Audiobook18 hours
Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait
Written by Alison Weir
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
The surprising and dramatic life of the least known of King Henry VIII's wives is illuminated in the fourth volume in the Six Tudor Queens series-for fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and The Crown. Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry requests her portrait from his court painter, who portrays her from the most flattering perspective. Henry is entranced by the lovely image, only to be bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her. What follows is the fascinating story of an awkward royal union that had somehow to be terminated. Even as Henry begins to warm to his new wife and share her bed, his attention is captivated by one of her maids-of-honor. Will he accuse Anna of adultery as he did Queen Anne Boleyn, and send her to the scaffold? Or will he divorce her and send her home in disgrace? Alison Weir takes a fresh and astonishing look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone and fearing for her life in a royal court that rejected her almost from the day she set foot on England's shore.
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Reviews for Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait
Rating: 4.00000003539823 out of 5 stars
4/5
113 ratings17 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Weir is the best when it comes to both historical research and imagination in historical fiction. This novel widely digressed from what I ever imagined, but her final notes about her choices made sense and we based on drawing a story based on solid research.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I know this has many fictional stories about Anna of Cleve, but if you're going to be a discard of Henry VIII, this is the way to go! Keep your head on!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anna of Kleve is perhaps the most boring of Henry VIII's six wives - married to him for only a few months before he discards her and then living out the rest of her short life in several homes around the English countryside. I did not like the way in which the author toys with the known history of this Queen, inventing a lover and child that quite possibly didn't exist, nor the way in which she treats the death of Henry VIII, which hardly seems to faze Anna at all and is covered in about 1 1/2 pages. The book is filled with tedious details which fill up nearly 500 pages, which was totally unnecessary. Not one of the best in this series about the six wives.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the afterword Weir states that the romance between Anna and her cousin Otho von Wylich, her pregnancies, and son Johann are all fiction, though von Wylich did serve her for seventeen years. Henry VIII complained that she wasn't as beautiful as advertised and had "very evil smells about her." This from the man who was exceedingly obese with a foul smelling ulcerated leg and mercurial temperament. You might be a favorite in the morning and executed by the afternoon. He also decided to surprise her in disguise with a kiss and embrace which horrified Anna. When Anna became aware that Katheryn Howard had caught Henry VIIII's fancy she knew where her marriage was headed and that her lady-in-waiting was going to supplant her as queen. She was aiming to get out of the marriage alive and hoping to stay in England with more freedom then if she returned to her brother's court in Kleve. She would outlive Henry and Edward VI and survive both Catholic and Protestant rebellions that would result in the beheading of people she'd known. I enjoyed it!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anna of Cleves has always been a mystery to historians. Of all of Henry the eighth‘s wives how did she survive and outlive him? Why was he so against their marriage, but then loved her as his closest sister once they were divorced. Alison Weir does an amazing job of imagining the life of Anna of Cleve and her role in the history of England and Henry VIII’s life. Another great book in this series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alison Weir returns with the 4th installment of her Six Tudor Queens series, Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait. Perhaps the least well known of Ht.enry VIII wives, this was the novel I was most interested in reading. Weir's non-fiction tome - The Six Wives of Henry VIII -- was written in 1991 and introduced the popular historian to the US. Since then she's become a terrific historical novelist and Anna of Kleve is, in my opinion, her best yet. Having read her historical take on Anna I was fascinated to see how Weir handled her in fiction and was not disappointed. Wier's spin on Anna's earlier life was an interesting twist and not totally out of possibility. I particularly like how Weir blends politics and palace intrigue into this novel. It's easy to see that Anna should be called the luckiest wife of Henry VIII.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The thing is, Alison Weir told a very good story about Anne of Cleves (or Anna of Kleve), but the most exciting bits are fictional (or at least highly unlikely). So yes, interesting, kept me turning the page, but as a history nerd it was hard to accept the alternate storyline.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book outlines the life of Anna of Kleve, Henry VIII's fourth wife. This was a well written and interesting book. The author used speculation and history to create her own version of Anna's life, one a bit unexpected and thrilling. The book was well paced and kept me engaged throughout the story. Overall, well worth reading.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I received a copy of Alison Weir's novel "Anna of Kleve" from LT's Early Reviewer's program. My rating for this book reflect my level of enjoyment reading it -- but you should take that with a grain of salt for the following reason:I studiously avoid reading fictional accounts of the Tudors. It drives me crazy that authors make up facts about a period of history that is so very rich with compelling true stories. I decided to request this particular book because I've read all of Alison Weir's non-fiction about the Tudors and though it was worth seeing if her fictional novels were any different.It isn't... in the opening chapters, Weir has Anna of Kleve giving birth (which is incredibly unlikely, as even Weir acknowledges in the afterward.) So, this novel drove me a bit nuts since it strayed so far from the historical accounts of Anna's life. That said, Weir's novel is very readable and well-written -- if you don't have the same hangups about historical fiction as me, and like Tudor-era stuff, this novel would likely be a hit for you.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I haven't read Weir's earlier books in this series, but I have read her non-fiction. She's an excellent researcher and it shows, sometimes to her detriment. Unfortunately, Anna of Kleve is a difficult subject. She's a sympathetic character, but dull: a young woman with limited political and social skills, set in an impossible situation. Anna grows up in a provincial ducal household learning to sew and pray. She arrives in England with little knowledge of the language and an extensive and outlandish (to the English) trousseau. Anna is expected to serve as Queen in a glittering Renaissance court where wit, fashion, and political perspicacity are as important as gaming, dancing and feasting. Poor girl!In the author's note, Weir speculates that Henry VIII's instant dislike of his 4th Queen might have been rooted in her lack of education around languages, literature, music and other social graces that Henry valued, as much as her plain looks. Without those, her sole value to the king lay in being a brood mare, but by then Henry was likely impotent--at least Anna didn't spur him to do his duty. Weir works hard to make Anna more interesting. Based on Henry's complaint that Anna had "a loose stomach and breasts," she creates a fictional story-line about a lover and a couple of hidden pregnancies, which didn't quite ring true. I wanted her to find love, but given what I already knew about her, it's more likely she found solace in her freedom, food, and wine.After the annulment of her marriage, Anna retired to the English countryside to enjoy her freedom from the domination of her brother in Kleve and the danger of Henry's mercurial temper at the English court. She had money, land, status, and a reputation for setting a good table. She wisely avoided religious controversies and political upheavals by living quietly with her insular household--which makes for a very dull story. The conflicts are small and personal. There are things going on and they affect Anna, but usually tangentially. We learn of momentous events third hand through messengers. Anna's emotional throughline never changes. From the beginning to the end she's anxious to please ("conformable"), fearful, ignorant, and--above all--kind: a sweet woman out of her depth.I think Weir gave it a good go, but ultimately failed to make this Tudor Queen an interesting subject for 486 pages. I think a short biography would have done Anna of Kleve a better turn.I received an Early Reviewer copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anna of Kleve is the least well-known of Henry VIII’s six wives, but Weir is able to create a compelling portrait here, based on her deep knowledge of Tudor history and some tantalizing hints found in historical records. While many reviewers are critical of Weir’s decisions in this book, it is a work of fiction and should be read as such.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I wanted to like this. I have liked some of Alison Weir's books before, but this. This was not a good book. The writing itself had a breathless bad fanfiction sort of quality and the the entire character of Anna in the book was too changeable and did not feel like a fully fleshed out person. This is apart from the APPALLING liberties taken with history. Seriously ridiculous. I really wanted to like this but I did not and I cannot recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I am a huge fan of the six queens of Henry VIII and I've always been very curious about Anne of Cleves life so I was really excited to read this book. This one ended up being my favorite in this series so far. I was really intrigued with the storyline about Anna and Otho, her cousin. I know that with historical fiction the author always takes some liberties in creating a story for a person who there may not be much information about so it was really interesting to read the author's note at the end to kind of see the information that Alison Weir had and how she took what was known and created this secret life for Anna. It was enjoyable to read about Anna and I felt that I could relate most to her personality of all Henry's wives. Whether or not these things actually happened to Anna, we will probably never know for sure, but I will think of it this way because after reading this I want her to have the small bit of happiness she was able to have in her life. My heart broke for her and those dear to her in the end. If you enjoy history and Tudor England, I highly recommend reading this entire series but especially this book as it is uncommon to focus so much attention on Henry's 4th wife.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anna of Kleve by Alison Weir was a wonderful surprise of a book for me. I LOVE to read about Tudor England and Alison is one of my favorite authors but usually I know what is to come. That was not the case with this book. I was surprised about some of what was said about Henry the VIII’s fourth wife, but after reading what Alison said about those sections of the book in her Author’s notes at the end, it made it more believable.You know when you are reading a book like this that there are areas that are guesses by the author but if you like to read any books about this period of England’s history, Alison Weir is the first author I would recommend. A must read if you love Tudor England.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I've always loved Alison Weir's writing, and Anna of Kleve was no exception. I couldn't put it down! Henry VIII's fourth wife was always a footnote in other books - the one who escaped with her life and with a good relationship with the King. I knew some of the details of course that she was selected based on her portrait, that she had different customs than the English and was considered strange, and that she lived happily down the river from London and Henry after their annulment. This book went into so much more detail and provided a look at a real person whose life wasn't always sunshine and roses.I definitely recommend this!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have never read any of Alison Weir fiction or non-fiction. But after reading this, I've already orders two of the earlier books in the series. This book is about one of the lesser known wives (to me) of Henry VIII. It starts when she is an early teen and, interestingly, runs up through the annulment of her marriage to Henry but rather than that being the climax of the book it happens about halfway through it. Anna comes across as quite likeable, and she handled Henry, who could be tyrannical (ask his prior wives), with grace and seems to have been able to bring out a sort of softer side to him. I strongly recommend this book for people who like historical fiction, especially from this period. I look forward to both reading the earlier books but also the next two that I assume will be coming out.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The novel was sent to me by the publisher Ballantine Books/Random House via Netgalley. Thank you.Because Henry VIII’s fourth marriage was purely political it does not appear to have the same drama as his other marriages. Yet, in Alison Weir’s biographical novel Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait, the author infuses this queen with personality and strength. Weir uses her German title, rather than the more familiar Anne of Cleves throughout the book.Anna was raised in a very rigid court where she and her sister were expected to learn the skills of the perfect German noblewoman. Education is deemed an unnecessary waste of a girl’s time when she should be concentrating on needlework, cooking so she could run a perfect kitchen, and mastering other housewifely skills in anticipation of keeping her noble husband comfortable and happy. Art and music were frivolous and there was no need to develop an entertaining conversational manner since she would remain a silent single woman until she married when she would defer to her husband at all times. Her ideas and thoughts would remain private. Her knowledge of the marriage bed would be innocent. Nevertheless, Anna loved her family, the court, and her country She was both excited and afraid when, at 24, she was contracted to the much married king of England based on a portrait by Holbein and her valued reputation.Weir takes her princess to the English court where her shining prince is actually an obese middle-aged man in constant pain from a leg covered in smelly, weeping wounds. Anna has to navigate a society which counteracts everything she has been taught. Her formal clothes are too German; her manners too crude; her social skills nonexistent. Still, if Henry does not find her the beauty he expected, he slowly begins to appreciate her honesty, loyalty, and kindness. Weir illustrates just how treacherous Anna’s life was. She has to stay true to her Catholic faith while accepting Henry’s split with Rome and she has to ignore the fact that reformers believe her to be sympathetic to the reformers and followers of Luther. She has made enemies even before she sets foot on English soil….men who would sacrifice her to see a member of their own family as queen. One step wrong on her part and she could be sent back to Kleve in disgrace with the alliance between the countries in shatters or worse, she could suffer the fate of Boleyn. For the years she is in England, both as queen and as the beloved “sister” of the king, she has to be wary. At any hint of scandal, she could be cut off without a penny and her retinue would be destitute even as she is expected, somehow, to keep a quality establishment. Anna in this book is charming, clever, and inventive. Weir bases her heroine on extensive research, diaries, letters, and court records. I found the account fascinating. Although I enjoyed it, I was less able to accept the substantial subplot with Anna’s cousin Otho. In her author’s notes, Weir explains why she added to Anna’s story and that she realized that the plot would be controversial. I agree that it humanized Anna, but I think her story really did not need it. This is a very interesting and fast-moving story.