I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review ⭐⭐
I am truly not sure why this one did not work for me, I have enjoyed so many other of Gristwood's books. It could be that I knew a lot of the info it contained, though I can appreciate the direct lens she looks at said info with. The author examines how the concept of courtly love impacted the Tudor dynasty both at home and abroad.
The legend of King Arthur, his queen, and his knights, was enthralling to many of England's rulers, but no one believed he embodied those chivalric qualities the way Henry VIII believed he did. The Tudors were excellent at claiming lineage from King Arthur himself, to further validate their very tenuous claim to the throne. But there was no propoganda machine like the Tudor Propaganda Machine, and so court life was infused with the games of courtly love.
Gristwood does an incredibly thorough job with her research and is clear in laying out how those legends shaped Henry's life and marriages.
To do this, Gristwood begins with the legends themselves, as well as looking at how previous monarchs also looked to the legends. This includes my girl Eleanor of Aquitaine, who I always like to read about. Gristwood then moves on to the Houses who combined under the rule of the first Tudor king, the Yorks and Lancasters.
Gristwood does an excellent job exploring the relationships of the Tudor monarchs and their courtiers, who were also invested in the game of courtly love. However, some background knowledge is helpful, as there are a lot of names thrown around.
Again, I am not sure why this one didn't work for me as well as the author's previous books, She's written four others and I enjoyed them all. I love non-fiction and read it almost exclusively, so that is not the issue.
I would still recommend this one to others who enjoy this period, as the issue in the case seems to be me.
I like the cover and the book looks interesting. Sorry it wasn't right for you!
ReplyDeleteI love it too. I just can't figure out why I didn't like this one. Her other books are so fantastic. And it's not a bad book at all, just...not for me. Which is weird because the Tudors are my people. I am literally the target audience.
Delete"But there was no propoganda machine like the Tudor Propaganda Machine"
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating to me, that they emulated or idolized the Arthurian values/ courtly love ethos so much. I didn't know that. So much influence. It would be fascinating to go back to those times and just observe how they influenced court life...
It is so interesting to look at! Especially considering how happy Henry was to have his wives' heads chopped off when he was displeased.
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