Showing posts with label Henry VIII. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henry VIII. Show all posts

Friday, December 12, 2008

My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes






Rating: 2.2.1
Category: Historical Fiction
Published: 1946, 2008
328 pages


Review:

Princess Anne of Cleves was the 4th wife of Henry VIII and, in my opinion, the most fortunate of his six wives. This book was quite interesting and I really liked Anne of Cleves. She was an admirable woman who made the most of a sorry situation. I really don't know how much of this book was truth and how much conjecture but it was a good read; not necessarily fast paced or un-put-downable, but still interesting. From what I understand, Henry VIII was a good king and good for England but he was a despicable person. While you do see a slightly softer side of him at times in this novel, I just hated him. Yet since I've read this book and Brief Gaudy Hour, I have found myself thinking about reading a non-fiction book about him and his wives. Isn't it funny how we become interested in things, sometimes with a morbid curiousity? This book also has made me very curious about Henry Tudor's children who succeeded him, King Edward VI, Queen Mary I, and especially Queen Elizabeth I. Even if I never read anything about Henry VIII and his wives again, I will definitely pick up something about his children.