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Summary: A wonderful, whimsical look into the time of Henry VIII.
Review: I am an avid reader of the Tudor era, both fiction and nonfiction. This novel, though fiction, helps put you in the mind and heart of one of history's most notorious queens, Anne Boleyn. It paints a picture of her as a woman with thoughts and feelings and a tremendous amount of ambition and cold hearted desire at times. It also paints a womanly portrait of Queen Elizabeth...and how she went from young woman in love to the Queen she became. The dual storyline of Queen Elizabeth and her history and that of Anne Boleyn and Henry makes for a wonderful read.
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Summary: A new look...
Review: This book's style took some getting used to. But the story line was good, and you can tell that it was well researched. It made me think about the circumstances that led to Anne Boleyn's death and how Elizabeth finally reconciled herself to the memory of her mother...or did she?
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Summary: History lovers strongly cautioned!!!
Review: Let me say this for myself: I didn't buy this book, I got it as a gift from an unwary parent (otherwise a sharp book-buyer, but ...). Having definitely put it down after some sixty pages (and I still don't know how I got that far), I'm not sure whether I'm qualified to comment on it as a whole. But I completely agree with the other reviewers who pointed to its glaringly faulty use of "Tudor" speech and its historical inaccuracies, not to mention its soppy sentimentality and poorly delineated, monodimensional characters. Believe me, I have nothing against historical novels - so long as they stick to fact when portraying the times and people they are set in. Otherwise, whatever else they might be, they're not historical. The people and events here are oversimplified, and complex, interesting issues are completely lost in a silly love story. The author of this book certainly doesn't display the results of the "serious research" or "invaluable knowledge and insight into the life and times of [her] characters" that she mentions in the Acknowledgments section. If you want an entertaining read, while learning a little something about an epoch, there are lots of better books around.
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Summary: "History" in a Harlequin Romance format
Review: If Barbara Cartland is your idea of a great novelist, please, buy this book. All other individuals with any vague knowledge of the Tudor family will find this book painful. It reeks of bad dime-store romance prose. Search for a history book instead. ANY history book on the Tudors will suffice. It will be far more interesting and much less irritating.
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Summary: a light, nice read
Review: Generally speaking, I liked the book. The sad story of Anne Boleyn is told through her diary, given to Elisabeth.I can't really comment on the factography of this book. But it was supposed to be a novel and that's how I accepted it. (I own a biography of Anne and hardly wait to read it). I do have several complaints, though. -First, it is impossible that Anne's writing style remained the same through the span of some fifteen years. We don't see her evolution during that period. -Second, in such turbulent and "interesting" times, she should have made more entries and not one each month or so. -Third: Henry was hardly a handsome man. From his portraits, we see that he was not a pretty faced king the author wants us to believe.( Again, it's just a novel, however, she should have been accurate about that). -And lastly, the king's changing of emotions from immense love to almost blind hatred, was presented quickly, akwardly and unconvincingly. After devoting all those pages to make sure we understand their love, the author presents king's shift as a sudden, sharp turn explained as a punnishemnt for Anne's giving birth to a daugther (?!). All in all, it can be said that this is a good book and an interesting look in the past.
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Summary: Loved it, but I had to wonder....
Review: I loved this book. It was well written and a very enjoyable read. It truly brought the characters to life, and left me feeling quite intimate with these royal women who lived over 3 cencuries ago. Another thing I appreciated about the book was that unlike many period novels, the author did not dwell on uneccesary details about the food the characters ate or the clothing they wore. The only complaint I would have about it (and this is to no fault of the book or the author really) is that since I do not know the true historical details of the period I finished the book desperately wanting to know what was fact and what was fiction. I highly recommend it, but be prepared to wonder.
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Summary: A walk in a Queen's Shoes....
Review: I am a newcomer to reading about King Henry VIII and his many wives. What brought me to this book was my mother who sent it to me as a gift. We both share a passion for England's Historical past and compassion for Queen Elizabeth I. I simply could not put this book down from page 1. This book is captivating and keeps your yearning for the next page. Robin Maxwell captures your soul and creates visions of being carried back in time to the days of Anne Boleyn. Although her outcome was grim, her destiny lives on. For history proved itself with her daughter Elizabeth I. A must read for all interested in Tudor/English History!
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Summary: A Suffering Bodice-ripper
Review: Historical fiction this is not. Historical fiction comes from folks like Mary Renault, in my opinion. But if your definition of historical fiction includes romance novel authors such as diana gabaldon, then perhaps, this, too is historical fiction. These days the label "historical fiction" seems to be tossed about to enhance the dignity of low-brow sex-thrillers. This is a syrupy fantasy novel that falls flat even in the romantic sequences that are the focus of the book. Wooden characters and equally stiff interactions. Yes, this is a harsh criticism and it's my true appraisal of the book. Without negative or luke-warm reviews such as this and others here, we'd have a collection of 5-star reviews where apparently every book on Amazon was "the best I've ever read!" Not too informative, eh? I read these reviews before I purchase books or check-out from library. Hence, it's nice to see honest critiques of books as opposed to hyberbole. My recommendation is to skip this book.
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Summary: A fun peak into a maybe history...
Review: I've always been fascinated by Anne Boleyn and Henry the VIII. This novel, which portrays itself as the long hidden journal of Anne Boleyn, tracing her from her early years at court, through her tumultuous years as Henry's virgin mistress, to her tragic years as his queen until days before her death. Quite a lot of the story seems to be based on historic facts (though I don't claim to have studied the period, and could have been deceived by this well-written, acurate sounding fiction). Not only is Anne's story compelling, as told through her diary entries, but we are reading along with her daughter Queen Elizabeth during the early years of her reign. We witness Elizabeth's shifting attitude toward her mother as she gains insight into her life through the journal. The novel does as much to illuminate Elizabeth's character as it does to illustrate Anne's. I really enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it highly.
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Summary: Fascinating!
Review: I was so drawn into the historical world that Maxwell created in this story! I have always been fascinated by this time period and the historical figures who lived in it, so this novel was a wonderful treat--a way of seeing situations as they might have been. Be warned it is not completely historically accurate, and it certainly takes dramatic license. It's very similar to Shakespeare in Love in many ways--you have to abandon the objective historical side of you and just go with it, you'll have fun if you do.
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