Probably the title tells you right off the bat that this book has to do with Henry Tudor, AKA Henry the Eighth, he of the six wives. But before you decide that you already know as much as you want to about Henry and his wives, this historical fiction novel is by Jean Plaidy (1 September 1906 – 18 January 1993), the prolific author who wrote and published almost 200 novels under various pseudonyms (one for each genre she wrote), and whose real name was Eleanor Hibbert. Her historical fiction is based on extensive research and her novels are rich in both description and characterization. This book about Henry VIII's sixth wife, Katharine Parr, is no exception. I couldn't turn out the light the other night until I finished reading it — 3 a.m. is a bit late for me but I couldn't help myself.Katharine Parr had had two husbands and been widowed twice by the time she was thirty-one. Both marriages had been arranged for her with wealthy, older men, and now she looked to enjoy life with a lively young suitor, Thomas Seymour. A bit of a wag and womanizer, Seymour was ambitious and, while he found Katharine comely enough, it was her wealth as much as anything that drew him to her. Until the king takes an interest. Katharine does nothing to encourage the king but he commands her to court, keeps her near, and when he proposes, well, one can't say 'no' to the king even though saying 'yes' brings any wife of his close to the axe. Especially if she proves unable to provide a son and heir, and so far, Katharine has been childless.Plaidy takes us through Katharine's perilous journey with a capricious husband who craves her gentle hands to tend his ulcerous legs one moment, then, when health is somewhat restored, becomes terribly dissatisfied with a wife who has not yet provided him with an heir. Then, there are those among the court who seek to get rid of her due to her private support of the New Religion as well as to further their own causes. But Katharine is clever and has staunchly loyal ladies around her — she manages to evade her enemies time and again, sometimes by the skin of her teeth. But Plaidy takes the tale beyond Henry's death, and reveals the political complications and personal unhappiness that follow her to her own death one year beyond the King's. The Sixth Wife is well told, fraught with suspense despite prior knowledge of a well-documented and well-known history. The tactile and visual descriptions, the perilous situations deftly conveyed, and the lady's untenable position, make this strange love story vivid and palpable. There are many historical novels about the Tudor queens, religious upheaval, and wars, but Plaidy's work is historically grounded while still making the times and characters incredibly real. I'll definitely be looking at more of her historical fiction novels. This one is a winner.
"Henry's good humour was miraculously restored. How strange it was, thought Katharine, that this great King, this man whom the French and Spaniards feared, should be so childish in his vanity. The King's character contained the oddest mingling of qualities; yet the brutality and the sentimentality, the simplicity and the shrewdness, made him the man he was. She should not regret these contrasts; she could watch for these traits in his character, and, as her knowledge of them grew, she might find some way of saving others from his wrath, as well as herself."The Sixth Wife describes the life of Katharine Parr, a two-times widow who had hoped her future would consist of herself and Thomas Seymour, her roving-eyed lover. However, on appearing at Court, King Henry VIII sees her, and him having been wife-less for a year, decides that Katharine Parr is to be wife Number 6. Poor Katharine really didn't want this outcome, and tried to put him off, but Henry being Henry seemed to get what he wanted, and before she knew it, she was at her wedding ceremony. Of course, Katharine knew what had happened to all of Henry's previous wives, and the poor soul lived in permenant fear that Henry would grow tired of her and dispose of her in the same way as he did for Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Henry, despite having agonising and festering leg ulcers, was also back on his "I-need-a-son" mission; and poor Katharine was under such pressure to produce another heir for him. When after three years of marriage they were still childless, Henry (being the cad he was) decides to set his cap on someone else - the Duchess of Suffolk.....but how could he dispose of Katharine?Anyone who knows English history (especially the Henry VIII rhyme "divorced, beheaded and died; divorced, beheaded, survived") will then be aware that Katharine Parr outlived Henry VIII (mercifully!) - but heartache didn't stop there. Thomas Seymour was back in the picture, but not only was he playing up to Katharine, but he also seemed to have an unhealthy interest in the Princess Elizabeth as well. There is heresy, plotting, conniving, tragedy and gruesomeness in this novel, all of which seem to sum up life during the Tudor era. It is very well written, and I absolutely loved learning about Katharine Parr, of whom I had very minimal knowledge before.
What do You think about The Sixth Wife (2005)?
Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars" Divorced, Beheaded, Died.Divorced, Beheaded, Survived."So goes that nice little ditty that encapsulates the matrimonial history of England's most famous king, Henry VIII. While a cursory glance would seem to suggest that the "Survived" wife, Katherine Parr, fared best out of the bunch, I'm not so certain that's so. After all, Katherine P. got Henry at his absolute worst both physically and mentally. Aggravated by a stinky, puss-filled leg, over 300 pounds heavy, grossly piggy-eyed and monstrously irritable, Henry must have been a sore pain in the ass neck to his sixth and final wife/nurse. And poor Katherine; twice married to much older men, then pursued by the egotistic royal executioner Henry, while having to watch the man she loved and adored, Thomas Seymour, slip from her grasp. Treading daily on eggshells due to her love of the new religion and the machinations of those out to destroy her for her faith, and wondering if her barreness will be her downfall to a man bent on siring sons for his dynasty, the years of Queen-ship must have been a hell on earth to her. And then, when the king has finally died, danger has been avoided (and by extension her neck saved), her true love by her side at last, and a baby in her belly, Katherine faces the ultimate betrayal by the man she loved and the step-daughter she cherished and fostered. No, it's not Katherine Parr that's the "lucky" royal wife. I personally think that goes to Anne of Cleeves. Avoiding the king's sexual desire, as well as the axe, while retaining a nice home, money, title and presedence must surely be the penultimate Tudor achievement.Author Jean Plaidy imagines all of this in her continuing saga of Henry's wives. This offering, while not as personally enjoyable to me as The Lady in the Tower (about Anne Boleyn) or The Rose Without a Thorn: The Wives of Henry VIII (featuring Katherine Howard), was still a good read, with excellent writing and a plotline twist that would be unbelievable but for the fact that it actually happened.
—Hannah
I don’t know why I didn’t start reading Jean Plaidy books much earlier. I love the tales she weaves, the way she really seems to identify with these historical people.Going into this book, I didn’t know a whole lot about Katherine Parr, and to an extent, I still feel like I don’t. I don’t think this is any fault of the author, I really think it’s simply because there isn’t a whole lot of information about Katherine Parr out there. We know so little about her, other than Henry was planning to rid himself of her but died before he could.To read the rest of my review, please visit:http://dorolerium.com/?p=256
—Crystal
This is my favorite Jean Plaidy novel. It is extremely short in length but very historically accurate from what we know of Katherine Parr and I love the author's elegance in portraying such a unique and important woman in history. She practically raised the future Edward VI and his sister Elizabeth I and was the only mother either of them ever really knew. Her influence was expansive over them and she was the wife of Henry VIII to have some sort of political sway in his eyes, which in some respect is the highest complement from such a domineering husband as Henry.
—Shellie Kennedy
