Queen of Subtleties [Paperback]

Suzannah Dunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2005

A tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry's queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the kitchens of the Tudor court. Everyone knows the story of Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII divorced his longstanding, long-suffering, older, Spanish wife for a young, black-eyed English beauty, and, in doing so, severed England from Rome and indeed from the rest of the western world. Then, when Henry had what he wanted, he managed a mere three years of marriage before beheading his wife for alleged adultery with several men, among them his own best friend and her own brother. This is the context for Suzannah Dunn's wonderful new novel, which is about -- and told by -- two women: Anne Boleyn, king's mistress and fated queen; and Lucy Cornwallis, the king's confectioner, an employee of the very highest status, who made the centrepiece of each of the feasts to mark the important occasions in Anne's ascent. There's another link between them, though: the lovely Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician, the innocent on whom, ultimately, Anne's downfall hinged! Suzannah Dunn has wit, a mastery of dialogue, brilliant characterization, lack of pretence, and good humour. The Queen of Subtleties adds to that mix a wonderfully balanced, strong story and the result is sensational.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of historical fiction will savor this colorful retelling of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn by British author Dunn. The novel (her eighth, and the first to be published in the U.S.) is narrated in turns by Anne, now imprisoned in the Tower, and Lucy Cornwallis, Henry VIII's confectioner, who observes the dramas of the court from the haven of her kitchen. Though their paths seldom cross, the two women's lives become fatefully linked through the scandalous liaisons of the English court. On the eve of her beheading, Anne documents her life's tale for her young daughter, Elizabeth, telling how she came to join the king's court as a lady-in-waiting to Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and caught the eye of the king. Ambitious and proud, she refuses to be his mistress, insisting instead on becoming his legitimate wife. Henry eventually succumbs to her pressures, but only after he breaks with Rome and declares himself the head of the Church of England. Meanwhile, Lucy falls desperately in love with Mark Smeaton, the angelic court musician who in turn is enamored with Anne. This reasonably accurate historical portrait of Anne is enlivened by Dunn's imaginative weaving of Lucy into the narrative, making for a delicious romp through the romance, politics and drama of 16th-century England.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

This fictional retelling of the triumphant rise and tragic downfall of Anne Boleyn rings true, reminding readers that great events are often viewed differently through the personal prisms of both participants and observers. Juxtaposing Anne's chronicle--written in prison as she awaits execution--with the recollections of Lucy Cornwallis, the king's talented confectioner, responsible for providing the insatiable Henry with an enormous variety of sweetly delectable concoctions, two divergent views of both the doomed queen and the historical circumstances surrounding her demise are provided. Presenting herself more as a victim than a villain, Anne, in her seemingly straightforward defense of her actions, lacks the objectivity and ultimate subtlety of Lucy's more balanced account. Since both women are products of their particular time in history and station in society, each brings a refreshingly unique perspective to a familiar tale. The authentically detailed narrative resonates with compassionate sympathy for the major players in this historical melodrama. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007139381
• ISBN-13: 978-0007139385
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,542,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All Three Stars Are for Boleyn - Not this book!, November 15, 2004

By 

LBM "Elbyem" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Queen of Subtleties (Hardcover)

Only one's fascination with the Tudor lifestyle and legacy will keep you crawling thru this book to the end. Since we all know Bolelyn's dramatic and tragic story, if it needs to be RETOLD, it must be done in an innovative way, when being recounted for the thousandth time. What it did NOT need, was to be filtered thru an "US Magazine" thesaurus!...Language like "partied", "awesome", and "bump" (for pregnancy), are actually used in their modern context! This is Tudor history... for Paris Hilton!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing . . ., March 21, 2005

By 

G. Gregory "bookfan" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Queen of Subtleties (Hardcover)

A very confused telling of a familiar story, jarring modern slang, and distortion of historical facts. I have rarely been more disappointed in a book. I though I'd list it on Amazon and get rid of it (and get a portion of my purchase price back), but the depreciation on the price of the book is worse than a new car! Don't waste your time on this. I agree with some of the other critics - how the heck does a piece of junk like this get published?

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment, October 7, 2004

By 

J. Jamison (New Albany, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Queen of Subtleties (Hardcover)

Anne Boleyn was one of the most interesting women in history, almost as interesting as her daughter, Elizabeth. Over the years I have read every book I have found on both of them. I have always had much sympathy for Anne since I felt she was caught up in a situation of which she lost control. She was a pawn in the hands of her father and uncle and in the end, she paid the ultimate price. However, if this book had been the first one I'd ever read about her, I would not read a second. In this portrayal she is mean, petty, a totally unlikable woman. And the device the author uses as to names--- Franky? Billy? Nick? I'm surprised that Dunn didn't have Anne calling Henry V111 just plain Hank. Other references were " Her stubborness" and "Her Oldbagness", meaning Queen Catherine. Totally distracting, and unnecessary. The story, had it been told in a more straightforward manner without all the silly names and more traditional language, would have been more true to the time, and I think Dunn went out of her way to make Anne a total villianess. I liked the side story of Lucy Cornwallis, but overall the book could have been so much better. Anne Boyelyn's life ended with a sword. Now she is getting a hatchet job.