The Queen of Subtleties

О книге: A tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry’s queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the kitchens of the Tudor court.Everyone knows the story of Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII divorced his longstanding, long-suffering, older, Spanish wife for a young, black-eyed English beauty, and, in doing so, severed England from Rome and indeed from the rest of the western world. Then, when Henry had what he wanted, he managed a mere three years of marriage before beheading his wife for alleged adultery with several men, among them his own best friend and her own brother.This is the context for Suzannah Dunns wonderful new novel, which is about – and told by – two women: Anne Boleyn, kings mistress and fated queen; and Lucy Cornwallis, the kings confectioner, an employee of the very highest status, who made the centrepiece of each of the feasts to mark the important occasions in Annes ascent. Theres another link between them, though: the lovely Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician, the innocent on whom, ultimately, Annes downfall hinged…Suzannah Dunn has all the equipment needed for literary-commercial success: wit, a mastery of dialogue, brilliant characterization, lack of pretence, and good humour. The Queen of Subtleties adds to that mix a wonderfully balanced, strong story; Dunn has plumped for a fascinating retelling of one of the most often-told, most compelling stories of our islands history. In doing so, shes turning from contemporary stories to historical fiction. The result is sensational.