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.

Not so much a biography...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

More historical information and even speculation about Anne herself, less talking about the shortcomings of other people's books. This came off as more of a lengthy college essay than a book.

What was most disappointing about Susan Bordo’s story?

I was expecting more of a biography about the life of Anne Boleyn, but only about a quarter of the text was actually about Anne. Most of it ended up being a critique of other author's works on the same topics (both factual history and novels) and how they portrayed Anne. She also reviewed websites and mentioned Facebook pages. She went on to talk about Anne's influence on feminism. Quite a bit of the book was about feminist views and how people might have viewed Anne in modern times, speculated on how she might have been a leader in the feminist movement, etc.

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

This is the first time I've listened to anything narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, but she did a stellar job. She had a lot of enthusiasm and her narration style is actually what kept me listening.

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

Absolutely not.

criticism of the contemporary

Not a book about Anne. It is a criticism and review of portrayals and written literature about her.

great listen

Would you listen to The Creation of Anne Boleyn again? Why?

There are many facts, it is hard to remember them all. I might buy a hard copy just for reference and spot reading

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The debunking of many of the myths surrounding Anne and Henry.

Any additional comments?

As a teenager, I loved reading about Anne and her daughter, Elizabeth, so seeing Anne of a 1000 Days at its original release was enthralling. Now as an more mature woman, it is interesting to understand why and learn the reality behind the myths. I mean, I really thought she had told Henery that Elizabeth would be a greater Queen. I wanted to enjoy HBO's The Tudor's but a short, and in comparison, emaciated Henry just didn't work for me. Apparently I didn't miss much.

A fascinating and Informed cultural history

The book was not what I expected, nevertheless I consider it a must read for enthusiasts of historical fiction and biographies. The authors' tone is sometimes irreverent as she discusses the variously depicted literary/movie versions of Anne Boleyn's' intentions and character. She exposes a bias in the historical record which leads to Anne's vilification and she promotes a more balanced vision of Anne as a complex human being who created her own reality with unusual courage and resolve.

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.