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The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #12
La Dernière Reine
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2015)« Ce roman rend justice au tour de force accompli par Catherine Parr tout en faisant le portrait d’une femme intègre et sensible qui apprend à survivre aux dangers de la vie de cour. » - Historical Novels Review
« Philippa Gregory est la maîtresse du roman historique. La Dernière Reine se lit comme un thriller. Pas de répit pour le lecteur. » - Liz Smith
Par l’auteure de Deux sœurs pour un roi.
À trente et un ans, Catherine Parr est tout juste veuve lorsque Henri VIII, le souverain d’Angleterre qui a conduit quatre épouses au tombeau, l’invite à l’épouser. Confrontée à un choix qui n’en est pas un, Catherine sait le danger qu’elle encoure. Mais Henri est en adoration devant sa nouvelle femme. Cela suffira-t-il pour rester en vie ? La jeune femme brille par son indépendance d’esprit et d’action. Mais celle qui mena une réforme religieuse et qui fut la première femme à publier en Angleterre sous son propre nom est une cible toute désignée pour ses adversaires politiques qui l’accusent d’hérésie, crime puni par le bûcher et dont l’ordre d’exécution est signé... par le roi.
L’histoire d’une demande en mariage qui ne peut se refuser au risque d’être décapitée...
« Ce roman raconte l’histoire de celle qui survécut habilement aux complots mortels des Tudor et à la folie meurtrière de son mari, le roi Henry VIII. Une leçon d’histoire fascinante racontée de manière captivante. » - People
« Un livre qui plaira à tous. Du grand Philippa Gregory ! À ne manquer sous aucun prétexte ! » - NPR, Weekend Edition Sunday
« Envoûtant du début à la fin. » - National Examiner
« Ce roman met en scène de manière saisissante la tension permanente qui régna à la cour d’un fou. Ce roman fera le régal des amateurs d’histoire et de romans à suspense. Car les deux y sont menés de main d’experte ! » - Library Journal
« L’auteure réussit à impliquer son lecteur dans l’intrigue grâce à des descriptions d’une précision remarquable. » - Kirkus Review
« Philippa Gregory s’y entend pour faire grimper la tension de l’intrigue et le suspense. » - Booklist
« Ce conte tragique retrouve un second souffle sous la plume de Philippa Gregory. » - New York Post
« Catherine Parr fut la sixième femme de Henry VIII. Intelligente et indépendante, elle réussit à lui survivre. Philippa Gregory en fait un personnage inoubliable. » - People
« De rebondissement en rebondissement, les femmes et les hommes qui ont fait l’Histoire et que l’on croyait connaître prennent vie sous sa plume, nous fascinent et nous...
584 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
2492 people are currently reading
41163 people want to read
About the author
Philippa Gregory
135 books36.8k followersDR PHILIPPA GREGORY studied history at the University of Sussex and was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Neilsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE for services to literature and to her charity Gardens for the Gambia. and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,498 reviews
February 9, 2017
I was all but ready to stop reading Philippa Gregory’s novels for good, but then I found out that she was writing a novel from the perspective of Henry’s last queen; therefore, this would, no doubt, include the death of the tyrant. I was incredibly interested to see how she would handle it, and I must say I was very impressed. This is only a small amount of the novel, but the sense of relief evoked at his demise was almost palpable. Kathryn Parr was a strong woman but, even she diminished under the chubby palm of this oafish King who was considered by many as a serial killer.
Now I know what you’re thinking: it’s not fair to brand Henry as a serial killer. Well maybe it is and maybe it isn’t, but that is the route this novel takes. The author has written Henry VIII as many consider him to be; this may not be a fair representation of him, but this is a historical fiction novel and not an academic biography of him. This takes the perspective that Henry killed his wives so he could move on and marry someone else, even if he, himself, is unaware of this fact. Philippa Gregory has written Henry as a man who is full of contradictions and one who has a strong sense of self denial. He, in essence, is not someone you want to be around because his mood changes with the wind, as does his wrath.
A strained marriage
Kateryn Parr is the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Consequently, she approaches the King with fearful caution. He has gone through five wives now, and she doesn’t want to be the next he discards so easily; she wants to be his final wife and his last queen. This is an incredibly tenuous situation because one mistake would see her beheaded, so she has to weigh every word said to him most carefully. She must appear immaculate to the realm; she must abide by everything he says and does to protect herself from the nobles and courtiers who would love to bring her down and replace her with their choice for queen.
“I am saying that we have to keep you safe. There must be nothing that anyone can say against you. No hint against your reputation, no suggestion of disagreement between you and the king, nothing that could make him turn against you. Not even for a moment”
Somehow she manages to create a place for herself and court, and even gains the trust of Henry’s heirs who have little or no love for the tyrant himself. However, even in simple friendship she must be careful; she cannot be seen as acting for her own gain, as everything she does must be in honour of her king and husband. The pressure on her was so high, and it has been evoked superbly by the author. She has created the uneasiness of her situation perfectly, as the tension can be felt so strongly. Indeed, the strain Kateyrn felt because of this was huge. If she put one step out of place she would simply have been removed from her place at court, most likely beheaded by some made up excuse and then quickly forgotten about.
Almost a royal family
In spite of the fragility of her place at Henry’s side, she achieves what none of his previous wives could: she brings his family together and makes it her own. She becomes the stepmother to his children in name and in deed; they come to respect her, and even admire her. I love the way she has been characterised as a role model for the next two Tudor Queens: Mary I and Elizabeth I. It was done quite subtly, but no one can doubt the influence she had on their lives. However, her situation still remains weak as signified by Henry’s continuous dismissive and insulting behaviour.
He commissions a painting of the royal family for the realm to admire, and in the place of his current queen he has Jane Seymour, his third wife, painted. The insult is almost palpable to Kateryn, but she can do nothing about it. And to make it worse the King forgets he has even done it. Henry is characterised by his indecisiveness and contradistinctions; thus, he can withdraw his “love” as quickly has he has given it; it was only a matter of time before he turned on Kateryn. She has to think quickly to save her own life from the despot. This is juxtaposed against the death of Anne Askew who refused to submit her values and her voice; it is a suggestion that if Kateryn did the same she wouldn’t have been Henry’s last wife: she has to submit to his domineering masculinity.
This is an excellent novel and it is my favourite by the author that I have read to date. I thought it was completely brilliant. I have not a single criticism or grievance. The only thing I have for this novel is high praise for the well written characters and plot. Some may be annoyed at the representation of the Tudor King. I, however, thought it was most fitting; this, no doubt, will be a strong point of reader division and reception.
A resolute 4.5 stars
Now I know what you’re thinking: it’s not fair to brand Henry as a serial killer. Well maybe it is and maybe it isn’t, but that is the route this novel takes. The author has written Henry VIII as many consider him to be; this may not be a fair representation of him, but this is a historical fiction novel and not an academic biography of him. This takes the perspective that Henry killed his wives so he could move on and marry someone else, even if he, himself, is unaware of this fact. Philippa Gregory has written Henry as a man who is full of contradictions and one who has a strong sense of self denial. He, in essence, is not someone you want to be around because his mood changes with the wind, as does his wrath.
A strained marriage
Kateryn Parr is the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Consequently, she approaches the King with fearful caution. He has gone through five wives now, and she doesn’t want to be the next he discards so easily; she wants to be his final wife and his last queen. This is an incredibly tenuous situation because one mistake would see her beheaded, so she has to weigh every word said to him most carefully. She must appear immaculate to the realm; she must abide by everything he says and does to protect herself from the nobles and courtiers who would love to bring her down and replace her with their choice for queen.
“I am saying that we have to keep you safe. There must be nothing that anyone can say against you. No hint against your reputation, no suggestion of disagreement between you and the king, nothing that could make him turn against you. Not even for a moment”
Somehow she manages to create a place for herself and court, and even gains the trust of Henry’s heirs who have little or no love for the tyrant himself. However, even in simple friendship she must be careful; she cannot be seen as acting for her own gain, as everything she does must be in honour of her king and husband. The pressure on her was so high, and it has been evoked superbly by the author. She has created the uneasiness of her situation perfectly, as the tension can be felt so strongly. Indeed, the strain Kateyrn felt because of this was huge. If she put one step out of place she would simply have been removed from her place at court, most likely beheaded by some made up excuse and then quickly forgotten about.
Almost a royal family
In spite of the fragility of her place at Henry’s side, she achieves what none of his previous wives could: she brings his family together and makes it her own. She becomes the stepmother to his children in name and in deed; they come to respect her, and even admire her. I love the way she has been characterised as a role model for the next two Tudor Queens: Mary I and Elizabeth I. It was done quite subtly, but no one can doubt the influence she had on their lives. However, her situation still remains weak as signified by Henry’s continuous dismissive and insulting behaviour.
He commissions a painting of the royal family for the realm to admire, and in the place of his current queen he has Jane Seymour, his third wife, painted. The insult is almost palpable to Kateryn, but she can do nothing about it. And to make it worse the King forgets he has even done it. Henry is characterised by his indecisiveness and contradistinctions; thus, he can withdraw his “love” as quickly has he has given it; it was only a matter of time before he turned on Kateryn. She has to think quickly to save her own life from the despot. This is juxtaposed against the death of Anne Askew who refused to submit her values and her voice; it is a suggestion that if Kateryn did the same she wouldn’t have been Henry’s last wife: she has to submit to his domineering masculinity.
This is an excellent novel and it is my favourite by the author that I have read to date. I thought it was completely brilliant. I have not a single criticism or grievance. The only thing I have for this novel is high praise for the well written characters and plot. Some may be annoyed at the representation of the Tudor King. I, however, thought it was most fitting; this, no doubt, will be a strong point of reader division and reception.
A resolute 4.5 stars
August 31, 2015
This is a romance? Who knew?
I'm pretty sure by now we all know that Henry VIII had six wives, Katherine (Kateryn here) Parr being the last. This review will discuss events that are known historical facts - if you're new to Katherine's history those might be considered spoilers - consider yourself warned. Real spoilers for PG's version of history will be tagged as spoilers.
Kateryn Parr is widowed and lucky girl (not!) catches the eye of the aging Henry VIII and he proposes marriage. Needless to say, she's not exactly thrilled, since Henry is well past his youthful days, plus she's . Not so easy to turn a king down, so let the story and the club-me-over-the-head begin.
We are constantly reminded how fat and gross Henry is, and how nasty his leg wound is. Just one example of many:
" A coy smile on his wet lips reminds me, horribly, that he is a sensualist trapped in a rotting body and that I will be his wife in every sense of the word; he will bed me while I am aching for another man."
"The pain in his leg has eased, the wound is still open but it is not weeping so copiously. I think that it smells less. I mask the stink with pockets of perfumes and spices scattered around my rooms, even tucked into my bed, the scent of roses overlaying the haunting odor of decay."
Oh, and the reader is also reminded ad infinitum that sex with Henry is gross and disgusting.
"I dismount with as much ease as I can manage, but I feel painfully awkward as if I were getting gracelessly off a fat cob.
"He moves a little and belches. At the same time a sour smell comes from the bed where he has farted.
Oh, but then there's the perks of being queen and having all those hand-me-downs from the previous queens.
"I laugh with delight and we shine the gold plates on one another, rise up, dance, and the whole room is dancing with us, filled with dazzling light.
And as found in previous PG novels, plenty of As you know, Bob-isms so the reader is constantly reminded of who is who.
"I am to meet my stepson, the Prince of Wales, Queen Jane’s son.
So, Kateryn gets all fired up over translating religious texts from Latin to English so the common folks can read for themselves. Pages and pages and more endless pages of how she and her ladies are doing it, and how wonderful and wise a good Kateryn is for caring about it and getting it done.
"The people will learn to read and will have a Bible so that they can learn their own way. This is what I believe now, and this is what I will achieve as Regent General and as queen. It is my holy duty. It is my calling.
There's also the period when Henry sets Kateryn up as regent whilst he's off campaigning against the French. There are pages and pages and more endless pages of Kateryn talking in her head about all the wonderful things she's accomplishing as regent.
*yawn*
That's about 75% of the book, things do start happening about then when Kateryn's religious activities gets a bit much and evil doers are plotting her downfall and an arrest warrant is issued (no spoilers, that's known history). What does Kateryn need to do to get herself out of this pickle? Well ------>>>>>real spoilers ahead at PG's version of it, but squick warning, this is so disgusting as how Henry lets Kateryn know who is in charge.
.
Ewwwww. Even though PG admits in her author's notes she made that whole thing up, why go there?
Finalbitch rant - what is up with everyone calling Henry a killer? Yes, he offed a few wives. Yes, he had people put to death for treason, heresy, etc. That's what kings used to do, but to have him referred to many times as a 'killer'?
Nooooooooo! Look at the blurb on the Amazon page:
I'm pretty sure by now we all know that Henry VIII had six wives, Katherine (Kateryn here) Parr being the last. This review will discuss events that are known historical facts - if you're new to Katherine's history those might be considered spoilers - consider yourself warned. Real spoilers for PG's version of history will be tagged as spoilers.
Kateryn Parr is widowed and lucky girl (not!) catches the eye of the aging Henry VIII and he proposes marriage. Needless to say, she's not exactly thrilled, since Henry is well past his youthful days, plus she's . Not so easy to turn a king down, so let the story and the club-me-over-the-head begin.
We are constantly reminded how fat and gross Henry is, and how nasty his leg wound is. Just one example of many:
" A coy smile on his wet lips reminds me, horribly, that he is a sensualist trapped in a rotting body and that I will be his wife in every sense of the word; he will bed me while I am aching for another man."
"The pain in his leg has eased, the wound is still open but it is not weeping so copiously. I think that it smells less. I mask the stink with pockets of perfumes and spices scattered around my rooms, even tucked into my bed, the scent of roses overlaying the haunting odor of decay."
Oh, and the reader is also reminded ad infinitum that sex with Henry is gross and disgusting.
"I dismount with as much ease as I can manage, but I feel painfully awkward as if I were getting gracelessly off a fat cob.
"He moves a little and belches. At the same time a sour smell comes from the bed where he has farted.
Oh, but then there's the perks of being queen and having all those hand-me-downs from the previous queens.
"I laugh with delight and we shine the gold plates on one another, rise up, dance, and the whole room is dancing with us, filled with dazzling light.
And as found in previous PG novels, plenty of As you know, Bob-isms so the reader is constantly reminded of who is who.
"I am to meet my stepson, the Prince of Wales, Queen Jane’s son.
So, Kateryn gets all fired up over translating religious texts from Latin to English so the common folks can read for themselves. Pages and pages and more endless pages of how she and her ladies are doing it, and how wonderful and wise a good Kateryn is for caring about it and getting it done.
"The people will learn to read and will have a Bible so that they can learn their own way. This is what I believe now, and this is what I will achieve as Regent General and as queen. It is my holy duty. It is my calling.
There's also the period when Henry sets Kateryn up as regent whilst he's off campaigning against the French. There are pages and pages and more endless pages of Kateryn talking in her head about all the wonderful things she's accomplishing as regent.
*yawn*
That's about 75% of the book, things do start happening about then when Kateryn's religious activities gets a bit much and evil doers are plotting her downfall and an arrest warrant is issued (no spoilers, that's known history). What does Kateryn need to do to get herself out of this pickle? Well ------>>>>>real spoilers ahead at PG's version of it, but squick warning, this is so disgusting as how Henry lets Kateryn know who is in charge.
.
Ewwwww. Even though PG admits in her author's notes she made that whole thing up, why go there?
Final
Nooooooooo! Look at the blurb on the Amazon page:
October 10, 2016
Philippa Gregory ticks all the boxes in this remarkable story written from Kateryn Parr’s perspective. Kateryn, Henry VIII’s sixth and last wife, has to endure a difficult life at court with Henry closely watching her every step. While others are swift to report any misdeed, she must use all her wits and intelligence to avoid the fate of previous wives. Although Kateryn tries her best to be a good wife, she soon realizes Henry has a ruthless and cruel nature making her marriage insufferable and unbearable. The writing is exceptional with each chapter becoming more intense keeping the reader well entertained as the Queen attempts to outmanoeuvre the King. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaway contest and Simon & Schuster Publishing for sending me an advanced copy of The Taming of the Queen.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaway contest and Simon & Schuster Publishing for sending me an advanced copy of The Taming of the Queen.
August 25, 2015
3.5 Kateryn Parr, the least known of Henry's wives, this is a good look at this queen and the fear and hope she lived with daily. My first surprise was the spelling of her name, Kateryn, for some reason I always thought she was another Katherine. I think Gregory's biggest skill is setting a scene, she takes the reader back to this Tudor time period, most thoroughly. As soon as I started reading I was captivated into another reading of Henry and his many wives.
I have read previous novels about this queen so there was little in this that was new. This was just a more thorough telling, especially of her writings and endeavors on transcribing many of the Latin psalms and teaching into English for all to enjoy. Her treatment of the King's children was also portrayed in depth, she made a little family of them all, they learned from her and she learned from them.
So this was a very good atmospheric read. Just not too much new here for me, but to a new reader of this queen, I am sure they will love this and be captivated by this most intelligent queen who managed to outlive the notorious Henry.
ARC from NetGalley.
I have read previous novels about this queen so there was little in this that was new. This was just a more thorough telling, especially of her writings and endeavors on transcribing many of the Latin psalms and teaching into English for all to enjoy. Her treatment of the King's children was also portrayed in depth, she made a little family of them all, they learned from her and she learned from them.
So this was a very good atmospheric read. Just not too much new here for me, but to a new reader of this queen, I am sure they will love this and be captivated by this most intelligent queen who managed to outlive the notorious Henry.
ARC from NetGalley.
May 5, 2018
Ca orice carte scrisă de Philippa Gregory, magnifică!
"-Of, Kat! Asta nu e ca orice altă căsătorie aranjată pentru tine. E cea mai mare șansă pe care o s-o ai în viață! E cea mai de seamă căsătorie din Anglia, probabil chiar din întreaga lume!"
"Este imaginea unei familii regale și eu sunt acolo în el, recunoscută drept mamă a lor. Sunt regină, sunt regentă, sunt mama lor, portretul îi va înfățișa pe copiii mei în jurul meu, pe soțul meu lângă mine, iar cei care se îndoiesc de influența mea și cred că pot unelti împotriva mea se pot uita la acest portret și vor vedea femeia din inima familiei regale."
"-Of, Kat! Asta nu e ca orice altă căsătorie aranjată pentru tine. E cea mai mare șansă pe care o s-o ai în viață! E cea mai de seamă căsătorie din Anglia, probabil chiar din întreaga lume!"
"Este imaginea unei familii regale și eu sunt acolo în el, recunoscută drept mamă a lor. Sunt regină, sunt regentă, sunt mama lor, portretul îi va înfățișa pe copiii mei în jurul meu, pe soțul meu lângă mine, iar cei care se îndoiesc de influența mea și cred că pot unelti împotriva mea se pot uita la acest portret și vor vedea femeia din inima familiei regale."
October 26, 2022
The Taming of the Queen is the 11th book in the Plantagenet and Tudor Novels written by Philippa Gregory, a historical fiction series focused on the 14th-16th century royal English families. In this installment, the plot revolves around King Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr. I knew little of her, except that she was the one who survived (rather than died, divorced or beheaded). I hadn't been aware that Henry almost had her killed too. The book focuses mostly on Katherine but treats us to a lot more of Henry than the other tales. He was quite vicious, and so gluttonous, perhaps more in the books than in reality (for good measure) but enough to recognize how lucky we are today to not be ruled by such power-hungry... wait, never mind. Gregory completely drew me in with Katherine's story, and I rooted for her the entire time. Definitely one of the strongest, if not the best, of the books in the series. Only 4 more to go before this collection is finished, and they are all published, so they'll be my summer and fall reading this year.
August 3, 2017
Oh No!
Say it ain't so!
Philippa Gregory has turned Katherine
into a HO!
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one since the 6th and surviving Queen Katherine has always been my favorite.
But alas, within the first few pages I realized Gregory had descended into the hellish inferno of the bodice ripper.
When the Queen is not lusting after Tom Seymour she's promoting the Protestant cause with fanatical fervor.
This has to be one of the worst depictions of Katherine Parr that I ever tried to read.
I'm hoping Gregory will return to her usual form next time.
October 13, 2017
"He married all my predecessors; it didn't stop him from wanting the next one."
Kateryn Parr was a 30 year old widow who was in a secret relationship, when King Henry VIII decided that she would be his next wife. How could she refuse? He is known for having a temper and his previous wives have not fared well. Most have heard this rhyme: "Divorced, beheaded, died...divorced, beheaded, survived..."What's a girl to do when the King of England wants you (that's my poor attempt at a rhyme)?
She really had no choice but to marry the man who was old enough to be her father. She knows that she will be in constant danger. Not only is Henry moody but his staff and her won staff have their own agendas. No one is to be trusted. Kateryn has always had a mind of her own. She is intelligent and interested in religious reform and in transcribing religious documents. A strong smart woman is usually seen as a threat...how will she survive?
Obviously going into this book, I knew what the outcome would be. It was still fun to read Gregory's take on the surviving wife of Henry. She does a great job of transporting the reader back to Tudor England. This was not my favorite Gregory book but it was not my least favorite either. I find her books to be fun historical fiction. She does a good job blending history, facts and putting her own take on things.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Kateryn Parr was a 30 year old widow who was in a secret relationship, when King Henry VIII decided that she would be his next wife. How could she refuse? He is known for having a temper and his previous wives have not fared well. Most have heard this rhyme: "Divorced, beheaded, died...divorced, beheaded, survived..."What's a girl to do when the King of England wants you (that's my poor attempt at a rhyme)?
She really had no choice but to marry the man who was old enough to be her father. She knows that she will be in constant danger. Not only is Henry moody but his staff and her won staff have their own agendas. No one is to be trusted. Kateryn has always had a mind of her own. She is intelligent and interested in religious reform and in transcribing religious documents. A strong smart woman is usually seen as a threat...how will she survive?
Obviously going into this book, I knew what the outcome would be. It was still fun to read Gregory's take on the surviving wife of Henry. She does a great job of transporting the reader back to Tudor England. This was not my favorite Gregory book but it was not my least favorite either. I find her books to be fun historical fiction. She does a good job blending history, facts and putting her own take on things.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
August 25, 2016
I read an absolutely terrible book on Katherine Parr a few years ago, and Gregory could only do better. What I am wondering is, just who does she write for? Her Katherine Parr, a scholarly 31-year-old, sounds exactly like any of the barely schooled teen age girls from her previous books. She's also, as they too were, described as the ''prettiest girl at court'' and, before Henry, she has a fantastic, Harlequin-steamy love life. I'm all for breaking a cliché but the woman hardly sounds like the same sixth wife everybody should know about: a twice widowed woman of thirty was practically seen as middle-aged to plain simply old back then, and certainly couldn't be as naive (an inevitable, more experienced and gossipy sister is provided to give her all basic information about court) as Gregory's Parr often is. Even her culture is somewhat diminished, as Gregory cannot or does not want to explore her studying in any depth whatsoever. You only get occasional, superficial gushing on learning, and either the queen or her sister boasting on the former's publications. My point being, KP is Hilary Mantel material. This is not Gregory's type of female protagonist.
And then there's Thomas Seymour (perharps fearing to mistake the love of her life for some other Thomas, Katherine always calls him by name and surname), the man that all sources call and describe as the dumb brother of the more famous Edward and possibly an underage girl abuser, here turned into a romantic hero of some sort. I didn't like this aspect of the book one bit (as I didn't like a particular scene between Katherine and Henry that Gregory stated she ''wanted'' in the book), as Gregory didn't blink before turning Henry VII into a rapist and her precious Richard III into a heartless, incestous cheater but endlessly cared to preserve a shiny facade for this worthless venturer. Had she been patient enough to write a longer book, one that included the history with Thomas and Elizabeth, one that cared about Parr's intellectual life, then maybe this wouldn't have turned out as yet another story of an old king with a stinky leg and yellow teeth and the tragic prettiest lady at court who was forced to bed him.
And then there's Thomas Seymour (perharps fearing to mistake the love of her life for some other Thomas, Katherine always calls him by name and surname), the man that all sources call and describe as the dumb brother of the more famous Edward and possibly an underage girl abuser, here turned into a romantic hero of some sort. I didn't like this aspect of the book one bit (as I didn't like a particular scene between Katherine and Henry that Gregory stated she ''wanted'' in the book), as Gregory didn't blink before turning Henry VII into a rapist and her precious Richard III into a heartless, incestous cheater but endlessly cared to preserve a shiny facade for this worthless venturer. Had she been patient enough to write a longer book, one that included the history with Thomas and Elizabeth, one that cared about Parr's intellectual life, then maybe this wouldn't have turned out as yet another story of an old king with a stinky leg and yellow teeth and the tragic prettiest lady at court who was forced to bed him.
February 19, 2017
I have finally figured it out.
I am not really drawn to reading kings and queens books but give them to me in audio and I will run a mile to get it.
As always my ignorance astounds me as I didn’t know anything about Katherine Parr other than that she was an intellectual and Henry’s 6th wife. I had to practice all my restraint to not to google Katherine Parr while listening to find out what happens. So her shock was my shock, her anger mine and because of this the whole listening experience was a lot more edge-of-my seat than had I known the outcome.
I was amazed to find out that Katherine Parr was the first woman to ever have anything published in her own name, that she was an avid scholar in her later years and just how close she came to follow the bloody footsteps of her predecessors. She came across as one of the few wives of Henry who genuinely wanted to be a good wife and she was also the only of the later queens that was able to bring all 3 of Henry’s children to court and create a proper family.
Now Henry was the bi-polar, paranoid and misogynistic narcissist we have all come to know and loath throughout Phillipa Gregory books but at times I actually felt some compassion for him.
I also listened to the author’s note at the end (something I don’t always do) and it was helpful to know what was fact and what was embellishment.
The vivid descriptions of Henry’s foul odour, bloated body and fetid wounds would have put me off eating but thankfully I only listened to this while driving.
I have only read 3 of the Tudor books by this author but this one was by far my favourite. I will definitely be listening to more of this author’s books on audio.
I am not really drawn to reading kings and queens books but give them to me in audio and I will run a mile to get it.
As always my ignorance astounds me as I didn’t know anything about Katherine Parr other than that she was an intellectual and Henry’s 6th wife. I had to practice all my restraint to not to google Katherine Parr while listening to find out what happens. So her shock was my shock, her anger mine and because of this the whole listening experience was a lot more edge-of-my seat than had I known the outcome.
I was amazed to find out that Katherine Parr was the first woman to ever have anything published in her own name, that she was an avid scholar in her later years and just how close she came to follow the bloody footsteps of her predecessors. She came across as one of the few wives of Henry who genuinely wanted to be a good wife and she was also the only of the later queens that was able to bring all 3 of Henry’s children to court and create a proper family.
Now Henry was the bi-polar, paranoid and misogynistic narcissist we have all come to know and loath throughout Phillipa Gregory books but at times I actually felt some compassion for him.
I also listened to the author’s note at the end (something I don’t always do) and it was helpful to know what was fact and what was embellishment.
The vivid descriptions of Henry’s foul odour, bloated body and fetid wounds would have put me off eating but thankfully I only listened to this while driving.
I have only read 3 of the Tudor books by this author but this one was by far my favourite. I will definitely be listening to more of this author’s books on audio.
November 22, 2019
This is the first book by Philippa Gregory and I am hungry for more. She is master at blending historical facts in a narrative that is gripping. Exhaustively researched the book is an excellent resource for understanding the life and times of King Henry VIII- a whimsical and sadist ruler. The book also details the fight between the Catholics and the Protestants and the political interference by the religious leaders. Excellent read.
April 13, 2020
“The Taming of the Queen” by Philippa Gregory tells the story of Henry VIII last wife, Kateryn Parr. At thirty years old, and widowed once before, Kateryn is surprised when she realizes she is to become the King’s new Queen. Kateryn knows that the King has had—and lost—four wives before her, and she is aware of how they met their untimely ends. Kateryn must be more conscious and aware of her actions and words like never before, including ensuring the King does not find out about her secret love with sailor Thomas Seymour. Kateryn takes to power well, becoming the first woman to publish under her own name, and becoming a leader in religious reform, trying to sway England into the proper religious control. However, this makes her an instant target for the high-powered religious leaders, who also have the ear of the King. Can Kateryn use her intelligence and power to keep her head (literally?).
This novel is the eleventh in the Tudor and Plantagenet series, although the great thing about this series is that it is completely unnecessary to read all of these novels in order to follow along. Each of these novels focuses on a branch of this particular family tree. I enjoyed reading about Kateryn Parr, the relatively unknown and obscure last wife of Henry the Eighth. Brilliant, manipulative and beautiful, she is able to keep the favour of the fickle King, at great cost.
King Henry is featured as he is in all the other books, a great narcissistic monster, with a fickle mind that bends depending on his moods. It absolutely makes me one hundred percent grateful that I am a woman in this century. Having had to live a quiet life of obedience would not have boded well with me, which really just enhances my awe and respect for all of Henry’s Queens, Katetyn Parr earning the highest level of respect.
The research and effort put into Gregory’s books impress me, and I always feel like I’m learning history in an entertaining and personal way. Her creativity and ability to develop a connection with her characters and her readers is unparalleled.
There is a lot of religious conversations that take place in this book, as the Crown debates between Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, or Lutheranism as their prime religious focus (and Henry goes back and forth often, sometimes in the same day) which can get confusing, but it really helps to cement Kateryn's position, as she tries to keep up with the King's changing opinions.
A huge fan of Gregory (and this is one of the many reasons why), I will definitely continue to try and make my way through her Tudor series (What else do I have to do, right?) as well as any other novels she sets to print.
This novel is the eleventh in the Tudor and Plantagenet series, although the great thing about this series is that it is completely unnecessary to read all of these novels in order to follow along. Each of these novels focuses on a branch of this particular family tree. I enjoyed reading about Kateryn Parr, the relatively unknown and obscure last wife of Henry the Eighth. Brilliant, manipulative and beautiful, she is able to keep the favour of the fickle King, at great cost.
King Henry is featured as he is in all the other books, a great narcissistic monster, with a fickle mind that bends depending on his moods. It absolutely makes me one hundred percent grateful that I am a woman in this century. Having had to live a quiet life of obedience would not have boded well with me, which really just enhances my awe and respect for all of Henry’s Queens, Katetyn Parr earning the highest level of respect.
The research and effort put into Gregory’s books impress me, and I always feel like I’m learning history in an entertaining and personal way. Her creativity and ability to develop a connection with her characters and her readers is unparalleled.
There is a lot of religious conversations that take place in this book, as the Crown debates between Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, or Lutheranism as their prime religious focus (and Henry goes back and forth often, sometimes in the same day) which can get confusing, but it really helps to cement Kateryn's position, as she tries to keep up with the King's changing opinions.
A huge fan of Gregory (and this is one of the many reasons why), I will definitely continue to try and make my way through her Tudor series (What else do I have to do, right?) as well as any other novels she sets to print.
January 14, 2022
"Daca nu stii ceva, nu spune nimic. Nu e nimic in neregula cu tacerea unei femei."
Autoarea urmareste si in acest roman epoca dinastiei Tudor conturand destinul reginei Kateryn Parr, cea de-a sasea si ultima sotie a lui Henry al VIII-lea.
Ca si in celelalte romane avem inserat la inceput arborele genealogic al reginei, harta dinastiei Tudorilor si hartile Angliei si Frantei din 1543, pentru a ne da seama cum erau impartite teritoriile la acea vreme.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea, ne aflam in 1543, dupa executarea reginei Katherine Howard si Henry doreste sa se insoare din nou. O alege pe vaduva Kateryn Parr, care este manierata si erudita, insa nu este deloc fericita cu aceasta situatie pentru ca este indragostita in taina de lordul Thomas Seymour. Stie totusi ca nu are de ales si ca trebuie sa devina sotia lui Henry si sa se indeparteze de lordul Seymour, pentru ca altfel vietile amandurora ar fi in pericol.
Dupa casatorie urmeaza casnicia grea cu regele, deoarece acesta este in varsta, foarte tafnos si greu de multumit, avand o rana la picior care supureaza. Pe langa aceste lucruri regina se gandeste adesea la predecesoarele ei moarte, vazandu-le stafiile peste tot, purtand coroana lui Anne Boleyn pe care o considera blestemata si hainele celorlalte sotii. Si totusi, pana la urma, regele pare s-o indrageasca, asta pana cand decide s-o acuze de erezie din cauza afirmatiilor ei deschise despre religie.
Kateryn reuseste pana la urma sa scape de executie, regele alegand sa-i aplice o corectie fizica in dormitor. La aceasta pedepasa face referire titlul cartii.
In 1547 regele Henry moare si astfel Kateryn Parr ramane o supravietuitoare, o femeie erudita care a tradus carti de rugaciuni si o mama vitrega buna ce a unit copiii regelui. Iar istoria ne confirma ca ea se va regasi cu iubitul ei, casatorindu-se cu Thomas Seymour si murind dand nastere copilului sau.
Recomand romanul pentru cei pasionati de istorie, de dinastia Tudor dar mai ales pentru portretele pe care le contureaza autoarea. Ni se releva personalitatea indecisa, schimbatoare, adesea tiranica a lui Henry, trasaturile celor 3 copii ai sai, continuand cu destinul, profilul si decaderea maleficului duce de Norfolk, Thomas Howard.
In final atasez cateva citate care mi s-au parut intelepte si frumoase:
"Mintea unei femei poate fi cea mai de seama podoaba a ei. Imi vei arata frumusetea inteligentei tale, laolalta cu frumusetea chipului tau."
"Nu sunt o copila speriata de necunoscut, ci o femeie: pot infrunta teama, pot merge spre ea."
"Daca esti cititoare, esti deja pe jumatate scriitoare, zice ea. Caci ai dragoste pentru cuvinte si-ti face placere sa le vezi pe pagina. Iar daca esti scriitoare atunci vei descoperi ca esti manata sa scrii. Este un dar care cere sa fie impartasit."
"Nu e de ajuns sa fii regina, trebuie sa arati ca o regina."
"Trebuie sa avem zdrente sclipitoare. Regalitatea si razboiul tin in mare masura de aparenta."
"Am vorbit prea inflacarat, prea inteligent. Nimanui nu-i place o femeie inteligenta si inflacarata."
"Un om nu ar trebui inchis pentru convingerile lui daca cerceteaza lucrurile cu respect si intelepciune."
Autoarea urmareste si in acest roman epoca dinastiei Tudor conturand destinul reginei Kateryn Parr, cea de-a sasea si ultima sotie a lui Henry al VIII-lea.
Ca si in celelalte romane avem inserat la inceput arborele genealogic al reginei, harta dinastiei Tudorilor si hartile Angliei si Frantei din 1543, pentru a ne da seama cum erau impartite teritoriile la acea vreme.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea, ne aflam in 1543, dupa executarea reginei Katherine Howard si Henry doreste sa se insoare din nou. O alege pe vaduva Kateryn Parr, care este manierata si erudita, insa nu este deloc fericita cu aceasta situatie pentru ca este indragostita in taina de lordul Thomas Seymour. Stie totusi ca nu are de ales si ca trebuie sa devina sotia lui Henry si sa se indeparteze de lordul Seymour, pentru ca altfel vietile amandurora ar fi in pericol.
Dupa casatorie urmeaza casnicia grea cu regele, deoarece acesta este in varsta, foarte tafnos si greu de multumit, avand o rana la picior care supureaza. Pe langa aceste lucruri regina se gandeste adesea la predecesoarele ei moarte, vazandu-le stafiile peste tot, purtand coroana lui Anne Boleyn pe care o considera blestemata si hainele celorlalte sotii. Si totusi, pana la urma, regele pare s-o indrageasca, asta pana cand decide s-o acuze de erezie din cauza afirmatiilor ei deschise despre religie.
Kateryn reuseste pana la urma sa scape de executie, regele alegand sa-i aplice o corectie fizica in dormitor. La aceasta pedepasa face referire titlul cartii.
In 1547 regele Henry moare si astfel Kateryn Parr ramane o supravietuitoare, o femeie erudita care a tradus carti de rugaciuni si o mama vitrega buna ce a unit copiii regelui. Iar istoria ne confirma ca ea se va regasi cu iubitul ei, casatorindu-se cu Thomas Seymour si murind dand nastere copilului sau.
Recomand romanul pentru cei pasionati de istorie, de dinastia Tudor dar mai ales pentru portretele pe care le contureaza autoarea. Ni se releva personalitatea indecisa, schimbatoare, adesea tiranica a lui Henry, trasaturile celor 3 copii ai sai, continuand cu destinul, profilul si decaderea maleficului duce de Norfolk, Thomas Howard.
In final atasez cateva citate care mi s-au parut intelepte si frumoase:
"Mintea unei femei poate fi cea mai de seama podoaba a ei. Imi vei arata frumusetea inteligentei tale, laolalta cu frumusetea chipului tau."
"Nu sunt o copila speriata de necunoscut, ci o femeie: pot infrunta teama, pot merge spre ea."
"Daca esti cititoare, esti deja pe jumatate scriitoare, zice ea. Caci ai dragoste pentru cuvinte si-ti face placere sa le vezi pe pagina. Iar daca esti scriitoare atunci vei descoperi ca esti manata sa scrii. Este un dar care cere sa fie impartasit."
"Nu e de ajuns sa fii regina, trebuie sa arati ca o regina."
"Trebuie sa avem zdrente sclipitoare. Regalitatea si razboiul tin in mare masura de aparenta."
"Am vorbit prea inflacarat, prea inteligent. Nimanui nu-i place o femeie inteligenta si inflacarata."
"Un om nu ar trebui inchis pentru convingerile lui daca cerceteaza lucrurile cu respect si intelepciune."
September 29, 2015
I have come to expect that Philippa Gregory's books are more creative fantasy than historical fact. But generally they offer the reader an enjoyable experience. This one, however, does not. I would go so far as to recommend you skip this book all together. It is the worst novel in the increasingly weak new books that Ms Gregory has put forth in the past few years. I cringe to think how many people will read this and accept her accounts as “history.”
There are some truths contained within.
True, Katherine Parr was the sixth wife of Henry VIII,
True, Henry had grown to be an obese, power hungry, obstinate, mercurial, vulgar, flesh rotting man.
True, the course of Religion in the Church of England did not run smoothly. There was violent discourse of Reform vs. a return to the Papacy.
My quarrel is not with the facts contained in the book, but rather in Gregory's writing itself..she tells the story in a dull voice, uses uninspired language, and turns the reading experience into a laborious task.
If you are contemplating reading this book, don't bother. Your time is best spent elsewhere.
There are some truths contained within.
True, Katherine Parr was the sixth wife of Henry VIII,
True, Henry had grown to be an obese, power hungry, obstinate, mercurial, vulgar, flesh rotting man.
True, the course of Religion in the Church of England did not run smoothly. There was violent discourse of Reform vs. a return to the Papacy.
My quarrel is not with the facts contained in the book, but rather in Gregory's writing itself..she tells the story in a dull voice, uses uninspired language, and turns the reading experience into a laborious task.
If you are contemplating reading this book, don't bother. Your time is best spent elsewhere.
September 4, 2015
I have so many issues with this book but I don't have the patience to count them all. Let's start with some of the most basic:
1. Labeling Henry VIII a "serial killer" is wildly misleading. While he executed two of his wives, he had more than ample evidence that the second was undermining the stability of the kingdom. Henry was, like as not, infertile by the time he was with her and she was sleeping with Culpeper who could have easily impregnated her. While Boleyn's execution was a tragedy and based more on political scheming than actual evidence, this does not a serial killer make.
2. What is with the weird spanking/rapey scene? It was completely fictional, degrading, cheap and all around uncomfortable.
3. Okay, yeah, Henry wasn't a grand old guy. Nobody would have wanted to marry him in the last few years of his life, what with the possible brain damage and leg wound, but he was pretty decent ruler with a high level of intelligence. Making him a villain is one thing - and quite understandable - but this? It's disgusting.
4. Thomas Seymour, Catherine Parr's forbidden love, was a conniving jerk who had really sketchy relations with the 14-year-old princess Elizabeth and manipulated her brother, King Edward, until his untimely death.
5. The writing is lazy and just plain bad. Gregory seems more keen on writing popular books than good ones these days. Read Weir instead.
1. Labeling Henry VIII a "serial killer" is wildly misleading. While he executed two of his wives, he had more than ample evidence that the second was undermining the stability of the kingdom. Henry was, like as not, infertile by the time he was with her and she was sleeping with Culpeper who could have easily impregnated her. While Boleyn's execution was a tragedy and based more on political scheming than actual evidence, this does not a serial killer make.
2. What is with the weird spanking/rapey scene? It was completely fictional, degrading, cheap and all around uncomfortable.
3. Okay, yeah, Henry wasn't a grand old guy. Nobody would have wanted to marry him in the last few years of his life, what with the possible brain damage and leg wound, but he was pretty decent ruler with a high level of intelligence. Making him a villain is one thing - and quite understandable - but this? It's disgusting.
4. Thomas Seymour, Catherine Parr's forbidden love, was a conniving jerk who had really sketchy relations with the 14-year-old princess Elizabeth and manipulated her brother, King Edward, until his untimely death.
5. The writing is lazy and just plain bad. Gregory seems more keen on writing popular books than good ones these days. Read Weir instead.
July 18, 2016
Ms. Gregory's take on Henry VIII's sixth marriage, with the narrator being wife #6 herself, Kateryn Parr. Gregory chose to portray Kateryn as a newlywed haunted by all the ghosts of Henry's past wives, what with Henry constantly revering Jane Seymour, with the hand-me-down clothes and jewels she has to wear, and in her marriage bed (same bedroom; same bed that those before her had occupied). I couldn't help thinking about her five predecessors either, since I've read every one of the other books in this series, and the book has many reminders. After a while, it does become repetitive, I suppose as necessary for any who have not read the others. Also repeated are the stories of how Henry tired of previous wives and set them aside, or just lopped their heads off. Kateryn has to wonder when her turn will come.
Kateryn was an instrument for change in those medieval, barbaric times. It was Kateryn who convinced the King that his daughters Mary and Elizabeth deserved to be recognized as legitimate heirs and heirs to the throne. No woman had ever been in the line of succession heretofore. She got him to celebrate Christmas and have a portrait done with the children, after previously treating them like outcasts. She enjoyed many freedoms, such as studying the Bible and translating and publishing Latin prayers into English, with Henry's blessings. But if you know Henry VIII, you know that his opinions on EVERYTHING change with the wind. The man was insane, had to be, and soon what was OK to think and do yesterday is illegal or heresy today. Thus begins his taming of this queen, forcing her into an acquiescence that makes her cringe.
The King is slowly dying from his smelly pus-seeping, fever-inducing leg. Queen Kateryn's fate is in the hands of that smelly, crazy King. I couldn't help but be intrigued. 3.5 stars.
Kateryn was an instrument for change in those medieval, barbaric times. It was Kateryn who convinced the King that his daughters Mary and Elizabeth deserved to be recognized as legitimate heirs and heirs to the throne. No woman had ever been in the line of succession heretofore. She got him to celebrate Christmas and have a portrait done with the children, after previously treating them like outcasts. She enjoyed many freedoms, such as studying the Bible and translating and publishing Latin prayers into English, with Henry's blessings. But if you know Henry VIII, you know that his opinions on EVERYTHING change with the wind. The man was insane, had to be, and soon what was OK to think and do yesterday is illegal or heresy today. Thus begins his taming of this queen, forcing her into an acquiescence that makes her cringe.
The King is slowly dying from his smelly pus-seeping, fever-inducing leg. Queen Kateryn's fate is in the hands of that smelly, crazy King. I couldn't help but be intrigued. 3.5 stars.
August 31, 2015
This is a man so sharp with pride that he cannot hear contradiction. This is a man who will play both sides at once to make sure he wins. This is a man who from a boy has never been refused. And, in addition to all of this - here is a man who cannot see himself as anything but perfect.
4.5 stars. This book was another reminder of why I adore Philippa Gregory's books. I immediately feel like I am transported to the time and place of the story. She is also able to write a complex character like Henry VIII so that I feel sympathy for him in one chapter and then despise him in the next. I've read all her books on the previous wives and I must say Katherine Parr is definitely my favorite - older and more balanced, she had the ability to make the best of a scary situation. I never realized that there was a warrant for her arrest and that she was able to get Henry to forgive her. I was really intrigued by the mentions of Will Sommers, the Kings fool, and will be reading The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers shortly because of this. As always very highly recommended.
November 10, 2015
4.5 stars...
I hate to admit it, but I was a little hesitant about reading this newest PG book. I've read so much Tudor that I just wasn't sure I could possibly enjoy another one. But I'm happy to admit I was WRONG!
As I grudgingly started it, I realized the way she had written this was pure genius! Kateryn Parr comes to life brilliantly. We instantly empathize with her plight as she struggles through court life as Henry VIII's sixth wife. His tyrannical, selfish, and paranoid personality also makes such a lifelike image while reading. Intrigues run rampant as does his temper and Kateryn details it all for us.
Even if you know "the rest of the story" you won't be bored! The writing is superb and kept me reading (listening) until the very end. Highly recommended for Royal historical fiction fans, especially those who love all things Tudor.
I hate to admit it, but I was a little hesitant about reading this newest PG book. I've read so much Tudor that I just wasn't sure I could possibly enjoy another one. But I'm happy to admit I was WRONG!
As I grudgingly started it, I realized the way she had written this was pure genius! Kateryn Parr comes to life brilliantly. We instantly empathize with her plight as she struggles through court life as Henry VIII's sixth wife. His tyrannical, selfish, and paranoid personality also makes such a lifelike image while reading. Intrigues run rampant as does his temper and Kateryn details it all for us.
Even if you know "the rest of the story" you won't be bored! The writing is superb and kept me reading (listening) until the very end. Highly recommended for Royal historical fiction fans, especially those who love all things Tudor.
March 25, 2021
Rating: Very Good
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Taming of the Queen is the eleventh book in The Plantagenet and Tudor novels. This is the story of King Henry VIII’s last queen, Kateryn Parr. Like all the previous Philippa Gregory’s historical royal books this one too is narrated from the perspective of the main protagonist. This book doesn’t change my initial opinion about King Henry and his cruelty. It actually enforces that even more than before. Kateryn Parr was a woman with a strong power of will. She held herself very well and with lots of dignity against the King’s insanity and cruelty. She has brought all Henry’s children together and indirectly made their father acknowledge them as his legitimate heirs.
“I believe that to be a free woman is to be both passionate and intelligent; and I am a free woman at last.”
I have noticed that her first name is written with different spellings, Kateryn, Katherine, or Catherine. Gregory has her as Kateryn in her book. The story covers the protagonist’s life from the time when she was a widow for the second time until her rise to be the new sixth Queen of England and King Henry’s eventual death. I understand that these stories are more about Tudor’s court but still I wished if the author continued the story until the character’s death. It is known that after becoming a Queen dowager she retired from court and secretly married her lover Thomas Seymour. When this marriage was known to the public it was quite a scandal. I really hoped that this would be covered in the story.
“Nowhere in the Bible does it say that marriage is a sacrament,” Anne replies. “It was not God who joined us together. The priest says it was; but this is not true. This is the word of the church, not the Bible. Our wedding, like every wedding, was an act of man, not of God. It was not a holy sacrament. My father forced me into an agreement with Thomas, and when I was old enough and had understanding enough I revoked that agreement. I claim the right to be a free woman, with a soul equal to any man under God.”
There are many parts that I enjoyed reading in the book like the family portrait and how shocking it was for the protagonist when it was revealed to her the first time. Another important thing is how the protagonist is considered one of the pioneers when it comes to a female publishing a book in England. She was the first indeed. This book in the series concentrates more heavily than the previous ones on religion and the two fighting camps of the old way and the reformed one. Of course, Henry being the insane king kept changing things according to his own likings. Sometimes that was slowing down the drama but overall this was a fun read and educational at the same time when it comes to the major historical events.
“God speaks to us individually, each and every one of us, that we need neither pope nor priest, nor bleeding statue, to find our way to faith. God is calling and we only have to listen. There are no clever tricks to forgiveness. There is only one way and there is only one Bible, and a woman can study it as well as a man.”
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Taming of the Queen is the eleventh book in The Plantagenet and Tudor novels. This is the story of King Henry VIII’s last queen, Kateryn Parr. Like all the previous Philippa Gregory’s historical royal books this one too is narrated from the perspective of the main protagonist. This book doesn’t change my initial opinion about King Henry and his cruelty. It actually enforces that even more than before. Kateryn Parr was a woman with a strong power of will. She held herself very well and with lots of dignity against the King’s insanity and cruelty. She has brought all Henry’s children together and indirectly made their father acknowledge them as his legitimate heirs.
“I believe that to be a free woman is to be both passionate and intelligent; and I am a free woman at last.”
I have noticed that her first name is written with different spellings, Kateryn, Katherine, or Catherine. Gregory has her as Kateryn in her book. The story covers the protagonist’s life from the time when she was a widow for the second time until her rise to be the new sixth Queen of England and King Henry’s eventual death. I understand that these stories are more about Tudor’s court but still I wished if the author continued the story until the character’s death. It is known that after becoming a Queen dowager she retired from court and secretly married her lover Thomas Seymour. When this marriage was known to the public it was quite a scandal. I really hoped that this would be covered in the story.
“Nowhere in the Bible does it say that marriage is a sacrament,” Anne replies. “It was not God who joined us together. The priest says it was; but this is not true. This is the word of the church, not the Bible. Our wedding, like every wedding, was an act of man, not of God. It was not a holy sacrament. My father forced me into an agreement with Thomas, and when I was old enough and had understanding enough I revoked that agreement. I claim the right to be a free woman, with a soul equal to any man under God.”
There are many parts that I enjoyed reading in the book like the family portrait and how shocking it was for the protagonist when it was revealed to her the first time. Another important thing is how the protagonist is considered one of the pioneers when it comes to a female publishing a book in England. She was the first indeed. This book in the series concentrates more heavily than the previous ones on religion and the two fighting camps of the old way and the reformed one. Of course, Henry being the insane king kept changing things according to his own likings. Sometimes that was slowing down the drama but overall this was a fun read and educational at the same time when it comes to the major historical events.
“God speaks to us individually, each and every one of us, that we need neither pope nor priest, nor bleeding statue, to find our way to faith. God is calling and we only have to listen. There are no clever tricks to forgiveness. There is only one way and there is only one Bible, and a woman can study it as well as a man.”
October 15, 2015
This was a 'last chance' book. When I've read a few books from an author and enjoyed them, then stop enjoying their work, I give them three books to enthrall me again, before they come off my reading list.
This was Philippa Gregory's last chance to enthrall me. And enthrall me she did! "The Taming of the Queen' is set during Kateryn Parr's time as Henry VIII's queen. It is vibrant, captivating, book that captures the minutiae of the Tudor court perfectly.
Her Henry is a chilling portrayal of psychopathy. Kateryn is probably the least known of Henry's wives, but the one deserving of the most respect. She survived the machinations of his court where her predecessors (with the notable exception of Anne of Cleves) did not.
It does puzzle me when people deride Philippa Gregory's work as inaccurate. A look at the 4 or 5 pages of bibliography at the back shows just how much research goes into her work. Having read a fair chunk of her resource material, I can tell you Ms Gregory's research is impeccable.
In my opinion, this is the best of her books since "The Boelyn Inheritance".
Highly recommended.
This was Philippa Gregory's last chance to enthrall me. And enthrall me she did! "The Taming of the Queen' is set during Kateryn Parr's time as Henry VIII's queen. It is vibrant, captivating, book that captures the minutiae of the Tudor court perfectly.
Her Henry is a chilling portrayal of psychopathy. Kateryn is probably the least known of Henry's wives, but the one deserving of the most respect. She survived the machinations of his court where her predecessors (with the notable exception of Anne of Cleves) did not.
It does puzzle me when people deride Philippa Gregory's work as inaccurate. A look at the 4 or 5 pages of bibliography at the back shows just how much research goes into her work. Having read a fair chunk of her resource material, I can tell you Ms Gregory's research is impeccable.
In my opinion, this is the best of her books since "The Boelyn Inheritance".
Highly recommended.
September 5, 2015
The parts where it spoke specifically to Kateryn (Catherine/Katherine) Parr's accomplishment were fascinating. I had no idea she was the first woman ever to publish a book of original content. I love stories like this, where we discover great women who were either overshadowed or lost to history. That she helped steward Elizabeth to the throne, thus helping her step daughter become the most powerful woman of her time, is a laudable accomplishment. (We'll just leave out that part about her helping Mary, too...)
August 13, 2018
One of the finest of Philippa Gregory’s historical novels of the court of Henry VIII of England, The Taming of the Queen deals with the reign of Kateryn Parr, his last wife. I knew only a scant biography of Kateryn Parr, which might be one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. I was not only reviewing a history I knew, but learning some that I did not.
She was, as might be said of anyone who survived a close proximity to Henry, a remarkable person. She was the first woman ever to publish an original work under her own name in English, no minor achievement, and one for which she should be more widely recognized. By the time she was married to Henry, he was already old, rotting from his leg wound that never healed, and perhaps a bit unhinged. What is certain is that he was cruel and capricious by this time. His life had been a series of murders of anyone who might get in the way of his will or question his total authority, and anyone who lived within his notice or his reach was at risk.
He is like an animal in a trap, twisting and turning against his own pain. He grieves more for his hurt pride than for the drowned men. He has to rescue his self-regard. Nothing is more important than that; no one is more important than that. The ship can sink into the silt of the Solent as long as the king’s pride can be salvaged.
In reading this series of books that traces the Plantagenet and Tudor rulers, I have seen Henry progress from a boy who was pampered and loved, to a young man who was thrust into a position of authority he had not expected, to a man who bent the rules in whatever way brought him pleasure and was never curtailed by anyone. That the final act would read like a chronicle of the Seven Deadly Sins is not really a surprise. By this time in his life, I think it is reasonable to imagine that he was so self-absorbed and believed himself so omniscient that he was himself confused as to where he stopped and God began.
You are Barbe-Bleu, and your wife, Tryphine, opened the locked doors of your castle and found dead wives laid out in their beds. Because I know you now for a wife-killer, I know you are merciless. Because your fat glory in yourself is so great that you cannot imagine anyone thinking for themselves, or being themselves, or caring for anything but you. You are the sole sun in your own heavens. You are a natural enemy of anyone who is not you, not your very self. You are a murderer in your soul, and all you want of a wife is her submission to you or submission to the death you prescribe for her.
But, hidden inside this Henry is the other one, the early Henry, the man who has been twisted by the machinations of those around him into being the monster he now is.
'I want nobody now,’ the king says coldly. ‘Because nobody gives nothing away, Nobody loves no one. The world is filled with people seeking only their own ambitions and working for their own causes. ..I will never be a fool again. I know that every smiling friend is an enemy, every advisor is pursuing his own interest. Everyone wants my place, everyone wants my fortune, everyone wants my inheritance.’
One can hardly like Henry, but how could one not feel sorry for him? He has been told all his life that he is loved, only to find that he is disposable. Perhaps this would explain why he found others so disposable as well.
I was afraid that I had simply worn out with Gregory’s style and the telling of these stories. The last installment, The Queen's Fool, seemed to me to be preposterous more than thoughtful, and I moaned that perhaps the tale had gone on longer than the storyteller was able to sustain it. I am happy to report that I was wrong. This novel lives up to my best expectations of Ms. Gregory. I felt the tension of Kateryn, living day-to-day with a threat of death because of a whim and with the ghosts of five previous queens dangling over her head--dressing in their gowns, wearing their jewels, sleeping in their beds. I believed that a life of dissipation and greed, in which one had slaughtered out of fear or caprice every childhood friend, advisor or confidant, would create precisely the warped and cruel person that is Gregory’s Henry VIII. I ached for the woman who must put aside the love of her life to marry a man that must revolt her, and must then find ways to insure that her love will never be betrayed on her face, on pain of death.
One more book left in the series for me, and I am hopeful that it will be as excellent as this one.
She was, as might be said of anyone who survived a close proximity to Henry, a remarkable person. She was the first woman ever to publish an original work under her own name in English, no minor achievement, and one for which she should be more widely recognized. By the time she was married to Henry, he was already old, rotting from his leg wound that never healed, and perhaps a bit unhinged. What is certain is that he was cruel and capricious by this time. His life had been a series of murders of anyone who might get in the way of his will or question his total authority, and anyone who lived within his notice or his reach was at risk.
He is like an animal in a trap, twisting and turning against his own pain. He grieves more for his hurt pride than for the drowned men. He has to rescue his self-regard. Nothing is more important than that; no one is more important than that. The ship can sink into the silt of the Solent as long as the king’s pride can be salvaged.
In reading this series of books that traces the Plantagenet and Tudor rulers, I have seen Henry progress from a boy who was pampered and loved, to a young man who was thrust into a position of authority he had not expected, to a man who bent the rules in whatever way brought him pleasure and was never curtailed by anyone. That the final act would read like a chronicle of the Seven Deadly Sins is not really a surprise. By this time in his life, I think it is reasonable to imagine that he was so self-absorbed and believed himself so omniscient that he was himself confused as to where he stopped and God began.
You are Barbe-Bleu, and your wife, Tryphine, opened the locked doors of your castle and found dead wives laid out in their beds. Because I know you now for a wife-killer, I know you are merciless. Because your fat glory in yourself is so great that you cannot imagine anyone thinking for themselves, or being themselves, or caring for anything but you. You are the sole sun in your own heavens. You are a natural enemy of anyone who is not you, not your very self. You are a murderer in your soul, and all you want of a wife is her submission to you or submission to the death you prescribe for her.
But, hidden inside this Henry is the other one, the early Henry, the man who has been twisted by the machinations of those around him into being the monster he now is.
'I want nobody now,’ the king says coldly. ‘Because nobody gives nothing away, Nobody loves no one. The world is filled with people seeking only their own ambitions and working for their own causes. ..I will never be a fool again. I know that every smiling friend is an enemy, every advisor is pursuing his own interest. Everyone wants my place, everyone wants my fortune, everyone wants my inheritance.’
One can hardly like Henry, but how could one not feel sorry for him? He has been told all his life that he is loved, only to find that he is disposable. Perhaps this would explain why he found others so disposable as well.
I was afraid that I had simply worn out with Gregory’s style and the telling of these stories. The last installment, The Queen's Fool, seemed to me to be preposterous more than thoughtful, and I moaned that perhaps the tale had gone on longer than the storyteller was able to sustain it. I am happy to report that I was wrong. This novel lives up to my best expectations of Ms. Gregory. I felt the tension of Kateryn, living day-to-day with a threat of death because of a whim and with the ghosts of five previous queens dangling over her head--dressing in their gowns, wearing their jewels, sleeping in their beds. I believed that a life of dissipation and greed, in which one had slaughtered out of fear or caprice every childhood friend, advisor or confidant, would create precisely the warped and cruel person that is Gregory’s Henry VIII. I ached for the woman who must put aside the love of her life to marry a man that must revolt her, and must then find ways to insure that her love will never be betrayed on her face, on pain of death.
One more book left in the series for me, and I am hopeful that it will be as excellent as this one.
February 15, 2018
4,5 🌟
Was für eine bewegende Geschichte. Ich gebe zu, Philippa Gregorys Nachwort ist das erste, welches ich mit völliger Hingabe lese.... d͟i͟s͟c͟l͟a͟i͟m͟e͟r͟: ｅｓ ｋö ｎｎｅｎ ｓｐｏｉｌｅｒ ｆｏｌｇｅｎ... 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒...
It is extraordinary to me that Kateryn the Quene KP (as she signed herself is not better known. As the last of Henry's queens she survived a wife-killer who saw four of her five predecessors into the grave, which must make her one of the most tenacious survivor wives in history. She faced and defeated a series of plots from supporters of the papist side of the English Church who were determined to restore their faith to England, she raised the king's two younger children in the Protestant faith that would be the core of their own reigns, and yet she befriended the king's papist oldest daughter, Lady Mary, and supported her return to royal status. She served the country as regent - the most important person in England - and kept the peace in the absence of the king In many ways one can see her similarities to the other wives: she was made regent like the Spanish royal, Katherine of Aragon, she was English born and bred like Katherine Howard, an educated and highly intelligent reformer in religion like Anne Boleyn, and as a Northerner an outsider like Anne of Cleves. She raised Jane Seymour's son and loved her brother; perhaps, if Jane had lived, she would have been Jane's sister-in-law. But the most interesting thing about her was her scholarship. We don't know the extent of her education when she first came to Henry‘s court as the young widow.... and so on. 🖤
Was für eine bewegende Geschichte. Ich gebe zu, Philippa Gregorys Nachwort ist das erste, welches ich mit völliger Hingabe lese.... d͟i͟s͟c͟l͟a͟i͟m͟e͟r͟: ｅｓ ｋö ｎｎｅｎ ｓｐｏｉｌｅｒ ｆｏｌｇｅｎ... 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒...
It is extraordinary to me that Kateryn the Quene KP (as she signed herself is not better known. As the last of Henry's queens she survived a wife-killer who saw four of her five predecessors into the grave, which must make her one of the most tenacious survivor wives in history. She faced and defeated a series of plots from supporters of the papist side of the English Church who were determined to restore their faith to England, she raised the king's two younger children in the Protestant faith that would be the core of their own reigns, and yet she befriended the king's papist oldest daughter, Lady Mary, and supported her return to royal status. She served the country as regent - the most important person in England - and kept the peace in the absence of the king In many ways one can see her similarities to the other wives: she was made regent like the Spanish royal, Katherine of Aragon, she was English born and bred like Katherine Howard, an educated and highly intelligent reformer in religion like Anne Boleyn, and as a Northerner an outsider like Anne of Cleves. She raised Jane Seymour's son and loved her brother; perhaps, if Jane had lived, she would have been Jane's sister-in-law. But the most interesting thing about her was her scholarship. We don't know the extent of her education when she first came to Henry‘s court as the young widow.... and so on. 🖤
September 13, 2015
I am aware that a lot of people are upset about the fictional parts of this story. I knew it before I started reading.
And honestly, I don't care. Historical fiction is fiction for a reason.
I think we need more stories about women like Philippa Gregory's KP. This is not the story of a seducer, like Anne Boleyn; this is not some great, smart, defiant queen like Elizabeth. KP is a survivor. She gives up, and is willing to give up, everything she has, to live, to earn her right to happiness, and the book seems to call the reader out: Blame her for it, I double dare you. At this point in culture and pop culture, it seems to be important to understand the mechanics of survival, the emotions and thoughts behind it (thinking off the all-out hatred for Sansa Stark in GoT, who is essentially doing the same). There are many different ways to be a strong woman. This KP is one of them. She is smart, she is educated, she is brave, and she knows exactly what to do and what to say to avoid the fate of the queens that came before her. She does it not by standing up to the king (which is another, much more popular trope) - she is no Mary Sue. Love and desire do not trump everything in this story (especially not life).
As a storyteller I especially appreciated the references to Bluebeard. Because that's what Henry was.
And honestly, I don't care. Historical fiction is fiction for a reason.
I think we need more stories about women like Philippa Gregory's KP. This is not the story of a seducer, like Anne Boleyn; this is not some great, smart, defiant queen like Elizabeth. KP is a survivor. She gives up, and is willing to give up, everything she has, to live, to earn her right to happiness, and the book seems to call the reader out: Blame her for it, I double dare you. At this point in culture and pop culture, it seems to be important to understand the mechanics of survival, the emotions and thoughts behind it (thinking off the all-out hatred for Sansa Stark in GoT, who is essentially doing the same). There are many different ways to be a strong woman. This KP is one of them. She is smart, she is educated, she is brave, and she knows exactly what to do and what to say to avoid the fate of the queens that came before her. She does it not by standing up to the king (which is another, much more popular trope) - she is no Mary Sue. Love and desire do not trump everything in this story (especially not life).
As a storyteller I especially appreciated the references to Bluebeard. Because that's what Henry was.
May 19, 2017
9,5 de 10*
Por incrível que (me) pareça, nunca tinha lido nada de Philippa Gregory. Foram inúmeras as vezes que peguei em livros da autora, mas por uma razão ou por outra nunca li nenhum. Dou-me agora conta de tudo o que andei a perder… Terminei a leitura de “A Rainha Subjugada” e tive uma vontade enorme de ir a correr a uma livraria comprar toda a obra da autora. Arrisco-me a dizer que foi o melhor romance histórico que já li!
Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...
Por incrível que (me) pareça, nunca tinha lido nada de Philippa Gregory. Foram inúmeras as vezes que peguei em livros da autora, mas por uma razão ou por outra nunca li nenhum. Dou-me agora conta de tudo o que andei a perder… Terminei a leitura de “A Rainha Subjugada” e tive uma vontade enorme de ir a correr a uma livraria comprar toda a obra da autora. Arrisco-me a dizer que foi o melhor romance histórico que já li!
Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...
February 7, 2017
So what did I make of The Taming of the Queen? It’s actually one of Gregory’s better novels (although considering how bad her worst offerings like The Other Boleyn Girl are, take that statement with a pinch of salt). Gregory’s usual penchant for repetition feels like it’s been toned down. It isn’t gone entirely, for example Kateryn Parr’s ‘thing’ in this novel is dreaming of the myth of Tryphine, but the frequency is much reduced from the Woodvilles’ Melusina obsession, Margaret Beaufort’s Joan of Arc fan club, or Katherine Howard’s “let me see, what do I have now”. It’s gone from being an eye-rolling, ham-fisted attempt at characterisation that makes me want to ceremoniously throw the book against a wall, to being a minor background annoyance quickly forgotten.
Gregory’s tendency to As You Know Bob does not seem to have lessened, however. For newcomers, an As You Know Bob is a character stating something that they or the person they’re talking to ought to know perfectly well already, so it makes dialogue come off very strange, as if people are stupid or have forgotten things they ought to know. Gregory does this a lot in all her novels; characters are mentioned often by full name, title, and familial relationships. Even if that character has been around for the past 300 pages and we know who they are. For a reader, it’s irritating because it feels like being talked down to, as if Gregory underestimates her readers’ capacity to remember facts. It’s pretty much par for the course in Gregory novels.
Historical accuracy? Well, Gregory trots out some of the old chestnuts that have long since been disproven – that Henry VII killed the princes in the Tower, that Anne Boleyn had a deformed baby. All nonsense, but Gregory does like to cling to them something fierce. Gregory also has a habit of taking Elizabeth’s most famous words and putting them in the mouths of other people. “I shall live and die a virgin” was given to her eldest sister Mary in a previous book, and now “the heart and stomach of a king” is given to Kateryn Parr here. Aside from the couple of big boo-boos, there are a smattering of smaller historical bloopers here. Gregory calls Mary and Elizabeth “Princess” even though they never regained that title. Anne of Cleves was not raised as a Lutheran as the book asserts. And Katherine Parr was not raised a Northerner, despite that being where her family’s estates were located – her youth, before her first marriage aged 17, was spent primarily at Rye House in Hertfordshire. These are little more than niggles; easily forgivable, just totally inexplicable (Gregory gives no explanation for the changes in her author’s note).
Of course it would be impossible to discuss The Taming of the Queen without discussing that scene. The one where The one where for a moment you’re sure that a couple of pages from an erotica pulp have found their way into the novel. I cannot emphasise enough how extremely implausible this is. This scene is the only one that Gregory directly addresses in the author’s note, and she says she wrote it in order to have a scene where “men dominate women with their legal powers, with their violence, with their sexuality and with the myth of their power, then – and now.” Unfortunately it just pushes willing suspension of disbelief way too far, and is unnecessary to her purpose. The whole scene comes off as strange, unbelievable, unnecessary, and just plain gross.
All that said, the writing felt tighter (aside from the big points mentioned above), especially with the repetitions cut down, and the language seems a bit less pedestrian and a bit more varied and interesting. It feels like a new editor is on the case or something. Gregory spends a good section of the book getting into Kateryn’s mind as she becomes a reformer, and this section held my attention. Instead of vapid conversations, this part of the novel felt meaty and fairly interesting. I had the eerie feeling around the midway point of the book that I was actually reading a book by someone else; a book that was, whilst not amazing, in parts enjoyable. Mind you, that still only makes it the best of a bad bunch – this book’s faults are still too many to pull it above the halfway mark – but it’s something.
4 out of 10
December 30, 2020
THIS IS THE STORY OF A SURVIVOR.
A survivor of abuse, misogynistic, hungry and an oppressive monarchy.
A survivor of abuse, misogynistic, hungry and an oppressive monarchy.
March 13, 2017
Историята под формата на литература е може би най-добрият начин за наваксване на пропуснатото в училище. В книгата си „Укротяването на кралицата” Филипа Грегъри хвърля светлина върху вълнуващия живот на Катрин Пар, последната жена на Хенри VIII. „Укротяването на кралицата” е част от каталога на издателство „Еднорог”, в превод на Деница Райкова.
Филипа Грегъри е изключително сладкодумен разказвач, който може да прикове вниманието всекиму към историята на Англия. Романите й са базирани на действителни исторически събития и за това свидетелстват няколкото страници библиография в края на всеки неин роман. Благодарение на дълги проучвания из историческите анали, Филипа успява да пресъздаде в детайлно характерите, образите и поведението на хората, за които пише – от пажове, слуги и кочияши до съветници, епископи и крале.
В „Укротяването на кралицата” светлините са насочени върху Катрин Пар, последната съпруга на Хенри VIII. Сестрата на Катрин израства в кралския двор, но Пар си е провинциална жена от Северна Англия, отгледана във фермерски условия, далече от клюките и интригите около краля. Съдбата на Катрин не е лека – два пъти става вдовица и когато най-сетне отново среща споделената любов, то мечтите й за живот заедно с любимия човек са попарени, тъй като крал Хенри VIII, достатъчно възрастен да й бъде баща, й заповядва да се омъжи за него.
Животът на кралица обаче никак не е лесен, особено този до застаряващ, вечно сърдит, намусен и куцащ крал като Хенри VIII, който има зад гърба си изоставени без повод две съпруги, на друга не помага при раждане и тя умира, а други две е убил с мними доказателства.
Перото на Грегъри е зашеметяващо, тъй като с лекота тя ще ви въведе през портите на дворците в Англия. С любопитни и автентични подробности Филипа ще ви разходи както през кралските покои, така през стаите за слуги, а всичко това е гарнирано с огромна доза интрига и живи диалози, които правят повествованието изключително четивно.
Дългогодишната успешна формула, по която работи писателката, изглежда привидно разкодирана и ясна - исторически сюжет, преплетен с малко фикция и гарниран с много интриги. Въпреки това обаче родената в Кения авторка е непоклатима от първото място и не случайно Филипа Грегъри е обявена за Кралица на историческия роман. Всяка нейна книга е сензация, печелеща нови читатели, които моментално поглъщат всичко излязло под перото й. Освен в поредица, книгите й могат да се четат и самостоятелно.
Родена в Кения през 1954 г., Филипа Грегъри завършва история, защитава докторат по литература на XVII век в Единбургския университет, работи като журналист и продуцент за BBC. Първият и роман незабавно става световен бестселър и тя се посвещава изцяло на писателската си дейност. След поредицата бестселъри от епохата на Тюдорите е наречена “кралица на историческия роман”. Освен двете и най-известни исторически поредици за Тюдорите и Войната на розите, тя е автор и на детски романи, както и на няколко книги, чието действие се развива в наши дни.
Филипа Грегъри е изключително сладкодумен разказвач, който може да прикове вниманието всекиму към историята на Англия. Романите й са базирани на действителни исторически събития и за това свидетелстват няколкото страници библиография в края на всеки неин роман. Благодарение на дълги проучвания из историческите анали, Филипа успява да пресъздаде в детайлно характерите, образите и поведението на хората, за които пише – от пажове, слуги и кочияши до съветници, епископи и крале.
В „Укротяването на кралицата” светлините са насочени върху Катрин Пар, последната съпруга на Хенри VIII. Сестрата на Катрин израства в кралския двор, но Пар си е провинциална жена от Северна Англия, отгледана във фермерски условия, далече от клюките и интригите около краля. Съдбата на Катрин не е лека – два пъти става вдовица и когато най-сетне отново среща споделената любов, то мечтите й за живот заедно с любимия човек са попарени, тъй като крал Хенри VIII, достатъчно възрастен да й бъде баща, й заповядва да се омъжи за него.
Животът на кралица обаче никак не е лесен, особено този до застаряващ, вечно сърдит, намусен и куцащ крал като Хенри VIII, който има зад гърба си изоставени без повод две съпруги, на друга не помага при раждане и тя умира, а други две е убил с мними доказателства.
Перото на Грегъри е зашеметяващо, тъй като с лекота тя ще ви въведе през портите на дворците в Англия. С любопитни и автентични подробности Филипа ще ви разходи както през кралските покои, така през стаите за слуги, а всичко това е гарнирано с огромна доза интрига и живи диалози, които правят повествованието изключително четивно.
Дългогодишната успешна формула, по която работи писателката, изглежда привидно разкодирана и ясна - исторически сюжет, преплетен с малко фикция и гарниран с много интриги. Въпреки това обаче родената в Кения авторка е непоклатима от първото място и не случайно Филипа Грегъри е обявена за Кралица на историческия роман. Всяка нейна книга е сензация, печелеща нови читатели, които моментално поглъщат всичко излязло под перото й. Освен в поредица, книгите й могат да се четат и самостоятелно.
Родена в Кения през 1954 г., Филипа Грегъри завършва история, защитава докторат по литература на XVII век в Единбургския университет, работи като журналист и продуцент за BBC. Първият и роман незабавно става световен бестселър и тя се посвещава изцяло на писателската си дейност. След поредицата бестселъри от епохата на Тюдорите е наречена “кралица на историческия роман”. Освен двете и най-известни исторически поредици за Тюдорите и Войната на розите, тя е автор и на детски романи, както и на няколко книги, чието действие се развива в наши дни.
March 26, 2016
4 stars - It was great. I loved it.
A fascinating insight into the life of Queen Kateryn Parr, a rare and fierce woman centuries ahead of her own time. As always, Philippa Gregory excelled at bringing these historical figures and events to life.
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Favorite Quote: To assure someone that if enough nuns sing enough Masses then her dead child will go to heaven is trickery as low as passing a false coin as good. To buy a pardon from the pope, to force the pope to annul a marriage, to make him set aside kinship laws, to watch as he fleeces his cardinals, who charge the bishops, who rent to the priests, who seek their tithes from the poor – all these abuses would have to fall away if we agreed that a soul can come to God without any intervention. The crucifixion is the work of God. The church is the work of man.
First Sentence: He stands before me, as broad as an ancient oak, his face like a full moon caught high in the topmost branches, the rolls of creased flesh upturned with goodwill.
A fascinating insight into the life of Queen Kateryn Parr, a rare and fierce woman centuries ahead of her own time. As always, Philippa Gregory excelled at bringing these historical figures and events to life.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: To assure someone that if enough nuns sing enough Masses then her dead child will go to heaven is trickery as low as passing a false coin as good. To buy a pardon from the pope, to force the pope to annul a marriage, to make him set aside kinship laws, to watch as he fleeces his cardinals, who charge the bishops, who rent to the priests, who seek their tithes from the poor – all these abuses would have to fall away if we agreed that a soul can come to God without any intervention. The crucifixion is the work of God. The church is the work of man.
First Sentence: He stands before me, as broad as an ancient oak, his face like a full moon caught high in the topmost branches, the rolls of creased flesh upturned with goodwill.
July 8, 2015
The Tudors have always fascinated me. I’ve read everything I could about them, fiction and nonfiction, since I was little. Surprisingly, Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Katherine (Or Kateryn) Parr, is not often the subject of these works. I’ve always thought this was unfortunate, as I really admire Kateryn. Her court was a center of learning, she brought Henry’s family together, she served as Regent while Henry was away (Katherine of Aragon was the only other one of Henry’s wives to rule England in his absence), she was the first English queen to publish under her own name, and she managed to avoid being taken to the Tower, despite the fact that Henry had already signed the arrest warrant.
Philippa Gregory’s new book, The Taming of the Queen, is the story of Kateryn’s time as Queen. It’s told in first person, from Henry’s proposal to his death almost four years later.
Kateryn must have been terrified, to be the sixth wife of a man who beheaded those who displeased him. And, being the sixth wife, there wasn’t much that queens before her hadn’t already done.
‘Is there anything new?’ I ask irritably. ‘Is there anything that I do that one of them hasn’t already done?’
Catherine looks embarrassed.
‘Your clocks,’ Nan says with a small smile at me. ‘You’re the first queen to love clocks.’
Even Kateryn’s gifts from the king weren’t new.
“Nan opens another chest that has been carefully packed with rolls of the softest leather. Out come rings heavy with precious stones, and single stones on long chains. Without comment, she lays before me Katherine of Aragon’s famous necklace of plaited gold. Another purse is undone and there are Anne Boleyn’s rubies. The royal jewels of Spain come from one great box, the dowry of Anne of Cleves is spread on the floor at my feet. The treasure that the king showered on Katherine Howard comes in a chest all to itself, untouched since she was stripped of everything and went out to take the axe on her bare neck.”
In my opinion, Philippa Gregory did a wonderful job of capturing the emotions that Kateryn Parr must’ve been feeling throughout her marriage, not just in relation to the five women who’d occupied her role in the past, but also regarding her complicated feelings for Henry, her very real fear for her life and the lives of those around her, and her feelings for Thomas Seymour (Gregory makes the assumption that Kateryn Parr and Thomas Seymour began to have feelings for each other before Kateryn’s marriage to Henry VIII, because they were married within months of Henry’s death).
I especially enjoyed Kateryn’s exchanges with Will Somers, Henry’s Fool.
“’It is easier to stand on your head than to keep the king to one mind,’ Will observes, straight as a yeoman, but upside down. ‘If I were you, Majesty, I would stand on your head beside me.’”
I thought the writing was excellent, and Gregory did a wonderful job of bringing Kateryn’s voice to life.
If you liked The Other Boleyn Girl, you’ll love The Taming of the Queen.
I received this ARC courtesy of The San Francisco Book Review.
This is a copy of a review previously posted to my blog, bookreviews77.com
Philippa Gregory’s new book, The Taming of the Queen, is the story of Kateryn’s time as Queen. It’s told in first person, from Henry’s proposal to his death almost four years later.
Kateryn must have been terrified, to be the sixth wife of a man who beheaded those who displeased him. And, being the sixth wife, there wasn’t much that queens before her hadn’t already done.
‘Is there anything new?’ I ask irritably. ‘Is there anything that I do that one of them hasn’t already done?’
Catherine looks embarrassed.
‘Your clocks,’ Nan says with a small smile at me. ‘You’re the first queen to love clocks.’
Even Kateryn’s gifts from the king weren’t new.
“Nan opens another chest that has been carefully packed with rolls of the softest leather. Out come rings heavy with precious stones, and single stones on long chains. Without comment, she lays before me Katherine of Aragon’s famous necklace of plaited gold. Another purse is undone and there are Anne Boleyn’s rubies. The royal jewels of Spain come from one great box, the dowry of Anne of Cleves is spread on the floor at my feet. The treasure that the king showered on Katherine Howard comes in a chest all to itself, untouched since she was stripped of everything and went out to take the axe on her bare neck.”
In my opinion, Philippa Gregory did a wonderful job of capturing the emotions that Kateryn Parr must’ve been feeling throughout her marriage, not just in relation to the five women who’d occupied her role in the past, but also regarding her complicated feelings for Henry, her very real fear for her life and the lives of those around her, and her feelings for Thomas Seymour (Gregory makes the assumption that Kateryn Parr and Thomas Seymour began to have feelings for each other before Kateryn’s marriage to Henry VIII, because they were married within months of Henry’s death).
I especially enjoyed Kateryn’s exchanges with Will Somers, Henry’s Fool.
“’It is easier to stand on your head than to keep the king to one mind,’ Will observes, straight as a yeoman, but upside down. ‘If I were you, Majesty, I would stand on your head beside me.’”
I thought the writing was excellent, and Gregory did a wonderful job of bringing Kateryn’s voice to life.
If you liked The Other Boleyn Girl, you’ll love The Taming of the Queen.
I received this ARC courtesy of The San Francisco Book Review.
This is a copy of a review previously posted to my blog, bookreviews77.com
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