The Autobiography of Henry VIII : With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

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Summary: good book but. . . .
Review: I really enjoyed this book but I hated how Anne Boleyn was portrayed as such a villian. For those of you who say she was an adulteress, there is no proof that she was. Mark Smeaton admitted that he had sexual relations with Anne under torture. The other men she was accused to have slept with, they all denied the charges. As for Jane's (Anne's sister-in-law, George's wife) testimony at Anne's trial that she knew for a fact that her husband and sister-in-law were lovers; George publically declared he hated his wife and would not even sleep with her. She was jealous of how close her husband and sister-in-law were, so she decided to make up lies about them. I think that George was a homosexual and he and Francis Weston were lovers; so that means that they both couldn't be Anne's lovers. Norris was one of Henry's most trusted friends and even in this book it sounded as if he was innocent. As for Anne being a witch, come on! And I think that this book makes Henry seem too soft. Other than that it was a good book.

Rating:
Summary: A Novel Approach
Review: There have been many books about Hnery VIII, and his six wives. Magaret George takes the point of view from Henry himself. The story tells how his court jester, Will Somers, came across his journal just after the death of the King. So, the story of his life is told as "Henry saw it", and he did feel that all he did was for the good of his country. There are notes added by "Will Somers" here and there. Margaret George did an amazing job of researching her subject in order to make this story come to life.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but....
Review: Margaret George does a good job in trying to present a different view of Henry VIII by telling it from his own personal perspective. She does keep him in check through "Will Somers" and his corrections of Henry's view but the reader is not convinced. She uses interesting psychology of the human mind to attribute to Henry what he may have thought or felt during his lifetime. She exaggerates the wives in ways that are too theatrical to the point where the reader feels they're reading a soap opera romance as opposed to a potential twist on history. Allowing Henry to believe himself a victim would've been more believable had she left his wives also be the victim's that they were. By doing so, she could allow the reader to see that maybe there was a soft side to Henry and then maybe not. This book was too much of a defense case rather than an "autobiography." Historically, it keeps in some areas and in others it doesn't so if you're looking to learn English history, this is a book about entertainment only. From an entertainment perspective, it's a good read.

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Summary: Too loooooong....
Review: I wanted very badly to enjoy this book. I can say that I learned a lot about Henry VIII and this time period that I never knew and it definitely has aroused a new interest in me, but it was so long. It took me about a month to read this (and I read often); some points kept me interested and other parts just dragged. I most certainly enjoyed the parts about his wives! So many names were introduced and mentioned that I found myself often lost and confused as to what role they played in the story. After reading over 900 pages, I found the end very anti-climactic and was simply thankful that I was done. Overall, the story, itself, was very interesting (how can anyone say Henry VIII isn't?), the writing was enjoyable, but it was just too looooong!

Rating:
Summary: Autobiography of Henry VIII
Review: I read this when first published, and it's still one of the best books I've read. If you've any interest in English history or Henry VIII, and want it written in a way you won't want to put down, this is one to buy. I've not found her later novels as consuming, though I've tried three.

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Summary: And I discovered Margaret George...
Review: The cover of this book is what intrigued me, to begin with. And I have to admit--the girth did too. I have this bizarre thing about tackling huge books. At almost 1000 pages, this was daunting, especially considering I was in my last semester of law school and didn't have much time to read anything for fun. Fun doesn't even begin to describe this book. I was hooked from the first page. I can't even describe how good this is. George describes King Henry VIII and ALL six of his wives in lush detail that's so real, I cried when Anne Boleyn was beheaded. I would read this for hours at a time and forget that I wasn't actually listening to Henry himself tell the story. You just don't find books like this that often--a complete and utter escape. George's research is clearly thorough, but her vivid descriptions of Henry's thoughts lend a clear explanation to so many things that pure history simply cannot answer. I know it's fiction, but you leave this masterpiece believing every word! That's the best kind of historical fiction!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I love this book. I am still reading it and have trouble putting it down. It gives you an overview of the times without feeling like a history book (which it is not, of course). I am living in Germany right now and am fascinated with this era. This book makes me want to travel to the UK and investigate all of the areas mentioned. Learning about the religious movement as well as all of the wives is wonderful. Thank you Ms. George! I will buy your other books soon.

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Summary: Be Prepared To Read Until You Pass Out...
Review: I loved this book and it is one of my all time favorites. This is one of the few books that tells Henry's saga in his view of things. There are always two sides to every story and this is Henry's. This book does Henry justice and makes him seem very human (which he was) and not some pompus pig. If Henry lived in this day and age, I'm sure he wouldn't have shocked the world. He was just ahead of his times. I think Henry would have made a better King now than he seemed to make then. Just think about it!

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Summary: Lenghty
Review: This is an excellent book but very lenghty. It was very well researched and the majority of the time had my full attention. There are a few parts that I found a little boring but overall it was GREAT!!

Rating:
Summary: not very good
Review: It's not very good. Ms. George does, however, succeed in portraying Henry VIII-one of the most fascinating men to ever live-as a one dimensional soap opera figure. The interludes of Will Somers are very disjointed and inappropriate. If you want an excellent read, try The Great Harry by Carolly Erickson. Don't waste your time on this