Reviews

“Anne Boleyn” is the second book in Weir’s Six Wives series and follows the rise and fall of Anne as Henry VIII’s second wife, the one he moved heave and earth and broke with Rome with to marry (and in my personal opinion, the love of his life).

This review is rather tricky for me to write because Anne is my favorite wife, however I felt her to be a bit wanting in this book. There were some moments where I needed her to be smarter and less “woe is me.” Idk. Maybe I just have Natalie Dormer’s portrayal of Anne ingrained into my mind too much. To me, Anne is an incredibly intelligent woman who became drunk on her own power and lost sight of the plot. Idk. I feel like something is missing here and I think I’ve finally figured out why.

We (I) have an expectation of Anne as being this incredibly intelligent woman who knew how to play the game of politics. However, once she achieved her goal of being queen, she stopped playing the game and that seals her fate. This book has shown me just how little Anne knew Henry nor did she make the effort to play the submissive role. She usurped her predecessor and yet learned nothing from her at the same time. So when her fall from Grace finally happens, it feels both like a gut punch when the rug is pulled out from under her and yet still like something you could see coming from a mile away.

The last third (especially the last 50 or so pages) really shines for me. Anne (and the reader) being kept in the dark on the trumped up charges that were later against her really does feel like a shock even thought you know it’s coming. I was SOBBING the entire time through the last three chapters. Weir’s writing is poignant here and oddly makes me wanna read her novel on Henry VIII just so I have get his POV on everything that has happened so far (even when in reality I really don’t need/want to read it 👀).

worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Find this review and more on my blog.

The second book in Alison Weir's Six Tudor Queens series tells the story of Anne Boleyn. Anne leaves her family at the age of eleven for the court of the Netherlands. The glimpse into her years with Regent Margaret and then at the French Court are interesting and show very well how her experiences and lessons in childhood shaped her decisions in later years on the path to becoming Queen and beyond. Most interesting however, was to see that Anne initially dislikes and attempts to evade Henry, but eventually sees the power and prestige in becoming Queen.

Personally, I find Anne Boleyn the most interesting of Henry's wives and was rather looking forward to seeing how Weir recreates her story. I was not disappointed. While definitely historical fiction in every sense of the word, the Tudor court comes alive in this fascinating novel. Having read many, many versions of Anne's story, this is the first novel that made me sympathize with her at all.
Alison Weir has depicted Anne marvellously, with both her good qualities and her flaws laid out without bias. By far the most comprehensive retelling of Anne Boleyn's story I have read, this is historical fiction at its finest.

While this is a rather heavy read, and not in terms of the number of pages, it is definitely worth the time and effort it takes. A must-read for Tudor enthusiasts!

emilyhi21's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

3.0

akahawkeye's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

dandelia's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

myantonia's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Even though I adore Anne Boleyn and devoured the first two parts, somewhere after their marriage they lost me. Those three years felt like forever. The ending though, drew me in again. Especially the last minutes of her life... the wording, the emotion... superb, gruesomely so.

anne_boleyns_book's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

More...