Mistress Anne

The Exceptional Life of Anne Boleyn

By: Carolly Erickson

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A powerful ruler, an alluring young woman, a scandal that would rock the nation: Anne Boleyn’s life story sounds more like a juicy TV docu-drama than a chapter of English history. Although she is not of noble birth or even especially beautiful, Anne Boleyn manages to rise to the very pinnacle of the English aristocracy.

Renowned for her extraordinarily vivid recreations of historical events, Carolly Erickson brings out the full fascinating story of the enigmatic Anne Boleyn. Erickson paints an engaging portrait of this intriguing woman and her tragic life, from her early education in court intrigue, through her courtship and controversial marriage to Henry VIII, to the day she mounts the scaffold.

With her expertise in the Tudor period, her sensitivity to sexual and political nuance, and her eminently readable prose style, Carolly Erickson is the ideal biographer for the elusive Anne Boleyn. Narrator Simon Prebble’s elegant performance evokes all of the bittersweet drama of Boleyn’s exceptional life and the tumultuous times in which she lived.

©1984 Carolly Erickson (P)1998 Recorded Books, LLC

Perspective

Isn’t interesting how perspective alters our perception? I have studied and read many texts on Anne Boleyn’ slide. Each time, I discover something new and different. This retelling was straightforward and insightful. It was not dramatic or prone to emotional prose. I found it informative but not necessarily entertaining.

I loved the performance

It was worth it! I loved the details and the performance is not annoying. Enjoyed it many times.

Loved it

Not exactly accurately written,but quite enjoyed it. Still close enough,to make it worth a listen.

Excellent biography of Henry VIII’s most famous wife

For those of us who still love Big Harry, despite his glutinous, tyrannical, blood-lusting notoriety, this is a brilliant chronicle of the most famous (and during her lifetime, most infamous) of his six wives. Anne Boleyn, or as I sometimes playfully refer to as Anne BERLIN, is portrayed here as accurately as possible. She was a boldly ambitious young woman who was never afraid to speak her mind and stick her nose where it didn’t belong; she was a proud shrew who plagued Harry when she didn’t get her way and at this she ultimately drove him away, leaving their once fever-pitch romance forever in the past. But she is also portrayed correctly as a victim / martyr. She was fully innocent of all the crimes she’d been accused of. It was Harry’s obsessive need for a son that Anne’s fate depended on. This obsession was a source of great stress on her part and she ultimately failed to produce a living male heir.

Despite all this, however, Anne had the last laugh at all of her detractors (and even Henry himself) when her only surviving child, Elizabeth (the liveliest and brightest of all Henry’s children) outlived each of her siblings and went on to be England’s greatest monarch. With Elizabeth’s reign, which ushered in the Golden Age of England, Anne was finally vindicated and all her enemies were silenced.

Carolly Erikson has put together a highly stimulating account of Anne Boleyn which should be a pleasing addition to any lover of the Elizabethan era. Highly recommended.

Well done

Many interesting details about the relationship that I had not found elsewhere. This was history as storytelling and very well done.

Dated but interesting

A bit overly sensationalized, Erickson pumps up the drama with “facts” that have since been disproved. It’s gossipy more than historically accurate, but as long as you don’t take it as gospel, it’s a decent read.

Top Shelf

Love the detail and narrator. Story flows from chapter to chapter with anticipation of what comes next. A troubled relationship by two psychologically troubled individuals. Both Ann and Henry were too much alike.

Entertaining and enlightening

An enjoyable listen for those interested in the history of the Tudors and the wives of King Henry VIII.

Excellent outline of Anne Boleyn

This depiction of Anne Boleyn is excellent: it’s entertaining, factually based, and a great listen. Other reviewers claim it’s inaccurate due to exhumation proving Anne didn’t have six fingers. That’s impossible to prove by exhumation. No one claims she had a full sixth finger. Instead, there are written records of her having a sixth nail on her little finger and a large mole/growth on her neck. Neither would show on skeleton remains. There’s simply no way to know either way. All we can rely are writings from the time period and then decide whether they’re accurate or biased against Anne. In other words, no way to know for sure. This read provides insight into the history and motivations that put Anne’s head on the block. Truly fascinating listen.

Just OK for me.

Not my favorite - the reader was excellent but the story tended to drag on.