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Ellen Isaacs | |
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This book takes an interesting approach to historical fiction, telling the story of Henry VIII through his own eyes via a journal that he supposedly wrote looking back on his life. The book, at over 900 pages, goes from his childhood as a second son, his reign, his break from the Pope without repudiating Catholicism, his marriage to 6 women (and his beheading of two of them for adultry), his desperate attempts to have a male heir, and through to his death (the details of which are filled in by his fool, who supposedly found the journal). The book places most of its emphasis on Henry's relationships with his wives and, to a lesser extent, the effect he had on the role of religion and the Crown. It focuses less on his reign, the politics of the time, or his military activities. I found the first-person journal style an enjoyable way to learn about Henry VIII and his rule. It certainly made the events of his life more understandable and, although he doesn't exactly come out seeming like a saint, he is a sympathetic character who had his vanities and weaknesses, not that surprising in someone with so much power combined with such a passionate nature. There were times when I would have liked more commentary from Will, his fool, to give perspective on Henry's views, though I suppose learning everything through his eyes gave some insight into how hard it is for a King to hear the truth, since few people are willing to speak unkindly to him. (That seemed to be the role of the "fool," which is interesting in itself.) I should say that I knew next to nothing about Henry VIII's rule before I read the book, and I think Margaret George assumes the reader knows at least the basics. Still, it was helpful to learn about the growth of Protestantism during his reign and how he inadvertantly helped it by breaking from the Pope, even when he remained Catholic and against Protestant thinking. It also wasn't hard to figure out how his relationships with his various wives would have been interpreted by the common people and later by history. Compared with Sharon Kay Penman's novels, this one lacked the kind of details about the day-to-day living that helps bring historical fiction alive for me, and necessarily, didn't provide an understanding of a variety of characters in different roles. I missed that, and I still much prefer Penman's storytelling style. Still, this was enjoyable and instructive and well worth a read.
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