Book
Anna of Kleve : the princess in the portrait / Alison Weir.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781101966594
- Physical Description: 521 pages " geneaological table ; 21 cm.
- Edition: Ballatine books trade paperback edition.
- Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, [2020]
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Henry VIII, King of England, 1491-1547 > Family > Fiction. Henry VIII, King of England, 1491-1547 > Marriage > Fiction. Queens > Great Britain > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Historical fiction. Biographical fiction. |
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Available copies
- 2 of 2 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Nakusp Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 2 total copies.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakusp Public Library | FIC WEI (Text) | 35160000784984 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 April #2
The title of Weir's perceptive latest entry in her acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series, following Jane Seymour, the Haunted Queen (2018), signals a new, original view of Henry VIII's fourth wife, best known as Anne of Cleves. A princess from the German duchy of Kleve, Anna grows up in her father's learned court. In a speculative subplot, she is seduced by an attractive cousin-by-marriage, leading to an emotionally difficult secret. When England seeks an alliance with Kleve, Anna grows alarmed about King Henry's poor marital history, and their first meeting is hardly auspicious. Weir draws readers into Anna's sympathetic viewpoint as she adjusts to unfamiliar customs, gazes at Greenwich Palace's ornate splendor, and puzzles over Henry's physical rejection even as he treats her kindly. Warm and intelligent, Anna learns to choose her battles, even if it means divorcing the monarch who has, surprisingly, become her good friend. Political, legal, and religious matters are dexterously illustrated, and Weir devotes ample time to the little-known struggles of Anna's post-annulment life. A richly satisfying portrait of a woman who made the best of limited choices. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2018 December #1
In this fourth in the celebrated British historian/novelist's "The Six Tudor Queens" series, Weir chronicles what happens when a desperate Henry VIII, widowed and with a small son, seeks the hand of Anna of Kleve in marriage. Here, she's just as disenchanted with tubby, ugly Henry as he reputedly was with her.
Copyright 2018 Library Journal. - LJ Express Reviews : LJ Express Reviews
Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife who famously disappointed Henry by failing to live up to the beauty of her portrait, is often passed over fairly quickly in Tudor tales as a mere footnote in between Jane Seymour, the mother of Henry's son, and the decidedly more sensational Catherine Howard. Weir attempts to remedy that in this title, the fourth in her series of novels taking a detailed look at each of Henry's spouses (after Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen). Weir's Anna handles herself with maturity and grace both during her ill-fated marriage to Henry and afterward in her life as the king's "sister" (she is allowed to retain a high status in gratitude for accepting her divorce). Yet even as Anna struggles to navigate the treacherous web of loyalties that still affect her life away from Henry's court, a dangerous secret from her past threatens to resurface. Weir's training as a historian shows in the amount of detail given about each stage of Anna's life, but she also gives herself free rein to speculate about possible scandals. VERDICT Tudor fans will relish this chance to learn more about Henry's most overlooked queen in this enjoyable look at her unusual life. [See Prepub Alert, 11/19/18.]âMara Bandy Fass, Champaign P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. - PW Annex Reviews : Publishers Weekly Annex Reviews
Weir's fourth installment to the Six Tudor Queens series (after
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly Annex.Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen ) is a solid rendering of the often grim 16th-century travails of King Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anna, who survived divorce and a backstabbing court. Anna, 24, was a princess from the German duchy of Kleve, chosen to ensure royal offspring and good will with her country. Anna receives an extravagant welcome, but the marriage is never consummated; Henry assures Anna he likes her, "but it seems that God does not intend that I should love you." Obese and suffering from severe leg ulcers, it is suggested that Henry, 46, was impotent; however, Anna's much earlier annulled betrothal was contrived to legitimize Henry's rejection and divorce of Anna. All the while, Anna harbors a secret from before her marriage that would doom herâlike her successor, Katheryn Howard, who was executed. Humiliated, yet relieved to live independently with her divorce settlement, Anna is a much-loved figure, though forced to contend with court intrigue: manipulative Thomas Cawarden, her tenant who is knee-deep in conspiracies; spies among her staff; and court officials who accuse her of treason for supposedly favoring Elizabeth over the king's rightful heir to the throne, Mary. Weir's clever plot reimagines Anna's deliciously scandalous maidenhood, sacrifices, and yearning for love. This riveting historical resonates long after the last page is devoured.(May)
