The Concubine [Paperback]

 

 

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This is a well-written work of historical fiction that focuses on Anne Boleyn. It is her story, told against the backdrop of the turbulent Tudor court. The author paints a portrait of Anne Boleyn with small brush strokes, creating a picture of a fully fleshed, complex woman.

The author first shows Anne as a vulnerable, though elegant young woman, fresh from the French court and now a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine. She is in the throes of first love with Henry Percy, the son and heir of the Earl of Northumberland. He, too, is smitten, and they plan to marry. Yet, just as she is about to realize her dream, Cardinal Wolsey intervenes, and she and Percy are no longer free to marry. A bitter Anne, misinterpreting why Wolsey acted as he did, vows to make Wolsey pay for her unhappy plight.

It soon becomes clear, however, as to why Wolsey interfered in her personal affairs. It appears that Anne has caught the eye of King Henry VIII, and nothing in England will ever again be the same. With her ambitious family in the wings, Anne leads the King on a merry chase, holding onto her chastity until the very last, while holding out for the Queen's crown.

Anne would wait in the wings all but Queen except in name, as King Henry VIII spent years trying to shed himself of Queen Catherine, his long suffering wife, under the theory that they had never really been married in the eyes of God. After all, Catherine had first been his brother Arthur's wife. This was euphemistically known as the King's private matter, though it seemed all of England knew of it and frowned upon it, due to Queen Catherine's popularity.

Still, the King was determined upon setting his first marriage aside in order to marry Anne. This matter would set the backdrop for the coming Reformation. The rise of Protestantism is evoked through the person of Emma Arnett, Anne's personal maid, making Anne's story more three dimensional, as this sub-plot grounds Anne's story in the historical context of the time.

The reader sees Anne's transition from that of a disillusioned girl into a woman with a great deal of power, who sees her power wane once the King has consummated his love and quenched his desire for her. The reader also sees Henry VIII make a gradual transition from being a king with an occasional roving eye, to besotted suitor, to a tyrannical despot, seeking to beget a legitimate son by whatever means necessary. It also explains why the King at varying times viewed Anne as his beloved, then as his Queen and potential mother of his male heir, and finally as a treasonous harlot.

Anne's story is intelligently told by an master storyteller, well-crafted and compelling. It is a wonderful work of historical fiction that is replete with period detail, political intrigues, and a shimmering panoply of historical events. This is a novel that those who enjoy well-written historical fiction or those who enjoy novels about Anne Boleyn or the Tudor court will love.

This is one of my favourite Tudor era novels. It's sympathetic to Anne Boleyn, but not saccharine. It tells the story well, and plausibly. I have an old mass-market copy that I re-read and treasure. Now that it's in print again, I may buy this copy. Norah Lofts is an intelligent historical novelist over many years and I've always admired her works.

This is a well-written work of historical fiction that focuses on Anne Boleyn. It is her story, told against the backdrop of the turbulent Tudor court. The author paints a portrait of Anne Boleyn with small brush strokes, creating a picture of a fully fleshed, complex woman.

The author first shows Anne as a vulnerable, though elegant young woman, fresh from the French court and now a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine. She is in the throes of first love with Henry Percy, the son and heir of the Earl of Northumberland. He, too, is smitten, and they plan to marry. Yet, just as she is about to realize her dream, Cardinal Wolsey intervenes, and she and Percy are no longer free to marry. A bitter Anne, misinterpreting why Wolsey acted as he did, vows to make Wolsey pay for her unhappy plight.

It soon becomes clear, however, as to why Wolsey interfered in her personal affairs. It appears that Anne has caught the eye of King Henry VIII, and nothing in England will ever again be the same. With her ambitious family in the wings, Anne leads the King on a merry chase, holding onto her chastity until the very last, while holding out for the Queen's crown.

Anne would wait in the wings all but Queen except in name, as King Henry VIII spent years trying to shed himself of Queen Catherine, his long suffering wife, under the theory that they had never really been married in the eyes of God. After all, Catherine had first been his brother Arthur's wife. This was euphemistically known as the King's private matter, though it seemed all of England knew of it and frowned upon it, due to Queen Catherine's popularity.

Still, the King was determined upon setting his first marriage aside in order to marry Anne. This matter would set the backdrop for the coming Reformation. The rise of Protestantism is evoked through the person of Emma Arnett, Anne's personal maid, making Anne's story more three dimensional, as this sub-plot grounds Anne's story in the historical context of the time.

The reader sees Anne's transition from that of a disillusioned girl into a woman with a great deal of power, who sees her power wane once the King has consummated his love and quenched his desire for her. The reader also sees Henry VIII make a gradual transition from being a king with an occasional roving eye, to besotted suitor, to a tyrannical despot, seeking to beget a legitimate son by whatever means necessary. It also explains why the King at varying times viewed Anne as his beloved, then as his Queen and potential mother of his male heir, and finally as a treasonous harlot.

Anne's story is intelligently told by an master storyteller, well-crafted and compelling. It is a wonderful work of historical fiction that is replete with period detail, political intrigues, and a shimmering panoply of historical events. This is a novel that those who enjoy well-written historical fiction or those who enjoy novels about Anne Boleyn or the Tudor court will love.

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