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stellar_raven 's review for:
The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn
by Alison Weir
*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.