Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This history/biography reads like a historical novel--Ms. Lindsey's prose is that smooth. The book tells the stories of each of Henry VIII's six wives--their stories as people, not just parts of Tudor England. Don't let the subtitle dissuade you--Lindsey did much of her research with primary resources yet turns many popular opinions on their ears, taking on such questions as "Were Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard really immoral whores?" If you don't know a lot about this time period, you will learn it here; if you do, this book will give you some new twists to think about.

I zipped through this book in two days--it was that intriguing, and that readable...

I'm not normally a big non-fiction reader, preferring rich literature to anything else, but while browsing through the local bookstore one day, I spied this on the shelf and was taken by the title. I spent about half an hour reading it there in the shop before I decided that I needed to by it, and then once I took it home I finished it in about 2 hours.

This book is interesting, fascinating, often humorous, and although it has a couple places where it is more annoyingly feminist than necessary, it really is a good place to start for someone wanting to get a taste of this period of British history without worrying about being bored to tears. For me it has kicked off a new obsession with readies histories of all sorts (I just picked up a book about the Black Plague).

Worth the time and money, for certain.

I spend alot of time perusing the "Tudor History" books and found this one quite by accident. And just the title of the feminist interpertation made me cringe. However, I beg of you, give it a chance. I tend to like the books which make me feel that special connection thru 500 years. Karen Lindsey does just that. Each chapter is a complete novel in itself. A must read for anyone with an interest in the Tudor wives saga.

The assumptions and steroetypes that most historians (male and female) don't think to question are scrutinized here. At first I was doubtful of this book, but it won me over. There are a few minor factual errors (such as who walked with Anne Boleyn to the scaffold) that don't matter very much, but which remind you that Lindsey is first and foremost a feminist rather than a historian. There's enough good stuff here to make it more than worthwhile.

Catherine of Aragorn and Ann Boleyn (wives 1 & 2) dominate this book, but for good reason. Lindsey's research and analysis, particularly in the case of Ann Boleyn should be required reading for those people (read: majority) that remember her as a homewrecker or whore. It is truly a pleasure to read about these women who stood up for their convictions in a time when to do so meant they may be dishonored.

I don't object to the title of the book either. I do feel that it is a feminist representation. Although many women will read this book using the values and rights we have today, had Lindsey presented this book from the same perspective as many before her, we may not feel as warmly/sympathetic while reading the text.

Feminism aside, this book provided me with the most clear cut introduction to the cast of characters that made up the Tudor dynasty. At times the martyrdom of the women gets a little heavy handed and the book takes a man=bad and woman=good approach, but overall it was a very fun read.

A fun to read, modern spin on the (unfortunately) same old story of the six women fated to marry Henry Tudor. Deeper exploration into the psyches of these Queens might have made it a more substantial work, but it's enjoyable for Henrician fans, nonetheless.