No need to review a book by Ford Maddox Ford as he is a master who never gets stale. Having read his other work, most notably "The Good Soldier," I was curious when I came upon this reissued novel in the book store. I had never heard of it. There is a knowledgable introduction by A.S. Byatt and the more I read, the more I felt this was a good book to read in today's dramatic political climate. Written between 1906 and 1908, it was originally published in three parts. Ford fiddles with history. The fifth queen is, of course, Katherine Howard, Henry V's fifth wife. And we all know what that means--not long for this world! It is pretty well accepted in today's world that Katherine Howard was a flirty, flighty, though well-educated young girl. She had little supervision as a child and as a teen, her escapades could not stand close scrutiny.
Ford changes the character of Katherine and presents her as a devout Catholic who truly believed she could bring Henry and England back to the church and strengthen ties with Spain. What this does is pit her against Cromwell, a master schemer and architect of Henry's England. Even a highly sophisticated and astute woman (her cousin Anne Boleyn) would have little chance of survival in the midst of court intrigues and jockeying for power in the Tudor court. Poor Katherine, naive and the most beautiful of all Henry's wives, was somewhere between the ages of 15 and 18 when she was pushed forward by her Howard relatives to catch Henry's eye. (Though Ford doesn't bring this into the book). Mainly we see Katherine caught between the different court factions and men who were in love with her themselves.
There is an interesting meeting between the spy, Throckmorton, and Katherine where he advises Katherine to be mindful of the intriguing around her, "It is folly to be too proud to fight the world with the world's weapons." Katherine's world was already in the past when she arrived at court. Romanticism and chivalry were taken over by the pragmatism of Machiavellian Cromwell, ushering Henry and the country into a differ political paradigm. In the end, both Cromwell and Katherine lose their heads, as alliances form and reform.
Ford presents Katherine as pure and unfailingly honest, a maker of her own destiny. She was open about her choices to those who betrayed her. She insisted on taking responsibility for her beliefs and actions. There is little mention of her Norfolk and Howard relatives using her as a pawn to destroy Cromwell.
Ford has given us a powerful study of the politics of the changing world of the late Middle Ages. The book is written in colloquial language, much like reading Shakespeare. As one reads, the rhythm of the language becomes natural. Not everyone will want to read this lengthily novel which uses the language of the period. It also requires a suspension of what we know of the historical Katherine Howard. However, it is such a worthwhile read. I highly recommend it to those who care to take the time and attention to give to this amazing feat of writing.
No comments:
Post a Comment