Helpful Score: 17
A sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl. You don't need to read them in order, but if you don't know anything about the reign of Henry the 8th, I would read TOBG first. I don't think that this book would be the same without a good understanding of what was going on at the time and the crazy stuff that Henry did. I also think it helps to have a sense of what Henry was like as a younger man to appreciate how messed up this period in English history was and how things progressed with Henry's growing power.
This book is from the point of view of three women, Anne of Cleves(Henry's fourth wife), Jane Boleyn (The wife of George, Anne Boleyn's brother) and Katherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife). I normally don't like it when the point of view changes from more than two characters, but it was done very well and I didn't mind at all. It did not feel segmented because when it changed POV character, the new character picked the story up from where the last character left off.
This is good historical fiction and a worth reading if you enjoy the genre and a must read for those of you who are interested in the period.
As a woman I find it utterly frightening to imagine living in Henry's court. To live in a time where you are owned by the men in your family and traded to another man, like a horse. To have little or no choice about anything in your life and your worth is judged on your ability to give birth to a boy child. To live in fear of being drug to a scaffold, kicking and screaming, to be beheaded on the whim of a madman, with no trial, or proof of a crime. It's chilling. I find it a whole lot scarier than anything Stephen King's written in the last twenty years.
This book is from the point of view of three women, Anne of Cleves(Henry's fourth wife), Jane Boleyn (The wife of George, Anne Boleyn's brother) and Katherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife). I normally don't like it when the point of view changes from more than two characters, but it was done very well and I didn't mind at all. It did not feel segmented because when it changed POV character, the new character picked the story up from where the last character left off.
This is good historical fiction and a worth reading if you enjoy the genre and a must read for those of you who are interested in the period.
As a woman I find it utterly frightening to imagine living in Henry's court. To live in a time where you are owned by the men in your family and traded to another man, like a horse. To have little or no choice about anything in your life and your worth is judged on your ability to give birth to a boy child. To live in fear of being drug to a scaffold, kicking and screaming, to be beheaded on the whim of a madman, with no trial, or proof of a crime. It's chilling. I find it a whole lot scarier than anything Stephen King's written in the last twenty years.
I enjoyed this book, although at times I found Howard's voice rather annoying. But I had to remind myself, she was portrayed as a flighty teenager in this book and at that age, I was probably annoying as well.
Another great tale by Gregory. I haven't been disappointed with any of her Tudor books (yet). Recommended to lovers of historical fiction/romance with an interest in the Tudors.
Another great tale by Gregory. I haven't been disappointed with any of her Tudor books (yet). Recommended to lovers of historical fiction/romance with an interest in the Tudors.
Helpful Score: 8
Phillipa Gregory continues to write historical fiction from interesting angles. This tale is told from the perspective of 3 women in the court of Henry VIII; Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane (Rochford) Boleyn, who was the sister-in-law to ill-fated Anne, and the wife of George, Anne's brother, whom she betrayed out of jealousy, sealing their fate on the scaffold. The story tells the tale of events in the same time sequence, but from the three different perspectives, A Queen, a lady in waiting, a lady in waiting who became a queen. Anne of Cleves comes off the best -- you had to pity anyone married to Henry, Catherine merely pathetic and Jane conniving and obnoxious. Told all together, the story is a complete and satisfying novel, well written and with powerful character development.
Helpful Score: 6
Philippa Gregory has drawn convincing portraits of Henry VIII's fourth and fifth wives: Anne of Cleves, sensible, warm-hearted and wise; and Katherine Howard, foolish, impulsive and self-centered. Her grasp of Jane Boleyn's character is not as strong, and the novel drags in the middle, but overall it was a good read and better than "The Other Boleyn Girl."
Helpful Score: 4
Philippa Gregory's follow-up to The Other Boleyn Girl does not disappoint. This book is 515 delicious pages - it had me reading every chance I got and long into the night. When it ended, I longed for more.
