mazza57's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed this book until the point of no return; i.e. i had got to far in to give up. For the most part it was the biggest yawn producing book of all time, tedious and adds nothing to what we already know about Henry VIII
medea_jade's review against another edition
5.0
This book took the author 15 years to write and it shows. Her hard work, in-depth research, and diligence produced a book that is as close to perfection as I have ever read. This book will draw you in and keep you enthralled page after page.
This book is ideal for a vacation or a cottage because it’s easy to sit and read for hours without even noticing the passage of time. If you’re interested in this time in history and/or in the life of Henry VIII I highly recommend this book, as not only will you learn a great deal, but it will be significantly more entertaining than reading a textbook.
Without a doubt one of the best books I’ve ever read in my entire life.
This book is ideal for a vacation or a cottage because it’s easy to sit and read for hours without even noticing the passage of time. If you’re interested in this time in history and/or in the life of Henry VIII I highly recommend this book, as not only will you learn a great deal, but it will be significantly more entertaining than reading a textbook.
Without a doubt one of the best books I’ve ever read in my entire life.
mcarter18's review against another edition
4.0
9/10
I mean, all things considered, this book was super interesting, but it FELT boring. Does that make sense? Mostly because I prefer modern text over historical. The big words made it seem like a lifetime long, I think that was the root of my boredom. But wait. There's more. This book was ALSO incredibly well-written, it really makes you think about all the B.S. that royalty had to put up with, and still DOES have to put up with.
I really just read the book to read about the 6 wives. Anne of Cleves is my favorite wife, girlfriend knew what she wanted and it wasn't that! I respect that. Henry VIII was kind of a wimp, not gonna lie. He was very much in the mindset of "I'm the king and very much That Bitch" the entire time. How DARE someone address him to his face?! The audacity.
I think in the end, as interesting as this book was, I just hate reading stories where the main character has a Superiority complex (or its sibling the Aristotle complex).
I'm sending SUPER mixed signals here, I just want everyone to be aware before they walk into this. Don't get me wrong, this is one of my favorite books, I've had the privilige to read it twice now. But I do wish I had known how hard it was going to be to get into this book. So be warned, and I hope you know that even though I'm quite critical of this book, I still thoroughly loved it!
I mean, all things considered, this book was super interesting, but it FELT boring. Does that make sense? Mostly because I prefer modern text over historical. The big words made it seem like a lifetime long, I think that was the root of my boredom. But wait. There's more. This book was ALSO incredibly well-written, it really makes you think about all the B.S. that royalty had to put up with, and still DOES have to put up with.
I really just read the book to read about the 6 wives. Anne of Cleves is my favorite wife, girlfriend knew what she wanted and it wasn't that! I respect that. Henry VIII was kind of a wimp, not gonna lie. He was very much in the mindset of "I'm the king and very much That Bitch" the entire time. How DARE someone address him to his face?! The audacity.
I think in the end, as interesting as this book was, I just hate reading stories where the main character has a Superiority complex (or its sibling the Aristotle complex).
I'm sending SUPER mixed signals here, I just want everyone to be aware before they walk into this. Don't get me wrong, this is one of my favorite books, I've had the privilige to read it twice now. But I do wish I had known how hard it was going to be to get into this book. So be warned, and I hope you know that even though I'm quite critical of this book, I still thoroughly loved it!
kyliereads1's review against another edition
5.0
I actually got my copy of this book when I was entirely too young for it. I was 13. I was obsessed with British royalty. I had done well in school and, as she usually did, my mom took me book shopping as a reward. So this book and I have a history long and complex, much like its contents.
It's about Henry VIII of England - his life, his actions, from his perspective. The "notes from Will Somers" rarely exceed a paragraph or two and appear sporadically. The premise is that Will is sending this to an unacknowledged illegitimate child of Henry's.
I have noticed that, much like the man himself, this book has some very contradictory reviews.
It is a good read! It's a long one at 932 pages. I read a bit slowly as is, but I started reading this July 1st and did not finish it until July 26th. I have read that Ms. George spent a LOT of time researching and visiting the U.K. and reading up on his life, and that seems pretty evident. I had a decent idea of facts surrounding Henry - six wives, two beheaded, no really viably strong male heir through his reign, severe obesity towards the end. I think Ms. George did a wonderful job of humanizing him. He is still a tyrant, I thought maybe his temper came across a bit toned down, but I attributed that to the "autobiography" angle - so few people would be willing to write about all of their parts, good, bad, and evil. I'd imagine a famously narcissistic monarch would have quite a difficult time reconciling himself with his own anger management issues.
Overall, a solid read, heavily laden with historical fact and beautiful speculation into the emotion behind some very questionable decisions. The aim isn't to make Henry into a "good guy"; he's not. It's just to humanize Henry a bit more than the usual dry list of executions and temper tantrums and body/health issues most content about him ends up being.
It's about Henry VIII of England - his life, his actions, from his perspective. The "notes from Will Somers" rarely exceed a paragraph or two and appear sporadically. The premise is that Will is sending this to an unacknowledged illegitimate child of Henry's.
I have noticed that, much like the man himself, this book has some very contradictory reviews.
It is a good read! It's a long one at 932 pages. I read a bit slowly as is, but I started reading this July 1st and did not finish it until July 26th. I have read that Ms. George spent a LOT of time researching and visiting the U.K. and reading up on his life, and that seems pretty evident. I had a decent idea of facts surrounding Henry - six wives, two beheaded, no really viably strong male heir through his reign, severe obesity towards the end. I think Ms. George did a wonderful job of humanizing him. He is still a tyrant, I thought maybe his temper came across a bit toned down, but I attributed that to the "autobiography" angle - so few people would be willing to write about all of their parts, good, bad, and evil. I'd imagine a famously narcissistic monarch would have quite a difficult time reconciling himself with his own anger management issues.
Overall, a solid read, heavily laden with historical fact and beautiful speculation into the emotion behind some very questionable decisions. The aim isn't to make Henry into a "good guy"; he's not. It's just to humanize Henry a bit more than the usual dry list of executions and temper tantrums and body/health issues most content about him ends up being.
downthebookjar's review against another edition
3.0
Holy detail. Just over six months. It took me six months to read of Henry VIII’s 38 year reign. A few battles, a wife here or there. Sometimes the detail was arduous and unnecessary. Other times, it put you IN the story.
bookish_brooklyn's review against another edition
5.0
This was nothing short of phenomenal! It was utterly amazing! Being obsessed with Tudor England, I have read many a fiction and non fiction book depicting this maniac and will read many a more! But this one definitely goes in a league of its own! The writing was EXCEPTIONAL! If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought I was reading Henry’s true life memoirs. The way he thought about each one of his wives, from his brother’s intended, Katherine of Aragon (I mean he really thought in the end that his first marriage was an abomination in the eyes of God?! Please!) to his lust for Anne Boleyn and Kitty Howard, to…oh okay, I’ll stop. But anyway, this book was emotionally exhausting but freaking amazing! It’s definitely become a favourite and I doubt I’ll read anything so convincing again! But I know they say ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ so we will see!
in2reading's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this take on Henry VIII, from his "own" point of view. For fans of Tudor England and historical fiction.
lesapaul's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dairine's review against another edition
5.0
I've been schlepping this 900+ page tome for YEARS, and I never had the heart to attempt it. I attribute that mostly to my lack of familiarity with the Tudors in general, but after finishing another fictionalized account via HBO's "The Tudors," I realized it was time. I'm thankful for at least being familiar with the cast-of-characters, if nothing else.
Despite it's length, the novel moves at a clip, and through George's 15 years of study on the subject, the reader can have some idea of what was really going on in Henry's mind throughout his reign. Will Somers, the fictional Tudor Court Fool, acts almost like Harry's conscience, giving historical context on any given issue, which I admired.
Was Henry VIII delusional? What monarch ISN'T? There is reason, in my opinion, that it was upon his death that the English monarchy slowly began its decent into mere figureheadship. Inbred, coddled, delusional, it all made for the equation. Monarchies don't work. It took humankind MILLENNIA to figure it out, (and even still to this day, it continues to infect our statehood), but the STORY, the story is what makes this so interesting.
Much like rubber-necking for a car accident.
Despite it's length, the novel moves at a clip, and through George's 15 years of study on the subject, the reader can have some idea of what was really going on in Henry's mind throughout his reign. Will Somers, the fictional Tudor Court Fool, acts almost like Harry's conscience, giving historical context on any given issue, which I admired.
Was Henry VIII delusional? What monarch ISN'T? There is reason, in my opinion, that it was upon his death that the English monarchy slowly began its decent into mere figureheadship. Inbred, coddled, delusional, it all made for the equation. Monarchies don't work. It took humankind MILLENNIA to figure it out, (and even still to this day, it continues to infect our statehood), but the STORY, the story is what makes this so interesting.
Much like rubber-necking for a car accident.
foxxie52's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0