The Fifth QueenKatherine Howard, clever, beautiful and out-spoken, catches the jaded eye of Henry VIII and becomes his fifth Queen. Corruption and fear pervade the King's court, and the dimly lit corridors vibrate with the intrigues of unscrupulous courtiers hungry for power. Soon Katharine is locked in a vicious battle with Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Privy Seal, as she fights for political and religious change. Ford saw the past as an integral part of present experience and understanding, and his sharply etched vision of the court of Henry VIII echoes aspects of Edwardian England as well as exploring the pervading influence of power, lies, fear and anxiety on people's lives. |
Contents
THE FIFTH QUEEN and how she came to court | 7 |
PRIVY SEAL His Last Venture | 233 |
THE FIFTH QUEEN CROWNED A Romance | 415 |
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Common terms and phrases
answered Archbishop arms asked beard believe beneath Bishop body bring brought called cast Cicely Cleves coming Court cousin cried Cromwell Culpepper dark door England eyes face fair fear feet fell fingers friends give gone hand hath head hear heard heavy held Henry Highness hold Katharine Katharine Howard keep King King's knees knew Lady Mary land Lascelles laughed learned letter light lips listen looked Lord Lord Privy Seal magister maid Margot matter mind moved never night once passed Poins pray Privy Seal Queen Rochford round seemed seen sent serve shoulders side sound speak spoke stay stood suddenly talk tell thee things thou thought Throckmorton true turned Udal uttered voice wall woman write young
Popular passages
Page viii - Slack's greenhouse comes back to you, we saw that Life did not narrate, but made impressions on our brains. We in turn, if we wished to produce on you an effect of life, must not narrate but render impressions.
Page viii - It is here in very truth that he competes with life; it is here that he competes with his brother the painter in his attempt to render the look of things, the look that conveys their meaning, to catch the colour, the relief, the expression, the surface, the substance of the human spectacle.
Page vii - Ford's last Fifth Queen novel is amazing. The whole cycle is a noble conception — the swan song of Historical Romance — and frankly I am glad to have heard it.
References to this book
Fiction's Present: Situating Contemporary Narrative Innovation R. M. Berry,Jeffrey R. Di Leo Limited preview - 2015 |