Author: Margaret Campbell BarnesPublished: 1st Printing: 1949 (MacDonald & Co.); Reissue: March 1, 2008 (Sourcebooks)
Category: Historical Fiction
Rating: 9/10
I was never one of those people obsessed with Henry VIII and his six wives, but I was accidentally suckered into the recent popular fiction explosion of Boleyns when I got a free copy from a coworker. True, I'm a couple years behind everyone, but I've found the books I've read so far an entertaining train wreck.
Brief Gaudy Hour is the first book I've read that portrays Anne Boleyn in a very human and likeable way. The other books I've read paint her to be a power-hungry monster, eager to stomp on all those who help her rise, so I never liked her, but after reading Barnes' version of the story, I find myself sympathizing with Anne.
Barnes paints Anne as an unconventional dark beauty compared to the fair English roses that set the standard for looks, but she also had a small deformity on her left pinky: a second fingernail. I was surprised at this, and Googled this right away, and there have been some accounts of Anne having this deformity, but it's not widely confirmed.
In this version of history, Anne was truly in love with Henry Percy, heir to the Duke of Northumberland. When Wolsey puts an end to their love affair, Anne's hatred of him is secured and the choices she makes after that are for achieving revenge. After several years, she gets her revenge on Wolsey, but finds that it wasn't as sweet as expected. All of the anticipation for that moment, only to be disappointed, is only the beginning to Anne's downfall, and instead of my usual "Serves her right" attitude, it seemed sad.
Is it disturbing of me to to say that one of the best parts of the book is the execution and Anne's final days in the Tower? Those several pages really stick in my mind, with that chilling description of her steps to the chopping block, and I didn't want to finish the book because that meant Anne would die. Silly, I know.
Definitely read this one if you want a different take on Anne Boleyn; I found it very refreshing.
1 comment:
I am reading this at the moment. It is certainly a very favourable portrayal of her so far - chaste instead of totally manipulative, although I am just getting to the point where she is just beginning just how much power over Henry she actually does have.
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