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35th out of 104 books
—
117 voters
The Confession Of Katherine Howard
The new novel from the bestselling author of THE SIXTH WIFE.
‘England: firelight and fireblush; wine-dark, winking gemstones and a frost of pearls. Wool as soft as silk, in leaf-green and moss; satins glossy like a midsummer night or opalescent like winter sunrise…Little did we know it but that night we were already ghosts in our own lives…’ When twelve-year-old Katherine H...more
‘England: firelight and fireblush; wine-dark, winking gemstones and a frost of pearls. Wool as soft as silk, in leaf-green and moss; satins glossy like a midsummer night or opalescent like winter sunrise…Little did we know it but that night we were already ghosts in our own lives…’ When twelve-year-old Katherine H...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
May 27th 2010
by Harper Press
(first published 2010)
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Dec 20, 2012
Rachael Hewison
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
tudor-fiction
I always enjoy learning about Tudor history as I find it such a fascinating period that is full of interesting characters. I’ve read quite a few historical fiction novels delving into the lives of Henry VIII, his wives and Elizabeth I. I’d mainly read books by Philippa Gregory and was keen to try another author of the genre. Step forward Suzannah Dunn. I’d had such hopes for this novel but unfortunately it did not quite live up to my expectations.
I think one of my main issues with the book was i...more
I think one of my main issues with the book was i...more
This was such an annoyingly anachronistic read! GAAAAR! Phrases you will encounter: "I bet..." "Yup." "Kidding!" "It'll blow over." And my personal favorite: "What goes up must come down." (Although I don't have proof, I think it's conventional knowledge that Isaac Newton came up with that phrase, and he wasn't around for another 100 years or so.)
If anything, this is like Gossip Girls set in Tudor England. And while I did keep turning the pages, I was underwhelmed most of the time.
Basic premise...more
If anything, this is like Gossip Girls set in Tudor England. And while I did keep turning the pages, I was underwhelmed most of the time.
Basic premise...more
view all 5 comments
I enjoyed the first part of the book and how it skipped between the past and the present. What I didn't like was how it ended. I felt there was so much more that could have been written - it ended rather awkwardly. There is so much more the author could have used; she didn't incorporate Katherine's frantic plea for survival - running down the hall of the Tower of London, banging on the door where King Henry was - how juicy of a narrative is that? You could do wonders with that or how she asked f...more
The Good Stuff
* Beautifully descriptive
* historically accurate descriptions of the daily lives of the aristocratic young women in Howards life
* Unusual way of dealing with the story of K(C)atherine Howard
* Some great dry humour
* enjoyed the descriptions of Katherine's early life at the duchess' estate
The Not so Good Stuff
* It's uneven in terms of characters motivations and actions
* A little dull
* I have read many books on Katherine Howard and this one just isn't as compelling, I have rea...more
* Beautifully descriptive
* historically accurate descriptions of the daily lives of the aristocratic young women in Howards life
* Unusual way of dealing with the story of K(C)atherine Howard
* Some great dry humour
* enjoyed the descriptions of Katherine's early life at the duchess' estate
The Not so Good Stuff
* It's uneven in terms of characters motivations and actions
* A little dull
* I have read many books on Katherine Howard and this one just isn't as compelling, I have rea...more
Life in the household of the Dutchess of Norfolk was susposed to be a stepping stone to social graces and eduction. Mother's sent their noble daughters to be taught to read Latin, play the virginals and dance. What the girls really learned was very little in the way of prep for a position at court. The improvished noblewoman kept up a front, all the while keeping very little control over the doings in her household. In fact, the girls were allowed to 'run a little wild'.
Writen not by Katherine,...more
Writen not by Katherine,...more
Here's yet another book I'm conflicted on when it comes to review time. I won a copy of this book a few months ago from a blog and had every intention of reading right away but didn't. When I looked at it again I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. I've never really had an interest in European history before of any time or type. But this seemed like an intriguing story. It's about Katherine Howard, fourth (?) wife of Henry the VIII. The story is actually from the point of view of Queen Katherine's...more
Definitely lesser Tudor fiction, nothing to compare with the sublime Phillipa Gregory or Carolly Erickson. It doesn't help that this episode deals with some of the stupidest and least appealing characters in the Tudor saga: hot-to-trot teen queen Katherine Howard and her far too merrie men. Kate's girlhood companion and frenemy, Catherine Tylney recounts the familiar tale of their debauched upbringing in the Howard household, of Kate's scheming ways, her unexpected elevation to queen, and the ad...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I wanted so much to enjoy this book and in a way I did. I thought the story being told from the perspective of her friend, Cat an interesting feature. However, Dunn must have got lazy in some of the minor details of research such as the way in which babies are made. Having just done a course in the history of medicine, the thoughts of Suzanne Dunn could be heavily debated. Anyway, other things that utterly irritated the hell out of me was the modern day language and slang that she continued to u...more
Apr 06, 2011
Molly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Molly by:
TLC
Shelves:
book-review
Amazing. Simply amazing. I loved this book. It was a fast read for me, as I became so completely one with the story, that I found it impossible to put down. Suzannah Dunn has the ability to take a fiction novel and pen it a way that is real to the reader. It becomes a fascinating reality to the person holding the book. The characters aren't characters; they are real. The plot isn't a plot; it's actuality. That is, as I said, simply amazing.
Katherine's story is vibrant and full of so many emotio...more
Katherine's story is vibrant and full of so many emotio...more
The author tells her story backwards starting from when Katherine Howard is a queen and then going back to the first time Cathryn meets Katherine. Then she goes back even further to when Cathryn first moves into a duchess' home and complains about how poor the home is. Then goes forward just a little bit to right before she meets Katherine. After that, it describes how Katherine and Cathryn know each other for a long time, but don't really have a deep or caring relationship.
A good part of the bo...more
A good part of the bo...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm really on the fence about this one. There is much to admire about it, but also much to dislike. First of all, what I didn't like--another first person narrative, although I do understand why it's used--to keep Katherine at a distance and to judge her strictly by her actions, without letting the character's inner motivations justify her deeds. I also dislike the modern dialogue. It's not that difficult to make dialogue read and sound authentic to the time period (see Margaret Irwin's Elizabet...more
I am a big fan of Historial Fiction that takes place during the Tudor period, so perhaps that influenced my opinion of this novel. To put it bluntly: I've read better. Much better. Suzannah Dunn takes perhaps one of the least understood and fictionalized Tudor Queens and somehow fails to deliver a good story about Katherine Howard. Told from the point of view of her friend Cat, the novel is plagued by uneven character development, pages of vague "conversations" between the two main characters th...more
I think the author just gave up. The book had potential, but the author seems to have lost focus. The stories got muddled up, and the narrative ended abruptly. I don't know what the point of this book was:
This book is not the confessions of Katherine Howard, at all. Instead, it is told from her friend Kat's POV. Kat tells us about Howard and Francis Dereham's early relationship. She also describes growing up in the Duchess' household with Katherine. We are told about Katherine and Thomas's liai...more
This book is not the confessions of Katherine Howard, at all. Instead, it is told from her friend Kat's POV. Kat tells us about Howard and Francis Dereham's early relationship. She also describes growing up in the Duchess' household with Katherine. We are told about Katherine and Thomas's liai...more
This brief story recounts portions of Katherine Howard's girlhood, as well as her days as queen and her disastrous fate. It is told from the viewpoint of Cat, a naive girl who grew up with Katherine and now serves as her lady in waiting.
The book starts out ominously:
"I was thinking... this is who we are: the perfect queen and her faithful retinue. Now, I wish I could go back, patter over the lavish carpets to tap us on the shoulders, whisper in our ears and get us out alive." (page 4)
I found thi...more
The book starts out ominously:
"I was thinking... this is who we are: the perfect queen and her faithful retinue. Now, I wish I could go back, patter over the lavish carpets to tap us on the shoulders, whisper in our ears and get us out alive." (page 4)
I found thi...more
This is the story of Katherine Howard told through the eyes of Cat Tilney, one of her ladies in waiting. Cat is attendant upon Katherine before she becomes queen and is a witness to the at first sweet and then sexual affair between Katherine and Francis Dereham. Cat herself falls hard for Dereham, but recognises that he is Katherine's. When Katherine becomes queen, she leaves Dereham behind and Cat takes up with him, first as a comforter, then a lover. Queen Katherine, meanwhile, has moved on to...more
Spoilerish a little.
Katherine Howard's story is well known. First, I will comment that the narrator of this novel is not Katherine (Kate) but Catheryn (Cat) Tilney, a poor relation. They, along with a smattering of other girls, are being brought up by the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, in a bucolic setting.
Cat's persistent naivete is hard to swallow, but it does allow an examination of her sexual growth pangs. Katherine is leagues ahead of her, Cat seems to think. But they are teenage girls, and th...more
Katherine Howard's story is well known. First, I will comment that the narrator of this novel is not Katherine (Kate) but Catheryn (Cat) Tilney, a poor relation. They, along with a smattering of other girls, are being brought up by the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, in a bucolic setting.
Cat's persistent naivete is hard to swallow, but it does allow an examination of her sexual growth pangs. Katherine is leagues ahead of her, Cat seems to think. But they are teenage girls, and th...more
I picked up this book because I loved the Tudor series on HBO! Of course in watching the show, I now tend to picture the characters as they were on The Tudors. I enjoyed delving back into that time period for a while. Since I knew how it would end if the author followed historical facts, I wasn't surprised at any events as the tale moved along, but it was a good read just the same. No real thought provoking issues, but I was merely looking for something quick and entertaining. If you are not one...more
I had high hopes for this book, I really did. And I tried to like it, I really did! But it failed me. Completely. I was disappointed by the lack of personality that the main characters displayed. They were just hollow skins walking and only barely talking. They had no motivation to do the things they did, which bothered me most of all. I was also annoyed by the story itself. Of course it is a very known story and not one you can tamper with, but if the writer doesn't ave a clue what she wants to...more
I picked this up because I'm fascinated with Katherine Howard, the very young sixth wife of Henry IV. Hoping that this would offer a new perspective of a story told over many times, I ended up disappointed. While the novel is based on the perspective of Cat Tilney, Katherine's best friend, the book falls flat due to it's terrible pacing and unlikeable protagonists. We already know before we start the book that Katherine is executed by her husband. Unfortunately, the interior plot of "Confession"...more
The story of Katherine’s downfall is widely known; however, little is known about Katherine herself. This story is told in Cat Tilney’s point of view who was a distant relative of Katherine Howard. Suzannah Dunn made this story her own by incorporating Katherine and Cat’s interesting but close friendship. What also made this story unique was how Dunn created the fictitious relationship between Cat and Francis Derham, which evolved once Katherine casted Francis to the side for the snobbish Thomas...more
Aug 07, 2011
Jodi
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Tudor England reading fans
Shelves:
books-about-england,
historical-fiction
I do not know as much about Katherine Howard as I do the first two wives and the fourth wife of Henry VIII so this was an interesting read. Of course it is historical fiction so the author can put her own spin on it but there is probably some truth to Katherine's affair with Culpepper during her marriage to the king. It is amazing to me that she could be convicted of a relationship she had BEFORE she married the king. I had to laugh at the quote in the book by Lacey Baldwin Smith, "......a law d...more
Certainly one of the better of Dunn's Tudor novels, in truth this was more of a 3.5 but I rounded up because it is better than her others.
Not without flaws, however - the title leads you to believe it will be Katherine narrating and explaining her feelings but the novel is told through Cat, a childhood friend. Not that Cat is a bad narrator or indeed unlikable, but a lot of Katherine's motivations and feelings are still left unrevealed, which is a shame. There is relatively little time spent on...more
Not without flaws, however - the title leads you to believe it will be Katherine narrating and explaining her feelings but the novel is told through Cat, a childhood friend. Not that Cat is a bad narrator or indeed unlikable, but a lot of Katherine's motivations and feelings are still left unrevealed, which is a shame. There is relatively little time spent on...more
I very much enjoyed this novel. Suzannah Dunn has had some flak about the modern style of dialogue that she uses, but it makes it easier for a modern reader to understand the relationships, quite apart from the text itself. Unless you are a Tudor expert, you probably wouldn't get the difference between formal and informal speech, the old-fashioned 'tutoyer' of the language then. This way, we get when someone is being polite or disrespectful etc.
The structure of the book is interesting - most of...more
The structure of the book is interesting - most of...more
Oct 30, 2012
Chris
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction-tudors
The writing in terms of sentences and paragraphs isn't bad. But the book is so underwhelming as several other reviewers have pointed out. The ending, quite frankly, felt rushed.
Honestly, for a better look at a young girl with an older king, check out The Time of Singing, which is a better look at the issue.
Characters didn't feel like people, but like puppet. The idea in the ending is interesting, but it didn't feel like it was that important or even that Kat would do it.
There is no passion her...more
Honestly, for a better look at a young girl with an older king, check out The Time of Singing, which is a better look at the issue.
Characters didn't feel like people, but like puppet. The idea in the ending is interesting, but it didn't feel like it was that important or even that Kat would do it.
There is no passion her...more
Oh... Is that it then?
That's how I felt after finishing this. Whilst it was fairly engrossing, the use of modern slang and attitudes was distracting at best, infuriating at times, and by the end of the book I had no feeling about what any of the characters were like, because all the portrayals were so flat.
Most frustrating of all was how the narrator seemed to go from disliking Katherine Howard early in the book to being her closest friend later, with so few interactions between them that it wa...more
That's how I felt after finishing this. Whilst it was fairly engrossing, the use of modern slang and attitudes was distracting at best, infuriating at times, and by the end of the book I had no feeling about what any of the characters were like, because all the portrayals were so flat.
Most frustrating of all was how the narrator seemed to go from disliking Katherine Howard early in the book to being her closest friend later, with so few interactions between them that it wa...more
I don't often read novels about kings and queens, but this intrigued me. I liked the focus on Katherine's past and that she was seen as a strong and reckless young woman rather than just a silly little tart(as she has sometimes been judged), and that Dunn understood her promiscuity within the context of a misogynistic society - where it was fine for a 50 year-old man to take a child bride, but when it was discovered that she wasn't as 'pure' as he thought, she paid for it with her life (and othe...more
Katherine Howard's story told from the perspective of one of her ladies-in waiting, Cat Tilney (an actual historical figure, although she may not have played the role portrayed in the book). This is well-researched, with a lot of detail about Katherine's days in the household of the dowager Duchess of Norkfolk and not much about her time as queen. But then, she wasn't queen for very long! The story moves back and forth in time, which may be a problem for some readers, not for me, and gives a goo...more
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Suzannah Dunn was born in London, and grew up in the village of Northaw in Hertfordshire (for Tudor ‘fans’: Northaw Manor was the first married home of Bess Hardwick, in the late 1540s). Having lived in Brighton for nineteen years, she now lives in Shropshire. Her novel about Anne Boleyn (The Queen of Subtleties) was followed by The Sixth Wife, on Katherine Parr, and The Queen's Sorrow, set during...more
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