Customer Reviews

Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Novel

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In 1527, Hans Holbein makes his first trip to London to paint a portrait of the family of Sir Thomas More. This novel is about the More family, specifically Meg Giggs one of Sir Thomas's foster children, and the two men attracted to her. One is Hans Holbein himself, the other is the mysterious John Clement. Told through the eyes of Meg Giggs, we learn of some of the intrigue in the court as Henry VIII seeks to marry Anne Boleyn and of the mystery surrounding John Clement who ultimately becomes Meg's husband.

I picked up this novel because I am fascinated by the life and times of Sir Thomas More (author of `Utopia' and Chancellor to Henry VIII, in 16th century England). Sir Thomas was a patron to many learned philosophers, astronomers, scholars and painters and his household was both lively and learned.

This is an accomplished first novel: it combines elements of history with fiction in a way that may have readers wondering where the boundaries are. Ms Bennett has included an authorial note and a bibliography which will be of value to those readers seeking more information about the people and events of this period.

I recommend this novel highly to those who enjoy well written historical fiction but especially those who enjoy fiction set in Tudor England.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is an excellent and absorbing historical novel, beautifully written and full of evocative period detail. Even better, the characters are sensitively and convincingly drawn, especially Sir Thomas More, that almost-legendary figure of English history, who comes across as a much more complicated and ambiguous individual than the two-dimensional hero usually presented to readers. Through the eyes of the central character Meg Giggs, one of More's wards, or foster children, we also see him as a religious fanatic, a man capable of personally inflicting torture on Protestant "heretics," and of ordering them burned at the stake.

The novel ends shortly before More is betrayed and then beheaded at the orders of King Henry VIII, for refusing to condone the king's divorce and remarriage to Ann Boleyn. Oddly, the author nowhere mentions this event, not even in an epilogue. Readers who pick up this book will probably know about More's fate, but those who do not will miss the underlying menace that pervades the story: the knowledge of More's eventual martyrdom.

The author's imaginative contributions are curious, especially making the character of John Clements into one of the famous "princes in the tower," imprisoned there by the usurper, King Richard III, and whose fates remain unknown. Her assertion that Meg Giggs was Thomas More's illegitimate daughter is also a bit jarring, although More was a man of strong physical appetites who could have fathered an out-of-wedlock child. The portrait of Hans Holbein is quite good and remains true to at least some of the painter's characteristics, although we know very little about his inner life. The author pointedly ignores the fact (and it is a fact) that Holbein had a mistress in London, with whom he fathered several children, but perhaps that occurred later, in the years after the novel's conclusion.

Seems to me that most of these "reviews" are more like lengthy descriptions of the book! People tend to read reviews before they purchase so I will do my best to simply "review."
I am well-read on the Tudor period and just can't get enough historical fiction. While waiting for another Amazon shipment to come in, I picked up Portrait of an Unknown Woman.

Bennett did a great job of depicting the period, vividly describing moods, atmospheres etc. She did an excellent job with Clement and I felt as though I "knew" him. The dynamics of the father/daughter relationship were also decent. However, there were a few things that bothered me. Although Meg was the perfect person to pick as a narrator, Bennett really did not let us see inside her as much as we should have. I felt very unattached to her and even when things were hitting the fan with John, I found myself siding with him.

The turning points/climax were not built-up properly in any aspect. Espically the lust between Meg and Master Hans. The vision I had of him in my head was creepy and did not believe it one bit. Went from virtually nothing to him not being able to live without her????? Come on now...take us there! Build us up! Make us feel it!
There are MANY places where more elaboration was needed and MANY places where it just seemed to jump from emotion to emotion without any lingering. As a reader I was left thinking "UM, what is she feeling right now?" and "Why was this MAJOR event just glazed over?"
It did, however, paint a detailed picture of Clement and even More. And for that, it was worth the read.

Sweeping into the history of the explosive reign of Henry VIII and his Great Matter, a divorce from Katherine of Aragon and marriage to Anne Boleyn, this tale is relayed from the perspective of a highly educated adopted daughter of Sir Thomas More, an avid Catholic and heretic hunter who caught in Henry's drama with the Church and the chaos that ensues. A loyal subject, More reaches the pinnacle of power in Henry's court, only to find himself in conflict with the new ways of the reformists and the king's challenge of church authority. In a great struggle for religious domination that shadows sixteenth century England, the king will not be dissuaded, his desire for a male heir the driving force behind his impetuosity. As More's children watch their father's success, so too do they worry about his personal danger as Henry's demands chafe against More's rigid religious beliefs.

Through the adoring eyes of his adopted daughter, Meg Griggs, More appears a loving, if somewhat distracted father who prides himself on the education of his family, a ready discourse common as they gather together. Into this warm family scene comes portraitist Hans Holbein, fleeing a boring marriage and the messy reformation that has flooded Europe with violence. Holbein's talent is in the intimate detail of the scenes he paints and the use of symbols to add depth and mystery to his work, often telling a story within a story. Inevitably drawn to Meg, Holbein dares not hope for more than friendship, although his obsession grows over the years; meanwhile Meg marries her lifelong love, John Clement. A likely match for the compassionate beauty, Clement, a physician, has much in common with his wife, who has a working knowledge of herbal cures, ministering to those in need. But John Clement's background remains a mystery, as well as More's connection to John's early years; hence, a series of difficult conflicts between husband and wife.

A cataclysmic confrontation between the old religion and the new, Henry's inability to sire a male heir and a potential threat to the Tudor throne provide the uneasy political texture of the novel; Meg's perspective is more intimate, a tumultuous world where she struggles with her husband's dark secrets, her visceral reaction to the persecution of the reformed Christians and an increasing affection for the simple devotion offered by Hans Holbein. Both drawn to and repulsed by the actions of her enigmatic father, "a medieval man through and through", Meg must come to terms with More's intransigence and confusing affection. While her love for Clement remains constant, an appreciation of the painter's genius threatens Meg's ordered life, an educated woman caught in the turmoil of the king's obsession and her longing for security. As intricate and mystery-laden as Holbein's celebrated paintings of More's family, this novel is as complex and fascinating as the era it so deftly portrays. Luan Gaines/2007.

Thomas More is a saint and a cultural icon. But he was far from perfect, and certainly ought not to be confused with the paragon depicted in A Man for All Seasons. In Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Vanora Bennett brings some humanity, flaws and all, to the cardboard image.
This imaginative look into the lives of the More family, embedded as they were into the very heart of the religious wars that forever changed English culture, appears to have been grounded upon analysis of the composition of the More family portrait painted by German artist Hans Holbein. The interpretive theory, explicated by Jack Lesau at the website of the Hans Holbein Foundation, proposes the ideas around which the plot of Unknown Woman revolves.
Thomas More is depicted here as a sincere, but at times fanatical, hunter of heretics. His children, all adults at the time of the novel's setting, are all brilliantly educated and conversant with the classics and the major schools of thought of their day, particularly humanism. Nevertheless they are constrained to live in accordance with the morals and mores of their era. At the center of the plot stands Meg Giggs Clement, known to have been the ward of More. I will not go into the various plot twists and turns for fear of spoilers, but, whether or not these family secrets and surprises are true, they make for good reading. This is a novel, after all. Portrait of an Unknown Woman presents a beautifully written, vivid, and memorable glimpse into the life of those people fortunate or unfortunate enough to have lived during the turbulent, world shaking reign of Henry VIII.

If you are looking for an engaging book based in the time of the Tudors, stick to Alison Weir and Phillipa Gregory. The first half of a book seems to be leading somewhere until out of nowhere, we discover an impractical secret. Trust me, if the two Plantagenet princes survived thier Uncle Richard, they would not have survived Henry VII. Once the great 'secret' is revealed, the book becomes tedious. Not the story itself, but the writing.

It is very seldom that I turn down anything related to historical mysteries or the Tudor era, but I did this one. Three-fourths of the way into it, I decided life was too short to continue plodding along and abandoned it for a historical overview on yellow fever in the USA. I think I made the right choice.

If you are interested in art history, as well as interested in a good historical novel, this one is for you.
Find insights into English history and the techniques of Holbein.
Find out why Thomas More is depicted wtih red velvet sleeves.
Google More family and Holbein, and see the sketch of the characters, and the knowledge of the significance of the items included will delight you.
I bought this for my cousin who is an art teacher, and I got a copy for myself, too, since I know I'll read it again.Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Novel

PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN is a story of love and betrayal, secrets and forgiveness, and courage in the face of fear. While it borrows from history - particularly the characters of Thomas More and his family - it is a timeless story that could be told in almost any setting.

The author outlines accepted historical fact at the end of the novel. If you are unfamiliar with the time period - roughly 1520 to 1532 - read the outline first. It will give you the historical background against which this highly imaginative story takes place.

The author's main supposition (and there are several) is: What if the princes in the tower (rumored to have been killed by Richard III) lived? With whom would they have lived? How could their existence remain secret? What kind of people would they have turned out to be?

Within the context of this fictional accounting of the princes (particularly Richard), the story also relates the contradictions of the man, Sir Thomas More. (Ironically, it is his erroneous history of Richard III that was responsible for the bad information about the man and his reign until its debunking in recent times.) How can a fanatic also be a saint?

The novel's weakness is twofold: First and foremost, it tries to deal with too many complex issues in just over 400 pages. (Sharon Kay Penman could have made a trilogy out of the plot and sub-plots!) Second, the author gives these Renaissance characters modern ways of thinking. For this latter reason, I found the main character - More's adopted daughter, Meg Gibbs - mostly unbelievable.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story. With the small exception of some of the interpretations of the art work, I found it hard to put down. I think it might have been better as a longer book with more room for exploring the complexities, but that's a minor gripe.

I look forward to the author's next work.

I've been reading historical fiction about the Tudor period for almost 40 years, and it is rare that I find a book that is not only entertaining, but firmly based in historical realities (in which unfortunately, much of the most popular books in the genre, such as those by Phillipa Gregory, fall short). My most recent visit to a smallish chain bookstore displayed perhaps 10 (TEN!) series about Henry VIII and his wives, so I have to add my voice to those who are happy that this book focuses on a different group of people during the same historical period.

Even though one of the main twists to the plot is a huge stretch, and personally one that I do not subscribe to (see Alison Weir's "The Princes in the Tower"), I was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the premise and plot thoroughly. I find today's fashion toward erotically spiced fiction to be a bit humdrum, and was pleased to find that although sexuality was important to the book, it wasn't included in a "titillating manner".

Historical detail was complete and accurate. Further, it was very satisfying to get an idea of what Hans Holbein, the man, was like as a human being. The enormity of the cultural change which unfolded over this period - the Renaissance vs. the Medieval - Protestantism vs. Catholicism - Humanism vs. Religion - was fully explored and included in a way that is not didactic or boring.

I have had little exposure to art history, but this is the second book I've read this year (the first being "The Golden Tulip" by Rosalind Laker) which has focused on the subject, and I find it fascinating. I had no idea that Holbein was more than a "mere" visual portraitist and that the symbols included in many of his paintings bear psychological or other significance to the subject portrayed. It filled me with a desire to learn more about Holbein's work, and about art history in general.

This book is more than a historical novel, there is a wealth of well-written and -organized supplemental information about not only the basic history of the times, but also significant cultural aspects of the period, especially in relation to the book. It has been decades since I've been able to say that I've learned a great deal from a book about this period - so those who wish to improve their mind as well as enjoy a good read will be very happy with the novel.

All in all, I could not recommend this book more highly.

After all the bodice-ripper romances thinly disguised as historical fiction, what a relief to come across a well-written, imaginative novel that does more than rehash well-known material and does it with an impressive mastery of the time and place in which the novel is set.
Yes, the two big plot twists -- which I won't spoil -- are a stretch. But isn't that part of the fun of fiction? Neither are utterly implausible; both enhance the drama of the narrative. In both cases, the author was authoritative enough in her handling of the material that I found myself willing to say, 'well, why not?' and go along for the ride.
Bennett deftly takes what is known about her real-life characters -- Sir Thomas More, his adoptive daughter, his other children and their circle -- and does a remarkable job in making them "live". She has created some memorable fictional personalities. I was particularly intrigued by her look at Holbein and his creative process during his stay in England.
Philippa Gregory has certainly done wonders for roughly the same time period, but with few exceptions, she seems to be concentrating on those well-known individuals -- Elizabeth, Mary Tudor, Katherine of Aragon, etc. So it's a pleasure to find someone willing to go a bit further afield, do some heavier digging and come up with something creative and well-written.
More, please!