The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo (Con't)
Was she the flaxen-haired martyr of Romantic paintings or the raven-haired seductress of twenty-first-century portrayals? (Answer: neither.) And perhaps the most provocative questions concern Anne's death more than her life. How could Henry order the execution of a once beloved wife? Drawing on scholarship and critical analysis, Susan Bordo probes the complexities of one of history's most infamous relationships.
It bears mentioning that this is not a biography. If you don't know much about Henry VIII's second wife other than she was the mother of Elizabeth I and beheaded by royal decree, I would suggest reading one or two biographies. Bordo focuses on the absolutely relevant instances of historical record and if you're intrigued by any other contemporary events that might have influenced English politics at the time, or even the other five wives of Henry VIII, you're on your own. I was constantly checking Wikipedia just to keep my chronology straight and remind myself how other people of the time fit into "the bigger picture."
Bordo's book is instead an examination of Anne's image and how it came to be so polarized and muddled over the centuries. Anne Boleyn is typically seen as either "whore" or "saint," "heretic" or "the Mother of the Reformation," with the only constant being a reputation as "the other woman." Bordo examines several primary sources, identifying where political and religious biases have distorted the truth, and takes her time explaining the origins of all "the different Annes." I was particularly impressed by Bordo's psychological analysis of sixteenth-century England and Europe, as it's never a bad idea to remind ourselves that we're judging our predecessors with not only the benefit of some pretty extensive hindsight, but also the sociopolitical mores and values of our own time. Bordo makes a point of identifying questionable evidence, putting it into context, and clarifying her reasoning when making assumptions, even if those assumptions are the result of common sense and simple logic. Having read my fair share of history books, I found her honesty refreshing. In any event, it is clear that Bordo has done her research and done it thoroughly.
One of the downsides to this book, however, is that if you haven't seen or read some (or in my case, pretty much all) of the films, shows, and books Bordo references, your interest could wane fairly quickly. Going into this, my background knowledge regarding Anne Boleyn amounted to a visit to the Tower of London, a day trip to Hever Castle (Anne's childhood home), and casual Wikipedia curiosity. I hadn't seen Anne of the Thousand Days, Masterpiece's The Six Wives of Henry VIII, or Showtime's The Tudors. Honestly, I'd say I was reasonably unblemished by popular culture's influence. (I did see the last hour of The Other Boleyn Girl, based on Philippa Gregory's novel of the same name, but I refuse to include it in the category of "knowledge." Gregory is a fiction writer first, amateur historian second.)
Bordo's saving grace is that her book is extremely current. So current, there are references to the "high-school athletes who raped a mentally handicapped girl in the basement of one of their homes, then had the whole town rally round them in support," an issue that dominated US national news only a few months ago. There are recent interviews with actresses who have played Anne, such as Genevieve Bujold and Natalie Dormer, as well as with historians who have written about Anne in various mediums. Discussing Anne's role in modern feminism, Bordo references everything from The Real Housewives to Fatal Attraction. So, even if you haven't been exposed to all the "Annes" this books discusses, you will have no problem understanding Bordo's conclusions and arguments.
Perhaps the most salient point of this book is that we have very little factual information about Anne Boleyn and what we do know is tainted to some degree by political and religious bias. And unfortunately, as Bordo says, we may never know more. This book doesn't "reveal the true Anne" or solve any mystery, but it does raise several important points about modern feminism, maintaining an open mind when it comes to historical sources and taking information at face-value, and in general, how the image of any historical figure is susceptible to constant and sometimes unintentional alteration over the ages. All in all, this book is definitely worth a look.
The Creation of Anne Boleyn is available on Amazon.
It bears mentioning that this is not a biography. If you don't know much about Henry VIII's second wife other than she was the mother of Elizabeth I and beheaded by royal decree, I would suggest reading one or two biographies. Bordo focuses on the absolutely relevant instances of historical record and if you're intrigued by any other contemporary events that might have influenced English politics at the time, or even the other five wives of Henry VIII, you're on your own. I was constantly checking Wikipedia just to keep my chronology straight and remind myself how other people of the time fit into "the bigger picture."
Bordo's book is instead an examination of Anne's image and how it came to be so polarized and muddled over the centuries. Anne Boleyn is typically seen as either "whore" or "saint," "heretic" or "the Mother of the Reformation," with the only constant being a reputation as "the other woman." Bordo examines several primary sources, identifying where political and religious biases have distorted the truth, and takes her time explaining the origins of all "the different Annes." I was particularly impressed by Bordo's psychological analysis of sixteenth-century England and Europe, as it's never a bad idea to remind ourselves that we're judging our predecessors with not only the benefit of some pretty extensive hindsight, but also the sociopolitical mores and values of our own time. Bordo makes a point of identifying questionable evidence, putting it into context, and clarifying her reasoning when making assumptions, even if those assumptions are the result of common sense and simple logic. Having read my fair share of history books, I found her honesty refreshing. In any event, it is clear that Bordo has done her research and done it thoroughly.
One of the downsides to this book, however, is that if you haven't seen or read some (or in my case, pretty much all) of the films, shows, and books Bordo references, your interest could wane fairly quickly. Going into this, my background knowledge regarding Anne Boleyn amounted to a visit to the Tower of London, a day trip to Hever Castle (Anne's childhood home), and casual Wikipedia curiosity. I hadn't seen Anne of the Thousand Days, Masterpiece's The Six Wives of Henry VIII, or Showtime's The Tudors. Honestly, I'd say I was reasonably unblemished by popular culture's influence. (I did see the last hour of The Other Boleyn Girl, based on Philippa Gregory's novel of the same name, but I refuse to include it in the category of "knowledge." Gregory is a fiction writer first, amateur historian second.)
Bordo's saving grace is that her book is extremely current. So current, there are references to the "high-school athletes who raped a mentally handicapped girl in the basement of one of their homes, then had the whole town rally round them in support," an issue that dominated US national news only a few months ago. There are recent interviews with actresses who have played Anne, such as Genevieve Bujold and Natalie Dormer, as well as with historians who have written about Anne in various mediums. Discussing Anne's role in modern feminism, Bordo references everything from The Real Housewives to Fatal Attraction. So, even if you haven't been exposed to all the "Annes" this books discusses, you will have no problem understanding Bordo's conclusions and arguments.
Perhaps the most salient point of this book is that we have very little factual information about Anne Boleyn and what we do know is tainted to some degree by political and religious bias. And unfortunately, as Bordo says, we may never know more. This book doesn't "reveal the true Anne" or solve any mystery, but it does raise several important points about modern feminism, maintaining an open mind when it comes to historical sources and taking information at face-value, and in general, how the image of any historical figure is susceptible to constant and sometimes unintentional alteration over the ages. All in all, this book is definitely worth a look.
The Creation of Anne Boleyn is available on Amazon.