Eclecticism

...making decisions on the basis of what seems best instead of following some single doctrine or style.
Me in a nutshell!!!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tuesday Teaser...


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http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page somewhere in the middle
Make sure to share the title and author of the book
NO SPOILERS PLEASE

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JANE BOLEYN The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford

From Publishers Weekly Wife of Anne Boleyn's brother George, Jane, Viscountess Rochford, has been painted by historians, beginning with the Protestant Elizabethan John Foxe, as a barren, jealous shrew who lied about George and Anne's incestuous relationship, helping send them to their deaths for treason against Henry VIII. Jane herself was executed for treason several years later for abetting the adultery of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. According to Fox's revisionist account, Jane was faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn't rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell's relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry's sexual dysfunction. Moreover, Fox says, George's execution was a financial blow to Jane—his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane's complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law's death. In her debut, Fox never quite convinces readers that her lackluster, almost faceless Jane is a courageous, mostly blameless victim of court intrigues, and this amateurish, toothless history is more a rehash of Anne's rise and fall with a tag-on about Catherine's foolhardiness. (Jan.)

Ever since reading Phillipa Gregory's Boleyn Inheritance I have been facsinated with Jane Boleyn the Lady Rochford. This book was given to me by a good friend and it's hard to put down. It is a biography not historical fiction. Much of it I imagine is conjecture on the authors part, but so little is really known about this woman who betrayed the queen and her husband. Her signed confession led innocents to their early graves. This is Julia Fox's first book and she does a marvelous job. I think all you Tudor fans out there will want to put this on your TBR list. Jane was a major player in the game. Beautiful photographs included.

My teasers:

In the interim, enforced absence did at least allow a chance for contemplation, since hers was not the only7 problem to beset the Boleyns over those
months.


Whether she was or was not present on Anne's wedding day, Jane was certainly present within the bedchamber in the weeks that followed, and it was to be there that thte next stage in the king's marital saga was played out.

3 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting, might have to add to the list.

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  2. I have had this on my wishlist, but I am waiting for some reviews.. so I'll be back when you post your review! Would love to know if you love or hate Jane.. so far I am a hater...

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  3. Ooh, I'll have to add that to my list of "must reads", sounds good. I really enjoyed The Boleyn Inheritance too and Jane Rochford is an interesting character.

    ReplyDelete

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