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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
In this installment of the Tudor court saga Gregory has 3 different characters narrate the story from their own point of view. This has the potential to make for a very interesting story, but the book was so repetitive because each of the characters was so one dimensional. Allow me to save you the time.
Jane Boleyn: I've seen it all before. Doesn't anyone else remember George and Anne. I'm going to get back the power they used to have.
Anne of Cleaves: My brother is a crazy tyrant, the king is a crazy tyrant. I want to be free like a falcon.
Katherine Howard: I am a vapid teenage who likes boys, dresses, and being pretty.
The characters harp on these themes every time the narration shifts to them. The historical facts should have made this one of the more interesting reads as Henry grows more and more unstable, but instead this book is a tediously long read.
Jane Boleyn: I've seen it all before. Doesn't anyone else remember George and Anne. I'm going to get back the power they used to have.
Anne of Cleaves: My brother is a crazy tyrant, the king is a crazy tyrant. I want to be free like a falcon.
Katherine Howard: I am a vapid teenage who likes boys, dresses, and being pretty.
The characters harp on these themes every time the narration shifts to them. The historical facts should have made this one of the more interesting reads as Henry grows more and more unstable, but instead this book is a tediously long read.
Another interesting story about the wives and times of King Henry VIII. This book covers the fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.
An excellent follow-up to "The Other Boleyn Girl." This book switches between three narrators - Anne of Cleves, Lady Jane Boleyn (formerly Rochford), and Katherine Howard. Each offers a unique view of Henry VIII's continuing descent into madness and how it ultimately affects the court - particularly its women - around him.
I liked The Other Boleyn Girl more but I did learn about Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard in this book. It was just a bit dull as a story b/c Henry is no longer young and dashing but old, pus-smelling, flatulant, fat and tyrannical. Good times!
I was surprised at how young Katherine Howard was (only 14-15) compared to Henry and how her story turned out.
Divorced, beheaded, died
Divorced beheaded, survived
I was surprised at how young Katherine Howard was (only 14-15) compared to Henry and how her story turned out.
Divorced, beheaded, died
Divorced beheaded, survived
After I read The Other Boleyn Girl I went out to the bookstore and bought a copy of the Boleyn Inheritance. I found it interesting how the story was told through each girl's point of view and their point of views seemed to overlap keeping the story flowing.
I was absolutely fascinated by this time period. I also enjoyed another novel of Ms Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl. The Boleyn Inheritance was a nice follow-up novel. What a crazy period of history!! A madman is a king (Henry VIII) who married and divorced and put to death many of his wives on mere whims. Since he was the king and also considered himself a God, no one argued with him and no one dared speak against him. He put many to their deaths by hanging and burning at the stake for treason and for practising any faith but his own. The Boleyn Inheritance follows the story of three different women, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn. First, it is Anne of Cleves, come to wed Henry after the death of Henry's last wife Jane Seymour (she died from sickness, not from the chopping block). Anne speaks hardly a word of English and knows nothing of how to act as a Queen, but she fancies herself as one of the greatest Queens. One of Anne's ladies in waiting is young 16-year-old Katherine Howard who catches the King's eye. Henry decides to annul his marriage to Anne, because he has come to hate Anne and can not consummate the marriage and he does split with Anne quite amicably, setting her up in a castle that at one time had been given to Anne Boleyn. Henry goes on to marry Katherine Howard, and that does not go well at all. Katherine tries her best, but of course, she does not become pregnant with the King's baby and where she is such a young thing, she takes a lover. And in between the telling of Anne's story and Katherine's story we have Jane Boleyn, who saw her husband George hung and her sister in law Anne Boleyn beheaded. Jane gave evidence against both her husband and Anne in order to save the Boleyn inheritance and the name and title. Jane also winds up testifying against Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. As I mentioned, Anne of Cleves is spared the executioner's axe, but not by much, Katherine Howard went to the block and beheaded, Jane Boleyn was dragged to the block right behind her. In the end, the Boleyn Inheritance was given. but it wasn't money, or titles, or lands, it was death by execution at the whim and order of Henry VIII. Jane and Katherine were not even granted the courtesy of a trial.
I love historical fiction. Some of what Philippa Gregory pulled into this book is true, most fiction...which she clearly states at the end of the book in her author's note. I am actually glad she chose to put that at the end. It didn't cloud up my enjoyment of the book.
It humors me the number of ladies that a queen had to have to help her get through her daily activities. Like dressing, and changing her dress 2 or 3 times per day. Having all these ladies and maids in waiting proved to be detrimental to several queens in this story. The queens just didn't live up the the great King Henry's expectations. Which were unbelievable when you consider his age, failing health, and size. I would have been inclined to find a younger suitor like was done in this book.
Take it for what it is....historical fiction.....and have fun with it. I did, even though it took me a month to read, I really enjoyed it and look forward to the other Philippa Gregory books I have on my shelf.
It humors me the number of ladies that a queen had to have to help her get through her daily activities. Like dressing, and changing her dress 2 or 3 times per day. Having all these ladies and maids in waiting proved to be detrimental to several queens in this story. The queens just didn't live up the the great King Henry's expectations. Which were unbelievable when you consider his age, failing health, and size. I would have been inclined to find a younger suitor like was done in this book.
Take it for what it is....historical fiction.....and have fun with it. I did, even though it took me a month to read, I really enjoyed it and look forward to the other Philippa Gregory books I have on my shelf.
Another easy and intriguing read from Philippa Gregory. I liked it and definitely wanted to keep reading.