Customer Reviews

The Lady in the Tower: The Wives of Henry VIII

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Anne Boleyn is probably one of the most fascinating women in English history. Here, Jean Plaidy brings her to life with a spectacular first-person narrative about who Anne Boleyn really was.

The book begins in the Tower of London; Anne has been convicted of adultery and treason and is waiting for her execution. She then revisits her days at the French and English courts, being courted by the King, and her eventual marriage to him and the birth of her daughter, Elizabeth. Anne tells her story with simplicity, recounting her life at a Court that was filled with seductions, intrigues, murder, and plotting.

The story of the Queen of a Thousand Days is recounted here with unbelievable historical accuracy, as well as remarkable insight into those events which were to shape the course of history. Although it may seem that there is too much history infused into this book, it is necessary because it gives shape to all that these characters say and do. Anne grows from a frightened little girl in the retinue of Princess Marguerite to a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katharine, and finally to Queen of England, seemingly without effort on her part.

Jean Plaidy's The Lady in the Tower tells the story of the rise and fall of Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn, and charts her life from her beginnings at the French court until her execution for treason.

Anne, who many consider to be Henry VIII's most fascinating queen, has been the subject of countless retellings. What I like about Plaidy's novel is that it is written in first person as a kind of memoir while Anne is imprisoned in the Tower of London, and tells her story from her own point of view. This creates a sympathetic portrait and helps in humanizing a historical figure who was greatly hated and villified in her own day.

A very great and interesting read. I am so happy that many of Plaidy's other novels are being re-released for a new generation of readers to enjoy.

The first half is a lot more detailed and imaginative than the second, when it appears that the author got tired and started rushing through to the end we all know is coming. "I got pregnant, then I lost the child" is not the stuff of gripping psychological drama. Pick up Margaret George instead.

I am having trouble understanding why people's complaints with this book are the fact that its "boring." I can name other Anne Boleyn novels that are so much more boring then this. While Jean Plaidy's work are aged, written over 50 years ago, the story of Anne Boleyn is ageless and a true drama even from the plain textbook.

It's been a long time since I've read it, but it was the first Anne Boleyn novel, so maybe that is why I remember it so fondly. The novel opens with Anne in service to Queen Mary, then Queen Claude in France. Then countinues from playing a cruel game on Henry in the garden pretending not to know who he is and have a lengthy conversation with him criticising the English court and praising that of the French, to her end on May 19th, 1536.

A novel that paints a vivid painting of Tudorian life, but a better picture of Anne Boleyn's true charcter. Passionate about everything, arragont and ambitious.

To hear versatile actress Anne Flosnik read The Lady in the Tower is to be transported to 16th century England, to the court of Henry VIII. While Henry was, indeed, a contradictory figure his court was even more so, filled with plotting, scheming, betrayals of trust. Flosnik's voice itself takes us there with a distinct, brisk British accent. Her tone is both soft and firm. Add to this voice her acting ability and you have an exemplary performance, one that holds listeners rapt even though most know the outcome.

Throughout history we find women who intrigue, their stories captivating us even after centuries have past. Surely few of those lives are as compelling as that of Anne Boleyn.

History does not accurately record the date of her birth with guesses ranging from 1501 - 1507. What is known is that as a young girl she was sent to France, to the household of Mary, Henry VIII's sister who was the wife of Louis XII. She returned to England in 1921 to prepare for a marriage which did not take place. Following this she had relationships with several men. Anne was an ambitious woman, and eventually caught the eye of Henry VIII who was then married to Catherine of Aragon.

Catch Henry's eye she did and more. When she refused to become his mistress he decided to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. The marriage did finally take place after she became pregnant with his child, a girl. Anne never produced a son; Henry's attention soon turned to another. She reigned for a brief three years as Queen and the drama of those days continues to attract us.

Highly recommended

- Gail Cooke

This is the book that introduced me to Jean Plaidy. I have since read at least 30 of her books, and none of them contain the tawdry, psuedo-historical fiction so common today. Being a dedicated anglophile, Jean Plaidy's works have become a starting point to a better understanding of English history. Her bibliographies have become useful aids in this endeavor. "The Lady in the Tower" takes the reader on a journey through the life of one of the most famous women of the Renaissance, Anne Boleyn. I personally enjoyed how she acquired her education, her sparkling wit and her unquestionable finesse at the French court under the tutelage of Marguarite, the tantalizing sister of Francis I of France. I also appreciated the lessons Anne learned early on in life by the treatment of Queen Claude, the experience of her sister Mary, and the skillful management of King Francis. This is also the story of a middle-aged man who had known limitless power for twenty years, and then sees his will thwarted for the first time by God (no sons), his first wife (by not instantly acceding to his wishes as she always had), his trusted Chancellor (Wolsey who simply could not singlehandedly change the political realities of his day) and, finally, by the first exciting woman to say him nay FOR YEARS. The reader sees how not just Anne changes, but also how Katherine of Aragon, Henry & the entire court metamorphose into the unrecognizable shells of the optimistic youths they once were. It's the story of aging, of reaping what we sow.

Throughout history we find women who intrigue, their stories captivating us even after centuries have past. Surely few of those lives are as compelling as that of Anne Boleyn.

History does not accurately record the date of her birth with guesses ranging from 1501 - 1507. What is known is that as a young girl she was sent to France, to the household of Mary, Henry VIII's sister who was the wife of Louis XII. She returned to England in 1921 to prepare for a marriage which did not take place. Following this she had relationships with several men. Anne was an ambitious woman, and eventually caught the eye of Henry VIII who was then married to Catherine of Aragon.

Catch Henry's eye she did and more. When she refused to become his mistress he decided to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. The marriage did finally take place after she became pregnant with his child, a girl. Anne never produced a son; Henry's attention soon turned to another. She reigned for a brief three years as Queen and the drama of those days continues to attract us.

Highly recommended

- Gail Cooke

I loved this work of historical fiction for its sympathetic portrayal of Anne Boleyn. Jean Plaidy makes the reader see reasons for Anne's behavior. This novel was infinitely better than Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, which I hated for its tawdriness. Plaidy's work is far more classy.

I've read most of Plaidys' books along with her other pen names: Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr and I can honestly say that this was a really great read. I like how Anne was portrayed as an ambitious, but intelligent victim subject to the whims of her vicious and philandering husband. Plaidy creates a truthful and tasteful novel although it lacks the lust present in Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl which I admittedly found rather intriguing and consider a guilty pleasure. I would recommend this book any day if you want a true picture of what happened to Anne and her story, but I just couldn't give it a five because I felt it lacked the storytelling that Gregory's novel had (even though Gregory's novel was almost completely untrue). Even though I ultimately feel that Plaidy's tale is better literature I personally liked Gregory's story better.

Anne Boleyn was the second and most famous of Henry VIII's six wives.
Henry's determination to marry her, in part, led to the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church.
Another reason was that Henry wanted the wealth of the Church in his own hands being a greedy grasping man.

The book begins with Anne's incarceration in the Tower of London as she reflects on her life.
We are taken back to when Anne was seven years old and traveled to France to serve in the household of Princess Mary, sister of Henry VIII, and wed to the King of France, Louis XII.

We are given the colorful details Anne experiences and witnesses in the Royal French Court. Anne's beautiful sister Mary becomes mistress to the new king of France, Francois, but is sent back to England in disgrace , because of her lack of discretion at the French court.
Mary was simply too trusting and simple to hide her indiscretions which were all too common in the French court, but were done in more secretive and hiding fashion, Mary Boleyn with her big beautiful blue eyes saw no evil, thought no evil and spoke no evil, but gave her love freely without considering the consequences.
She was sent back to England and married to a poor nobleman, William Carey.

Mary Boleyn later became mistress to King Henry VIII.
She too was discarded by Henry who became infatuated with Anne, and became determined to make her his mistress despite her refusal.
Anne's love with with a young and honest nobleman Henry Percy was destroyed by King Henry and Cardinal Wolsey.
And eventually Anne enticed to marry King Henry in exchange for becoming Queen.

Henry secretly married Anne in January, 1533. Henry's Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer pronounced Henry's first marriage null and void.
Anne Boleyn was crowned queen in June and because of circumstances beyond her control was unpopular with the English people and had many enemies.
Anne gave birth to Elizabeth in June.
But Henry a cruel and selfish man had wanted a boy and soon tired of Anne.
After she repeatedly failed to produce a male heir, Henry and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell had Anne framed for adultery and executed.
Anne reflects in this book on all that passed and the target that could have been averted. She reflects that the way in which the king showed no compassion for his former mistress, Anne's sister Mary, after she was widowed and fell into dire poverty. He had discarded her and wished not to be reminded of her existence.
Anne recounts how she should have had some insight into the nature of the King and what lay in store for her.
She reflects that hypocrisy was second in nature to Henry and he used it so well because he believed it when he said it.
Only just before her execution did she realize that behind his mask of geniality "bluff King Hal" was a selfish misogynistic monster and murderer.

A tragic story of a woman who was chosen by Henry and stood no chance after he selected her as his paramour.
Her great dignity and courage in the tower in the face of death, her great fear being only for the future of her three year old daughter Elizabeth, is extremely moving.
I think Jean Plaidy is a far superior historical novelist to Philippa Gregory because Plaidy's novels are more historically accurate and pay greater attention to historical detail.

Plaidy's novels are history in the form of novelization while Gregory's novels are really romances set in historic periods ie period pieces