A review by dairine
Autobiography of Henry VIII, by Margaret George
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.