The Creation of Anne Boleyn

A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen

By: Susan Bordo

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 12 hrs

Publisher's summary

Part biography, part cultural history, The Creation of Anne Boleyn is a fascinating reconstruction of Anne’s life and an illuminating look at her afterlife in the popular imagination. Why is Anne so compelling? Why has she inspired such extreme reactions? What did she really look like? 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, Bordo probes the complexities of one of history’s most infamous relationships.

Bordo also shows how generations of polemicists, biographers, novelists, and filmmakers imagined and re-imagined Anne: Whore, martyr, cautionary tale, proto “mean girl,” feminist icon, and everything in between. In this lively audiobook, Bordo steps off the well-trodden paths of Tudoriana to expertly tease out the human being behind the competing mythologies.

©2013 Susan Bordo (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Good Narrator

It's a great topic. I always enjoy all the stories about this character. The book is very informative but sometimes sort of boring that I want to stop listening to it. But I am glad I bought it.

Best Boleyn Book!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Creation of Anne Boleyn to be better than the print version?

YES! Barbara Rosenblat added so much to the text. She read it with the wit and sarcasm the book is intended to be read with. I admit (and I don't do so lightly), I could have never have matched Rosenblat's mastery and enthusiasm in my own mind. Rosenblat's style is fun and simply delicious!

What other book might you compare The Creation of Anne Boleyn to and why?

Hmmm, I can't think of any. This book had so much going on. It's written in that contemporary way that women (especially feminist) are writing today (like in "American's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines" by Gail Collins to give an idea and that too is another great read). You know, it's sorta like talking with your girlfriends. That is one of the most charming things about this book. When you read this, it's as if Bordo is poring you a glass of wine saying "now, about that sixth finger..." She goes into the TV series, films and books on Henry and Anne and shakes out a lot of the BS. She does this in a scholarly academic way that allows the reader to trust her with her piles of research, references and historical documentation.

Have you listened to any of Barbara Rosenblat’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't. I did look her up on Audible but nothing else she has done looks compelling to me. I will just keep re-reading this one, ha!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

You know, I really did. Bordo asks one question I never thought of before and that is simply why. Why in the hell did he do it. I mean he was a known cheat, (having already had at least one son out of wedlock by this point) so why would he kill her. Granted her allegations (all false of course) that she had slept with George and countless others is gripping but still, why didn't he just send her to a nunnery or lock her in the tower. The horror of it really gets you like being bitten--he chopped off her head. One day he was making love to her, and another legally ordering her beheading. It hits you as you pour over this text. She writes on why Henry might have done it in great detail...so I won't spoil it here on what she suggests!

very good analogy of anne boleyn

This book takes the reader through the many faces of Anne Boleyn. From the historical records, to modern day film, and books each presents the Anne Boleyn that comes through their own eyes. She was a witch, a heroine of the Reformation, a seductress, or a saint. Whichever Anne appeals to you she's the woman, the wife, the queen, and the martyr that will be talked about for centuries to come.

Great narration and a pleasure to listen to

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes - several passages made me burst out laughing. The author has a wonderful sense of humor and the narrator has a great sense of timing and tone.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book after listening to the short clip. I have to say, the narration is what sold me. I actually thought that the author had narrated the book based on her ease and familiarity with the text.

The book is well researched and peppered with scholarly citations. The author is very clear when she is expressing a view point of her own and makes numerous comments about the reliability of her various sources.

This is a really enjoyable book that explores the intersection between pop culture, public interest and history while delivering a insightful look into the main players of Tutor England and Henry's court.

Entertaining and Informative!

If you could sum up The Creation of Anne Boleyn in three words, what would they be?

Creative
Illuminating
Feminist

What other book might you compare The Creation of Anne Boleyn to and why?

I have read many other books about the Tudors and specifically about Anne Boleyn. I have always been fascinated by the amount of attention -often negative- that the Boleyns have received as a part of English history. This book addresses the infamy of Anne Boleyn and analyzes her history from a feminist, well-researched perspective. Highly recommend!

If you like the show "The Tudors", you will love this book

I had been hoping for a more or less historically accurate literary portrait of Anne Boleyn. Instead, I have what is essentially a play-by-play analysis of the show, "The Tudors". I have no desire to see that show, and certainly not after Ms Bordo's analysis of the historical flaws of it. This is essentially pop culture fluff interspersed with occasional facts drawn from history.

Additionally, Ms Rosenblat, the narrator, enunciates well and modulates her speech so as to heighten the drama where needed. To my ears, however, she sounds like a very heavy chain smoker, and her voice is similar to that of Harvey Fierstein. I keep expecting her to jump out of the narrative and into a big ole drag queen production. Her voice is quite distracting to me, and grates on my nerves if I listen too long.

If you don't mind listening to a chain smoker recite a play-by-play analysis of a mostly fictional show, you will love this book. For anyone looking for a reasonably correct historical analysis, just keep moving on.

Excellent Study of a Facinating Historical Figure

Anne Boleyn is a historical figure who has inspired a massive amount of fascination over the last few centuies since her death. In this piece, Bordo examines not only Anne Boleyn as a person, but also the four centuries worth of analysis and media representations dedicated to her. This study is incredibly engaging as it examines the change in the perspective of Boleyn as the times and culture progresses. This is book is well put together, informative and entertaining.

Anne Boleyn and her life

Excellent. Must read for fans of the Tudor times and especially Anne Boleyn. I loved it and it has sparked an even deeper interest in her complex character.

Distracting Narration

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only if I knew they were already interested in the Tudors.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is a non-fiction title, so not applicable.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator's performance was distracting because she injected every word with an over-abundance of emotion; emotions I don't necessarily think the author felt. I found it very hard to focus on what she was actually saying because I was so annoyed by her over-acting.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

If it were a documentary, I would definitely watch it on TV!

Any additional comments?

I had previously listened to this narrator read another non-fiction book and enjoyed her performance. However, on this one her flamboyant reading of the text was so annoying that I couldn't wait for it to be done. Her talents might be more appropriate for a fictional story.

Worth the time and money but nothing startling

Good solid coverage of the topic and some of the surrounding issues around feminism, real politick, history wars and the like.