Brief Gaudy Hour

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View books by Margaret Campbell Barnes.

ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS... - Rated
This is a wonderful work of historical fiction in which the author weaves gossamer threads of fact and fiction around Anne Boleyn, one of the most intriguing and enigmatic women who ever lived. She was a woman who would change the face of England by holding out for a crown that she would wear for a scant three years. Her will to be crowned a Queen would pave the way for the Reformation to take root in England.

About a third of the book is devoted to establishing Anne's relationship to her family, friends, and early admirers. It details her first love affair, that with Henry Percy, the heir to the Earl of Northumberland, said to have been the love of her life, until Cardinal Wolsey, at the behest of King Henry VIII, nipped it in the bud, causing him to incur Anne's lifelong enmity. This portion of the book sets the tone for the rest of the book, grounding the events that were to follow in the context out of which they arose.

When King Henry VIII finally made his intentions clear, Anne had no interest in ending up as the King's discarded mistress, as had Mary, her younger sister. Instead, she led King Henry VIII a merry chase for many years, refusing to become his mistress despite his ardent wooing. He became bewitched by her very being, so irresistible did he find this cultivated and intelligent young woman. Anne, however, always kept her eye on the prize, seemingly oblivious to the pain that she was causing her rival, Katharine of Aragon, Henry's wife and Queen of England.

Henry, who was desperate to secure a male heir for the throne of England, eventually set in motion a series of events that were to have great ramifications for Catholicism in England. It would cause Henry to set aside his wife of twenty years so that he could marry Anne Boleyn and have her crowned Queen of England. It would set the stage for the Reformation in England. It would also bring about the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey, the man for whom Anne had no love and in whose destruction she positively reveled.

Without the cautionary, staying influence of Wolsey, however, Anne would find herself unable to rein in her husband. She would see him begin to turn from a loving husband and genial king into the tyrannical despot he would eventually become. She would find herself powerless against him and without influence but would not realize it until it was too late. When Anne failed to deliver the promised male heir, having only given him the Princess Elizabeth, she found that he wished to rid himself of her by any means necessary. After having been Queen of England for nearly three years, Anne would be convicted of treason of the foulest sort and condemned to die a traitor's death.

This well-written book is one that those who like historical fiction will enjoy. It is rich with period detail, replete with all the pomp and circumstance of the Tudor court. It also paints a well-drawn portrait of one of the most fascinating women in history.

ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS... - Rated
This is a wonderful work of historical fiction in which the author weaves gossamer threads of fact and fiction around Anne Boleyn, one of the most intriguing and enigmatic women who ever lived. She was a woman who would change the face of England by holding out for a crown that she would wear for a scant three years. Her will to be crowned a Queen would pave the way for the Reformation to take root in England.

About a third of the book is devoted to establishing Anne's relationship to her family, friends, and early admirers. It details her first love affair, that with Henry Percy, the heir to the Earl of Northumberland, said to have been the love of her life, until Cardinal Wolsey, at the behest of King Henry VIII, nipped it in the bud, causing him to incur Anne's lifelong enmity. This portion of the book sets the tone for the rest of the book, grounding the events that were to follow in the context out of which they arose.

When King Henry VIII finally made his intentions clear, Anne had no interest in ending up as the King's discarded mistress, as had Mary, her younger sister. Instead, she led King Henry VIII a merry chase for many years, refusing to become his mistress despite his ardent wooing. He became bewitched by her very being, so irresistible did he find this cultivated and intelligent young woman. Anne, however, always kept her eye on the prize, seemingly oblivious to the pain that she was causing her rival, Katharine of Aragon, Henry's wife and Queen of England.

Henry, who was desperate to secure a male heir for the throne of England, eventually set in motion a series of events that were to have great ramifications for Catholicism in England. It would cause Henry to set aside his wife of twenty years so that he could marry Anne Boleyn and have her crowned Queen of England. It would set the stage for the Reformation in England. It would also bring about the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey, the man for whom Anne had no love and in whose destruction she positively reveled.

Without the cautionary, staying influence of Wolsey, however, Anne would find herself unable to rein in her husband. She would see him begin to turn from a loving husband and genial king into the tyrannical despot he would eventually become. She would find herself powerless against him and without influence but would not realize it until it was too late. When Anne failed to deliver the promised male heir, having only given him the Princess Elizabeth, she found that he wished to rid himself of her by any means necessary. After having been Queen of England for nearly three years, Anne would be convicted of treason of the foulest sort and condemned to die a traitor's death.

This well-written book is one that those who like historical fiction will enjoy. It is rich with period detail, replete with all the pomp and circumstance of the Tudor court. It also paints a well-drawn portrait of one of the most fascinating women in history.

Anne Boleyn, Saint or Sinner - You Decide. - Rated
Oh, I LOVE this book. I have read it so many times, and it still enthralls me! This is the story of the infamous Anne Boleyn, going right back to her childhood at Hever, through to her transformation at the court of Francis, to her triumph at the court of Henry, and then to her final humiliation and death. It is an emotional roller-coaster that never lets up. It is so well told that you feel as though you are actually there, listening and observing, as the drama of her life unfolds before you. Yes, she WAS capricious, and demanding, and selfish, and totally ambitious, BUT she was also loyal to her friends, she yearned to be loved by her subjects, she had great ideals, she was very clever and articulate, she loved her daughter, and she ultimately
paid the price of her soaring ambition. I don't think that she ever loved Henry as such, however, she was dazzled by the prospect of becoming Queen of England, and who wouldn't be? At first, when he loved her, she could do no wrong, all that she desired was hers, and unfortunately, once he fell out of love with her, she refused to recognise the fact, and tried vainly to cling on to him. Henry VIII was a complete monster in the way that he treated his women, in particular Anne, as by his say so, her name has been blackened throughout history and for all time. I do not believe that a woman as proud as Anne, or as conscious of her dignity as she undoubtedly was, would ever stoop to adultery with the musician in her own court. I do think that she was a woman who enjoyed the adulation of men,and loved to flirt, but I think that she was far too conscious of her position to ever place herself in jeopardy. As for the incest charge, that is just a terrible lie by her twisted sister-in-law, Jane Rochford, who totally resented Anne, and the relationship that she and George had. However, it suited Henry to bring this charge, as he had to get rid of Anne and divorce was out of the question after Katharine of Aragon. Anne was, eventually, her own worst enemy, as her pride and her sharp tongue sealed her death warrant. It is so sad reading about her final days, and her total farce of a 'trial', and her reaction on learning that her brother would die. It was a terribly violent and miserable death for one of history's most fascinating characters. Brief Gaudy Hour is a wonderful book, well written, well told, and a marvellous insight into one of the most tempestuous pairings of all time. Forget the boring stuff we learnt at school, read this, and make up your own mind about the fabulous Anne Boleyn. I assure you that you will have a better understanding of her, and will pity her.