Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'
Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait by Alison Weir
1 review
eldaaurora97's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"She was still aware of her shortcomings. The language barrier did not make for the intimacy and easy conversation that might have awakened deeper feelings between them. She had no idea how to charm a man. She could not entertain Henry with music or dancing because she did not know how. All she could do was offer him a warm welcome and show her pleasure in his company" (164)
"Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait" tells the story of Henry's fourth wife, and the one who had the shortest marriage. It starts up with Anna growing up in Kleve (Cleves is the Anglicized name for the region), in which she gets entangled in a problem. Questions about her in the marriage market persist--she is first bethrowed to another man, but eventually has Holbein paint a portrait of her for King Henry VIII. Liking it, Anna is sent to England, where the circumstances turn out to be different than she thought. Not only does she have to get acquainted with the English court, but also with Henry, who can't seem to love her.
The first thing which stands out was how Weir decides to go for an obscure theory on why Henry never consummated his marriage with Anna--it was because Anna had been pregnant before. The inciting incident, in which she has sex with her cousin, Otho von Wylich, was a surprise, especially considering the sexual mores of the time. "There was no shock, just surprise at how little she had understood her own body--and no shame. Here it was, the madness of which women had spoken! Had she lived until now?" (13) While the initial joy persists, the handling of the pregnancy made me worry for her, though (the presumably fictional) Mother Lowe handles it with ease. This haunts the rest of the book, even though the historical roots are a bit ambiguous (as is Anna of Kleve's early life).
It's interesting because I saw Weir as mostly spot-on in terms of her historical research, to the point where I even considered some of the minor aspects true (like with Jane Seymour planning to become a nun in the previous book). That said, she still pores through a lot of detail in the story, adding a human edge to the whole thing. For example, I never knew of Anna's wedding gown being made of gold, and her hair loose, "as became a bride who was supposed to be a virgin..." (150). The overall journey in which she gets from Kleve to England was also compelling, in that we got to see how she adjusts and worries about what she would do once there.
Because of how brief Anna's marriage was, we didn't see much of her do anything other than wonder how to make her position viable. What was interesting, however, was the intrigues around her, which would eventually lead to the Cromwell's downfall and execution. This also involved Katheryn Howard, of which Anna was amused of at first, and then threatened when she was flirting and spending time with Henry VIII. One thing she does, however, is accept Henry's divorce settlement, in which she manages to become a wealthy woman and gets the title of "The King's Sister". Considering the stress she goes through, she still makes the right call, and she benefits from it!
Another interesting thing which stood out was the Reformation hanging all over Europe. Despite what was going on in Germany, Anna was Catholic; and one point of connection with Mary Tudor was with their similar faith. The torment on which they struggle to fit in, as well as with Katherine Parr's beliefs, is a strong one indeed.
Other than that, it's interesting to see Anna struggle to survive after Henry VIII's death. It seems like it runs through the motions in terms of torn apart houses and her trying to reconcile with her son. It runs like a simple drama--good in that she avoids the turmoil of the court, but makes for a weaker story. It's sweet to see how Anna reconciles with her son at the end, though it came off as a bit jarring.
This book tests out a theory on Anna's life, which poses for a good story. And like in regular Alison Weir tradition, you get a bunch of detail throughout to make the story more real. However, it's also that--a story, one which may be proven false with the research we have today. But I do recommend "Anna of Kleve" for not only that, but also of culture shock and survival (8/10)
"Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait" tells the story of Henry's fourth wife, and the one who had the shortest marriage. It starts up with Anna growing up in Kleve (Cleves is the Anglicized name for the region), in which she gets entangled in a problem. Questions about her in the marriage market persist--she is first bethrowed to another man, but eventually has Holbein paint a portrait of her for King Henry VIII. Liking it, Anna is sent to England, where the circumstances turn out to be different than she thought. Not only does she have to get acquainted with the English court, but also with Henry, who can't seem to love her.
The first thing which stands out was how Weir decides to go for an obscure theory on why Henry never consummated his marriage with Anna--it was because Anna had been pregnant before. The inciting incident, in which she has sex with her cousin, Otho von Wylich, was a surprise, especially considering the sexual mores of the time. "There was no shock, just surprise at how little she had understood her own body--and no shame. Here it was, the madness of which women had spoken! Had she lived until now?" (13) While the initial joy persists, the handling of the pregnancy made me worry for her, though (the presumably fictional) Mother Lowe handles it with ease. This haunts the rest of the book, even though the historical roots are a bit ambiguous (as is Anna of Kleve's early life).
It's interesting because I saw Weir as mostly spot-on in terms of her historical research, to the point where I even considered some of the minor aspects true (like with Jane Seymour planning to become a nun in the previous book). That said, she still pores through a lot of detail in the story, adding a human edge to the whole thing. For example, I never knew of Anna's wedding gown being made of gold, and her hair loose, "as became a bride who was supposed to be a virgin..." (150). The overall journey in which she gets from Kleve to England was also compelling, in that we got to see how she adjusts and worries about what she would do once there.
Because of how brief Anna's marriage was, we didn't see much of her do anything other than wonder how to make her position viable. What was interesting, however, was the intrigues around her, which would eventually lead to the Cromwell's downfall and execution. This also involved Katheryn Howard, of which Anna was amused of at first, and then threatened when she was flirting and spending time with Henry VIII. One thing she does, however, is accept Henry's divorce settlement, in which she manages to become a wealthy woman and gets the title of "The King's Sister". Considering the stress she goes through, she still makes the right call, and she benefits from it!
Another interesting thing which stood out was the Reformation hanging all over Europe. Despite what was going on in Germany, Anna was Catholic; and one point of connection with Mary Tudor was with their similar faith. The torment on which they struggle to fit in, as well as with Katherine Parr's beliefs, is a strong one indeed.
Other than that, it's interesting to see Anna struggle to survive after Henry VIII's death. It seems like it runs through the motions in terms of torn apart houses and her trying to reconcile with her son. It runs like a simple drama--good in that she avoids the turmoil of the court, but makes for a weaker story. It's sweet to see how Anna reconciles with her son at the end, though it came off as a bit jarring.
This book tests out a theory on Anna's life, which poses for a good story. And like in regular Alison Weir tradition, you get a bunch of detail throughout to make the story more real. However, it's also that--a story, one which may be proven false with the research we have today. But I do recommend "Anna of Kleve" for not only that, but also of culture shock and survival (8/10)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Incest, and Sexual content
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