Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation Of The Wives Of Henry Viii [Paperback]

Karen Lindsey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

One hardly needs to reinterpret history to conclude that some of Henry VIII's wives were manipulated and victimized by a male-dominated society; most historians see that as a given. In her apparent determination to find something new under the sun, Lindsey sacrifices both objectivity and credibility. Virtually every important event is filtered through her feminist prism. Ann Boleyn may not have been the "great whore" of popular lore, but Lindsey's portrayal of her as a victim of sexual harassment on a grand scale is a bit much. Still, this book has value. In examining these women as flesh-and-blood humans rather than pawns in a chess game of power politics, Lindsey has performed a useful service. Her portrait of Henry's first and perhaps most tragic wife, Catherine of Aragon, is particularly poignant. This is a generally enjoyable and informative work, considering the self-imposed constraints the author worked under. Jay Freeman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Karen Lindsey is coauthor of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book and Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (May 3, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201408236
• ISBN-13: 978-0201408232
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reinterpretation of the Women in Henry's Life, May 3, 2001

By 

Dana Keish (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation Of The Wives Of Henry Viii (Paperback)

Author Lindsey does a fine job of describing the Tudor time period and what being a women meant during that time. All of the wives are examined in detailed, with Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn standing out compared to the others. Especially Catherine who is portrayed as a very sympathetic character, with her unwavering love for her husband, no matter how fouly he has treated her. But it is not this undeserving love on her part which makes her stand out. Of all of the wivesm Catherine defied him most openly and with such bravery and conviction that she seems the most modern of the wives. Henry VIII is not dealt with kindly but he does not seem to deserve any kind of credit for his treatment of these women. His cold and calculating manner with Anne Boleyn is hard to fathom.

The title of the book is a little misleading. While clearly a critique of the manner in which these women were treated, it is also clear that many women of this time led enriching and productive lives. The text is lively and flows very smoothly. After reading this book, I feel that I have a much better understanding of the time period.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lindsey's personal take on Henry's wives, February 2, 2000

By 

cyberpiglet "cyberpiglet" (Coudersport, PA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation Of The Wives Of Henry Viii (Paperback)

If you can stand back and appreciate Karen Lindsey's book as a personal - rather than feminist - interpretation of the six wives of Henry VIII, there is much to enjoy in this book. Her theory concerning Henry's negative reaction to Anne of Cleves is very amusing and as likely to be near the truth as any other I've read. Lindsey ,however, lacks objectivity in pursuing her subject and makes it clear from the outset that she is firmly in Anne Boleyn's camp. Actions that she attacks in the case of Jane Seymour are summarily excused in Anne Boleyn - although both women were in essentially the same situation. For one well grounded in Tudor history this book makes a diverting read. Readers in search of a solid history of Henry's six wives should look elsewhere.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, April 25, 2001

By 

Sara (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation Of The Wives Of Henry Viii (Paperback)

I thought this book was wonderful! For one thing, it was easy to understand. A lot of books I have found about the Tudor Era are confusing, but this book presented the information in a way anyone could understand, even if you didn;t know anything about the period before you read it. And not only did it talk about Henry's wives, it started at the beginning of the Tudor dynasty and went all the way to the end. This helped me understand references to Margaret Beaufort, Anne Askew, etc. I also admired how Lindsay doesn't portray Katherine Howard as trashy, as many other have done. She didn't drag out Anne Boleyn's affair to the point of boredom, either. I would say this is one of the best books I have read about the period, and I reccomend it to anyone interested in Tudor history.