Brief Gaudy Hour: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
by Margaret Campbell Barnes
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark
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Reviewed by Laura Cococcia
For historical fiction fans, Brief Gaudy Hour: A Novel of Anne Boleyn is a must-read. We’ve heard the stories, the hit movies and an enthusiastic few have explored the numerous novels. Yet, Campbell Barnes has the unique ability to make the story of Anne Boleyn a new one, and make the reader feel that it is an account equally as accurate as the history books and numerous other novels. While we may already know the story, how it starts and how it ends, the author takes a new approach: she has us decide whether or not we truly knew the main character.
First published in 1949, this novel of Anne Boleyn paints a gripping portrait of one of the most ambitious women in history. What’s exceptional about this piece is that it is both a plot-driven and character-driven novel where the reader already knows much about the plot as well as the character. Moreover, the descriptions of what life was like at court are more than just scenes, but are real interactions noting the art of people and play that was considered the actual business of court.
Most historical accounts position Boleyn as a vixen. Yet the author takes a new approach where we see how cunning Boleyn was, but we also see her power. What the author considers is that, perhaps, she was simply a young woman struggling to find her way and self in a male-dominated world. And perhaps for that, for trying her best to survive in these circumstances, she could be considered a modern-day feminist, a valid pre-cursor to her daughter, Elizabeth I.
From a person who loves historical fiction and has read numerous pieces of Tudor fiction, A Brief Gaudy Hour was a refreshing approach to a known tale. Even those who aren’t versed in or naturally drawn to historical fiction will find this a brilliant story and character portrayal.
Armchair Interviews agrees.