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rating | review
did not like it | Have you ever been with a group of people when someone tells a joke and the rest of the group thinks it's hilarious but you just don't get it? BOOK TITLE was that way for me. So many people think it's brilliant while I couldn't maintain enough interest to finish it.I love historical fiction, especially from this time period, so I expected to really like this one. I thought that telling the story of [NAME] from the viewpoint of BOOK CHARACTER was an interesting twist and I looked forward to learning_x000D_   Have you ever been with a group of people when someone tells a joke and the rest of the group thinks it's hilarious but you just don't get it? BOOK TITLE was that way for me. So many people think it's brilliant while I couldn't maintain enough interest to finish it.I love historical fiction, especially from this time period, so I expected to really like this one. I thought that telling the story of [NAME] from the viewpoint of BOOK CHARACTER was an interesting twist and I looked forward to learning more about him. So what was the problem?Well, for starters, the writing style took turns irritating and confusing me. Quotation marks are apparently optional, making it hard to figure out that you're reading dialogue until you get to the "he said". Speaking of which, the author relies heavily on the pronoun "he" and since there were frequently at least 2 men in each scene, this reader was often unsure which he was the right he. As the men in scene multiplied, so did the confusion. It took so much effort to figure out who was who and who said what and what was going on that it stopped being entertaining or thought-provoking and just became work.And did I mention the colon? The poor, lonesome, and oft-ignored colon finally has his time in the spotlight in this novel. Upgraded from lonely punctuation understudy, the colon has a lead role here. The author uses colons so frequently and somewhat oddly that I would recommend a complete colonectomy. Here's an example from one paragraph: (Aargh! A colon! It must be contagious.)"But by the time he reaches Dover the big gash on his scalp has closed, and the tender parts inside, he trusts, have mended themselves: kidneys, lungs, and heart." "Morgan Williams will have done an inventory of him before he left: teeth (miraculously) still in his head, and two eyes, miraculously seeing. Two arms, two legs: what more do you [NAME], the book felt like it was trying too hard to be literary. Some of the prose was lovely, but there were enough little stylistic choices that annoyed me to put me off. After reading numerous reviews, even from people who loved the book, that said that most of the characters remained distant throughout and that they didn't learn anything more about BOOK CHARACTER after reading 500+ pages, that was enough for me. Sadly, life's too short and my TBR pile's too big. I had to abandon this one.
did not like it | I just started BOOK TITLE, and I find the relentless use of "he" to be extremely irritating. In the first several chapters, there are dozens of instances where it is not clear who is speaking. Every once in a while, as if recognizing the problem she has created, BOOK AUTHOR uses the phrase "he, BOOK CHARACTER." Why not just say BOOK CHARACTER?Unless there is some good reason which I can't imagine, this sort of obfuscation is just lazy writing which disrespects the reader. May I re-think that, based on a comment b_x000D_   I just started BOOK TITLE, and I find the relentless use of "he" to be extremely irritating. In the first several chapters, there are dozens of instances where it is not clear who is speaking. Every once in a while, as if recognizing the problem she has created, BOOK AUTHOR uses the phrase "he, BOOK CHARACTER." Why not just say BOOK CHARACTER?Unless there is some good reason which I can't imagine, this sort of obfuscation is just lazy writing which disrespects the reader. May I re-think that, based on a comment by another reader. It's not lazy writing. It's very purposeful. And very distracting.... later ... I just read some of the amazon reviews. There are actually quite a few readers who found the "he" business as disconcerting as I did, and who expressed their displeasure in rather strong terms, along with many *-star ratings. However, many others really liked the book, as do many Goodreads readers, so it must not bother them as it does me. Another Goodreads reader suggested that the use of "he" all the time created a closer intimacy with BOOK CHARACTER. Perhaps, but I see it differently. If you want to create intimacy, use the first person. Then it is clear that everything is seen and felt by the single protagonist, and the reader can share that character's viewpoint, thoughts and feelings. What BOOK AUTHOR has done is not to bring us close to BOOK CHARACTER, but to inject herself, the author, between the reader and the prime character. She does this on practically every page and I find it jarring every time it happens.Before my final negative notes, let me say that BOOK AUTHOR clearly has an exquisite command of the language. Even in the few chapters I read, her elegant choice of words often made me reflect and smile. She can paint a picture when describing a character or a setting that is truly wonderful. And, when she chooses to do so, she writes a vivid scene that has power and emotion.Such continuity of story, however, is the exception rather than the rule. The constant switching of time and place, often without the merest hint of transition, made the reading much more difficult than it had to be. Just a word here or there would have made a huge difference.Finally, the breezy style in which much of the book is written is entertaining, as many have noted and I agree, but it had the effect of making me wonder if BOOK AUTHOR was as true to the history as I think a historical fiction should be. Of course the dialogue and many of the personal incidents are made up, but does the author, when portraying actual events, present them accurately? I think such concern for the truth is an obligation of an author when writing about historical characters and events. BOOK AUTHOR left me unsure.I think I've had enough of BOOK TITLE, and perhaps other Goodreads readers have had enough of my criticism of what is surely a popular book. I don't usually write negative opinions, but this book just seemed to drag them out of me. I hope I have not offended anyone.
it was amazing | The thing to remember when starting this book is that 99% percent of the time the pronoun 'he' refers to BOOK CHARACTER, even at times when the sentence structure makes it seems like 'he' would be someone else. It took me a short while to realize this, but once I did, I was fine. You are in BOOK CHARACTER's head; you see everything from his perspective. As he reacts to others' reactions of him (many times, he is bemused to see how he is thought of) another layer of characterization is added.This novel is be_x000D_   The thing to remember when starting this book is that 99% percent of the time the pronoun 'he' refers to BOOK CHARACTER, even at times when the sentence structure makes it seems like 'he' would be someone else. It took me a short while to realize this, but once I did, I was fine. You are in BOOK CHARACTER's head; you see everything from his perspective. As he reacts to others' reactions of him (many times, he is bemused to see how he is thought of) another layer of characterization is added.This novel is beautifully written with unique descriptions (I love when authors can pull that uniqueness off -- not easy to do!) sprinkled here and there; BOOK CHARACTER is fascinating (and drawn sympathetically by BOOK AUTHOR) and even surprisingly charming in his interactions with family members and certain others. (Though that's not to say that he doesn't use some of these others either.) And he's funny! Though all of this is done, oh, so, subtly.It's said that historical fiction is as much about the time during which it's written as it is about the time it's set in. And through BOOK AUTHOR's eyes, we see the similarities of the time periods' political intrigue, as messy and incestuous then as it is now. I thought I was done with Tudor historical fiction (I've read so much of it through the years) but this book is different.You won't understand the novel's title until later in the book, and I won't explain it here, as I got excited (a rare emotion when reading) seeing the meanings unfold, and I wouldn't want to spoil that for anyone. I also got very excited as I read this quote from page 394:Suppose within each book there is another book, and within every letter on every page another volume constantly unfolding; but these volumes take no space on the desk. Suppose knowledge could be reduced to a quintessence, held within a picture, a sign, held within a place which is no place. Suppose the human skull were to become capacious, spaces opening inside it, humming chambers like beehives.I felt as if I had found the 'key' to the whole book. This is one of those long novels that I loved living with and hated to see end, one of those experiences which causes you not to want to rush off to read something else, because you're still soaking in the one you've just finished.
it was amazing | “Suppose within each book there is another book, and within every letter on every page another volume constantly unfolding; but these volumes take no space on the desk. Suppose knowledge could be reduced to a quintessence, held within a picture, a sign, held within a place which is no place. Suppose the human skull were to become capacious, spaces opening inside it, humming chambers like beehives.”_x000D_   BOOK CHARACTER by [NAME]. BOOK CHARACTER was a great supporter of Holbein and personal gave hi_x000D_   “Suppose within each book there is another book, and within every letter on every page another volume constantly unfolding; but these volumes take no space on the desk. Suppose knowledge could be reduced to a quintessence, held within a picture, a sign, held within a place which is no place. Suppose the human skull were to become capacious, spaces opening inside it, humming chambers like beehives.”_x000D_   BOOK CHARACTER by [NAME]. BOOK CHARACTER was a great supporter of Holbein and personal gave him many commissions for paintings, but also recommended him to the powerful people he knew.BOOK CHARACTER was first and foremost a thinker. The myth that we only use about 10% of our brains has been debunked in recent years, but I do think we can accurately say that for some of us our brain works more efficiently. I think if we were to sit in a very quiet room with BOOK CHARACTER we might actually be able to hear the humming of his mind like the circuitry of a super computer. [NAME] Eighth _x000D_   I'm 'Enery the Eighth, I am,'Enery the Eighth I am, I am!I got married to the widow next door,She's been married seven times beforeAnd every one was an 'EneryShe wouldn't have a Willie nor a SamI'm her eighth old man named 'Enery'Enery the Eighth, I am!_x000D_ Sorry I can’t ever seem to say or write his name without that song popping into my head. Let’s try this again. [NAME] Eighth was not supposed to be king. The 16th century was supposed to be the return of the Age of Camelot when his older brother, [NAME], claimed his birthright and became king of England. It was [NAME] that had been tutored and trained to be king. [NAME] would have been destined for the church if not for the fickleness of fate that left his brother dead six months before his sixteenth birthday. [NAME] Eighth rules like a second son that was always second best. He is impetuous, bombastic, corpulent, and prone to fits of fury. He is not a stupid man and always surrounded himself with intelligent men, disciplined men, who could provide him with wise counsel. He did not always take their advice, but he did always give them a chance to make a case. _x000D_   The most iconic image of Henry the Eighth painted by Holbein as a mural in Whitehall Palace. It was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1698, but survives through the numerous copies that were made of it. Notice the bulging calves. [NAME] was always very proud of them.[NAME] preferred advisers named BOOK CHARACTER.BOOK CHARACTER WolseyBOOK CHARACTER MoreBOOK CHARACTERBOOK CHARACTER worked for BOOK [NAME] and when the cardinal fell out of favor it could have been the end for BOOK CHARACTER’s hopes as well. BOOK CHARACTER is a lot of things, a complicated man, a sometimes hard man, but ultimately he is a survivor. It is so interesting that BOOK AUTHOR decided to paint a more sympathetic picture of him than what I’d previously thought him to be. He understood money and that true power does not reside with the man on the throne. ”The world is not run from where he thinks. Not from his border fortresses, not even from Whitehall. The world is run from Antwerp, from Florence, from places he has never imagined; from Lisbon, from where the ships with sails of silk drift west and are burned up in the sun. Not from castle walls, but from countinghouses, not by the call of the bugle but by the click of abacus, not by the grate and click of the mechanism of the gun but by the scrape of the pen on the page of the promissory note that pays for the gun and the gunsmith and the powder and shot.” _x000D_   BOOK CHARACTER More by [NAME].I first met BOOK CHARACTER More through his book Utopia in a class in college. The Praise of Folly by Erasmus was also required reading for the same class. I thought both books were fantastic because to truly understand the writings of these two important writers one must explore the history behind the books. So I wanted to love More, but as I learned more about him the title of his book became more and more an inappropriate extension of the man. His view of how the real world should work was not the Utopia he persuaded me could exist. He was opposed to the Protestant Reformation. He, with great fervor, began to hunt down anyone connected to the Reformation and interrogate, torture and burn them. He didn’t keep his distance from it. He was frequently down in the stench and the squalor of the dungeons watching his prisoners being broken on the rack. The flames of burning heretics danced in his eyes. He may have taken too much pleasure in his work. My theory is anyone who wears a hairshirt all the time and scourges themselves for evening entertainment is not someone I want making decisions about my life. More may have been brilliant, but those beautiful marbles in his head were scrambled. _x000D_   There have been many beautiful actresses to play the enchanting [NAME], but my favorite is [NAME] from The Tudors simply because she has that saucy smirk that could be used as such a weapon quite capable of bringing down a King or a kingdom to achieve her ambitions.When the King, in his pursuit of [NAME], decides that the only way he is going to free himself from the albatross from Aragon, [NAME], is to break with the Roman Catholic Church. This puts the King in direct conflict with one of his most trusted advisers the before mentioned BOOK CHARACTER More. Sir BOOK CHARACTER cannot break with his beliefs. When he is asked to sign an oath supporting the King he refuses. He certainly had a martyr complex. In fact BOOK CHARACTER in a last ditch effort to try and save More’s life points out his hubris in thinking of himself as a Christ figure. It was to no avail. I do believe that BOOK CHARACTER feels an uneasiness about the fates of the powerful men who came before him. He is always trying to hedge his bets, loaning money at ridiculous low interests to the aristocrats, soothing the relationship between [NAME] and her sister [NAME] ([NAME]’s current favorite bed warmer as he waits for [NAME] to pop open her corset.), taking care of embarrassing circumstances for other people, forming alliances with the enemies of his friends, and being kind to [NAME]’s only surviving child ([NAME]) with [NAME]. He is always trying to anticipate the future. He worked to soften the blows to his enemies believing that someday they would be potential allies. He took in orphans, not just from his family, but even from people unconnected to him. He assessed their best aspects and put them with tutors so they would be useful to him in the future. He understands people and knows how to manipulate them and encourage them at the same time. “But it is no use to justify yourself. It is no good to explain. It is weak to be anecdotal. It is wise to conceal the past even if there is nothing to conceal. A man's power is in the half-light, in the half-seen movements of his hand and the unguessed-at expression of his face. It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.”He is but a man and there is no time when that is more evident than when his daughter [NAME] dies. ”[NAME] dies in his arms; she dies easily, as naturally as she was born. He eases her back against the damp sheet: a child of impossible perfection, her fingers uncurling like thin white leaves. I never knew her, he thinks; I never knew I had her. It has always seemed impossible to him that some act of his gave her life, some unthinking thing that he and [NAME] did, on some unmemorable night.”The sweating sickness took his wife and both his daughters leaving only him and his son [NAME] alive. Maybe those deaths is why he felt so compelled to fill his house with children. It didn’t have to be his children. He thought all children were salvageable, moldable, if encouraged to work at being better at what they were best at. BOOK CHARACTER grew up the son of a blacksmith. His father beat him so severely, in fact the book opens with a scene that showed the impassioned brutality that his father was capable of, that BOOK CHARACTER leaves to join the army and seek his fortune abroad. He taught himself to read. He was always working his mind like a muscle making it stronger with every book he read. With every moment he spent studying the workings of economics, politics, and psychology (he didn’t know that was what it was called.) he was giving himself the means to make better decisions, to offer better advice, to hone his cunning. He was truly a self made man who by sheer audacity and brilliance made it to the pinnacles of power. When he becomes sick though and is at his most vulnerable the fears of a child creep into his mind. ”On the stairs he can hear the efficient, deathly clip of his father’s steel-tipped boots.”_x000D_   BOOK AUTHOR, what big eyes you have.Little is known about the early life of BOOK CHARACTER. He would be pleased to know that. He was much more interested in knowing everything about everyone and careful about letting others know anything about him. He was a long game thinker. Something he does one day may not make sense to those around him until much later when the dominoes fall a new direction. Mantel will clothe him, put flesh on his bones, share his innermost thoughts, and show you a man capable of being ruthless, but just as likely to be compassionate. Though [NAME] was particularly fascinated with lopping off heads BOOK CHARACTER knew that ultimately as you eliminate one enemy you only create more. If possible it is much smarter to blackmail, confuse, or convince an arch enemy, maybe not to be friends that would be expecting too much, but at least to become a passive challenger. There are a lot of BOOK CHARACTER’s in this book and at times it can seem confusing, but the rule of thumb is if you are not clear about who is speaking or who is sharing their inner thoughts that would be BOOK CHARACTER. Winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2009 and highly recommended by this dedicated reader. If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.comI also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
really liked it | For the first 100 pages I was like a Monkees song, you know the one -[Cue cute organ/guitar intro]I thought great historical novels about the 16th century were only true in fairy talesMeant for someone else but not for meMmm, historical novelists were out to get meThat's the way it seemedDisappointment haunted all my dreamsThen I read BOOK TITLE ! Now I'm a believer!Not a trace of doubt in my mind!Ooh I'm in love!Ooh BOOK AUTHOR I couldn’t leave you if I triedBut then some strange things began _x000D_   For the first 100 pages I was like a Monkees song, you know the one -[Cue cute organ/guitar intro]I thought great historical novels about the 16th century were only true in fairy talesMeant for someone else but not for meMmm, historical novelists were out to get meThat's the way it seemedDisappointment haunted all my dreamsThen I read BOOK TITLE ! Now I'm a believer!Not a trace of doubt in my mind!Ooh I'm in love!Ooh BOOK AUTHOR I couldn’t leave you if I triedBut then some strange things began to percolate through to my sluggish oily consciousness, beetling my brows and causing pushed out bottom lip expressions to become prominent. The style is great, all that detail, every surface covered, you never see the props manager or the [NAME] boom, the brocades and all the grey velvet actually seem real (what budget did this novel get?) but.But.I noticed that although we crawl along with BOOK CHARACTER inch by inch, hour by hour, BOOK AUTHOR never, never, never mentions how her hero actually feels about anything, never mentions his thoughts, his worries, his concerns, his interior. It’s all surface. What he said, his gestures, the way he looked, what he knew, what he ate, how he knew how to cook it, who he yelled at, who he was kind to (children and animals, aah)- this is what we get ; what he thought he was up to or could or couldn’t achieve, his fears, who he hated, all that, has to be inferred; this is the poster novel for show don’t tell; this shows everything, almost, and tells nothing.That that is a deliberately chosen technique is clear; and you must appreciate if you cannot celebrate or accept if you cannot appreciate. But if you can’t get on board with it this novel is going to drive you into the arms of a therapist.AT THE THERAPIST’SDr Rayner : So what’s been happening this week?Reader of BOOK TITLE : Well, it’s er er BOOK CHARACTER.Dr [NAME] (professionally covering up his increasing irritation) : Ah, BOOK CHARACTER. Again.[NAME] : He… he just never tells me anything. I have to guess, all the time. Dr [NAME] : Ah ha, um. Yes…ROWH : I feel so close to him, and yet…Dr [NAME] : And yet so distant.[NAME] : Ah, you know, you [NAME]’s eyes dart about, as if seeking a sympathetic face. But there is none.There’s more. There’s a brilliant [NAME] short story called The Garden of Time. A guy potters around in his beautiful garden and in the mid-distance he can see an enormous hostile army approaching across the landscape. It seems to be in slow motion. Every day it’s a little nearer. Neither he nor his wife has any thoughts of moving away. They look after the exquisite flowers, they repot plants, they discuss borders. It’s a great metaphor. BOOK TITLE is in slow motion. There’s the painfully attenuated downfall of [NAME]. Then there’s the even more excruciatingly drawn out overarching issue of the Great Matter of the King’s Divorce, or Annulment, whatever. Off with the Katherine and on with the Anne. So here’s a funny thing. After the great [NAME] (and he is a great character, I loved him) - after he’s dead and gone, (none of this is plot spoiler, this is history! – it’s quite a trick to write a long story which everyone knows and still have them queuing round the block) I was scratching my head and thinking that although I’d been hearing so much of and about [NAME] (he is the Penn to BOOK CHARACTER’s Teller) in the months days hours minutes seconds of his huge demise I still couldn’t figure out exactly why - why - why [NAME] turned on him in such fury. A quick Wikipedia gave me this: [NAME] had failed [to get the King’s marriage annulled] and was dismissed from public office in 1529. [NAME] then began a secret plot to have [NAME] forced into exile and began communicating with the Pope to that end. When this was discovered, [NAME] ordered [NAME]'s arrestWhoah. Unless I fell asleep during the crucial bit, that is not in the book. Don’t you think it should be? Might help explain things a bit better? How strange of BOOK AUTHOR.So if BOOK AUTHOR wrote a novel about the [NAME] assassination you would have got lots of detailed scenes of life at the court of the Kennedys, the domestic problems of the Oswalds, their life in Russia, what the crowds were saying on the Dealey Plaza, but when the motorcade appeared she would cut immediately to the autopsy and the comments of the surgeons and their family situations. We would get a few scenes with [NAME] and his pals, but next thing you know he’d be under arrest. Huh, what happened?It’s like being on the inside, but the outside of the inside.What are we taught about drama? Exposition, complication, resolution (comedy); exposition, conflict, catastrophe (tragedy). What does BOOK AUTHOR do? Throws the rules away. BOOK AUTHOR, and this goes double for A Place of Greater Safety, her vast novel about the French Revolution, goes for : exposition, complication, more exposition, more and more exposition, more complication. Where’s the conflict? Off stage. Is this a problem? It is going to be, for some people. [NAME] fans, players of [NAME] and [NAME], you know, impatient types.NOT ZOMBIES OR PUPPETSBut historical novelists, especially those like BOOK AUTHOR who embroider their worlds so lavishly, and set the right birds in each tree at the right angle, and the weeds underfoot, and the stench of the straw in the barn, and the wounds of a knife fight as well as each bauble, buckle, bead, biggins and bodice I think do us a grand service, re-plugging us back into the people who we were, making it possible to think that life did indeed go on in almost recognisable forms 500 years ago. It’s like claiming these lives back, scraping off the encrustings of ignorance and they don’t look like zombies or puppets. Some literature fans tend to get their sneery faces on and call historical fiction middlebrow. They do! Although I know what they mean, there are brows (brows = class), there are three main classes and they each have a brow, it’s straightforward enough. What are Darconville’s Cat, Wittgenstein’s Mistress, The Pale King, Invisible Cities, Ulysses, [NAME] and Life : A User’s Guide? [NAME] – a clue is in the fact that none of them can tell a story worth a damn but the things they do with language constitute a legal high. So then, lowbrow must be the mindless genre churn you get in the lovely world of – er - Romance, for instance – they have titles like [NAME] with Me, This Man, [NAME], [NAME]. Probably that sounds insulting to Romance fans but hey, come on, you know this stuff is popcorn and not haute cuisine, right? You ain’t kidding yourselves are you? And there’s all kinds of interesting authors who rescued formerly lowbrow genres and made them into middlebrow literature – [NAME] and [NAME] for detective stories, McMurtry for Westerns, Ballard and a zillion others for science fiction (which was originally considered to be as wretched as the other low genres)… but I am wandering from the subject which is – everything that’s not high or low is in the middle ( that’s in the Bible, Habbakuk 10:4). Therefore BOOK AUTHOR is middlebrow.Okay, so what, we can’t dine on foi gras all the livelong day, but if this is middle it’s somewhere near the top of the middle bangin’ on the ceiling, and eventually, who cares about these distinctions.The Great Matter of the King’s Divorce - a historical noteYeah, you can think that this was some egotistical tyrannical English king thinking with his royal member and stamping on the floor until he got what he wanted even if that meant excommunication and the sundering of the Church, but actually - he wanted an heir – a son – because of the succession, because if the succession wasn’t clear and undisputed, there would be a certain return of the fratricidal civil war which had gone on for 50 years prior to [NAME] father’s victory – so it wasn’t, in fact, a trivial matter.Two great quotesCromwell is faced with a recalcitrant noble who’s making a terrible fuss about his ancient rights and privileges. How can he explain it to him? The world isn’t run from where he thinks. Not from his border fortresses, not even from Whitehall. The world is run from Antwerp, from Florence, from places he has never imagined; from Lisbon, from where the ships with sails of silk drift west and are burned up in the sun. Not from castle walls but from counting houses, not by the call of the bugle but by the click of the abacus, not by the grate and click of the mechanism of the gun but by the scrape of the pen on the page of the promissory note that pays for the gun and the gunsmith and the powder and [NAME] have I ever forced anyone to do anything, he starts to say : but [NAME] cuts in, ‘No you don’t, I agree, it’s just that you are practised at persuading, and sometimes it’s quite difficult, sir, to distinguish being persuaded by you from being knocked down in the street and stamped on.’This novel took me so many hours to read but you know I don’t want them back, BOOK AUTHOR can keep them.
it was amazing | The fate of peoples is made like this, two men in small rooms. Forget the coronations, the conclaves of cardinals, the pomp and processions. This is how the world changes: a counter pushed across a table, a pen stroke that alters the force of a phrase, a woman’s sigh as she passes and leaves on the air a trail of orange flower or rose water; her hand pulling close the bed curtain, the discrete sigh of flesh against flesh._x000D_ Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown…but really, crown-wearers see_x000D_   _x000D_   The fate of peoples is made like this, two men in small rooms. Forget the coronations, the conclaves of cardinals, the pomp and processions. This is how the world changes: a counter pushed across a table, a pen stroke that alters the force of a phrase, a woman’s sigh as she passes and leaves on the air a trail of orange flower or rose water; her hand pulling close the bed curtain, the discrete sigh of flesh against flesh._x000D_ Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown…but really, crown-wearers seem to have little difficulty with fabrication. Do they mean lie, as in lying down? I mean I would take it off before going to bed. It might get pretty uncomfortable trying to sleep with that thing still on. Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say uneasy “sits the head that wears the crown,” although that creates in my tiny mind an image of Mister Potato head, with legs and feet. You know you want to see that, so go ahead. I’ll wait. (view spoiler)[Well, I could not find one with legs but you get the picture. His and Hers (hide spoiler)] How about uneasy stands the head… , but, oh, see Mr Potato head referred above. So I guess we will leave that one alone, as, clearly, it could be worse. In any case, as uneasy as that head might be, it is clearly more dangerous to anyone who has anything at all to do with the head that has the crown on it. Chopped tops are practically bounding down the streets like bulls in Pamplona. Of course there is the attraction of the power that emanates from the golden circlet. It seems to radiate a glow and a hum that attract the dishonest, the rapacious, seducers, flatterers, scoundrels and hypocrites in far greater numbers than the sort of person Diogenes was looking for, and many of them make moth-like crackling noises as they drift in a bit too close.BOOK AUTHOR - image from The Guardian One struggles to come up with a contemporary point of reference to help us grasp who BOOK CHARACTER was. I suppose one might consider BOOK CHARACTER to be a royal bug-zapper. There are other ways to see him of course. He was one of the greatest political fixers of all time. Think [NAME] as, say, Chief of Staff to the President. But whereas the fictional Olivia occasionally manifests the odd scruple, the real-world BOOK CHARACTER appears to have manifested fewer. In a similar vein, I suppose we might see him a consigliere to H8’s Don Corleone, or maybe [NAME]. Maybe [NAME] or [NAME] to [NAME]? BOOK CHARACTER by Holbein and [NAME] as TC  - from the Guardian He is considered to be one of the most ruthless human beings of his time, in seeing that the king’s word was made flesh. Already married, but wifey does not pop out a male heir? What’s a king to do? Why, twist, turn, beg, borrow, steal, threaten, intimidate, and murder until you get your way. Spoiled children with their own states are fond of such behavior. Of course, to a large extent, one must engage in these forms of feces flinging and head-lopping at one remove, as kings are too proud to be seen with their hands so filled, whether with their own droppings or axe handles. Thus the presence of people like BOOK CHARACTER. Thank you, your majesty, I’ll take that now. Since the Catholic Church was all that stood in the way of Henry VIII getting what he wanted, H8 sought to remove it. Seizing the church’s real estate and other holdings would be a nice bonus. Selling off the stolen bits would help pay for the ever-popular urge to go to war with France. And setting up his non-ecclesiastical self as the head of his own sort-of Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, meant that, in addition to visiting horrors on the RC he would be claiming even more divine rights. And this lunatic convinces himself that God wanted this. A bit self-serving, no? Sheesh!H8 by Holbein - from Wikimedia -- and [NAME], you would expect that in BOOK AUTHOR’s rollicking tale of Tudor England, BOOK CHARACTER would be painted in rather dark shades. The author offers something other. Hogwarts DA Masters notwithstanding, the darkest of the dark arts is the power of manipulation. The proper words tossed near the proper ear can wreak devastation no less awful than an armored division. BOOK CHARACTER is portrayed as a practitioner of 16th century RealPolitik, someone who uses his rapier wit, his power, his capacity for manipulation, his wide knowledge of the world, and his deep intelligence to serve his king. Is he in it mostly for himself? Maybe. Probably, but he is shown in small bites, talking to this one, planting spies, chatting with that one, nuancing everyone within reach to see things his way, the king’s way, and he sees that more direct action is taken when words alone will not do. BOOK CHARACTER, both the real one and his fictitious doppelganger, is a pretty interesting guy, rising from modest (and, if BOOK AUTHOR does not mislead, abusive) origins, dashing off to soldier for hire, becoming expert in international trade of various sorts, making very useful friends and connections along the way, becoming a lawyer, and with his contact list and rep for discretion, rising as far as a low-born can rise in Tudor England. I am sure that, had he shown an inclination towards the culinary arts, he might have been considered a Man for All Seasonings. (sorry)He is our window on the Tudor era. Regardless of the accuracy of the portrayal, as a literary device, BOOK CHARACTER is ideally placed to allow us a look into many of the machinations of the era. Questionable prophetess, the  [NAME] of London, making life uncomfortable for a wandering king? BOOK CHARACTER is there. Both to hear her speak and see her burned. [NAME] plotting to get around the Church’s refusal to annul H8’s marriage? Yep, TC is right in the middle. The population being laid waste by a plague sweating disease? He loses family. BOOK CHARACTER was a real-life Zelig of the era, with a hand in every historical pie. What motivates BOOK CHARACTER? He moves through the novel like an avatar of the author, a witness to the things the author wants us so know, but lacking much of a personality himself. The delightfully acerbic wit he manifests is hardly unique to him in this telling. One might point to his ambition, and there are certain decisions he makes or directions he takes that offer some guidance, but I never really got much of a feel for what really makes BOOK CHARACTER tick. Is BOOK CHARACTER [NAME], an exemplar of hard work, smarts and ambition paying off in the end? Is he a model for the notion that power corrupts? Does he really have morals, or merely goals? Is he a religious extremist or a technocrat? In a recent theatrical production, the writers took this problem in hand and decided to anchor their production on BOOK CHARACTER’s quest for vengeance on all those who had seen to the toppling of his mentor and father figure, the larger-than-life [NAME]. (I absolutely see [NAME] in my tiny mind as [NAME]) That makes a lot of sense, lending a core of cohesion to a sequence of loose scenes, a lot of this-happens-and-then-that. [NAME] by unknown and [NAME] in the roleWell, BOOK CHARACTER is only one element here, albeit the largest. It is the era that BOOK AUTHOR brings to life. It was a time of big change. H8 may be established in our 21st century minds as a solidly placed monarch, but the security of his line was very much in question, thus the freaking out about producing a male heir. The Protestant Reformation was underway and the world was in flux. [NAME]…um…plagued Europe and the enlightenment was far in the future. While this look at the Tudor era is gruesome, enlightening and fun, it also shines a light, as good historical fiction does, on contemporary concerns. Torture? Check. Religious extremism? Check. [NAME] is seen by at least one writer as a Tudor version of ISIS. Privacy concerns? Check. Government abuse of authority? Check. The one percent riding roughshod over the rest of us? Check. National wars for private purposes? Check. Issues of separation of church and state? Check. So, for those of you who have not yet taken on this large novel, and it’s younger siblings, one born, the other gestating, keep an eye out for how the Tudor era contains many of the same conflicts we endure today. Of course one might despair by doing this. Really? We have learned nothing in five hundred years? But one might also see some universality in the human condition, across time and space. There are many, many characters in [NAME]. BOOK AUTHOR has included a nice list of them at the front of the book. I found I needed to refer to it frequently. It can be a bit daunting to keep track of what is going on, or to discern who is talking to whom, particularly when so many of the names are used by multiple characters. Most particularly, there are more Toms here than at a convention of male cats held in a turkey farm, enough Johns to construct a considerable public lavatory, as well as herds of Harries and Henries, Annes, Katherines and Marys, and probably a few more household names that repeat uncomfortably often. You will be needing that chart. That said, realizing that [NAME] is the author’s and thus the readers’ eyes on pretty much everything helps. There is a very different take here on BOOK CHARACTER More than the one we are accustomed to. A Man For All Seasons presented More as a moralist, one who stuck by his principles in opposing H8’s desire to be rid of wife #1 in favor of wife #2. In this version we are shown a BOOK CHARACTER More who is much more an [NAME] than a serene wise man, as much a political player as a man of the cloth. He happily sends to the torturer and the executioner those who oppose his views. BOOK AUTHOR shows a bit of sympathy for H8 trying to dismantle an organization that includes such dark prigs. BOOK CHARACTER More by [NAME] and [NAME] in the roleThe novel does not tie up neatly. There are two more volumes after all, and those who remember their history, or who, like me, are memory-challenged and need to look such things up, know how it ends, anyway. It is the journey through this often dark age that is the treat. The wit alone would have been enough for me. The feel for the time adds depth. The novel and it’s younger sib have become the source material for both a BBC miniseries and stage productions in Britain and the USA, and seems to be gathering cultural strength and presence as more branches extend from the Wolf Hall tree. Can the graphic novel and the Barbie Anne Boleyn be far behind? The series from the [NAME] has already aired on the east side of the pond, and is scheduled to begin on Easter, April 5, here in the states. In short, for a book with a considerable page count, and covering thirty five years of English and European history, the results of most of which we already know, [NAME] is an engrossing read, rich with all-world-large personalities, bristling with sharply barbed wit and intelligence, richly appointed with intrigue and betrayal, red with blood, and great fun to read. There are sections that sag a bit, but keep on, there will be another scene just around the bend that will make you smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. And there are passages that will transport you with their beauty and insight.BTW, the title, [NAME] refers to the residence of the Seymours (the family serving up one of theirs to be counted among the many wives) and is a takeoff on a Latin saying, [NAME], or ‘man is a wolf to man.’ He is indeed, and what big teeth he has. Review posted – 4/3/15Publication date – 4/30/2009The third volume in the series, The Mirror and the Light, is expected to be out by the end of 2019=============================EXTRA STUFFLinks to the author’s personal, [NAME], Google + and FB pagesMy review of the next book in the BOOK CHARACTER series, Bring Up the BodiesA nice article from the Telegraph about the  historical TC AnotherFab item by BOOK AUTHOR in the NY Review of Books on  how her characters should be played Interview with [NAME], who plays [NAME] in the BBC production._x000D_   He has no doubt there are parallels between BOOK CHARACTER’s time and our own. “Although we’re not ruled by a sociopathic 14-year-old king, we seem to be ruled by a group of people who are completely in the service of corporations as much as the kings were in the service of the pope before BOOK CHARACTER and [NAME] changed the times.”_x000D_ I included a link in the body of the review, but in case you missed it [NAME] of the Telegraph has a dark view of TC -  BOOK CHARACTER was the Islamic State of his [NAME] of the Guardian has a more positive take - BOOK CHARACTER, the fixers’ fixer: a role model for our timesAn article from the NY Times about the upcoming mini-seriesIn his NY Times column, [NAME] looks at [NAME] as a modern day BOOK CHARACTER - The Bombs of [NAME] 10, 2017
it was ok | I treat this novel as a qualified failure of an experiment (qualified since I am open to the possibility that the failure was mine) and I sincerely wish that BOOK AUTHOR does not win the Booker this year - I just cannot bring myself to spend anymore time with her lifeless narrator.More than anything else BOOK TITLE seemed to me to be a literary experiment - on how closely a woman can get into a man's mind, and as far as I am concerned, a qualified failure. I could never truly feel that the narration w_x000D_   I treat this novel as a qualified failure of an experiment (qualified since I am open to the possibility that the failure was mine) and I sincerely wish that BOOK AUTHOR does not win the Booker this year - I just cannot bring myself to spend anymore time with her lifeless narrator.More than anything else BOOK TITLE seemed to me to be a literary experiment - on how closely a woman can get into a man's mind, and as far as I am concerned, a qualified failure. I could never truly feel that the narration was being executed by a male voice, it was as if a woman narrator residing inside a captive male character was telling the story and every time a ‘he’ or 'his' comes along, it resulted in a string of confused stumblings over adjectives before I remembered again (many times) that it is of himself that the narrator is talking about. Eventually I came to understand the reason for this jarring feeling - it was not because I was not reading thoroughly enough, it was because I couldn't think of the narrator as a ‘he’ - it just didn't cut it, especially when he/she informed me with wonder of how men embrace other men.I wish [NAME] had been the narrator, she was the only 'real' person in this narrative peopled by artificial characters, only she had an authentic voice to me and I can't help but feel that she was the character that BOOK AUTHOR most identified with - the novel came alive and took such vibrancy every time [NAME] entered the narrator's field of vision, like a deprived woman lighting up at the sight of a beautiful mirror to finally examine herself!As I said, I am open to the fact that my bad experience was due to a failure of imagination on my part, so I hope fans of this book will take pity on my deprived pleasure and be gentle in their recriminations.Come to think of it I really cannot think of any book I have read in which a novelist tries to get so intimate with the mind of a narrator of the opposite sex. So maybe my problem was not a failure of imagination but a poverty of literary experience as I haven't encountered such an effort before; maybe I need to read some Hardy.I also believe that if there were less 'BOOK CHARACTER's in the story, I could have still come out the better in this expedition. So there.
really liked it | BOOK AUTHOR sure knows how to write; her prose is eloquent and sophisticated. Stylistically speaking, she is very distinctive. Very few writers wield grammar the way she does; she uses every means of punctuation at her disposal to achieve real effectual writing. At some points her writing is simply beautiful, but there are also some real difficulties associated with it. This is a hard novel to read. It chronicles the life of BOOK CHARACTER, and the narrative is focalised through him. However,_x000D_   BOOK AUTHOR sure knows how to write; her prose is eloquent and sophisticated. Stylistically speaking, she is very distinctive. Very few writers wield grammar the way she does; she uses every means of punctuation at her disposal to achieve real effectual writing. At some points her writing is simply beautiful, but there are also some real difficulties associated with it. This is a hard novel to read. It chronicles the life of BOOK CHARACTER, and the narrative is focalised through him. However, at times it did become incredibly confusing. BOOK AUTHOR uses the third person, and repeatedly uses the pronoun “he.” But, who is the “he” in question? During one long piece of dialogue it became difficult to realise who was speaking. Both the Duke of Norfolk and BOOK CHARACTER were having a pretty in depth discussion about politics and so forth, both were referred to as “he” frequently. This may sound unusual, but if you‘ve read this book you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. This meant that in order to understand this novel, and perhaps even enjoy it, it demands your full attention. This is no light reading. The narrative is rich in depth and complexity. I had a few problems with some passages, so I read them again and got the gist of things. But, I really do think this would put many readers off. This requires an attentive and patient person. Also, a solid grasp on the history is vital. BOOK AUTHOR does not hand you the facts; she tells you BOOK CHARACTER’s life story, but the rest is up to you. If you can get over these obstacles, as I did, then what develops is a fantastic portrayal of [NAME], and BOOK CHARACTER’s life. Trust me; this book’s worth sticking with.  Cold, cold BOOK CHARACTER So, if you’ve made it this far into my review, you’ll want to hear about the positives. BOOK CHARACTER is an incredibly interesting historical figure, and BOOK AUTHOR’s portrayal of him is superb. She has evoked the essence of a self-made man who gained the ear of the King, through nothing but his own personal merits, which eventually lead to his sovereign’s complete trust. However, BOOK CHARACTER is also very emotionless. He’s driven with ambition, to fulfil all that he can with his intellect, but he shuts out the rest of his life in the process. He loses a lot of family, but he gets over it very, very quickly. What he experiences would have broken most people. By portraying such a thing, BOOK AUTHOR demonstrates BOOK CHARACTER’s resolve. This gives him the heartlessness to succeed in the backstabbing world of Tudor politics; it gives him the nonchalance to betray and to use people as he climbs the social ladder. But, what goes around comes around, if you know anything about history, you’ll know what fate the wheel has for BOOK CHARACTER. BOOK CHARACTER’s relationship with [NAME] is an apt foreshadowing. I’m digressing here, my point is that BOOK CHARACTER isn’t a very nice man; he isn’t heroic or likable, only resourceful and cold. He had to be to survive and become more than he once was; he had to be to gain the ear of the King, and to point him in the direction of BOOK TITLE. "The trouble with England, he thinks, is that it's so poor in gesture. We shall have to develop a hand signal for ‘Back off, our prince is fucking this man's daughter.’ He is surprised that the Italians have not done it. Though perhaps they have, and he just never caught on." >Final thoughts- This is a great read, but it does require a great deal of focus. I love BOOK AUTHOR’s style of writing, and having already read the second book, I know the problems are worked out of it a bit. But, for this book, my enjoyment was hindered by having to re-read certain passages where the writing was at its extremist. The wonder of this work resides in its historical detail, its characterisation and its creative way of making the mundane details of life seem marvellous.__________________________________You can connect with me on social media via My [NAME].__________________________________
it was amazing | ‘[NAME] stirs into life. ‘Do I retain you for what is easy? [NAME] pity my simplicity. I have promoted you to a place in this kingdom that no one, no one of your breeding has ever held in the whole of the history of this realm.’ He drops his voice. ‘Do you think it is for your personal beauty? The charm of your presence? I keep you, Master BOOK CHARACTER, because you are as cunning as a bag of serpents…..’’'Someone asks him if he wants to confess. ‘Must I’?‘Yes, sir, or you will be thought a sectary.’Bu_x000D_   ‘Henry stirs into life. ‘Do I retain you for what is easy? [NAME] pity my simplicity. I have promoted you to a place in this kingdom that no one, no one of your breeding has ever held in the whole of the history of this realm.’ He drops his voice. ‘Do you think it is for your personal beauty? The charm of your presence? I keep you, Master BOOK CHARACTER, because you are as cunning as a bag of serpents…..’’'Someone asks him if he wants to confess. ‘Must I’?‘Yes, sir, or you will be thought a sectary.’But my sins are my strength, he thinks; the sins I have done, that others have not even found the opportunity of committing. I hug them close; they’re mine. Besides, when I come to judgement I mean to come with a memorandum in my hand: I shall say to my Maker, I have fifty items here; possibly more.‘'I love historical fiction and without a doubt this is one of the best, if not the best, history book I’ve read so far. I saved the last thirty or so pages for this weekend, just to read them slowly. This is a book to read slowly, to take it all in, the story, the love and the tragedy, the cruelty of the happenings, the poetry of the words….So I took my time with this book, but also because it’s not an easy to read story. Challenging in many ways. Like many readers probably I had to look back constantly to the Cast of Characters at the start of the book, who is who… and in the beginning you keep wondering who is telling the story. Who is he? Several possibilities but in the end, often the he is BOOK CHARACTER himself. And the story goes to and fro with substories, locations, anecdotes, in time. So it’s a story that needs full attention 24/7. It’s like getting inside the head of BOOK CHARACTER, witnessing his thoughts, views, feelings, and we witness the rise of BOOK CHARACTER, as a son of a blacksmith to one of [NAME] most influential advisors in times of turmoil, dealing with colourful characters such as [NAME], BOOK CHARACTER More, [NAME] and many more. Fascinating. BOOK CHARACTER the politician, the schemer, the emotional man, the compromiser, the protector, the cunning man, the vulnerable man, the executor, the business man, the family man… A lot of books have been written around BOOK CHARACTER, but never one like this, such an up close personal portrait. This is what BOOK AUTHOR says: ‘I admire him for his tenacity, his endurance and his brilliant politician’s brain. He was a visionary, but a practical one. One of those rare people who can grasp the big picture and down the details.’A grand book, loved it. Note: Last night I stayed up late to watch all of disk one of BOOK TITLE the TV series and I loved it too on screen. Had to get used to the actor who plays BOOK CHARACTER, but he is growing on me. I got so inspired I started reading Bring up the Bodies today. And again... the first pages... beautiful writing, I'll take my time and read it slowly...
it was ok | Do you ever wonder about why people choose to read the books they do? Well, I can tell you, I read BOOK TITLE by BOOK AUTHOR because it won the Book Prize For Fiction in 2009. You see, The Children's Book by [NAME] was nominated for the Booker in 2009, but did not win. Curious to see what book could beat one of my favorite books of all time, I looked up BOOK TITLE. And what do you know, it's another piece of historical fiction set in England and written by a woman. This could be interesting!_x000D_   Do you ever wonder about why people choose to read the books they do? Well, I can tell you, I read BOOK TITLE by BOOK AUTHOR because it won the Book Prize For Fiction in 2009. You see, The Children's Book by [NAME] was nominated for the Booker in 2009, but did not win. Curious to see what book could beat one of my favorite books of all time, I looked up BOOK TITLE. And what do you know, it's another piece of historical fiction set in England and written by a woman. This could be interesting! I was intrigued, so I picked it up from the bookstore, determined to see if it was really better than The Children's Book.Well, dear readers, I am sorry to say that it was not. I had such hopes for this book. It is set during the time of King Henry VIII, whom we all know was an interesting character in English history. The main character and narrator of the book is BOOK CHARACTER, about whom there has been much speculation. Other main characters include [NAME], BOOK CHARACTER More, and [NAME]. I went into this book expecting the best, but I was sorely let down on every front. BOOK TITLE was an exercise in disappointment.First of all, I have to say that the writing was of a fine literary quality. I have no doubts that BOOK AUTHOR has a strong grasp of the English language, which is not something I can say about some authors I've read. Her only stylistic flaw was the tendency to put little artsy cliffhangers at the end of each section. I got the feeling that she didn't want to end a section without putting something that sounded either meaningful, artistic, or foreboding. While that can be a good technique when used sparingly, it came off feeling very contrived to me, like she was trying a little too hard. By the time I got to the middle of the book, which is a good 600 pages long, I was over it.The main problem with this book was its lack of both character development and plot. First, the plot. I got to the end of the book not really sure what the point was. Quite frankly, I was expecting there to be more pages, because I didn't feel like the book had gone anywhere or come to any kind of conclusion yet. That is not a feeling I like. There was no climax, no conclusive event, nothing that tied together all the disparate happenings throughout the book. I felt like I was reading a series of events rather than a novel.That would have been fine with me, had the characters made up for it. I don't need a plot-driven book if there is enough character development to make it character-driven. Sadly, this book fails on all fronts when it comes to characters. Our narrator, BOOK CHARACTER, is so nebulous that he almost doesn't have a character to develop. His defining traits consist of a willingness to please the people he works for, a gift for business and diplomacy, and a tendency to treat his underlings well. That's what we start with at the beginning of the book, and that's what we're left with at the end. I had trouble believing he had aged at all throughout the course of the novel simply because he changed so little. Sadly, all the characters in the book are relatively similar to him, if not in character traits, than in voice. Though they are described as being very different, I had trouble distinguishing between characters. While their political leanings may have been different, there was hardly a difference between the voices of BOOK CHARACTER More, Anne Boleyn, or any other character. BOOK AUTHOR should take note that dialogue without tags or quotation marks (which is a device I actually like when used correctly) only works if the characters are distinct enough not to need them. Sadly, this was not the case in BOOK TITLE.There were a few things I liked about this book. Like I said, the writing itself was not bad, which is always a positive thing. I enjoyed that BOOK AUTHOR gave a fresh perspective on some very tired historical figures. I can't tell you how many saintly depictions of BOOK CHARACTER More I've read in my day, so it was nice to see him in a different (read: heartless and heretic-burning) light. Still, this book was mostly a let-down. It wasn't terrible enough for me to hate it, but rather squarely mediocre in every category. In my opinion, BOOK TITLE should not have beat The Children's Book for the Booker prize, and I do not recommend it. Rating: 3No character development, very little plot, mediocre overall. Not recommended.
liked it | BOOK AUTHOR is such a tease. she calls her book BOOK TITLE because she knows i have a crush on [NAME], and then she just blah blah blahs about BOOK CHARACTER for 500 pages, feeding me only tiny bites of jane. sigh. me and [NAME] have always had a rocky history.i have read four of her books now, and have only really liked one; beyond black. but i keep trying. this one was for class, but i probably would have read it anyway, because this summer i read a nice fat bio of henry VIII and really e_x000D_   BOOK AUTHOR is such a tease. she calls her book BOOK TITLE because she knows i have a crush on [NAME], and then she just blah blah blahs about BOOK CHARACTER for 500 pages, feeding me only tiny bites of jane. sigh. me and [NAME] have always had a rocky history.i have read four of her books now, and have only really liked one; beyond black. but i keep trying. this one was for class, but i probably would have read it anyway, because this summer i read a nice fat bio of henry VIII and really enjoyed a lot of "characters" in his court. but it is so frustrating, reading historical fiction or biographies. this is only my third tudor book (because, yes, i totally read the other boleyn girl), and the malleability of history and the filters through which authors present these people is terribly inconsistent, depending on their own prejudices. i loved chupuys in the weir book, but here he is so foppish and weird - like a less fuckable [NAME] in labyrinth. sometimes [NAME] is a victim, sometimes she is cold and calculating, sometimes she is just a party girl depending on who is telling me the story. damn apologists. there were sections of writing i loved here, but most of it was flat, to me.i thought the opening was great, and the last 60 pages or so were fairly rollicking, but for some reason much of the middle seemed arid, but peppered with episodes i loved. i am glad that i read it, and a lot of my resistance may have just been my poor fever-riddled brain's inability to concentrate for any reasonable period of time, but i'm not swayed to BOOK AUTHORmania just yet. try try again.addition: can someone help me with this, because i am getting conflicting opinions from people i trust equally. please tell me how to pronounce "chupuys". one smart person said it was pronounced "cha-pwah", and another smart person made it rhyme with "pepys". fix this rift for me please.come to my blog!
it was ok | Everyone knows about the Tudors. Even people not particularly interested in history know the bare bones of the story, and people world-wide all seem to have heard about [NAME]. I suspect it is one of the most popular periods to study in English history with its cast of colourful characters, intrigues, passions, extremes, extravagances, important political and religious changes and mind-blowingly violent events. Why then was BOOK TITLE such a slog to get through?For a start BOOK AUTHOR write_x000D_   Everyone knows about the Tudors. Even people not particularly interested in history know the bare bones of the story, and people world-wide all seem to have heard about [NAME]. I suspect it is one of the most popular periods to study in English history with its cast of colourful characters, intrigues, passions, extremes, extravagances, important political and religious changes and mind-blowingly violent events. Why then was BOOK TITLE such a slog to get through?For a start BOOK AUTHOR writes unconventionally in the present tense. She also seems to have attempted a strange stylistic form where she disguises the characters. The reader is forever backtracking through the pages to check who is actually talking. "He", I discovered, usually refers to BOOK CHARACTER. The action does revolve around his life, but he is rarely named unless it is "He, BOOK CHARACTER" and even this appellation is rare. Sometimes not specifying characters is just sloppy writing. Take the following sentence:"The evening before Fisher is to die, he visits More."Who is the subject in this sentence? (It comes at the start of a new section, so there are no preceding ones.) It is a simple sentence in which clearly "he" refers to "Fisher" doesn't it? Not by BOOK AUTHOR's rules it doesn't. "He", confusingly means "BOOK CHARACTER".The names used in this period were extremely restricted, compared with our present-day choices. There were so many BOOK CHARACTERes and Marys, Henrys and Janes - and BOOK AUTHOR has a huge cast of characters. The list at the front of the book runs to nearly 5 pages (and then there are yet more pages of family trees….) Even so, many peripheral characters are not in the list, and when they are their names are not used in a helpful way. [NAME] should be an easy name to remember shouldn't it? Except that for some unknown reason BOOK AUTHOR sometimes refers to him as "Purse". Another instance is the character BOOK CHARACTER Wriotheseley, who is sometimes called "Risley" or even, obscurely "Call-me" (a very early reference to his saying "Call me Risley" near the beginning of the book.) An example running throughout the book is of a nun on the continent who makes prophecies against the king. She is referred to variously as "the Maid" or "the nun." Later on in the book she is referred to as "Eliza," and later again, "Barton." It is only near the end of the book when she is about to be put to death that she is given her name, "[NAME]" (and at this point I discovered her in the list of characters.) I have to assume that this was an attempt to reflect her diminishing status. When she may have been making what people believed to be legitimate holy prophecies, she had titles such as "the nun", and when she was discredited she was given back her simple lawful name. But it is the author who has done this! It is too obscure a point, if indeed it is deliberate, for a reader to easily pick up, especially when there are a plethora of other characters to sort out.Add into the formula a BOOK CHARACTER, [NAME] or "he" - or instances where the character is simply called by their title, "Duke", and the reader is lost in clouds of deception. Indeed it is almost as if BOOK AUTHOR has used obfuscation as a deliberate way to misinform and disguise who is talking, who the action is about, much as the Tudor times were about misinformation, deception and disingenuousness. [NAME] (Holbein - the painter - I was inordinately pleased to work that one out for myself without referring to "the list"!) sums up the religious situation, "Images, not images. Statues, not statues. It is the body of God, it is not the body of God, it is sort of the body of God. It is his blood, it is not his blood. Priests may marry, they may not…. The crucifix we creep to on our knees and reverence with our lips or the crucifix we chop it up and burn it in the public square…. Luther refers to "His Disgrace, the king of England.""The book appears at a glance to be an easy read. Most of it is conversation, and in a reasonably modern style at that - not a "forsooth" in sight. But BOOK AUTHOR's use of punctuation leaves a lot to be desired. Her overuse of the colon and semi-colon is frankly irritating. Why not start a new sentence occasionally? Plus the inverted commas (or speech marks) seem to be used in a very ad hoc fashion. The convention is that if inverted commas are not used when a character speaks, then this is to convey internal dialogue - the character is thinking. There are many instances in BOOK TITLE where this is not so. The use of inverted commas seems completely random, which slows down the pace of reading and only serves to confuse the reader even more.The novel would have benefited from rigorous editing. The first half drags. Dozens of character are thrown into the mix and we get no sense of definition, or attempt at characterisation. Minor characters could easily be substituted for one another - they are so sketchily drawn. Women feature hardly at all, except in BOOK CHARACTER's immediate family, and the many men drift in and out of the narrative in their wooden fashion as the reader desperately looks back to try and sort out who they all are. It does not help that the events are not chronological. BOOK CHARACTER's memories frequently take on a life of their own and divert the "action".There are indications of an editor's hand however. The "cast list" is an obvious example. An editor probably informed the author that nobody except a Tudor scholar would make head or tail of the characters without one. If it was not BOOK AUTHOR's idea, then that goes some way to explaining why it is not fully comprehensive. Maybe a glossary would have helped further. Another anomaly which reeks to me of editorial suggestion, is the way the novel starts. The violence of BOOK CHARACTER's father towards him is described in a gratuitously detailed and graphic way. Welcome to the novel. Is this what it will be like all the way through? Well no, actually. The only other instance of such an unpleasant descriptive account is the burning of a woman (a "Loller") accused of being a heretic. This is put in presumably to show the influence on a young BOOK CHARACTER (as presumably the opening section was) - part of what made him the man he was. But this is an extremely long novel, and it is inappropriate to start a dry, lifeless tome with such an atypical style of writing. Unless, of course, the author has been told to "Start with something exciting. Get the reader interested!" In these ways, and more, the mechanics of the novel are far too evident. The reader should be swept up in the events, not have to plod through dull prose and linguistic contrivances. I do wonder what other authors would have made of such promising material. [NAME] would have made you care about each and every one of the characters, however despicable or duplicitous they may have been. The "cast list" would have been considerably pruned. Maybe [NAME] would have included more characters, but he would not have obscured who he was actually talking about! Neither would [NAME], who would play up the consciences and feelings of the main players. BOOK AUTHOR has not decided how to focus her novel, or to give it any sense of purpose. She merely chronicles events from 1500-1535. The early years, when BOOK CHARACTER was a youngster, are sketchily drawn. Most of the narrative is concentrated on the last 3 or 4 years leading up to the "Act of Supremacy" in 1534, whereby [NAME] was stated to be the Supreme Head of the Church of England. (It was a carefully worded document not granting him the title but acknowledging an established fact. It thereby gave him the power - and enabled him him to justify the action to himself - to divorce Katherine of Aragon in order to marry [NAME], in the hope that she would produce a male heir.) These were momentous times, set against a backdrop of similar riots and Reformations across Europe. These latter stages of the novel are more gripping, but as a whole it does not really succeed on any level except to present facts, and that would be better done in a textbook. BOOK CHARACTER was evidently a "soldier of fortune" who was able to succeed in his life by variously using his skills of diplomacy to turn to any tide. [NAME] calls him "as cunning as a bag of serpents" to his face. And as BOOK CHARACTER himself says to his son at one point, "It's all very well planning what you will do in six months what you will do in a year, but it's no good at all if you don't have a plan for tomorrow."This is about tumultuous times; the days when beliefs were being turned on their head, when the religious views of England were a source of derision or bafflement to Europe, when the ever-changing will of the king could lead to wise and revered clerics and scholars being showered with wealth, or being denounced as heretics, burned at the stake and disembowelled. An heir to the throne could at the king's whim be redesignated a bastard. It should have been a rollicking read. And BOOK CHARACTER - or should I term him, "He, BOOK CHARACTER" - should have come across as a mesmeric figure, not the ambiguous shadow the reader is left with. This is an ambitious novel about the era, which disappointingly turns out to be a bit of a damp squib.
really liked it | I admit to approaching BOOK TITLE with a embarrassing lack of knowledge about BOOK CHARACTER and the dysfunctional marriages of [NAME], so, with some time on my hands I thought it a good project to finally read this long novel and gain a little historical insight.The novel principally follows the life of BOOK CHARACTER, from his rough and ready youth living with his sisters and abusive blacksmith father, to his eventually becoming, arguably, the most powerful man in England.BOOK CHARACTER _x000D_   I admit to approaching BOOK TITLE with a embarrassing lack of knowledge about BOOK CHARACTER and the dysfunctional marriages of [NAME], so, with some time on my hands I thought it a good project to finally read this long novel and gain a little historical insight.The novel principally follows the life of BOOK CHARACTER, from his rough and ready youth living with his sisters and abusive blacksmith father, to his eventually becoming, arguably, the most powerful man in England.BOOK CHARACTER was the ultimate jack of all trades - sometime merchant, lawyer, money market speculator, statesman and chief advisor to the king.Much of the political intrigue in BOOK TITLE concerns the attempts to annul the marriage of Henry to Katherine of Aragon, his first wife, leaving the way open for him to marry [NAME] and in turn facilitating the hope of a male heir.This complicated manoeuvring, in which BOOK CHARACTER is central, is set against the background of the theological battle between Catholicism and Protestantism (very real and very violent) and the tension between the overriding authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe and the growing desire of Henry, for Britain to go its own way i.e. removing the Church of England from the authority of Rome.I found BOOK TITLE to be beautifully written with some lovely flashes of lyricism, a quiet, wry humour and surprisingly, to have a strong emotion punch. The descriptions of 16th Century England are colourful and persuasive but the biggest achievement of the novel is the character studies - famous names come to life:The shambling, irritating and obstinate BOOK CHARACTER More - made sadistic by his religion. The fickle, vain and unstable ways of [NAME] as he becomes ever more unpredictable. [NAME] with her calculating and cruel ambition. The comedic but nasty bluster of [NAME] Norfolk. [NAME], caring and pompous. All those of BOOK CHARACTER’s makeshift and disparate ‘family’ living their boisterous, warm and affectionate life at Austin Friars and of course BOOK CHARACTER himself - our hero, the novel’s centre.Quiet, calm, persuasive, tactical, manipulative, likeable, reasonable and inscrutable. A man relied upon to make things happen but also a details man, a logistical and accounting expert. Once BOOK CHARACTER enters your employ it’s not long before you depend on him, totally - hence his rise to power. As much as I enjoyed BOOK TITLE it wasn’t an easy or fast read. I found I was constantly looking up historical detail, kindle in one hand iPad in the other (must admit I enjoyed this). Also, keeping in touch with the massive list of characters wasn’t always easy, although a list at the beginning of the book helped. Finally, the difficulty that is most discussed about this book is the idiosyncratic use of ‘he’.The novel is written from BOOK CHARACTERs POV in the present tense, but it’s written in third person. Instead of continually writing BOOK CHARACTER did this, BOOK CHARACTER did that, BOOK AUTHOR uses the pronoun ‘he’. He wonders, he thinks, he says etc. This, BOOK AUTHOR argues, makes you feel closer to BOOK CHARACTER, seeing with his eyes, like a camera on his shoulder. The problem is, of course, when there’s a few characters in a scene, it’s not always easy to see who the ‘he’ is referring to. To be honest, the best bet is to simply assume every ‘he’ refers to BOOK CHARACTER, you won’t often be wrong :)This novel took me a long time to read but was very much worth it.Note: I thought the political, religious and royal intrigues of Britain in the 1500’s would be a good escape from our current, unsettling times ......... until I read the chapters concerning the ‘sweating sickness’ a mysterious epidemic of unknown origin that sweeps across London and the rest of the country, claiming thousands of lives. Oh well - I tried!
did not like it | Unfortunately I gave up on this book at page 84. I'm really disappointed that I was unable to get into this book as so many have raved about it. I just found the prose exceptionally dense and confusing. At times I was confused as to who was 'speaking' and couldn't follow it.Oh well.....next!
not rated | This was an amazing reading experience and well deserving of the Booker prize. Read it for the fascinating insights BOOK AUTHOR gives us into the sights and smells of Henry the Eight's court. But especially, read it for the masterly writing, for the way the author, while using a third person point of view, nevertheless makes us think that we are hearing the entire story in the voice of the main character, her powerful and unforgettable recreation of BOOK CHARACTER.
really liked it | Nu<U+1EDB>c Anh, nam 1527. [NAME]<U+1ED1>n k<U+1EBF>t [NAME]<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân 20 nam v<U+1EDB>i Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Katherine of Aragon d<U+1EC3> k<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i ti<U+1EC3>u thu [NAME] nh<U+1EB1>m [NAME]<U+1EBF>m [NAME] m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i th<U+1EEB>a k<U+1EBF> nam. Nhà vua bu<U+1ED9>c ph<U+1EA3>i ti<U+1EBF>n hành ly hôn ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> d<U+1EA7>u, v<U+1EE5> ly hôn ch<U+1ED1>ng l<U+1EA1>i c<U+1EA3> Giáo hoàng l<U+1EAB>n m<U+1ED9>t châu u kính Chúa. Gi<U+1EEF>a tình th<U+1EBF> dó, BOOK CHARACTER - m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i túc trí da muu - dã xu<U+1EA5>t hi<U+1EC7>n, tr<U+1EDF> thành b<U+1EA7>y tôi trung thành và d<U+1EAF>c l<U+1EF1>c c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VIII trên con du<U+1EDD>ng bi<U+1EBF>n nh<U+1EEF>ng gì v<U+1ECB> quân [NAME]<U+1ED1>n tr<U+1EDF> thành s<U+1EF1> th_x000D_   Nu<U+1EDB>c Anh, nam 1527. [NAME]<U+1ED1>n k<U+1EBF>t [NAME]<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân 20 nam v<U+1EDB>i Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Katherine of Aragon d<U+1EC3> k<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i ti<U+1EC3>u thu [NAME] nh<U+1EB1>m [NAME]<U+1EBF>m [NAME] m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i th<U+1EEB>a k<U+1EBF> nam. Nhà vua bu<U+1ED9>c ph<U+1EA3>i ti<U+1EBF>n hành ly hôn ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> d<U+1EA7>u, v<U+1EE5> ly hôn ch<U+1ED1>ng l<U+1EA1>i c<U+1EA3> Giáo hoàng l<U+1EAB>n m<U+1ED9>t châu u kính Chúa. Gi<U+1EEF>a tình th<U+1EBF> dó, BOOK CHARACTER - m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i túc trí da muu - dã xu<U+1EA5>t hi<U+1EC7>n, tr<U+1EDF> thành b<U+1EA7>y tôi trung thành và d<U+1EAF>c l<U+1EF1>c c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VIII trên con du<U+1EDD>ng bi<U+1EBF>n nh<U+1EEF>ng gì v<U+1ECB> quân [NAME]<U+1ED1>n tr<U+1EDF> thành s<U+1EF1> th<U+1EAD>t. Và “Lâu Ðài Sói”  (t<U+1EF1>a g<U+1ED1>c là “BOOK TITLE”) chính là câu chuy<U+1EC7>n v<U+1EC1> m<U+1ED9>t giai do<U+1EA1>n trong cu<U+1ED9>c d<U+1EDD>i c<U+1EE7>a BOOK CHARACTER - ngu<U+1EDD>i sau này dã tr<U+1EDF> thành quân su thu<U+1ED9>c hàng du<U+1EE3>c tr<U+1ECD>ng d<U+1EE5>ng nhi<U+1EC1>u nh<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VIII.Tôi dã d<U+1ECD>c và xem qua r<U+1EA5>t nhi<U+1EC1>u thông tin, tài li<U+1EC7>u v<U+1EC1> giai do<U+1EA1>n d<U+1EA7>y bi<U+1EBF>n d<U+1ED9>ng này c<U+1EE7>a l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> Anh, [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a nhà Tudor nh<U+1EA5>t quy<U+1EBF>t ly hôn Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Katherine of Aragon d<U+1EC3> du<U+1EE3>c k<U+1EBF>t hôn h<U+1EE3>p pháp v<U+1EDB>i Anne Boleyn. Th<U+1EBF> nhung dây là l<U+1EA7>n d<U+1EA7>u tiên tôi d<U+1ECD>c v<U+1EC1> giai do<U+1EA1>n này thông qua cái [NAME]c d<U+1EDD>i c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i không ph<U+1EA3>i thu<U+1ED9>c hoàng gia, [NAME]<U+1EA1>i có s<U+1EE9>c <U+1EA3>nh hu<U+1EDF>ng d<U+1EE7> l<U+1EDB>n d<U+1EC3> chi ph<U+1ED1>i b<U+1ED9> m<U+1EB7>t c<U+1EE7>a nu<U+1EDB>c Anh th<U+1EDD>i dó. V<U+1EDB>i xu<U+1EA5>t phát di<U+1EC3>m [NAME]<U+1ED1>n khi là con c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i th<U+1EE3> rèn, b<U+1ECB> chính cha mình b<U+1EA1>o hành không thuong ti<U+1EBF>c khi còn là m<U+1ED9>t d<U+1EE9>a tr<U+1EBB>, BOOK CHARACTER dã vu<U+1EE3>t bi<U+1EC3>n bôn ba kh<U+1EAF>p các qu<U+1ED1>c gia khác nhau, [NAME] dánh thuê cho ngu<[NAME]i Pháp, làm công cho ngu<[NAME]i Ý, d<U+1EC3> r<U+1ED3>i sau cùng, ông quay tr<U+1EDF> l<U+1EA1>i [NAME] Anh qu<U+1ED1>c c<U+1EE7>a mình, tr<U+1EDF> thành m<U+1ED9>t lu<U+1EAD>t su, d<U+1ED3>ng th<U+1EDD>i là ngu<U+1EDD>i b<U+1EA1>n thân thi<U+1EBF>t, là “BOOK CHARACTER vô vàn yêu quý” c<U+1EE7>a d<U+1EE9>c h<U+1ED3>ng y [NAME]<U+1ED5>ng giám m<U+1EE5>c vùng [NAME] và d<U+1EA1>i pháp quan c<U+1EE7>a Anh.Ch<U+1EE9>ng ki<U+1EBF>n s<U+1EE9>c m<U+1EA1>nh tình ái c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua dành cho [NAME] dã d<U+1EA9>y d<U+1EE9>c h<U+1ED3>ng y [NAME]<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EEB>a mu<U+1ED1>n ch<U+1ED1>ng l<U+1EA1>i cu<U+1ED9>c tình b<U+1ECB> g<U+1ECD>i là nho nh<U+1EDB>p này, v<U+1EEB>a mu<U+1ED1>n chi<U+1EC1>u lòng nhà vua - d<U+1EBF>n ch<U+1ED7> suy vong, BOOK CHARACTER - co trí và tham v<U+1ECD>ng, v<U+1EEB>a tràn d<U+1EA7>y [NAME]<U+1EDF>ng cao d<U+1EB9>p [NAME]a co h<U+1ED9>i ch<U+1EE7> nghia - dã không th<U+1EC3> làm gì khác hon ngoài vi<U+1EC7>c quy ph<U+1EE5>c nhà vua, tr<U+1EDF> thành b<U+1EA7>y tôi nguy<U+1EC7>n dâng hi<U+1EBF>n tâm trí c<U+1EE7>a mình d<U+1EC3> ph<U+1EE5>c v<U+1EE5> cho nh<U+1EEF>ng mong mu<U+1ED1>n c<U+1EE7>a ngài. D<U+1EA7>n d<U+1EA7>n t<U+1EEB>ng bu<U+1EDB>c, BOOK CHARACTER tr<U+1EDF> thành <U+1EE7>y viên h<U+1ED9>i d<U+1ED3>ng c<U+1ED1> v<U+1EA5>n (Privy Council) c<U+1EE7>a Henry VIII, ý th<U+1EE9>c rõ trách nhi<U+1EC7>m c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t công dân v<U+1EDB>i d<U+1ECB>a v<U+1ECB> càng ngày càng du<U+1EE3>c thang ti<U+1EBF>n c<U+1EE7>a ông là d<U+1EC3> d<U+1ECD>n du<U+1EDD>ng cho nh<U+1EEF>ng u<U+1EDB>c v<U+1ECD>ng và [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua du<U+1EE3>c tr<U+1EDF> thành s<U+1EF1> th<U+1EAD>t. Và quá trình ông dùng tài trí và muu m<U+1EB9>o ph<U+1EE5>c v<U+1EE5> d<U+1EE9>c vua c<U+1EE7>a mình, d<U+1EC3> giúp [NAME] có du<U+1EE3>c cu<U+1ED9>c hôn ph<U+1ED1>i h<U+1EE3>p pháp tru<U+1EDB>c nhan [NAME] v<U+1EDB>i Anne Boleyn, d<U+1EC3> Anne Boleyn tr<U+1EDF> thành Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u m<U+1EDB>i c<U+1EE7>a nu<U+1EDB>c Anh, dã du<U+1EE3>c tái hi<U+1EC7>n l<U+1EA1>i m<U+1ED9>t cách d<U+1EA7>y h<U+1EA5>p d<U+1EAB>n, d<U+1EA7>y thâm tr<U+1EA7>m nhu th<U+1EC3> c<U+1EA3> m<U+1ED9>t th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i, m<U+1ED9>t d<U+1EA5>t nu<U+1EDB>c, m<U+1ED9>t dân t<U+1ED9>c, m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> vua dã du<U+1EE3>c h<U+1ED3>i sinh t<U+1EEB> chính nh<U+1EEF>ng trang sách c<U+1EE7>a tác gi<U+1EA3> BOOK AUTHOR.Chúng ta có m<U+1ED9>t Katherine of Aragon b<U+1EA5>t khu<U+1EA5>t và không ch<U+1ECB>u ph<U+1EE5>c [NAME]<U+1ED1>n ly hôn c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua. Chúng ta có Rome, có giáo h<U+1ED9>i, có gi<U+1EDB>i tang l<U+1EEF> dang k<U+1ECB>ch li<U+1EC7>t ph<U+1EA3>n d<U+1ED1>i cái trò ph<U+1EA3>n b<U+1ED9>i ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> 20 nam c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VIII. Chúng ta có Ð<U+1EE9>c Giáo hoàng Clement, ngu<U+1EDD>i t<U+1ECF> rõ ý d<U+1ECB>nh t<U+1EEB> ch<U+1ED1>i tuyên b<U+1ED1> hôn nhân c<U+1EE7>a Henry VIII và [NAME] hi<U+1EC7>u, d<U+1ED3>ng nghia v<U+1EDB>i vi<U+1EC7>c t<U+1EEB> ch<U+1ED1>i nhà vua m<U+1ED9>t cu<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân h<U+1EE3>p pháp v<U+1EDB>i ngu<U+1EDD>i ph<U+1EE5> n<U+1EEF> mà ngài mu<U+1ED1>n k<U+1EBF>t hôn - ngu<U+1EDD>i mà theo ngài là m<U+1EDB>i là ngu<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA7>u tiên mà ngài cu<U+1EDB>i làm v<U+1EE3>. Vì trong m<U+1EAF>t [NAME], [NAME]<U+1EBD> luôn là ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> c<U+1EE7>a anh trai ngài - Thái t<U+1EED> Arthur, qua d<U+1EDD>i ch<U+1EC9> sau 4 tháng k<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i Katherine. [NAME] thánh, vào nh<U+1EEF>ng [NAME]U+1EEF> tuyên b<U+1ED1> r<U+1EB1>ng hôn nhân v<U+1EDB>i v<U+1EE3> góa c<U+1EE7>a anh trai mình là tr<U+1ECD>ng t<U+1ED9>i và khi<U+1EBF>n c<U+1EB7>p v<U+1EE3> ch<U+1ED3>ng dó không th<U+1EC3> có con, d<U+1EC3> làm lý do bào ch<U+1EEF>a cho ý d<U+1ECB>nh ly hôn Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u c<U+1EE7>a mình. Ð<U+1ED3>ng th<U+1EDD>i, ngài còn tuyên b<U+1ED1> r<U+1EB1>ng [NAME] trong tr<U+1EAF>ng [NAME]<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i ngài, vì tru<U+1EDB>c dó bà dã là v<U+1EE3> c<U+1EE7>a [NAME], và vì th<U+1EBF>, bà không th<U+1EC3> là Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u c<U+1EE7>a ngài du<U+1EE3>c - m<U+1ED9>t di<U+1EC1>u mà [NAME] hoàn toàn ch<U+1ED1>i b<U+1ECF>. Chúng ta có [NAME] d<U+1EBF> c<U+1EE7>a Ð<U+1EBF> qu<U+1ED1>c La Mã Th<U+1EA7>n Thánh (The Holy Roman Empire) - cháu trai g<U+1ECD>i Katherine là dì ru<U+1ED9>t, ngu<U+1EDD>i du<U+1EE3>c d<U+1ED3>n doán là s<U+1EBD> d<U+1EA5>y quân d<U+1EBF>n dánh chi<U+1EBF>m nu<U+1EDB>c Anh n<U+1EBF>u Vua Henry VIII dám ly hôn bà Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u có hàng lo<U+1EA1>t nh<U+1EEF>ng v<U+1ECB> lu<U+1EAD>t su tài nang cùng c<U+1EA3> châu [NAME] và nh<U+1EEF>ng ngu<U+1EDD>i ph<U+1EE5> n<U+1EEF> không có con trai d<U+1EE9>ng v<U+1EC1> phía bà. Nh<U+1EEF>ng chi ti<U+1EBF>t d<U+1EA7>y h<U+1EA5>p d<U+1EAB>n dó, nh<U+1EEF>ng cu<U+1ED9>c h<U+1ED9>i dàm, y<U+1EBF>t ki<U+1EBF>n, nh<U+1EEF>ng cu<U+1ED9>c tranh cãi, phiên tòa ly hôn c<U+1EE7>a Henry VIII và Katherine, nh<U+1EEF>ng phiên h<U+1ECD>p kín c<U+1EE7>a h<U+1ED9>i d<U+1ED3>ng co m<U+1EAD>t… t<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EA3> du<U+1EE3>c trình [NAME] c<U+1EA1>nh nh<U+1EEF>ng thang tr<U+1EA7>m c<U+1EE7>a cu<U+1ED9>c d<U+1EDD>i BOOK CHARACTER, nh<U+1EEF>ng m<U+1EA5>t mát trong [NAME] ông vì b<U+1EC7>nh s<U+1ED1>t d<U+1ED5> m<U+1ED3> hôi, và c<U+1EA3> nh<U+1EEF>ng câu chuy<U+1EC7>n truy<U+1EC1>n thuy<U+1EBF>t t<U+1EF1> ngàn xua c<U+1EE7>a huy<U+1EC1>n d<U+1EA3>o Anh, v<U+1EC1> th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i t<U+1EEB> tru<U+1EDB>c dó n<U+1EEF>a. Ðó th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i c<U+1EE7>a Cu<U+1ED9>c chi<U+1EBF>n Hoa H<U+1ED3>ng (The War of Roses), [NAME] g<U+1ECD>i là cu<U+1ED9>c n<U+1ED9>i chi<U+1EBF>n gi<U+1EEF>a các anh em h<U+1ECD> (The Cousins’ War), [NAME]<U+1EDB>c York thách th<U+1EE9>c quy<U+1EC1>n t<U+1EA1>i v<U+1ECB> c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VI - v<U+1ECB> vua có v<U+1EA5>n d<U+1EC1> v<U+1EC1> tâm th<U+1EA7>n, d<U+1EC3> r<U+1ED3>i con trai ông là [NAME], sau khi dánh th<U+1EAF>ng tr<U+1EAD>n, dã ti<U+1EBF>n v<U+1EC1> London và tuyên b<U+1ED1> mình là [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a nhà York - ngu<U+1EDD>i sinh ra du<U+1EDB>i chòm sao B<U+1EA1>ch [NAME], chòm sao m<U+1EDF> d<U+1EA7>u [NAME] Hoàng d<U+1EA1>o, ng<U+1EE5> ý m<U+1ED9>t kh<U+1EDF>i d<U+1EA7>u m<U+1EDB>i cho Anh qu<U+1ED1>c. Vua Edward IV tru<U+1EDB>c dó dã nhìn th<U+1EA5>y ba m<U+1EB7>t tr<U+1EDD>i cùng m<U+1ED9>t lúc xu<U+1EA5>t hi<U+1EC7>n trên b<U+1EA7>u tr<U+1EDD>i, m<U+1ED9>t d<U+1EA5>u hi<U+1EC7>u cho th<U+1EA5>y s<U+1ED1> m<U+1EC7>nh dã ch<U+1ECD>n ông và nhà York c<U+1EE7>a ông d<U+1EC3> xung vuong nu<U+1EDB>c Anh, d<U+1EC3> cu<U+1ED1>i cùng [NAME]U+1EC1> cho qu<U+1ED1>c d<U+1EA3>o này ba [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a ba vuong qu<U+1ED1>c khác nhau. Truy<U+1EC1>n thuy<U+1EBF>t còn b<U+1EC7>n xo<U+1EAF>n vào vuong tri<U+1EC1>u York b<U+1EB1>ng l<U+1EDD>i d<U+1ED3>n th<U+1ED5>i v<U+1EC1> vi<U+1EC7>c [NAME]<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i m<U+1ED9>t h<U+1EAD>u du<U+1EC7> c<U+1EE7>a n<U+1EEF> th<U+1EA7>n r<U+1EAF>n Melusine là Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u [NAME] (cái [NAME] vi<U+1EBF>t truy<U+1EC7>n l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> n<U+1ED5>i ti<U+1EBF>ng c<U+1EE7>a Anh là Phillipa Gregory cung có d<U+1EC1> c<U+1EAD>p t<U+1EDB>i). Huy<U+1EC1>n s<U+1EED> c<U+1EE7>a d<U+1EA3>o Anh k<U+1EBF>t h<U+1EE3>p nhu<U+1EA7>n nhuy<U+1EC5>n v<U+1EDB>i s<U+1EE9>c cu<U+1ED1>n hút c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i d<U+1EA7>y bi<U+1EBF>n d<U+1ED9>ng, làm nên m<U+1ED9>t “Lâu Ðài Sói” d<U+1EA7>y [NAME]<U+1EAF>c và h<U+1EA5>p d<U+1EAB>n nhu chính l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> ph<U+1EA3>i th<U+1EBF>.Và trên h<U+1EBF>t, chúng ta có cu<U+1ED9>c chi<U+1EBF>n ng<U+1EA7>m gi<U+1EEF>a Henry VIII và giáo h<U+1ED9>i cùng gi<U+1EDB>i tang l<U+1EEF>, cu<U+1ED9>c chi<U+1EBF>n tranh ch<U+1EA5>p quy<U+1EC1>n tài phán t<U+1EEB> bao d<U+1EDD>i nay v<U+1ED1>n d<U+1EB7>t giáo h<U+1ED9>i lên trên d<U+1EE9>c vua, d<U+1EB7>t quy<U+1EC1>n l<U+1EF1>c c<U+1EE7>a Ð<U+1EE9>c Chúa và tôn giáo lên trên phán quy<U+1EBF>t c<U+1EE7>a quân vuong, bu<U+1ED9>c nhà vua ph<U+1EA3>i cung ph<U+1EE5>ng ti<U+1EC1>n tài, v<U+1EAD>t ch<U+1EA5>t cho gi<U+1EDB>i tang l<U+1EEF>. [NAME] dã ch<U+1ECB>u quá d<U+1EE7> [NAME]U+1EE9>c mà theo ngài là bóc l<U+1ED9>t hoàng gia này, [NAME]<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân v<U+1EDB>i Anne Boleyn cu<U+1ED1>i cùng dã cho ngài phuong ti<U+1EC7>n d<U+1EC3> thay d<U+1ED5>i toàn b<U+1ED9> nu<U+1EDB>c Anh, vi<U+1EBF>t l<U+1EA1>i lu<U+1EAD>t và t<U+1EF1> mình công nh<U+1EAD>n quy<U+1EC1>n tài phán c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua ch<U+1EE9> không ph<U+1EA3>i giáo h<U+1ED9>i. Gi<U+1EDB>i tang l<U+1EEF> cu<U+1ED1>i cùng cung ch<U+1EC9> là th<U+1EA7>n dân c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua, ph<U+1EA3>i ph<U+1EE5>c tùng ngài và ngai vàng c<U+1EE7>a ngài. Ð<U+1EE9>ng tru<U+1EDB>c vi<U+1EC7>c Ð<U+1EE9>c Giáo hoàng tru<U+1EDB>c sau nhu m<U+1ED9>t, nh<U+1EA5>t quy<U+1EBF>t không ch<U+1EA5>p nh<U+1EAD>n nhu<U+1EE3>ng b<U+1ED9> nhà vua và không tuyên b<U+1ED1> hôn nhân c<U+1EE7>a Henry VIII và Katherine of Aragon vô hi<U+1EC7>u, [NAME] l<U+1EAD>p Giáo h<U+1ED9>i Anh do chính ngài d<U+1EE9>ng d<U+1EA7>u, [NAME]>i Giáo h<U+1ED9>i Công giáo [NAME], [NAME]<U+1EA1>i v<U+1EDB>i c<U+1EA3> châu u sùng d<U+1EA1>o, kh<U+1EDF>i d<U+1EA7>u th<U+1EDD>i k<U+1EF3> c<U+1EA3>i cách <U+1EDF> nu<U+1EDB>c Anh (English Reformation). T<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EA3> b<U+1EAF>t ngu<U+1ED3>n t<U+1EEB> câu chuy<U+1EC7>n tình [NAME]<U+1EE1>ng và nh<U+1EEF>ng dòi h<U+1ECF>i c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> vua quy<U+1EBF>t không nhân nhu<U+1EE3>ng cho d<U+1EBF>n khi nào ngài có du<U+1EE3>c th<U+1EE9> ngài mu<U+1ED1>n - Anne Boleyn trên ngai Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u bên c<U+1EA1>nh ngài.[NAME] có l<U+1EBD> dã không quá quy<U+1EBF>t li<U+1EC7>t nhu th<U+1EBF> trong vi<U+1EC7>c ly hôn Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Katherine of Aragon n<U+1EBF>u ngu<U+1EDD>i ph<U+1EE5> n<U+1EEF> ngài mê m<U+1EA9>n không ph<U+1EA3>i là [NAME] cô nuong tràn d<U+1EA7>y tham v<U+1ECD>ng, bi<U+1EBF>t mình mu<U+1ED1>n gì và quy<U+1EBF>t tâm làm t<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EA3> m<U+1ECD>i cách có th<U+1EC3> d<U+1EC3> d<U+1EA1>t du<U+1EE3>c th<U+1EE9> mà nàng mong mu<U+1ED1>n. H<U+1ECD>c h<U+1ECF>i t<U+1EEB> sai l<U+1EA7>m c<U+1EE7>a ngu<U+1EDD>i ch<U+1ECB> [NAME]<U+1EDD>i dã t<U+1EEB>ng là tình nhân c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua và có m<U+1ED9>t d<U+1EE9>a con trai [NAME]i ngài - [NAME] không d<U+1EC5> dãi d<U+1EC3> cho nhà vua tùy nghi s<U+1EED> d<U+1EE5>ng thân th<U+1EC3> mình và bi<U+1EBF>n [NAME] hàng v<U+1EDB>i hàng lo<U+1EA1>t nh<U+1EEF>ng bà nhân tình khác tru<U+1EDB>c dó - nh<U+1EEF>ng <U+1EA3> di<U+1EBF>m [NAME] hi<U+1EBF>n b<U+1EA3>n thân cho d<U+1EE9>c vua d<U+1EC3> mua l<U+1EA5>y s<U+1EF1> yêu chi<U+1EC1>u trong th<U+1EDD>i gian ng<U+1EAF>n, r<U+1ED3>i sau dó b<U+1ECB> ph<U+1EE7>i tay m<U+1ED9>t cách không thuong ti<U+1EBF>c khi nhà [NAME]<U+1ED1>i tu<U+1EE3>ng khác d<U+1EC3> dua lên giu<U+1EDD>ng. [NAME] thông minh hon và hi<U+1EC3>u chuy<U+1EC7>n hon; cái nàng nh<U+1EAF>m t<U+1EDB>i không ph<U+1EA3>i là nh<U+1EEF>ng cu<U+1ED9>c tình v<U+1EE5>ng tr<U+1ED9>m [NAME] l<U+1EA1>c nh<U+1EA5>t th<U+1EDD>i, mà chính là [NAME] h<U+1EAD>u Anh, là v<U+1ECB> trí ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> chính th<U+1EE9>c, h<U+1EE3>p pháp c<U+1EE7>a d<U+1EE9>c [NAME] c<U+1EA1>nh ngai vàng c<U+1EE7>a ngài. [NAME] nàng dã dành ra 7 nam d<U+1EC3> theo du<U+1ED5>i chính m<U+1EE5>c dích dó, d<U+1EC3> khi<U+1EBF>n Vua Henry VIII ph<U+1EA3>i m<U+1EE5> m<U+1ECB> vì nàng, d<U+1ED3>ng th<U+1EDD>i gi<U+1EEF> mình d<U+1EE7> d<U+1EC3> nhà vua ph<U+1EA3>i khát [NAME], [NAME] cái trinh ti<U+1EBF>t nàng tuyên b<U+1ED1> là dang gìn gi<U+1EEF> cho d<U+1EBF>n dêm tân hôn c<U+1EE7>a hai ngu<U+1EDD>i, [NAME] chính th<U+1EE9>c tr<U+1EDF> thành v<U+1EE3> nhà vua. [NAME] n<U+1EAF>m [NAME] VIII trong lòng bàn tay, trong nh<U+1EEF>ng l<U+1EA7>n nàng vén váy, d<U+1ED9> cao c<U+1EE7>a [NAME], [NAME]<U+1EDD> d<U+1ED3>ng ý chung d<U+1EE5>ng xác th<U+1ECB>t. N<U+1EBF>u Vua Henry VIII h<U+1EB1>ng ngày ph<U+1EA3>i d<U+1ED1>i m<U+1EB7>t v<U+1EDB>i s<U+1EF1> ph<U+1EA3>n d<U+1ED1>i k<U+1ECB>ch li<U+1EC7>t c<U+1EE7>a h<U+1ED9>i doàn Co Ð<U+1ED1>c giáo cho cái quy<U+1EBF>t d<U+1ECB>nh ly hôn ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> d<U+1EA7>u c<U+1EE7>a ngài, ph<U+1EA3>i cùng BOOK CHARACTER choi [NAME] chính tr<U+1ECB> kh<U+1ED1>c li<U+1EC7>t và tàn nh<U+1EAB>n, thì [NAME], trong h<U+1EAD>u cung c<U+1EE7>a nàng, [NAME] chính tr<U+1ECB> c<U+1EE7>a riêng mình. Trò choi <U+1EA5>y lôi kéo c<U+1EA3> gia dình Boleyn c<U+1EE7>a nàng, cùng ngu<U+1EDD>i c<U+1EAD>u ru<U+1ED9>t [NAME] tu<U+1EDB>c Norfolk - v<U+1EDB>i màn d<U+1EF1> ph<U+1EA7>n c<U+1EE7>a nh<U+1EEF>ng l<U+1EDD>i nói xúc xi<U+1EC3>m, nh<U+1EEF>ng tin d<U+1ED3>n c<U+1EA3> có can c<U+1EE9> và vô can c<U+1EE9>, s<U+1EF1> ganh ghét t<U+1ECB> hi<U+1EC1>m c<U+1EE7>a [NAME] tru<U+1EDB>c tham v<U+1ECD>ng và d<U+1ECB>a v<U+1ECB> hi<U+1EC7>n t<U+1EA1>i c<U+1EE7>a em gái mình, cùng nh<U+1EEF>ng tin t<U+1EE9>c du<U+1EE3>c thu v<U+1EC1> t<U+1EEB> hành d<U+1ED9>ng cài c<U+1EAF>m [NAME]<U+1EC7>p quá thông minh và xu<U+1EA5>t s<U+1EAF>c c<U+1EE7>a BOOK CHARACTER. N<U+1EBF>u Anne Boleyn du<U+1EE3>c sinh ra <U+1EDF> th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i này, có l<U+1EBD> nàng dã tr<U+1EDF> thành m<U+1ED9>t nhà chính tr<U+1ECB> gia tài [NAME]t chúng, b<U+1EDF>i cái cách mà nàng t<U+1EA5>n công nh<U+1EEF>ng k<U+1EBB> ch<U+1ED1>ng d<U+1ED1>i mình và hành x<U+1EED> d<U+1EC3> có du<U+1EE3>c cái mà nàng mu<U+1ED1>n: vô cùng tinh vi, vô cùng ý nh<U+1ECB> nhung vô cùng quy<U+1EBF>t doán. Ð<U+1ECD>c t<U+1EDB>i c<U+1EA3>nh khi Vua Henry VIII so<U+1EA1>n th<U+1EA3>o d<U+1EF1> lu<U+1EAD>t th<U+1EEB>a k<U+1EBF> ngai vàng, v<U+1EDB>i Anne Boleyn - lúc b<U+1EA5>y gi<U+1EDD> dã tr<U+1EDF> thành Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u m<U+1EDB>i c<U+1EE7>a nu<U+1EDB>c Anh - d<U+1EE9>ng bên c<U+1EA1>nh ch<U+1EC9> tr<U+1ECF>, ch<U+1EA5>t v<U+1EA5>n v<U+1EC1> quy<U+1EC1>n l<U+1EE3>i c<U+1EE7>a nàng và nh<U+1EEF>ng d<U+1EE9>a con nàng dã có và s<U+1EBD> có v<U+1EDB>i nhà vua, cung d<U+1EE7> hi<U+1EC3>u tính cách và b<U+1EA3>n ch<U+1EA5>t con ngu<U+1EDD>i c<U+1EE7>[NAME] là nhu th<U+1EBF> nào.Khi Anne Boleyn áp cái b<U+1EE5>ng b<U+1EA7>u 6 tháng lên m<U+1EB7>t th<U+1EC1>m [NAME] l<U+1EC5> du<U+1EDD>ng noi nàng du<U+1EE3>c t<U+1EA5>n phong làm Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u nu<U+1EDB>c Anh, nhân v<U+1EAD>t BOOK CHARACTER trong “Lâu Ðài Sói” dã âm th<U+1EA7>m c<U+1EA7>u kh<U+1EA9>n nhu th<U+1EBF> này:_x000D_   “[...] c<U+1EA7>u cho d<U+1EE9>a tr<U+1EBB> này, trái [NAME]n t<U+1EF1>[NAME] c<U+1EE7>a th<U+1EB1>ng bé gi<U+1EDD> [NAME] d<U+1EAD>p trên sàn dá, c<U+1EA7>u [NAME]>c thánh hóa b<U+1EDF>i kho<U+1EA3>nh kh<U+1EAF>c này, [NAME] du<U+1EE3>c gi<U+1ED1>ng nhu ngu<U+1EDD>i cha c<U+1EE7>a cha nó, gi<U+1ED1>ng nh<U+1EEF>ng ông bác nhà Tudor c<U+1EE7>a nó; [NAME]<U+1EE3>c c<U+1EE9>ng r<U+1EAF>n, t<U+1EC9>nh táo sáng su<U+1ED1>t, th<U+1EAD>n tr<U+1ECD>ng tru<U+1EDB>c co h<U+1ED9>i, n<U+1EAF>m ch<U+1EAF>c l<U+1EA5>y m<U+1ED7>i v<U+1EAD>n may d<U+1EBF>n dù nh<U+1ECF> nh<U+1EA5>t. N<U+1EBF>u Henry s<U+1ED1>ng du<U+1EE3>c hai muoi nam, [NAME] dã gây d<U+1EF1>ng, r<U+1ED3>i d<U+1EC3> cho d<U+1EE9>a bé [NAME]<U+1EBF> v<U+1ECB> thì ta có th<U+1EC3> t<U+1EA1>o d<U+1EF1>ng nên b<U+1EAD>c quân vuong c<U+1EE7>a riêng ta: d<U+1EC3> vinh danh [NAME] và vì s<U+1EF1> th<U+1ECB>nh vu<U+1EE3>ng c<U+1EE7>a Anh.”_x000D_ T<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EA3> nh<U+1EEF>ng gì BOOK CHARACTER kh<U+1EA9>n c<U+1EA7>u [NAME] trong b<U+1EE5>ng [NAME] d<U+1EC1>u dúng c<U+1EA3>, duy ch<U+1EC9> có m<U+1ED9>t di<U+1EC1>u không dúng, dó là d<U+1EE9>a bé không ph<U+1EA3>i là th<U+1EB1>ng bé mà là m<U+1ED9>t cô bé - công chúa [NAME], ngu<U+1EDD>i sau [NAME]<U+1EBD> tr<U+1EDF> thành N<U+1EEF> hoàng [NAME] I - m<U+1ED9>t trong nh<U+1EEF>ng v<U+1ECB> quân vuong tài nang nh<U+1EA5>t và tr<U+1ECB> vì lâu nh<U+1EA5>t trong l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> vuong qu<U+1ED1>c Anh. [NAME] tr<U+1EDB> trêu là [NAME] dành c<U+1EA3> d<U+1EDD>i mình d<U+1EC3> tìm ki<U+1EBF>m con trai thông qua t<U+1ED5>ng c<U+1ED9>ng 6 bà v<U+1EE3> mà ông dã cu<U+1EDB>i ([NAME] ch<U+1EC9> m<U+1EDB>i là ngu<U+1EDD>i th<U+1EE9> hai thôi dó), <U+1EA5>y v<U+1EAD>y mà ngu<U+1EDD>i làm r<U+1EA1>ng danh nhà Tudor và bi<U+1EBF>n nu<U+1EDB>c Anh tr<U+1EDF> thành m<U+1ED9>t cu<U+1EDD>ng qu<U+1ED1>c l<U+1EA1>i chính là con gái c<U+1EE7>a ông. [NAME] sau dó mang thai thêm hai l<U+1EA7>n n<U+1EEF>a, c<U+1EA3> hai l<U+1EA7>n d<U+1EC1>u là con trai, nhung l<U+1EA7>n th<U+1EE9> nh<U+1EA5>t (vào nam 1535) thì nàng b<U+1ECB> s<U+1EA3>y thai (có d<U+1EC1> c<U+1EAD>p d<U+1EBF>n trong ti<U+1EC3>u thuy<U+1EBF>t này, m<U+1EB7>c dù tác gi<U+1EA3> BOOK AUTHOR không xác d<U+1ECB>nh bào thai b<U+1ECB> s<U+1EA3>y là con trai hay con gái), l<U+1EA7>n th<U+1EE9> hai (vào nam 1536) thì nàng sinh non, bào thai d<U+1EE7> l<U+1EDB>n d<U+1EC3> ngu<U+1EDD>i ta nhìn ra du<U+1EE3>c r<U+1EB1>ng Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u dã sinh non m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> hoàng t<U+1EED>. Cung theo b<U+1ED9> phim [NAME]<U+1EC7>u mà tôi dã xem, ngu<U+1ED3>n con d<U+1EAB>n t<U+1EDB>i vi<U+1EC7>c [NAME] sinh non d<U+1EE9>a bé l<U+1EBD> ra dã là Thái t<U+1EED> c<U+1EE7>a Anh b<U+1EAF>t ngu<U+1ED3>n t<U+1EEB> s<U+1EF1> ki<U+1EC7>n Vua Henry VIII choi cu<U+1EE1>i ng<U+1EF1>a d<U+1EA5>u thuong d<U+1EC3> r<U+1ED3>i b<U+1ECB> té và b<U+1ECB> thuong n<U+1EB7>ng, [NAME]<U+1EBF>n Anne Boleyn lo s<U+1EE3>, th<U+1EA7>n kinh b<U+1EA5>t <U+1ED5>n d<U+1EAB>n t<U+1EDB>i d<U+1ED9>ng thai. M<U+1EC9>a mai là cái ngày [NAME] choi d<U+1EA5>u thuong d<U+1EC3> r<U+1ED3>i b<U+1ECB> té ngã, d<U+1EAB>n t<U+1EDB>i s<U+1EF1> ki<U+1EC7>n v<U+1EE3> ngài sinh non d<U+1EE9>a con trai ngài h<U+1EB1>ng mong mu<U+1ED1>n có du<U+1EE3>c, cung chính là ngày c<U+1EF1>u Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Katherine of Aragon qua d<U+1EDD>i <U+1EDF> lãnh cung noi nhà vua dã dày bà vào. Qu<U+1EA3> báo hay là s<U+1EF1> tr<U+1EA3> thù c<U+1EE7>a s<U+1ED1> ph<U+1EAD>n, có ph<U+1EA3>i chang?Anne Boleyn t<U+1ED1>n 7 nam d<U+1EC3> lên du<U+1EE3>c ngôi Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u, v<U+1EAD>y mà nàng t<U+1EA1>i v<U+1ECB> ch<U+1EC9> v<U+1ECF>n v<U+1EB9>n 3 nam. Nàng là n<U+1EA1>n nhân c<U+1EE7>a chính tham v<U+1ECD>ng b<U+1EA3>n thân, c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t [NAME] không th<U+1EF1>c s<U+1EF1> yêu ai ngoài chính b<U+1EA3>n thân ngài và cái ý tu<U+1EDF>ng có con trai n<U+1ED1>i dõi c<U+1EE7>a ngài, hay c<U+1EE7>a chính th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i mà nàng s<U+1ED1>ng, cái th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i mà vai [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t hoàng h<U+1EAD>u, hay m<U+1ED9>t ngu<U+1EDD>i ph<U+1EE5> n<U+1EEF> quý t<U+1ED9>c [NAME], r<U+1ED1>t cu<U+1ED9>c v<U+1EAB>n ch<U+1EC9> là m<U+1ED9>t c<U+1ED7> máy d<U+1EBB>, m<U+1ED9>t “nhà máy” d<U+1EC3> “s<U+1EA3>n xu<U+1EA5>t” [NAME]<U+1EDD>i th<U+1EEB>a k<U+1EBF> ngôi v<U+1ECB> cho hoàng gia? [NAME] không th<U+1EC3> th<U+1EF1>c hi<U+1EC7>n du<U+1EE3>c ch<U+1EE9>c ph<U+1EAD>n dó, không th<U+1EC3> hoàn thành du<U+1EE3>c vai trò, tr<U+1ECD>ng trách mà hoàng gia dã d<U+1EB7>t lên vai nàng, thì nàng b<U+1ECB> tr<U+1EEB> kh<U+1EED> m<U+1ED9>t cách t<U+1EE9>c tu<U+1EDF>i và không thuong ti<U+1EBF[NAME], d<U+1EAB>n có thông minh, tài trí, muu lu<U+1EE3>c d<U+1EBF>n c<U+1EE1> nào, cu<U+1ED1>i cùng cung không th<U+1EAF>ng n<U+1ED5>i cái th<U+1EDD>i d<U+1EA1>i mà nàng dang s<U+1ED1>ng, s<U+1EF1> thay lòng d<U+1ED5>i d<U+1EA1> c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> vua, cùng s<U+1EF1> trung [NAME]<U+1EA5>t s<U+1EAF>c c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t BOOK CHARACTER co h<U+1ED9>i ch<U+1EE7> nghia và hi<U+1EC3>u [NAME] chính tr<U+1ECB>.Nhìn chung “Lâu Ðài Sói” là m<U+1ED9>t cu<U+1ED1>n ti<U+1EC3>u thuy<U+1EBF>t l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> vô cùng h<U+1EA5>p d<U+1EAB>n, v<U+1EDB>i tuy<U+1EBF>n nhân v<U+1EAD>t d<U+1ED3> s<U+1ED9> nhung l<U+1EA1>i r<U+1EA5>t d<U+1EC5> theo dõi. Các nhân v<U+1EAD>t không <U+1EDF> m<U+1ED9>t ch<U+1ED7> c<U+1ED1> d<U+1ECB>nh mà di chuy<U+1EC3>n liên t<U+1EE5>c, d<U+1EB7>c bi<U+1EC7>t là nhân v<U+1EAD>t BOOK CHARACTER, muu trí và [NAME]<U+1EE3>[NAME] d<U+1EC5> hi<U+1EC3>u vì sao mà BOOK AUTHOR th<U+1EAF>ng gi<U+1EA3>i Man Booker nam 2009 v<U+1EDB>i tác ph<U+1EA9>m này. Tuy nhiên, theo l<U+1EDD>i ông th<U+1EA7>y d<U+1EA1>y ti<U+1EBF>ng Anh th<U+1EDD>i tôi h<U+1ECD>c d<U+1EA1>i h<U+1ECD>c cho hay, bà tác gi<U+1EA3> này n<U+1ED5>i ti<U+1EBF>ng <U+1EDF> Anh không ch<U+1EC9> b<U+1EDF>i vì 2 gi<U+1EA3>i Man Booker bà th<U+1EAF>ng du<U+1EE3>c, mà còn vì nh<U+1EEF>ng phát ngôn gây tranh cãi v<U+1EC1> gia [NAME]. C<U+1EE5> th<U+1EC3> là bà dám g<U+1ECD>i Công nuong [NAME] là ma-no-canh.Suy nghi gây tranh cãi c<U+1EE7>a BOOK AUTHOR theo tôi là du<U+1EE3>c th<U+1EC3> hi<U+1EC7>n vô cùng rõ trong cu<U+1ED1>n ti<U+1EC3>u thuy<U+1EBF>t này, <U+1EDF> cái cách bà xây d<U+1EF1>ng [NAME]<U+1EE3>ng tiên vuong [NAME] (v<U+1ECB> quân vuong d<U+1EA7>u tiên c<U+1EE7>a nhà Tudor, d<U+1ED3>ng th<U+1EDD>i là cha c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VIII). Bà dám g<U+1ECD>i Vua Henry VII là k<U+1EBB> ti<U+1EBF>m [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a [NAME]<U+1ECB> vua c<U+1EE7>a nhà York, cung là v<U+1ECB> vua cu<U+1ED1>i cùng mang h<U+1ECD> Plantagenet. N<U+1EBF>u dám nói Henry VII là k<U+1EBB> ti<U+1EBF>m [NAME], quy<U+1EC1>n dòi [NAME]>t y<U+1EBF>u vì ông có quan h<U+1EC7> h<U+1ECD> hàng v<U+1EDB>i Vua Henry VI <U+1EDF> d<U+1EB1>ng m<U+1EB9> ch<U+1EE9> không ph<U+1EA3>i d<U+1EB1>ng cha, thì cung ph<U+1EA3>i có [NAME] k<U+1EBB> ti<U+1EBF>m [NAME] t<U+1EF1>. [NAME] k<U+1EBB> dã b<U+1EAF>t nh<U+1ED1>t hai v<U+1ECB> hoàng t<U+1EED>, con trai c<U+1EE7>a tiên vuong Edward IV và Thái h<U+1EAD>u [NAME] vào tháp London, vi<U+1EBF>t c<U+1EA3> lu<U+1EAD>t tuyên b<U+1ED1> cu<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân c<U+1EE7>a tiên vuong và Thái h<U+1EAD>u là b<U+1EA5>t h<U+1EE3>p l<U+1EC7>, d<U+1ED3>ng nghia v<U+1EDB>i vi<U+1EC7>c nh<U+1EEF>ng d<U+1EE9>a con sinh ra t<U+1EEB> cu<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân này d<U+1EC1>u là con hoang. [NAME] t<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EA3> m<U+1ECD>i th<U+1EE9> d<U+1EC3> lên [NAME], ti<U+1EBF>m [NAME] c<U+1EE7>a cháu ru<U+1ED9>t mình là [NAME] ([NAME]<U+1EC9> du<U+1EE3>c 86 ngày). [NAME] hoàng t<U+1EED> trong Tháp dã bi<U+1EBF>n m<U+1EA5>t không rõ tung tích, không bi<U+1EBF>t còn s<U+1ED1>ng hay dã ch<U+1EBF>t, và n<U+1EBF>u ch<U+1EBF>t thì ai dã gi<U+1EBF>t. Có th<U+1EC3> Richard III không ph<U+1EA3>i là con quái v<U+1EAD>t nhu cái cách nhà Tudor dã tuyên truy<U+1EC1>n d<U+1EC3> tang cu<U+1EDD>ng tính dúng d<U+1EAF>n cho vuong tri<U+1EC1>u c<U+1EE7>a h<U+1ECD> (ki<U+1EC3>u nhu, [NAME] là tên b<U+1EA1>o chúa dã [NAME]<U+1EA1>i hai d<U+1EE9>a cháu ru<U+1ED9>t c<U+1EE7>a mình, chi<U+1EBF>m [NAME], gieo r<U+1EAF>c kinh hoàng lên Anh qu<U+1ED1>c. Nhà Tudor là nh<U+1EEF>ng ngu<U+1EDD>i luong thi<U+1EC7>n, t<U+1EDB>i dây d<U+1EC3> c<U+1EE9>u thoát nu<U+1EDB>c Anh kh<U+1ECF>i [NAME]U+1EAD>t dó). Th<U+1EBF> nhung, không th<U+1EC3> ph<U+1EE7> nh<U+1EAD>n [NAME] x<U+1EE9>ng dáng b<U+1ECB> g<U+1ECD>i là k<U+1EBB> ti<U+1EBF>m [NAME] [NAME]<U+1EDD>i dã do<U+1EA1>t l<U+1EA5>y ngôi báu b<U+1EB1>ng chính s<U+1EE9>c mình c<U+1ED9>ng v<U+1EDB>i s<U+1EF1> tr<U+1EE3> giúp c<U+1EE7>a ngu<U+1EDD>i m<U+1EB9>, [NAME], trong tr<U+1EAD>n dánh l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> Bosworth, gi<U+1EBF>t ch<U+1EBF>t [NAME]<U+1EBF>t thúc Cu<U+1ED9>c chi<U+1EBF>n Hoa H<U+1ED3>ng. [NAME] h<U+1EBF>t, BOOK AUTHOR còn xuyên t<U+1EA1>c hình <U+1EA3>nh [NAME] b<U+1EB1>ng vi<U+1EC7>c miêu t<U+1EA3> ông nhu là m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> vua dâm d<U+1EAD>t, [NAME] d<U+1EE5>c tình v<U+1EDB>i con dâu tuong lai c<U+1EE7>a mình là Katherine of Aragon, nh<U+1EEF>ng ngày d<U+1EA7>u khi nàng công chúa Tây Ban Nha d<U+1EBF>n Anh d<U+1EC3> chu<U+1EA9>n b<U+1ECB> cho hôn l<U+1EC5> v<U+1EDB>i Thái t<U+1EED> Arthur. Ð<U+1ECD>c t<U+1EDB>i dây tôi mu<U+1ED1>n l<U+1EE3>m gi<U+1ECD>ng, vì [NAME] hoàn toàn là m<U+1ED9>t m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> vua dúng m<U+1EF1>c, [NAME], chung th<U+1EE7>y v<U+1EDB>i ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> duy nh<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EE7>a ông là Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Elizabeth of York. D<U+1EAB>u cho ban d<U+1EA7>u cu<U+1ED9>c hôn nhân c<U+1EE7>a h<U+1ECD> có là s<U+1EF1> k<U+1EBF>t h<U+1EE3>p [NAME]<U+1ECB> d<U+1EC3> h<U+1EE3>p nh<U+1EA5>t hai nhà York và [NAME] ([NAME] of York là con gái l<U+1EDB>n c<U+1EE7>a tiên vuong Edward IV), [NAME]i cùng h<U+1ECD> dã yêu nhau, m<U+1ED9>t tình yêu mà c<U+1EA3> s<U+1EED> sách d<U+1EC1>u tôn vinh và nói d<U+1EBF>n. Vua Henry VII không h<U+1EC1> có b<U+1EA5>t k<U+1EF3> m<U+1ED9>t cô nhân tình nào trong su<U+1ED1>t th<U+1EDD>i gian ông k<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i Hoàng h<U+1EAD>u Elizabeth of York và c<U+1EA3> sau khi bà dã qua d<U+1EDD>i (r<U+1EA5>t s<U+1EDB>m, [NAME] bà ch<U+1EC9> m<U+1EDB>i 37 tu<U+1ED5>i vì bi<U+1EBF>n ch<U+1EE9>ng sinh n<U+1EDF>…). [NAME]<U+1EBF>t trách nhi<U+1EC7>m d<U+1ED1>i v<U+1EDB>i vuong v<U+1ECB> c<U+1EE7>a mình là ph<U+1EA3>i k<U+1EBF>t hôn l<U+1EA7>n n<U+1EEF>a d<U+1EC3> ki<U+1EBF>m thêm con, d<U+1EA3>m b<U+1EA3>o huy<U+1EBF>t t<U+1ED9>c du<U+1EE3>c v<U+1EEF>ng m<U+1EA1>nh, th<U+1EBF> nhung cu<U+1ED1>i cùng, tình yêu ông dành [NAME]<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> quá c<U+1ED1> c<U+1EE7>a mình dã khi<U+1EBF>n ông không th<U+1EC3> nào tái hôn và dành c<U+1EA3> ph<U+1EA7>n d<U+1EDD>i còn l<U+1EA1>i c<U+1EE7>a mình d<U+1EC3> s<U+1EA7>u thuong cho cái ch<U+1EBF>t c<U+1EE7>a ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> yêu d<U+1EA5>u. V<U+1EAD>y thì hà c<U+1EDB> gì ông l<U+1EA1>i tòm tèm ngu<U+1EDD>i ph<U+1EE5> n<U+1EEF> khác, d<U+1EB7>c bi<U+1EC7>t khi dó là cô con dâu tuong lai c<U+1EE7>a ông???? BOOK AUTHOR, bà l<U+1EA5>y dâu [NAME]<U+1EDF>ng bôi nh<U+1ECD> hình <U+1EA3>nh c<U+1EE7>[NAME]<U+1EAD>y h<U+1EA3> h<U+1EA3> h<U+1EA3>???? Bà nói gì v<U+1EC1> [NAME] du<U+1EE3>c nhé, nhung c<U+1EA5>m d<U+1EE5>ng d<U+1EBF>n cha ngài <U+1EA5>y!!! Và d<U+1EBF>n t<U+1EAD>n bây gi<U+1EDD> tôi v<U+1EAB>n không th<U+1EC3> nào hi<U+1EC3>u du<U+1EE3>c, t<U+1EA1>i sao m<U+1ED9>t c<U+1EB7>p v<U+1EE3> ch<U+1ED3>ng chung th<U+1EE7>y v<U+1EDB>i nhau d<U+1EBF>n nhu th<U+1EBF>, yêu nhau d<U+1EBF>n nhu<U+1EDD>ng dó l<U+1EA1>i có th<U+1EC3> là b<U+1EAD>c song thân c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1ED9>t v<U+1ECB> vua nhu [NAME], ngu<U+1EDD>i l<U+1EA5>y t<U+1EDB>i 6 bà v<U+1EE3>???? BOOK AUTHOR ti<U+1EBF>p t<U+1EE5>c ph<U+1EA1>m thêm m<U+1ED9>t l<U+1ED7>i n<U+1EEF>a trong cách xây d<U+1EF1>ng [NAME]<U+1EE3>ng nhân v<U+1EAD>t l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> <U+1EDF> vi<U+1EC7>c bà dã nh<U+1EA7>m l<U+1EAB>n gi<U+1EEF>a [NAME] và em gái c<U+1EE7>a cô là [NAME] ([NAME]) [NAME]. Trong ti<U+1EC3>u thuy<U+1EBF>t, BOOK AUTHOR miêu t<U+1EA3> m<U+1ED9>t cô bé ch<U+1EEB>ng mu<U+1EDD>i m<U+1EA5>y tu<U+1ED5>i, là con gái c<U+1EE7>[NAME], làm th<U+1ECB> n<U+1EEF> trong cung c<U+1EE7>[NAME]. Sau này tác gi<U+1EA3> ti<U+1EBF>t l<U+1ED9> tên c<U+1EE7>a cô bé là [NAME], có ngu<U+1EDD>i ch<U+1ECB> là [NAME]. [NAME] trong th<U+1EF1>c t<U+1EBF>, [NAME] m<U+1EDB>i là ch<U+1ECB>, sinh nam 1508, còn [NAME] là em, sinh nam 1518, nh<U+1ECF> hon [NAME] t<U+1EDB>i 10 tu<U+1ED5>i. Th<U+1EDD>i di<U+1EC3>m mà [NAME]U+1EAD>t cô bé th<U+1ECB> n<U+1EEF> dó xu<U+1EA5>t hi<U+1EC7>n là nam 1533, lúc dó dúng ra [NAME] dã 24, 25 tu<U+1ED5>i r<U+1ED3>i, dâu còn mu<U+1EDD>i m<U+1EA5>y tu<U+1ED5>i dâu d<U+1EC3> mà du<U+1EE3>c g<U+1ECD>i và miêu t<U+1EA3> là m<U+1ED9>t cô bé. Miêu t<U+1EA3> dó phù h<U+1EE3>p v<U+1EDB>i nhân v<U+1EAD>t [NAME] hon, [NAME] là em nhung nhân v<U+1EAD>t này dã có ch<U+1ED3>ng t<U+1EEB> nam 13 tu<U+1ED5>i, tru<U+1EDB>c cô ch<U+1ECB> mình. [NAME] sau này là ngu<U+1EDD>i v<U+1EE3> th<U+1EE9> 3 c<U+1EE7>a Vua Henry VIII, còn [NAME], sau [NAME]<U+1ED3>ng <U+1EDF> tu<U+1ED5>i 19 thì k<U+1EBF>t hôn v<U+1EDB>i Gregory BOOK CHARACTER - d<U+1EE9>a con trai duy nh<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EE7>a BOOK CHARACTER. Ch<U+1EA3> bi<U+1EBF>t tác gi<U+1EA3> cu<U+1ED1>n sách có nghiên c<U+1EE9>u k<U+1EF9> khi vi<U+1EBF>t tác ph<U+1EA9>m c<U+1EE7>a mình hay không, ch<U+1EA3> bi<U+1EBF>t ngu<U+1EDD>i biên t<U+1EAD>p sách có d<U+1ECD>c l<U+1EA1>i b<U+1EA3>n th<U+1EA3>o và rà soát các thông tin du<U+1EE3>c trình bày, [NAME]U+1EA3> bi<U+1EBF>t h<U+1ED9>i d<U+1ED3>ng trao gi<U+1EA3>i Man Booker có ki<U+1EC3>m ch<U+1EE9>ng l<U+1EA1>i nh<U+1EEF>ng nhân v<U+1EAD>t và s<U+1EF1> ki<U+1EC7>n l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> trong cu<U+1ED1>n sách này không n<U+1EEF>a, mà sao l<U+1EA1>i có th<U+1EC3> d<U+1EC3> l<U+1ECD>t m<U+1ED9>t l<U+1ED7>i l<U+1EDB>n nhu v<U+1EAD>y ch<U+1EE9>…B<U+1EA3>n d<U+1ECB>ch c<U+1EE7>a Nhã Nam d<U+1ECB>ch mu<U+1EE3>t và d<U+1EC5> hi<U+1EC3>u d<U+1ED1>i v<U+1EDB>i m<U+1ED9>t cu<U+1ED1>n ti<U+1EC3>u thuy<U+1EBF>t l<U+1ECB>ch s<U+1EED> d<U+1ED3> s<U+1ED9> nhu “Lâu Ðài Sói” (b<U+1EA3>n g<U+1ED1>c và b<U+1EA3>n d<U+1ECB>ch cung xêm xêm nhau d<U+1EA5>y, c<U+1EA3> hai d<U+1EC1>u trên 600 trang). Tuy nhiên, m<U+1ED9>t s<U+1ED1> ch<U+1ED7> d<U+1ECB>ch mình không [NAME] lòng l<U+1EAF>m. Trong dó, l<U+1ED7>i l<U+1EDB>n nh<U+1EA5>t mà b<U+1EA3>n d<U+1ECB>ch m<U+1EAF>c ph<U+1EA3>i, dó là dám d<U+1ECB>ch nh<U+1EEF>ng ngu<U+1EDD>i h<U+1ECD> hàng c<U+1EE7>a tiên h<U+1EAD>u Elizabeth of York là [NAME] n<U+1ED9>i c<U+1EE7>[NAME], ví d<U+1EE5> nhu tiên vuong Edward IV b<U+1ECB> g<U+1ECD>i là ông n<U+1ED9>i c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua… [NAME], cha c<U+1EE7>a m<U+1EB9> mình thì ph<U+1EA3>i g<U+1ECD>i là ông ngo<U+1EA1>i ch<U+1EDB>!!!! H<U+1ECD> n<U+1ED9>i c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua là nh<U+1EEF>ng ngu<U+1EDD>i thu<U+1ED9>c dòng dõi Tudor, còn t<U+1EA5>t c<U+1EA3> nh<U+1EEF>ng ai thu<U+1ED9>c dòng dõi nhà York thì d<U+1EC1>u là bên ngo<U+1EA1>i c<U+1EE7>a nhà vua h<U+1EBF>t. Tr<U+1EDD>i oi, v<U+1EBD> du<U+1EE3>c cái cây ph<U+1EA3> h<U+1EC7> nhà York ra mà sao d<U+1ECB>ch thu<U+1EAD>t k<U+1EF3> v<U+1EAD>y???Nói chung “Lâu Ðài Sói” là m<U+1ED9>t tác
really liked it | Very interesting.Truly nasty portrait of Sir [NAME], and a very kind one of [NAME].Still trying to decide on the reliability of the narrative voice.Odd ending.Note to other readers: "he" is nine times out of ten BOOK CHARACTER. But sometimes it's someone else, so you do have to read carefully.
it was amazing | This is a sumptuous book, which I re-read before the second book in the proposed trilogy is released. It is historical fiction at its best, managing to give the well known and often told told story of [NAME] infatuation with [NAME] a new slant, by telling the tale from the point of view of BOOK CHARACTER. First seen as a small, much abused child, we witness his rise. Along the way there is the fall of [NAME] and [NAME] and the rise of the [NAME]'s. BOOK AUTHOR is a wonderful historic_x000D_   This is a sumptuous book, which I re-read before the second book in the proposed trilogy is released. It is historical fiction at its best, managing to give the well known and often told told story of [NAME] infatuation with [NAME] a new slant, by telling the tale from the point of view of BOOK CHARACTER. First seen as a small, much abused child, we witness his rise. Along the way there is the fall of [NAME] and [NAME] and the rise of the [NAME]'s. BOOK AUTHOR is a wonderful historical novelist, which she showed with her first novel (although not the first published) "A place of greater safety". "BOOK TITLE" is equally epic in scope - relax, enjoy and simply enjoy a writer at the height of her powers.
liked it | 2 - 3 stars-BR with my friend Ana {The Good Gif Fairy}***Update: after reading***I really don't know how to rate this book, I feel conflicted because there are elements I loved about BOOK TITLE on the one hand and other elements I disliked and found extremely frustrating and tedious on the other. I need to take some time and think carefully so I can present a more coherent review***Full review to come******before reading the book*** I expect good things from BOOK TITLE. Let the games, machination _x000D_   2 - 3 stars-BR with my friend Ana {The Good Gif Fairy}***Update: after reading***I really don't know how to rate this book, I feel conflicted because there are elements I loved about BOOK TITLE on the one hand and other elements I disliked and found extremely frustrating and tedious on the other. I need to take some time and think carefully so I can present a more coherent review***Full review to come******before reading the book*** I expect good things from BOOK TITLE. Let the games, machination and deaths begin!
it was amazing | So much better the second time around. Even though it was perfect the first time. This time, having seen Part 1 of the play and up to episode 4 of the TV show, I feel so immersed in the Tudor world (and more than a little in love with BOOK CHARACTER - as seen thru the wonderful overlapping lenses of BOOK AUTHOR and [NAME]). I hurry home at night and resent the intrusions of the contemporary world, turning down social engagements and turning in early, just so I can be back in England in the 153_x000D_   So much better the second time around. Even though it was perfect the first time. This time, having seen Part 1 of the play and up to episode 4 of the TV show, I feel so immersed in the Tudor world (and more than a little in love with BOOK CHARACTER - as seen thru the wonderful overlapping lenses of BOOK AUTHOR and [NAME]). I hurry home at night and resent the intrusions of the contemporary world, turning down social engagements and turning in early, just so I can be back in England in the 1530s. The interplay of stage, and screen, and page makes every nuance of BOOK AUTHOR's prose come alive. Rereading in this immersive context lets so many telling details I hurried through the first time around come into sharp relief and so many shades of tone and emotion find their deserved resonance. You realize that BOOK AUTHOR doesn't waste a keystroke- anecdotes that may seem casual on a first read all find their place in an impeccable structure the second time around. I am rereading Bring Up the Bodies now and it is the same experience, even as, as I've noted before, BOOK CHARACTER and the story turn darker. And I long to read the third, even as I actually dread the loss of this man I've become so attached to, a man who died some 475 years ago, and who also has never existed outside BOOK AUTHOR's--and now all of our -- imagination.
it was amazing | 'In England, there is no mercy for the poor. You pay for everything, even a broken neck.'