The Taming of the Queen - Philippa Gregory

Title: The Taming of The Queen
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publication Date: UK/AUS/NZ: 13th August, 2015 | USA/CAN: 25th August, 2015
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Kateryn Parr comes to court promising to marry King Henry VIII despite knowing the dangers. She's sixth in line and the deaths of the previous Queens makes her uneasy. Except Henry showers her with love, trusting her with his children and his Kingdom.

She unites the family and joins in advising the King. Yet, as she pushes for religious reforms, Kateryn begins to gain enemies and soon her beliefs and actions grab Henry's suspicious attention. Those against her label her a heretic, but her concerns mount as it seems that Henry is beginning to plot a punishment against her.

Will she be able to survive against a man who ordered the death of his own wives?

Review

Out of Henry VIII's six wives, I have rarely heard anything about his last wife Kateryn Par. That, coupled with Philippa Gregory releasing a new novel based in the Tudor era, grabbed my interest very quickly.

I appreciate The Taming of the Queen for providing not only a story to the name Kateryn Par, but also an insight into the context of the time. A lot of the time it is quite obvious Gregory's novels are mostly fictionalised, but in this one most of the novel came across very believable and almost realistic. I was fascinated with the portrayal of Kateryn and her role as Queen and at one point Regent to the country. Gregory writes her as an intelligent and influential female, which is very empowering, especially during that period. I also loved that Gregory focused on the fact that Kateryn was able to translate and publish two prayer books, first as an anonymous and eventually under her own name. It is an inspiring act that really conveys how powerful women can be even in a patriarchal world.

There's also a large aspect of religion in this novel. At this point King Henry VIII has split from Rome and the Catholic Church, and the debate between reverting to the old religious ways or striving for reformation crops up a lot. Gregory places Kateryn at the centre of this conflict, which gives her a role and first hand experience for the readers. However, I'm not too sure how historically accurate it is. The dispute is actually quite interesting and I kept reading on, even though I had always thought religion in a book would bore me. I think coming from a religious educated background it's intriguing to see the practices in Mass originate from the Tudor period.

I did think there were some really dry and uninteresting moments, that I skimmed pretty easily. There was also a part I really did not like and absolutely did not believe would have happened in real life. I read it very uneasily and regretfully. It made sense when tied to Henry's personality, but at the same time I just couldn't stomach it.

The Taming of the Queen definitely did not become my favourite read from Gregory but it was very well written, engaging and fascinating. I was intrigued enough to start my own research of Kateryn and I really liked her character in the novel. It's a thick but fast read, and if you're a fan of Gregory or history definitely give it a shot!

"I believe that to be a free woman is to be both passionate and intelligent."

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The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

Plot: 

Jane Boleyn saved the family's inheritance when she condemned her husband and sister-in-law to their death. Now, she is known as a lady with ambition and a spiteful tongue.

Anne of Cleves escapes her controlling family through her marriage to the King of England. Only she makes a grave mistake and must now learn who to trust and how to survive in a country that has seen the change of three Queens.

Katherine Howard is a young girl, blossoming under the care of her grandmother. She becomes lady-in-waiting to the new Queen, only to find herself the central player of a game that has been played countless times in court.

Review:

I'd never expect to rave about Philippa Gregory so much, and then come face to face with a book I simply did not like. Well the time has come, and sadly I have to say The Boleyn Inheritance takes the prize for the worst book (I have read) from Gregory.

That's not to say the book was absolutely dreadful though. I finished it in a good amount of time without feeling like it was a waste of time to read.

The use of three central characters was not as confusing due to Gregory's simple layout. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the female characters, and headed by their name. All three also had their own unique voices, so it felt a lot more believable. I liked that Gregory explored and promoted three characters that were lesser known in history. It is easy to know who King Henry VIII married but only a few are "famous"/well-known. Whilst it is fictionalised Gregory did refer to primary sources and other evidence to build a life around the characters, so it's not completely untrue.

I found the voices of the character weren't at all intriguing though. At first I was really amused by Kitty's daftness and self-interest. She is a 14 year old girl who revels in the attention given by people around her, especially men, because of her beauty. Her only interest is herself and what she can gain from the attention. Except I felt like her voice started to become so whiny and very naive. I'd figure historically a 14 year old girl would be educated enough to understand her role in life and how the court works. Kitty's voice actually suited a modern day teen instead (although I'm not saying all teens are whiny and self-centred).

Anne sounded like she had no personality. She was flat and dreary the entire way through and I skipped her parts at the end when she because almost irrelevant. Although with her upbringing, it is quite understandable to see why she had no talents or wit. She was smart enough to save her neck and compassionate enough to be liked, but eventually became very boring.

Jane was by far the most interesting because she was the central player. Using her influence and knowledge she tried to play things to her (and her "family's") advantage. I liked that Gregory gave her a chance to justify her actions. Whether it was true or not is very debatable, but at least in this story she sounded logical enough. Logical in the sense that it made sense to her beliefs, even if it didn't resonate with my own values. That made her a complex character with enough development to not fall flat.

The Boleyn Inheritance depended on the characters to really make the story, considering everything was through their recount. I didn't feel anything but annoyance and boredom with the characters, so I guess the story just didn't work for me. Maybe it will for you though?

Rating: 3/5

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Counting Down: Top Five

3. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory 

Plot:
Mary Boleyn enters court at a young age, full of innocence and beauty. Appointed lady-in-waiting, she secures a closeness with Queen Catherine of Aragon, not only putting her in the midst of the court but under the watchful eye of King Henry VIII. Soon, she is tumbling forward in a battle for the throne and the King's heart, not knowing that her fiercest enemy are ones closest to her.

Reason:

My love for The Other Boleyn Girl stems from many reasons.

Firstly, it introduced me into the world of Historical Fiction - the kind I liked. Whilst I knew of the existence of fictionalised recounts of World Wars and such, I never realised that people actually wrote about long dead kings and queens (I know, stupid right). It definitely pulled me in, and I quickly fell in love with the voices of characters that had appeared on Wikipedia for me.

Secondly, it intensified my love for the Tudor times. I studied the era back when I was in Year 8, and from doing a research project on King Henry VIII and his wives, I grew obsessed. The world seemed magical to me somehow, and exciting. The beauty of the court, the gowns and the "chivalrous" knights, I was determined to believe that the Tudor era was great. The Other Boleyn Girl certainly evokes those elements, but there's also the dangers of the court and the ambition that arises. There was enough drama to have me enthralled. I'm not certain it's 100% historically accurate, but Greggory has done her research. She's just taken points that have been rumoured to occur and stretched them out, to keep the plot interesting. Not going to lie, I loved the scandals and intrigued that played out.

Thirdly, whilst I say it's not 100% accurate, it still gave quite a lot of insight into the era and not only the relationship between Henry and Anne Boleyn, but also Mary Boleyn who not many people know about. I never knew she even existed until reading this novel! I guess because her sister became Queen, she was overlooked as the girl who failed. Her story, however much fictionalised it is, is still very interesting and quite believable.

That's why fourthly, I say I loved the book because Mary had me in the palm of her hands. She drew support from me, and stereotypically Anne was the villain of the story. True to history's recount, Anne was depicted in a conniving and ambitious way. I guess that might be something that was on the iffy side of this book, but I overlooked it because I was immersed in Mary's life too much.

Not only Mary though, but the other characters had such a riveting tale they seemed very much alive. George Boleyn enchanting, William charming and Catherine of Aragon dignified.

Lastly, the plot was simply amazing. It's definitely not a light read but it's filled with rich and exciting moments that had me engrossed. I've flown through the novel so many times without getting bored because it is that good. It's hard not to be swept up into the corruption and deceit that circulates a court that seems so perfect on the outside. It's the right amount of drama that doesn't overwhelm and seem exaggerated.

I understand that this might suit everyone's taste, but I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction and just reading in general.

P.S If you saw the movie and have written off reading the book, don't. I don't even want to acknowledge the existence of the movie.

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The White Princess - Philippa Gregory

Plot:

Daughter to King Edward IV, Elizabeth of York is betrothed to Henry Tudor and finds herself being Queen once Henry takes the crown from Richard III. Elizabeth cannot find a place in court whilst Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort controls everything. She resents Henry for killing her lover, Richard. Then news comes that a boy is mustering an army in neighbouring countries and claims to be Richard, Duke of York, coming for his rightful throne.

Elizabeth must decide where her loyalties lie - with the husband she was forced to marry or the house of York and the boy who says he is her younger brother.

Review:

The fifth instalment of The Cousins' War series depicts the life of Elizabeth of York, as Queen of England and the beginning of the Tudor era. As a massive fan of Philippa Gregory and her historical novels, I just had to get myself a copy. The White Princess is probably the only novel that I won't be raving about, unfortunately. It's got her writing style and thorough research so that it seems realistic enough but the plot and characters were just a drag.

I was looking forward to reading through Elizabeth's perspective, after encountering her in prior novels and sensing how intelligent and charming she was. However, I got nothing of the sorts in this novel. I am disappointed as to how Elizabeth seems so passive throughout the entire novel, making it almost weary to read if not for Gregory's great writing. The women in her previous novels all had strong and independent positions, paving their own ways and using their wit to create plans to benefit for themselves and their family. I don't get that with Elizabeth. She is merely just a vehicle used to tell the story, a figure that everyone knows but hardly does anything. I suppose Gregory couldn't change history, even if it is fictional, but the novel portrays Elizabeth as a character in the shadows watching or hearing from others about what is going on. She is never in the thick of things, which leaves her seem weak and almost boring.

Gregory does play on the fact that Elizabeth was rumoured to be Richard III's lover and adds elements of that into the novel. It is merely memories for Elizabeth but if Gregory had included maybe a chapter of their times together before transitioning into Henry VII's reign it would've raised the excitement of Elizabeth just a little. She would've had more character if I had witnessed the passion she felt for Richard as opposed to constantly just thinking about it and telling readers how much she aches for him. It would allow for her romantic affair with him to be a little more realistic, instead of sounding like a one-sided love.

I do love, though, how Gregory sticks to the portrayal of Margaret Beaufort from The Red Queen in this novel. Margaret Beaufort will forever be an ambitious and annoying lady, who believes God has chosen her son to be King. She has the same characteristics that made her  the antihero, both here and in her own novel. Also, how Henry VII was portrayed was fascinating. It seemed so realistic how his fears and suspicions ate at him and that England would not recognise him considering he had been exile for so long, and never received any comfort from people he knew. It was easy to feel sympathy but also a hatred towards him for his harsh manners. Out of all the characters, I think King Henry VII and Margaret, daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, was most realistic. Maggie for her gentle and caring image and Henry VII for his ruthless manner, which I expect a king to have in order to get where he is.

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