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Tuesday Book Review
This book review has taken an unexpected turn. I had planned to review a book that I enjoyed, and my coworker, Magpie also enjoyed. We laughed our heads off at it. I was going to bring the book home and quote from it. However, some wretched customer bought the store's last copy of the book. Well, I lack the photographic memory required to quote from memory so I've had to completely change direction.
I have racked or wracked my brain to come up with other books. What I noticed, as I was wracking, was that very few good books are published. I work in a wonderful bookstore, so it isn't from lack of opportunity to bring them into the store. I think there are not so many good writers out there. Publishers publish tons of mediocre to bad books but very few are great. Who to blame – cutbacks in editorial staff, or lack of writing talent?
That said, let me begin my completely different review.
Several weeks ago, I noticed this enormous book in the European Studies section. I mean, it was just gargantuan. It was an attractive shade of blue too. I picked it up (using both hands) and began perusing David Starkey's newest book, Six Wives The Queens of Henry VIII. It isn't a period of history that I have much interest in, but I was immediately drawn into the story. It is a very readable and engaging book. The size is a little intimidating, but it carries you right along. It seems clear that while Henry was sensitive and loving at the start of his marriages, he was dreadful at the end. He picked some interesting, strong, and smart women. What a shame he wasn't worthy of most of them.
I was especially impressed with Catherine of Aragon. When she was younger and first married she showed remarkable military prowess. Too smart and savvy to have ended up getting the shaft from Henry and his mistress Anne Boleyn. What a waste!
Anne Boleyn herself ends up being someone I admired in a dreadful kind of way. She would have been very much at home in today's business world. What a terrible pity that she ended up being killed by Henry. I could see her effortlessly running a television empire, or something equally high powered.
Of course, there are the four other wives, but it is these two that have stayed with me. I liked David Starkey's writing. He manages what must have been an immense amount of research quite well. He isn't afraid to let you know what he thinks – especially regarding other scholars' work. In fact, he seems a bit snappy at times. The book gets a little long winded for me in the area of religion and the formation of the Church of England. I've got to admit that I skimmed a bit about all these different bishops losing their heads for obscure bits of Latin text that no one really cared about at the end of the day. It remains unclear to me how anyone managed to stay alive.
I couldn't help but think how awful it would have been to be Henry's queen. There you would be at a party, beautifully dressed. You think everything is fine. Henry takes off for another castle. Next thing you know, you are in the Tower and making peace with your maker. David Starkey paints these women's lives in much more color than I had ever visualized. This book is about women who walked a knife's edge. It was fascinating to read about them in such detail.
If you have a yen to read some lively history about women who had to contend with a terrible husband who had the power of life and death over them, this is the book for you. It made me look over at my husband and smile.
He looks pretty good next to Henry VIII.