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King Fool Margaret Campbell Barnes 9781402219023 Books

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King Fool Margaret Campbell Barnes 9781402219023 Books

I wish that the book would have borne some semblance of the item depicted. "King's Fool" by Margaret Campbell Barnes. Instead, it appeared as a very small, yellowed paperback that I suspect had been hidden away in some confined musty place for more than a half of a century. Out of the shipping packaging and into the waste bin in one swift move. Oh, I give one star for prompt delivery! Have purchased several used books with sellers and always pleased. Won't trust this particular seller again. Sorry not kinder words, Biblio.


Tags : King's Fool [Margaret Campbell Barnes] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <h2> A moving and lifelike portrait... a thoroughly delightful novel. - <em>New York Times</em></h2> Country-lad-turned-jester Will Somers tells the behind-the-scenes story of King Henry VIII and his six wives. Told by the man who saw the triumphs and tragedies,Margaret Campbell Barnes,King's Fool,Sourcebooks Landmark,1402219024,Historical,Literary,Courts and courtiers,Courts and courtiers;Fiction.,Great Britain - History - Henry VIII, 1509-1547,Great Britain;History;Henry VIII, 1509-1547;Fiction.,Henry,Historical fiction.,1491-1547,American Historical Fiction,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction General,Fiction Historical,Fiction Literary,Great Britain,Henry VIII, 1509-1547,Historical - General,Historical fiction,History,King of England,,VIII,

King Fool Margaret Campbell Barnes 9781402219023 Books Reviews

I have read many works of historical fiction by Margaret Campbell Barnes and this is one of my very favorites. Ms. Barnes is a very accomplished author of novels set in this era who is gifted with an exceptional ability to capture real-sounding period dialogue without sounding stilted or stagy, as well as to condense many years into a short span without losing anything important or seeming rushed. This particular work is told as a memoir of Will Somers, lifelong companion to Henry VIII in the role of court jester, a position which afforded him an insider's view of the tumult of the Tudor court. The book is actually more about Will himself which is quite acceptable as his own "personal" (if fictional) story is heart-warming enough on its own. I ended up feeling warmth and affection toward very many characters met in these pages, most of whom are historical personages. Barnes' retelling of familiar events, particularly the parade of failed marriages as Henry becomes more and more desperate to sire an heir, still seems fresh as narrated by one who witnessed them first hand and personally knew the players. This is by no means a ponderous work, but is rather a charming and delightful "up close and personal" scoop lovingly told by a witty, kind and personable fellow whose stories I knew I would miss hearing after finishing the last page. Not a major 5-star masterpiece, but nonetheless merits high marks.
I have read many books about Henry VIII, and while different in their own ways, they still tended to be the pretty much the same. The King's Fool, however, was a completely different take on Henry, and I enjoyed it immensely.

I'm not going to summarize since it's already been done here, but Will Sommers is such a likeable, caring, every-day kinda man. He's not abusive of the Kings friendship, he's not out to make a fortune or to climb as high as he can in Tudor society. He can't be bought with bribes, or intimidated by the men who happen to riding high at the moment, because he knows they can only climb so high. Many of the men Henry once found favor with ended up losing their heads.

Will Sommers is also a simple man. He became the Kings fool quite accidentally, but he rose to the challenge and did something almost no other man could do...have a genuine and deep 20+ year friendship with the King. He married the woman he was head-over-heels in love with, had a family, and led a quiet, humble life during his 'off' time.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this. HOWEVER!...if you are unfamiliar with the story of King Henry VIII and his 6 wives, I do NOT think you should start with this book. Many important thing are omitted from this story or mentioned only in a sentence or two (my guess is because they didn't affect Will directly), and unless you know when everything takes place, time could be very difficult for a Henry armature to decipher. Will rarely mentions specific years, so the only thing you really have to go on as far as finding out what year you're reading about, is to see which wife Henry is married to at the time. That aside, this was a GREAT book! It was my first Margaret Campbell Barnes book, but certainly not my last!
Margaret Campbell Barnes (1891-1962) was an English author of British royal history. "King's Fool" is a 1959 novel. It is a story told in the first person by Will Somers. a Shropshire lad,who became the court jester at the royally decadent court of Henry VIII (who reigned from 1509-46). The novel deals in detail with the love affair between Will and the lovely Joanna Fermor. Joanna is the daughter of Richard Fermor a wealthy landowner who employs Will. Will is noticed by the robust merry monarch on a visit to London and serves Henry VIII for several years as fool, confidant and friend.
The novel discusses all six wives of Henry VIII
1. Catherine of Aragaon Catherine was wed to Prince Arthur the older brother of Henry., When he died she was married to Henry. Henry divorced her because she failed to produce a male heir to the throne. Henry was involved in a torrid love affair with Anne Boleyn. Catherine's daughter Mary became Queen of England in 1553.
2. Ann Boleyn-She was Henry's second wife. She failed to produce a male heir though she did give birth to Queen Elizabeth I. She was beheaded for infidelity by decreee of Henry.
3. Jane Seymour of Wolf Hall was Henry's third mate. She gave birth to Edward VI dying shortly afterwards.
4. Anne of Cleves was called the "Flemish mare" when Henry saw her in the flesh. He executed his Chancellor Thomas Cromwell for setting up the marital alliance. Anne was allowed to live in England and was know of us as the King's Sister.
5. Katherine Howard was the callow, sex mad young girl who wed Henry. She was executed for having lovers including Thomas Culpepper one of Henry's young noblemen who assisted him in his duties.
Katherine Parr was a twice widowed woman who was Henry's last wife. When he died she wed Thomas Seymour.
Margaret Campbell Barnes is worth reading because
a. She has an elegant writing style highly detailed and descrptive of life in Tudor England.
b. She has done her historical research to give a realistic picture of life during the reign of Henry VIII.
c. Her use of Will Somers as the first person narrative allows the reader to get a different perspective of how we view Henry, his wives and his court.
d. Fascinating characters including Thomas Cromwell; Thomas More, Thomas Cranmer and other colorful court figures.
King's Fool is a fine historical novel which will provide hours of enjoyment for those persons who enjoy this
genre.
I wish that the book would have borne some semblance of the item depicted. "King's Fool" by Margaret Campbell Barnes. Instead, it appeared as a very small, yellowed paperback that I suspect had been hidden away in some confined musty place for more than a half of a century. Out of the shipping packaging and into the waste bin in one swift move. Oh, I give one star for prompt delivery! Have purchased several used books with sellers and always pleased. Won't trust this particular seller again. Sorry not kinder words, Biblio.