Book: The Great Matter Monologues: Katherine, Henry, Anne
Author: Thomas Crockett
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Chronos Books, for sending me an ARC.

I will admit that at first this was a rather difficult book for me to get into. I have never read a book in monologue form, so it just took me a minute. However, once I got used the style of the book, I found myself really enjoying it. I was pulled right into a story that we are all familiar with: Henry VIII’s divorce from Katherine. Don’t get me wrong, I always do enjoy books on this subject, so it was great to revisit this historical event.

Now, this more of historical fiction that nonfiction. We really get into the heads of these historical figures and get to see the events unfold like we are actually there. Now, I will admit that the author does seem to favour Katherine over Anne. There are a lot of moments in which Anne is written like a witch while Katherine remains the sweet and caring one. I know a lot of books portray Anne like this, so I’m not sure if there’s any historical backing to support this or if everyone just enjoys hating on Anne. We do get to see Henry VIII portrayed as history tells us. I do wish, though, that this book had gone into more depth about his jousting accident; I think it would have been great to see him fade into the tyrant that history remembers him as. I also liked how the author handled Mary. It is books like this that really allow you to see why Mary grew into the person that she was. To me, she’s not the evil person that we often get, but, rather, someone who grew up in a world hated.

Now, like I said earlier, the writing took me a little bit to get used to. It wasn’t like it was hard to read or anything, but the constant switching back and forth just took me a minute. However, once I got used to it, I was sucked into the royal drama. I liked getting to see how all three of the big players really felt about the events and how each struggled to keep their world from falling down. This made all of these people really seem like real people, which is something that I really enjoy in nonfiction. Yes, all of the actually military stuff and monarchy is great, but I love getting the human element of historical figures. It kind of breaks down that barrier from history and us.

Anyway, I did actually end up really enjoying this one when it’s all said and done. If you are a Tudor fan, you may want to pick this one up. A lot of people are comparing this to Allison Weir and Philippa Gregory. I don’t know. I kind of disagree. Don’t go into this one thinking that it has their flowery writing style-I’ll admit that I’m really not a fan of either one of them. I will just say that if you are looking for a historical fiction with a lot of real aspects to it, then pick this one up.

This book comes out on March 1, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/ucf2sbPZlwk

The Great Matter. It's been almost 500 years since Henry VIII decided he wanted to divorce his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, to marry Anne Boleyn. What started out as merely a question of divorce bloomed into all sorts of intrigue, including England splitting away from the Catholic Church. The Great Matter Monologues gives a theatrical slant to this age-old true story, alternating between the 3 main players in the drama: Katherine (the first wife), Henry (the King), and Anne (the replacement wife). This is a drama that still plays out on a smaller scale in normal lives.....when Henry VIII sought to "trade up'' so to speak, it was a completely different matter......one that people still talk about many, many lifetimes later.

I'm familiar with the history of the King's Great Matter, so the subject wasn't anything new for me. I've read many non-fiction and fiction books about the Tudor era, as I find the drama fascinating. Henry VIII was a horrible, yet mesmerizing, king.

The first 100 pages or so of this book kept my attention....the emotions playing out, the characters giving their side and reactions to events, etc. But, then it just started waxing on a bit long.....I got a bit tired of Katherine lamenting, Henry being angry, and Anne being a shrew. 340+ pages of emotional monologing constantly alternating from character to character was just a bit of overload for me. I love the creative concept of this book.....great idea to set up the scenario like a play and have the characters unload their emotional baggage. But after awhile, I just wanted to slap all three of them and tell them to pull their heads out and just get on with it.

So, interesting concept....I did stick with it and finish, but the last 100 pages or so were a struggle. I like the concept, but disagree with the portrayal of Anne in particular. Sure....she was The Other Woman, but she really comes off as a total shrewish waste of space. I'm not sure that is a fair portrayal.

Interesting and intriguing concept. Well written for the most part. But just a bit disappointing for me. Maybe I have read too much on this era to thoroughly enjoy another rehashing? Or perhaps my first inclination is correect.....and the alternating emotional monologues just went on for too many pages.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from John Hunt Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A different take on the dissolution of the marriage between Henry the eighth and Catherine of Aragon.Perfect for history lovers

I can easily recommend this to fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir. Though the story is familiar, the first person point of view is fresh and feels Personal. Like other reviewers, I felt that Anne Boleyn was written as more of a Shrew and less thoughtful than other histories account—yet, it did not ruin the enjoyment for me. Well done!

This is a very familiar story told in a most interesting way. The three central characters, Henry the eighth, Queen Katherine and Anne Boleyn, are each given a voice and an opportunity to put forward their own accusations, and to show the cut and thrust of life at court. It reads like a script, and you can imagine each protagonist facing each other in a court of law and arguing their case. My only gripe in this otherwise splendid book, was that Anne Boleyn was portrayed without any great affection or respect. She came over as a shouty, whining woman, who was under a great deal of stress, but had a great influence on the ' new religion' which wasn't fully investigated or taken into account. Anne was the strongest character in this book, and has always fascinated scholars, even now.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It will become a worthy addition to a school library or syllabus reading list.
Thank you for my advance copy. I will review this on Goodreads also.

3 stars

As other reviewers have said this book is a rehash of the “Great Matter” that occupied Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Queen Katherine of Aragon for seven years. Henry decided he wanted a divorce from Katherine for she had failed to give him a male heir in nearly twenty years of marriage. He was entranced and obsessed by Anne Boleyn and wanted to marry her.

The book clearly illustrates the deterioration of Henry and Anne's marriage. While he became more intemperate and volatile, she turned into a harridan and scheming wretch. Henry was great at conjuring excuses and rationalizations for his behavior while Anne seemed to be ignorant of her descent in Henry's estimation.

The book is written in a very interesting way. I enjoyed reading it. The author's desire to play write the text was clearly obvious. I am very taken with the Tudor period of English history, so the story was not new to me, but I liked the book nonetheless. I would take issue with some of the assertions made, but they did not detract from the overall effect of the story.

I want to thank NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing, Ltd. For forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review.

The great matter as we know it refers to Henry VIII's divorce from Katharine of Aragon to allow him to marry Anne Boleyn. This book by Thomas Crockett offers a different approach to the story in the form of monologues from Henry, Katharine and Anne. The chapters switch between the three voicing their experiences and memories.

It begins in 1527 when Henry is seeking divorce and covers events including Henry's banishment of Katharine, the divorce trial, deaths of Thomas Wolsey and the rise of Thomas Cromwell. The book ends in 1536 when both the fate of Katharine and Anne is sealed.

I'm immensely intrigued by the great matter so jumped at the chance to read this especially with its different approach.

There isn't anything new in this that hasn't already been covered so don't go in to this expecting to learn anything new if you are already a fan of this era.

I have mixed feelings about this book, the language has been modernised which could be beneficial to those new to reading history books. I actually didn't mind the modern language it was an interesting way to show the events and feelings of those involved.

However, I did not like how Anne was portrayed in this. She came across as a very nasty, angry lady who does nothing but yell at people and belittle them and Henry came across as doing things just to please her and avoid arguments.

Although I found the modernised language interesting I found myself hating Anne and I definitely do not hate her. I also wish the book had covered her eventual downfall to see how she felt at that time but it ends just before.

Overall,  this is a nice way to be introduced to the great matter but readers should bear in mind that Anne is definitely portrayed in a very negative manner. I did very much enjoy the monologue style of writing though,  it was something new to me.

This is a different attempt at re-telling the events of Henry VIII's divorce from Katherine of Aragon.

Its is - as the author mentions upfront - based upon a style favoured for the stage - the character, standing alone before his / her audience, recounting their experiences, almost conversationally. In this instance, I can picture the three of them - Katherine, Henry and Anne - standing together, yet apart, with the spotlight moving from one to the other and then the next one, in alternating narrative.

A different perspective on a major event in Tudor history - for those who enjoy reading about the Tudors.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

Thankyou to NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and the author, Thomas Crockett, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Great Matter Monologues in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book provided a good read. The narratives flowed well better Katherine, Henry and Anne, making history come alive. 3.5 stars,
Worth a read especially if you enjoy this period of history.