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- The Boleyn Inheritance
- The riddle of the Boleyn Inheritance
- Reign of terror
- Captivated by the Tudors
- Not the best, but interesting
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The Boleyn Inheritance
Philippa Gregory
Manufacturer: Touchstone
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Katherine
ASIN: 0743272501 |
Book Description
THREE WOMEN WHO SHARE ONE FATE: THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE
ANNE OF CLEVES
She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.
KATHERINE HOWARD
She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.
JANE ROCHFORD
She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.
The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about a court ruled by the gallows and three women whose positions brought them wealth, admiration, and power as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror. Once again, Philippa Gregory has brought a vanished world to life -- the whisper of a silk skirt on a stone stair, the yellow glow of candlelight illuminating a hastily written note, the murmurs of the crowd gathering on Tower Green below the newly built scaffold. In The Boleyn Inheritance Gregory is at her intelligent and page-turning best.
Customer Reviews:
The Boleyn Inheritance.......2007-10-19
In The Boleyn Inheritance, Phillipa Gregory takes a unique and thoughtful approach in her characterization of these lesser known figures from Henry VIII's throughly examined life. The story is told from the viewpoint of three women all trying to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment of a tyrannical madman's world. An interesting perspective. The three separately reveal their thoughts, motivations and ambitions during the time following Anne Boleyn's death and leading up to the execution of Henry's fifth wife, Katherine Howard. The author does a very credible job in imagining what must be going through the minds of Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard while their lives are in Henry's hands. I've read a lot of fiction set in Tudor England as well as nonfiction and I always enjoy Phillipa Gregory's books.
The riddle of the Boleyn Inheritance.......2007-10-10
This book is amazing. If you make yourself the question "What is the Boleyn Inheritance?" The author will give you hints through the book, and you can make some guess of which the answer will be. It is just at the very end of the book, that you will find out the answer, which is a breathtaking surprise.
Reign of terror.......2007-10-06
Having just finished the last page of this book, I'm still feeling rather trembly(if that's a word!) and shaken at the picture of complete horror and terrible fear painted so brilliantly by Philippa Gregory. Poor, Katherine Howard was the 5th wife of the murderous Henry V111, a pretty but vapid child of fifteen and as silly and stupid a 15 year old as one could imagine. The poor ditz of a creature was used by her family, the aristocratic and ruthless Howards, who also produced Queen Anne Boleyn, and manipulated into captivating the King who had deteriorated into a madman with a gross, infected and ulcerated body and who had become a complete megalomaniac. The other part of the story which was more interesting to me, was the story of Anne of Cleves who was Henry's 4th wife but who, through dint of cleverness and good luck, escaped the headman's axe by agreeing to the annulment of her marriage. Not much has been written about Anne but she must go down in history as one of the luckiest women in the world. I found this book to be an excellent read and an absolute page turner to the end.
Captivated by the Tudors.......2007-09-19
Having been fascinated by "The Other Boleyn Girl", I was very much looking forward to "The Boleyn Inheritance" and was not disappointed. A sort of sequel, the latter carries forward a character from the first book, Jane Boleyn, and also includes Henry's fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. The story moves forward through alternating accounts of events by the three women. In my opinion, the author does a good job of capturing each one's spirit and voice. In addition, the story is fairly accurate historically, so provided a starting point for additional research on Henry and his wives.
Not the best, but interesting.......2007-09-16
Definitely preferred The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover. I'm reading Earthly Joys. I didn't think the two Boleyn books tied together that well. But the three narrators were interesting and her take on Anne of Cleves was fascinating. I loved the fleshing out of these forgotten and yet so important historical figures. But Jane Boleyn was tough to believe and understand.
Average customer rating:
- Beautiful Box Set but Incomplete
- Lestat Rocks My Boring World!
- Fantastic Reading!!!
- great books from anne rice
- Thought provoking but belaboured
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Complete Vampire Chronicles (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the body Thief)
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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ASIN: 0345385403
Release Date: 1993-09-01 |
Amazon.com
For the first time you can find all your favorite night-stalking, blood-guzzling undead--Lestat, Claudia, Louis, Akasha, Armand, and Memnoch--all in the same place at the same time. Here, collected in one box-set, are the four bestselling, original titles of Anne Rice's sprawling vampire series.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful Box Set but Incomplete.......2007-10-01
For any Anne Rice Vampire fans you cannot go past this beautiful Box Set with modern artwork cover designs. My only complaint is why on earth isn't the Fifth and final volume of the central plot Vampire Chronicles (before all those spin-offs) included??? The fifth and final volume "Memnoch the Devil" should definitely be included in the Box Set without which it is simply NOT complete when the finale ends nicely with Lestat's famous last words:
I am the Vampire Lestat. Let me pass now from fiction into legend.
THE END
9:43 February 28, 1994 Adieu, mon amour.
Lestat Rocks My Boring World!.......2007-09-16
Everyone else has basically described all four of these books for the most part, so let me make my review brief and to the point. Interview, Lestat, and Tale of the Body Thief were my favorite books of the four in the chronicles. Queen of the Damned, however was long, slow, and so detailed that it was the only book I managed to lose my attention to in streaks, and I have listened to them all unabridged, on tape, at work.
Sure, her books are a bit overrated, but they are also well-written and entertaining. Rice gives our dark heroes so much humanity that one can't help being attracted by them enough to want to become one as well at times. Nowhere is this point made more concise than by her favorite character, Lestat. I wish mortal men were as cool and insightful as "the brat prince!" Great, imaginative fun. Frank Muller's narration of the audio books is second to none.
Fantastic Reading!!!.......2007-09-16
I'm not big on vampire books but Anne Rice writes in such a way that you truly believe they are real people with real lives and all the thoughts and feelings we all have. In addition, they struggle with the issues of immortality and there are many.
great books from anne rice.......2007-01-28
i bought these books for my teen she couldnt put them down till they were all read anne rice is a great author
Thought provoking but belaboured.......2006-09-29
I would certainly recommend anyone who has an interest in this genre to read these books. Rice raises some very interesting concepts from the mind of the vampire. My only gripe (and a friend feels the same way) is that Rice tends to ramble - padding out relatively meaningless stuff, or stuff that you've already gleaned the concept of after two lines. I found myself skipping paragraphs & pages, which was detrimental to the flow. With some judicious editing and condensing they would be worthy of 5 stars. The fourth book doesn't quite hold up to the stds set with the first three...might be worth finding the trilogy.
Book Description
Queen Anne-style houses are arguably the most charming and picturesque of all Victorians. In this first-ever book on the American Queen Anne style, noted preservationist Janet W. Foster presents a thoughtful recognition of these houses' place in the history of American architecture.
Built across the U.S. during the late 19th century (The Inn at Castle Hill in Newport, RI, is a popular example), features of Queen Anne homes include gabled roofs; corbelled chimneys; vertical windows; large porches; balconies; and cut-stone foundations. Foster explains distinguishing elements of the Queen Anne tradition as she examines 21 noted homes, many of them not open to the public and never before published. With more than 200 magnificent photographs, this homage to a great American art form will delight anyone who appreciates a beautiful home.
Customer Reviews:
A must-have for architectural history buffs........2007-02-07
Generally, books of this type fall into two categories - either they are dense textbook-like examinations of a particular style of architecture that lack visual appeal, or they are beautifully illustrated with minimal text that amounts to fluff. This book is a triumph in that it combines the best of both. It is at once visually appealing and informative. Both the professional and the layperson will find it useful and enjoyable. What an exciting concept!
QUEEN ANNE.......2006-10-19
Really a well done book on one of the great American house styles. The text is highly informative and the images are crisp and well executed. Overall, I was pleased with the houses chosen, some are quite reserved and some are massive and grand. I do wish the author had chosen one of the great Galveston Queen Anne style mansions, instead of the simple quant home chosen to represent Galveston, the city has some spectacular mansions in this style. Though having said that i still highly recommend this wonderful book, if you have a love for Queen Anne, you will not be disappointed, unless you happen to be a Galvestonian.
Book Description
From among the world-renowned treasures at the Winterthur Museum, the author selected 400 outstanding examples of American furniture from the Queen Anne and Chippendale periods, representing the era when the cabinetmakers of New England, New York, Philadelphia, and the South were at the height of their achievement. Each illustration is accompanied by information about the pieces place of origin, date of construction, dimensions, special features and qualities, and the maker and original owner when known. A special section presents the furniture in its proper environment, including ten rooms in full color. There is technical information for the serious collector and a highly readable history for those interested in the early-American way of life.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Aid for Production of Period Works.......2004-10-27
I was excited from the time I opened the package. The volume has high quality photographs printed on gloss pages. The photographs represent a broad spectrum of works by superior funrniture makers. The comprehensive text explained the obvious and not so obvious distingtions in form, format, style, constrution approach, and a host of like details.
I took the volume with me to Marc Adams School of Woodworking for a Philidephia Lowboy class with Allen Breed. The pictures aided in layout and construction of the item. Class members were impressed with the quality and quanity of the photographs. This book is well worth the price.
Book Description
In the late 19th century, women wore bustles, corsets, and ankle-length petticoats under skirts that swept the ground. By the 1930s, some of the same women were wearing trousers, short skirts, and simple draped dresses. Nowhere is this extraordinary transition more beautifully and extensively documented than in the wardrobe of Queen Maud of Norway, the granddaughter of England's Queen Victoria. One of the best-dressed women of her age, she took every opportunity to indulge her passion for clothes.
Style and Splendour showcases some of Queen Maud's most spectacular garments. Using photographs of her magnificent clothes and accessories, most made by the foremost designers of her day and now preserved in Oslo, the book tells the story of the evolution of women's fashion from the 1890s to the 1930s. AUTHOR BIO: Anne Kjellberg is curator of Queen Maud's collection at the National Museum of Art/Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Oslo. Susan North is curator in the Department of Furniture, Textiles and Dress at the V&A and author of Historical Fashion in Detail.
Customer Reviews:
beautiful images.......2007-06-25
Beautiful book. Beautiful images. I wanted MORE images but that's just me.
Cool to see some other designers works besides the greats like Dior and Balenciaga. There are a few outfits that really take my breath away. If it had more images I would have given it 5 stars! but it really is a 5 star book for most people.
Queen Maud as costumer's resource.......2007-04-05
This book is excellent for costuming ideas. It has large, sharp pictures that show the details on the dresses beautifully.
A Queen's Closet.......2006-01-22
All of the books on historical fashion published by the Victoria & Albert Museum are beautiful, and this is no exception. I saw this exhibition while I was in London this summer and I was pleasantly surprised at liking the book because I always assumed that publications wouldn't be able to measure up to seeing the garments in person. Instead I found that the book gives me a chance to appreciate each beautiful garment at my leisure, and read the history about Queen Maud (which gives a context and feeling of `realness' to the clothing). The book features Edwardian coronation gowns (literally, Maud wore one for the coronation of Edward VII, her father), sportswear (riding gowns etc.), and dresses and suits through the late 30's all beautifully photographed and described.
Average customer rating:
- Great, Great book
- Solid and entertaining though it falls short of spectacular
- My only love sprung from my only hate!
- The Boleyn girl still surprises
- Threads is an unforgettable novel...
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Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn
Nell Gavin
Manufacturer: Infinity Publishing.com
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ASIN: 074140916X |
Book Description
It's 1970. Anne and Henry still have issues they need to address. It's been 434 years since they parted - on bad terms - and they haven't spoken since. Henry now has problems with alcohol, drugs and irresponsibility, and Anne is still holding onto a grudge.
They don't know they were married 434 years ago. They don't know they parted on bad terms. Anne has no idea why she has a compulsion to punish him, a man she's only just met, and Henry has no idea why he can't be near her without falling in love.
Threads, a reincarnation fantasy, opens with Anne's death in 1536. Her husband Henry, seemingly in defense of Anne (but more likely acting out of "stubborn perverseness," she observes), has terrorized England and decreed murder after political murder to protect her. Ultimately, to Anne's horror, he made the decision to have her executed as well.
Anne's fury at her husband's betrayal has enough momentum to survive centuries, but in "Threads" she learns that she has been assigned a hard task: she must forgive him. This may prove difficult and take some time. The husband in question is Henry VIII. The narrator is the stubborn, volatile Anne Boleyn, who is not at all inclined to forgive. .
It is a very unusual love story.
2000 William Faulkner Competition Finalist for best novel.
Customer Reviews:
Great, Great book.......2007-05-13
I loved this book; it is beautifully written and is engaging from the beginning. I loved the references to her other lifetimes - fascinating correlation.
Highly, highly recommend it. Everyone I know who has read it has loved it and passed it along to another reader.
Solid and entertaining though it falls short of spectacular.......2006-11-21
Being a big fan of love stories, historical fiction and the Tudors generally, this book seemed as if it were made more me. And I enjoyed it. It's rare to find a novel that portrays Anne Boleyn so sympathetically, but Gavin makes a decent case for Anne as a basically good person who was driven by love to do things that she'd otherwise never dream of. In her note to the readers at the end of the book Gavin explains where she got such ideas, backs them up with evidence where possible, and when there is no evidence she freely admits that it's her own speculation. Obviously the portions that take place in other incarnation and in the afterlife are pure fiction, but it's intersting watching Anne come to grasp the concept that she and Henry were soulmates who paid debts from their previous lives during their reign. In order for them to move on together Anne must learn to forgive Henry for murdering her. This is where the book falters a bit. To do so Anne watches their past lives as if on a movie screen and discusses them with "the Voice", a disembodied spirit. These episodes of past lives seem thrown into the book, though they fail to do much of anything. We're given hints that there are other lifetimes that are not portrayed though we never learn why. So the interludes succeed in doing nothing but interrupting the flow of the narrative. As a character Anne is well drawn and developed. I became somewhat frustrated with her refusal to forgive Henry despite her obvious desire to do so and incresing evidence that he was not entirely at fault for what he did. These problems are somewhat detrimental but not entirely. Gavin still has a great love story, a nice bit of speculative history and some fantasy woven into mix
My only love sprung from my only hate!.......2006-04-30
This novel is not Romeo and Juliet, as my title implies, but it is a romantic tragedy of sorts. Told from the point of view of Anne Boleyn, the story is a truly heartbreaking one. It presents characters that are victims of human weakness, either their own or others. Anne, the protagonist, seems to be the most vulnerable of them all. The reader gets drawn into the novel and quickly sees a vulnerable, insecure, lonely young woman rather than the malicious witch that history has presented us with. Anyone who has ever struggled with the need to be accepted, with the need to be loved, with a betrayal or a heartbreak will be able to empathize with her. In her husband, you see yet another example of human weakness: a man who has almost no control over himself. He may be a king, but in a way he is a prisoner of both his mind and of this body. Anne and Henry are soul mates. They both truly love each other, but are too flawed as human beings to have their happily ever after. This life in particular leaves them both scarred, especially Anne. One of the things that I found particularly interesting in this novel was the stories of previous lives. It was such an interesting way to view things- to see where certain aspects of personalities came from, to compare and contrast individuals with their former existences. This novel is truly wonderful. It presents you with well developed characters. The story itself is completely believable. It also makes you ponder some interesting ideas. These include the value of your actions in life, the possibility of reincarnation and its impact on an individual's life, the value of love and friendship, the ability of power to corrupt, and the fragility of human beings.
Okay... so long story short: I highly recommend this novel!
The Boleyn girl still surprises.......2004-12-18
I am not a fan of historical fiction so being advised that would ejoy this left me unsure what to expect. It was a wonderful surprise to find that Nell Gavin had been brave enough to abandon the constraints of formula fiction and cast aside the rules of genre. The story of Anne Boleyn is of course one of the greatest injustices committed against an individual in modern history but is usually told from the point of view of the establishment. Not only does Nell give us Anne's point of view, she takes us beyong the execution to a place outside space and time where the central character, now aware of both past and future, can view herself objectively and understand why others behaved as they did.
There are elements of gnostic kabbalism in this novel and an intriguing parallel with the life of Diana, Princess of Wales emerges although it is not referred to directly.
The writer displayes in her literary style a lightness of touch that makes for easy reading and I am sure readers will find the pages turning so fast they start to get hot.
Threads may disappoint fans of the typical historical "bodice - ripper" and those who think themselves historical purists (having read some of their reviews however I feel that in their lust for purity they forget this is FICTION) but to the type of reader who likes novels to explore ideas rather than drily reporting imagined events Threads will be a delight. All in all a fine novel that I have no reservations about awarding five stars (plus a distinction for originality.)
Threads is an unforgettable novel..........2004-10-15
Nell Gavin has brought Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, to vibrant life in her unusual historical novel, "Threads." Anne's path from that of an unloved and abused young girl, to the position of Queen of England, is presented by Anne herself as she looks back upon the circumstances that eventually led to her execution. Although there really isn't a lot of actual historical information about Anne, Gavin has created believable personalities with strengths and weaknesses, imperfections and understandable desires. Using a combination of fact and legend, she tells a story of passion, obsession, and heartbreak that will capture readers with its depth and humanity.
Gavin uses the fictional concept of reincarnation to showcase all of the characters that make up what is truly a tragic tale of love and betrayal. In several different "reincarnations," Anne and Henry, along with family, friends, and lost loves, are placed into different life situations, each one exploring another facet of personality and circumstances. The technique is unique, intriguing, and in the end, beautifully coaxes the dark ghosts of a long dead past into the present for an introduction readers won't soon forget.
"Threads" is a remarkable effort. It is, without a doubt, one of the best historical novels I've every read. I give it my very highest recommendation!
Book Description
Anne Bishop's critically-acclaimed Black Jewels Trilogy is the saga of a young but still-innocent Queen more powerful than even the High Lord of Hell-and the three sworn enemies determined to win her and gain a prize that could be terrible beyond imagining...
Customer Reviews:
A Snarly Review.......2007-09-25
If I had to sum up this book in one word it would be "disappointing". Ms. Bishop creates a beautiful hierarchy of power with the Blood and drawing their power from Jewels, the delicate psychic roadways of the Winds, and an interesting take on death with the Demon Dead and Guardians. The geography of the different lands, the different races of creatures that occupied them, and the involvement of the Kindred were all wonderfully detailed and fresh. These aspects of the story are fascinating, well developed, and highly imaginative, and I truly wish the actual storyline could live up to this promise.
In contrast of the terrific world she created, Ms. Bishop's characters could not be any more two-dimensional and tiresome. For all of her attempts to write "Dark Fantasy" and to challenge traditional images of hell/darkness (with names like Saetan, Daemon, and Lucivar) she creates some pretty standard, dull heroes and villains. No one hero is capable of doing anything wrong--Jaenelle most of all. I don't think I've read a heroine this mind-numbing in a long time. For a story like this to work, there needs to be actual, palpable danger for the heroine and the heroine's world. There was no question or danger here--Jaenelle was all powerful, pure hearted, and of course could overcome the simple-minded evil Queens. Hardly scintillating material.
So far as writing skills go, I am entirely done with the word "snarl". There are other adjectives to describe guttural noises.
Even on a romance front, I was disappointed. Daemon, the only true attempt at a multidimensional character, felt like a washed-out letdown by Book 3. There was some nice tension from the first book--I enjoyed Daemon's struggle--but it led to absolutely no payoff. When Witch and he finally get it on, it's almost laughable.
In short, the whole story felt contrived. Ms. Bishop creates dark scenes (like rape or murder) with no real consequence (everyone is *really* ok), an entirely dull love story, and "danger" without there really being any threat.
Ms. Bishop is the true Sadi here--these books give the ghost of promise and tease the reader seductively...only to find the results flaccid and leaving the reader completely unfulfilled.
A (generous) two and a half-stars.
A read so fascinating that I had to go there twice... in a row--.......2007-09-23
I recently stumbled onto this particular genre. And I can't believe how lucky I am. Where have I been all my life? It's fun. It's fantastic. It's absolutely amazing to me that someone can create an entire reality like this.
Anyway. I read this particular book from cover to cover and then, for the first time in my life, I turned right back to page 1 and started over. It is that good.
Black Jewels-good read.......2007-09-13
A rich world with interesting characters and a really fresh use of magic--beyond wands and wizards.
Amazing!!!.......2007-08-31
This book is Amazing. The very first paragraph caught me and the book never let go. I am an avid reader, of all books, and anymore it has become increasingly difficult to find a book with the power to grab your attention in the first 100 pages let alone the first paragraph. I will not sum up the book for you; my only advice would be to buy the book. The best way to describe this book is "All Encompasing."
Wonderful........2007-08-27
While I cannot hope to write as graceful a review as every other person before me has, I will try to tell you what I can about this book, and why is should be part of your collection.
The book (though there are actually three combined into one lovely volume) is about a very original world. I won't delve too deep into it, because part of the fun is figuring it out as you go, getting all the tidbits and making your own dreams of it. But, this world, this is what grabbed me the most. It's not like all the other fantasy books I've read; where there's always the set 'bad guy' and the 'good guys' and oh woe is me, someone must save us all.
While that concept is present in this book, it is not drawn out and used as the only tagline. There are so many other pieces to this great piece of writing!
Beyond the world, there are the characters. The deliciously real characters who I myself end up crying for, and getting angry about. Anne Bishop really draws you in and you start to know them so well... there are so many things about them, you feel like you could walk past them on the street. They do things that you think they would do, that you know is what that character would want to do. It is all very well done, gracefully, and well-fleshed so that they are believable, likable, and in some cases, absolutely despicable.
The plot is wonderfully twisted. There are so many strands of it that are to be pieced together, it's like a treasure hunt. And each chapter that gives you another lead, another piece... it's so lovely. And then a few things click, and you mentally go 'ooooh, that's why he did that!' And the way all the conflicts meet up in the end, how everything comes together so well; it's a piece of art.
And the romance, of course. My boyfriend stuck out his tongue and refused when he'd heard me mention that, though I know he was reading it when I slept... but it is a focal point. Enough that women will swoon, but not enough, I think, to turn men away from reading and enjoying this book.
With all the different characters, situations, and happenings in this book, there will surely be a thing for you to love and connect with, something to draw you in. If you give it a chance, I can assure you, you will not be disappointed. So... read some more reviews, think it over, and then do it, and enjoy reading about the life of the SaDiablo line, and all those who are drawn into their plight... :)
Book Description
One powerful king. Two tragic queens.
In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.
Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her.
Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII.
Look for the Reading Group Guide at the back of this book.
Also available as an ebook.
Download Description
Jean Plaidy is the pen name of Eleanor Hibbert; she was also known as Victoria Holt. More than fourteen million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Visit maidenscrown.com for a list of other historical novels available from this prolific author.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous Historical Novel!.......2006-11-16
I have read many Plaidy novels, but this delves deeper than the others and represents, in my opinion, absolutely the best of Plaidy, and probably the best on the period. What I don't like about modern historicals is the way they play with history. Plaidy sticks to the facts as they are known and provides insights and details that make the story come alive. The characters are real people, and the facts can't be disputed. In this book, she gives a fairly graphic portrayal of the torture used to extract the false confessions of Henry VIII's hapless victims, and after reading it, I found Plaidy gave me a new understanding of what this era in history, and this dynasty in particular, stood for, and it is even more horrific than I ever imagined. Plaidy's Henry VIII goes about his grotesque and bloody deeds with a good conscience, patting himself on the back for being such a fine and righteous fellow, which makes him even more appalling to our civilized mind. It is a look into the black mind of a serial killer, and a gripping read. Once you pick up the book, you can't put it down again until you're done. Despite the graphic parts, I recommend this novel even for teens, because they won't get a twisted view of history, and besides, Catherine was only a child when this ogre chose her for his queen, so this book would appeal to them. I think everyone who reads it will probably pause and give thanks for being born at a time in history when a monster like this can't roam the highest echelons of power stuffing his bloody mouth with the flesh of saints and sinners alike. That is the beauty of a great historical novel. It makes us understand the past, and appreciate our present even more.
My Favorite Wives.......2006-06-02
I was drawn to this book in the bookstore because the title said that it featured two of my favorite wives of Bluff King Hal, aka Henry VIII: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. It tells their sad stories and is a pretty good book.
Reads like a bestseller........2006-03-01
I loved this book. Very easy to read and difficult to put down. The story of Anne and Catherine from what may have been their point of view. Tragic and fascinating.
Evocative and moving.......2006-01-28
I first read this novel when I was thirteen and I found it utterly evocative of the Tudor period and it began a long love of all historical novels. I have devoured every book I could find about Anne Boleyn since and this is still the best. Plaidy created a spirited, proud, desirable Anne and the scenes in the novel really bring her to life. The way she weaves the lives of the two cousins together is very clever and I think it is a very well written piece of fiction.
Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.......2004-02-29
I really love Jean Plaidy's books, but this one wasn't the best. I am a huge fan of Anne Boleyn so I was excited to read this book. I was a little disappointed in it though.
I have to agree with Lady Jane Grey's opinion. It would have been way better if Anne hadn't of slept with Henry in the book as in real history she didn't. How could someone like Henry keep interestest in them by giving in? Maybe they could, but he certainly wouldn't go as far as to make them Queen of England.
I also think that how she discribed Jane Seymour was a little harsh. Calling her mousy and stuff. I think that she must have been a very brace woman to marry Henry.
I think that Jean Plaidy does a wonderful job portraying Catherine Howard though. She had everything accurate with the room and the people pressuring her into intercourse. I also like how she shows Henry. One of the best things was at the beginning it something like "If all of the patterns of merciless tyranny were lost to the world you could find them in this prince."
Still it was an interesting book. It kept me interested despite its faults.
Book Description
Using state papers and manuscripts of the period, Anne Chambers reveals the woman behind the legend and presents one of history's most remarkable women against the turbulent political environment of her time. What emerges is a woman who challenges our predisposed sense of convention, who, over four hundred years ago, was one of the first women to break the mold and make a unique contribution to history.
Customer Reviews:
Grace's Biography.......2007-08-24
Anne Chambers is the authority on Granuaile O'Malley, and she has written the definitive scholarly work in this biography on her.
Inspiring!.......2007-02-18
Anne Chambers' book provides a fascinating and inspiring glimpse into the life of an extraordinary Irish woman. Ms Chambers does an excellent job painting a picture of life in Ireland during the 16th century and the role of women in Ireland through the ages. Anyone traveling to Ireland or interesting in Irish history and the role of women in Irish society will benefit from reading this biography.
Much too dry and fact oriented.......2007-01-04
It's my fault really but this book is just not what I was looking for and I could not get through it.
Granuaile.......2006-07-01
This book was excellently written. To the person who said the anti-christian statements were not true- Let me guess? Your a christian right. Thats the problem with christians, they still deny the truth no matter what. Christianity has always been a man's religion and its the most degrading religion to women and womens rights that has ever existed. I'm glad this author had the guts to be more unique and unconventional to tell the TRUTH. Sorry Christians. I know you never appreciate that.
Beware of the anti-Christian, radical feminist rants in this book.......2006-03-27
I'm an O'Malley, so you can bet I was looking forward to this book. However, with all due respect to the author, at least in the early going, this book contains some anti-Christian, radical feminist claims that put into question the integrity of the rest of it. For instance, on page 17-18 (paperback edition) the author states: "The writings of the early Christian saints, such as Paul, John, Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine, reflected the degraded position of women in Roman society. Augustine wrote of the 'horrible beastliness of women'..."
Not surprisingly, the author can not substantiate this claim and therefore does not give reference to the original source documents in her endnotes as she does with other claims. Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt that the period in which Granuaile lived was male dominated, and at times, shamefully so. However, that doesn't give an author a license to try to right any injustices by yet another injustice.
It's a shame that the apparent good intentions of this author were laid waste by her seeming desire to bash males and Christianity. A biographer should, at the very least, seek, know and uphold the truth, and then tell the good, the bad and the ugly in an even handed way. This isn't too much to ask.
Books:
- The Camomile Lawn (King Penguin) (King Penguin)
- The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
- The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
- The Diary of Samuel Pepys (Modern Library)
- The Education of a Christian Woman: A Sixteenth-Century Manual (The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe)
- The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumieges, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni: Volume 1: Introduction and Books I-IV (Oxford Medieval Texts)
- The Grand Canyon
- The Grove Centenary Editions of Samuel Beckett Boxed Set: Contains Novels I and II of Samuel Beckett, The Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett, and The Poems, ... of Samuel Beckett (Grove Centenary Editions)
- The Grove Centenary Editions of Samuel Beckett Boxed Set: Contains Novels I and II of Samuel Beckett, The Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett, and The Poems, ... of Samuel Beckett (Grove Centenary Editions)
- The Importance of Being Earnest
Books Index
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