Absolutely Wonderful!

I have been fascinated with the Tudor dynasty for years. I've watched The Tudors on Showtime,and have enjoyed many authors interpretations of their reign. This is the first book I have read concerning Katherine of Aragon. Many authors concentrate solely on Anne, and barely mention the other 5 wives. But, not Alison Weir.

This is her first in what is supposed to be a series of 6 books about Henry the VIII and his wives. This book begins with Katherine's arrival in England and continues until her death. I have to admit, Anne is the one which has always fascinated me. But with the anticipation of 6 books and Anne being the second book, I decided with a sigh, to read Katherine of Aragon. I am so glad I did.

Most books I have read have portrayed Katherine as a boring, frumpy woman who spent most of her time praying. I found myself reading this book and feeling much affection for her. She was far from frumpy or boring, She was an extremely intelligent woman who could speak many languages and managed to keep Henry a happily married man for 20 years.

Alison Weir did a wonderful job writing about Katherine. I just wish I didn't have to wait for the book about Anne!

51 people found this helpful

Long!

I could listen to Rosalyn Landor forever, and actually thought I was!
If not for her perfect narration, I would have stopped listening after
Part 1. From that point on, it was nothing but repetition! It took the Pope seven years to make his decision, and I felt it took that long to finish this audiobook! Would not recommend.

15 people found this helpful

GOOD BOOK

couldn't put it down. recommend this to others if they want a detailed account on Katherine's life

25 people found this helpful

Great story, but tedious at times.

Great subject matter! Queen Katherine was a fascinating woman. Initially, I found it tedious, but I could not stop listening. The performance was superb.

10 people found this helpful

Heartbreaking

It is disgusting and hard to listen to how this poor saint of a queen was treated. The history of it deserves to be shared for her memory. A very insightful and educating read.

8 people found this helpful

Beware - This may not have you loving Katherine.

What did you like best about Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen? What did you like least?

What I liked best - The performance of the book was outstanding! Truly, the narrator does a fantastic job!

What I liked least - Just.About.Everything.Else. If you're looking for a book that will let you love Katherine more, this may not be it. After the 50 MILLIONTH time of hearing "Katherine prayed/hoped/fervently wished (insert appropriate verb) the Pope would decide on her marriage to Henry." I just couldn't deal anymore. Add that to the 50 millionth time she declares her love for him, no matter how big a jerk he is (and he's quite the jerk), and I found myself really disliking her. I had a hard time finishing the book, I wanted to throw my phone against a wall a few times, and I laughed because I'd be listening in the car and I'd roll my eyes every few minutes (as she declared her love, begged for one thing or another, insisted she was the true queen no matter what). Basically I expected to listen to this book and come out feeling like she was a strong woman! Instead, I feel like she's a martyr, and in the worst way possible. Never was there a woman who was more trampled on, and yet, the entire time she's being used as a doormat, she tells you she'd go back to him in an instant, no malice, no lingering feelings of unkindness, just love for her dear, sweet, amazing, wonderful, misguided by that HORRIBLE Anne, Henry.

Also, after having read a few books about this period of time in general, it just absolutely galls me that she blames Anne for the entire thing. There isn't any talk of how Anne wanted to marry Harry Percy, how she never really wanted the king in the first place, etc. There's a whole other part to this story, and you should read more about it, if you are interested.

If you just want Katherine's story, this does the job, but be warned, you might not like her as much going out as you did going in.

What did you like best about this story?

The performance was fantastic, the writing was amazing, it was a great story!

What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The characters, the places, I could hear the conversations, she really did a great job.

Do you think Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, not really, she died, so.....I guess that's that.

24 people found this helpful

Perfect for fans of British royal history...

I enjoyed this installment after first reading the #3 in the series about Jane Seymour. I'll listen to the rest of the series in order. This is really solid historical fiction written entirely from the perspective of Katherine and superbly narrated by Rosalyn Landor, I've read much historical fiction from this era...Phillipa Gregory, CJ Sansom etc. and I enjoy this just as much if not more.

4 people found this helpful

Well done, but a real commitment.

This book was dense even for an audiobook. That being said, I've purchased what's published so far for the rest of the series. Although it was hard to get through at times, I am very glad to have listened to the whole thing. It's really well done.

4 people found this helpful

Bloodless Crucifixion Of Henry VIII's True Queen

A terrific depiction by the venerable author Ms. Weir of Henry VIII's boundless capacity for cruelty. Although this is a novel categorized under 'Historical Fiction' it is without a doubt based on solid historical fact. Henry used his immense theological knowledge to his own advantage manipulating what he called 'the word of God ' for his 'Carnal lust' and not for the benefit of his people. Sadly as we see in this really interesting novel many good people suffered because of his selfish understanding of 'the word'!

Nobody wins, that is for sure, but the political story within the Tudor reign makes today's political arena look like small fry. I was gripped from the first chapter. I have to admit that my 'modern' mindset found Katherine rather irritating. As to why she would want a man who would not want her baffled me. Frankly I would kick his butt to the curb and take everything that I could in the process rather than lie down and say 'Kick me! I am a martyr!" But hey, that it 21st century me!

Rosalyn Landor gave a superb performance jumping from one character to another seamlessly. I highly recommend this volume.

22 people found this helpful

Why Did I Just Discover Alison Weir? WOW!

I am completely shocked that I haven't heard of Alison Weir. Or maybe I have, but I didn't pay attention. I am so grateful I found this author.

If you have ever watched 'The Tudors' on HBO, you will love this book as well as the others in the 'Six Wives' series. I wouldn't normally compare any book to something on television but because I adored the series, I kept putting the actors' faces with the characters. I think watching the series and knowing more about this time in England's history really enhanced my experience with Katherine of Aragon and the following books in the series.

The narration is riveting, the story is mesmerizing, and the writing is superb. If you love historical fiction I urge you to give this a listen and enjoy the story of Henry the Eighth's first wife, and then keep going with the rest of the series. So grateful to Audible for having a sale on all of these books. I bought them all at once and this novel sucked me in. I have been enjoying the series like no other.

Awesome!

Wendi

2 people found this helpful