, those scenes stayed with me long after I closed the book for the night.
The copy of the book I received was an Advance Uncorrected Proof, and I must say that I'm seriously considering looking into buying a copy of the finished novel. I'd love to have the complete version with the 16 pages color insert that was mentioned in my copy, but had not yet been added to the book.
informative
slow-paced
It was really interesting. The book focuses solely on Anne Boleyn’s last few months, and goes into depth the reasons for her downfall, as well as events leading up to her arrest, and the aftermath of her death.
It was extremely readable, and had a lot of detail. Weir also takes a look at people who supported Anne as well as those who hated her, as well as the other men who were also put on trial for having affairs with Anne. It’s definitely not as one-sided as I thought it would be. It moved pretty fast, which is due to the fact that it is solely devoted to her last months.
I also liked how she talked about how historians interpreted the different events in the book, and how they changed over time. Also interesting was the chapter about different legends and ghost stories surrounding Anne Boleyn. It was unexpected, but shows how important a figure she really is.
It’s really aimed for those who are at least somewhat familiar with the time period because there’s not a lot of background information on Anne Boleyn’s childhood, or her life leading up to her final few months.
Rating: 4 out of 5. There are a lot of good things about the book, and it’s certainly more readable than some of her other books, but it’s certainly not aimed at the average person who might not have a background on the subject.
It was extremely readable, and had a lot of detail. Weir also takes a look at people who supported Anne as well as those who hated her, as well as the other men who were also put on trial for having affairs with Anne. It’s definitely not as one-sided as I thought it would be. It moved pretty fast, which is due to the fact that it is solely devoted to her last months.
I also liked how she talked about how historians interpreted the different events in the book, and how they changed over time. Also interesting was the chapter about different legends and ghost stories surrounding Anne Boleyn. It was unexpected, but shows how important a figure she really is.
It’s really aimed for those who are at least somewhat familiar with the time period because there’s not a lot of background information on Anne Boleyn’s childhood, or her life leading up to her final few months.
Rating: 4 out of 5. There are a lot of good things about the book, and it’s certainly more readable than some of her other books, but it’s certainly not aimed at the average person who might not have a background on the subject.