By the time King Henry VIII has decided to wed Catherine Parr, all of England (indeed, all of Europe), knows it's more of a death sentence than a blessing to be his wife. Poor Catherine Parr, who has been married twice to older men and never borne a child becomes saddled with an aging and angry king, knowing full well what is likely to be her end. All of Henry's wives had tragic lives, and Parr's is no exception. Plaidy draws out her subject's pain and misfortune with finesse, and readers are immediately sucked into a gilded world of intrigue and danger.

After being married to two much older and gentler (compared to Henry) men, Catherine hopes to settle down with the dashing Thomas Seymour. Seymour hopes the same; although the jerk's motives are not nearly as pure as hers. Unfortunately for everyone involved, this is when Henry notices Catherine. Even from before they're married, Catherine tries to rebuff the king by telling him she's barren, thinking this will deter him. However, Harry claims to not mind, thinking he wants a more "sober" woman in his older years.

However, as soon as the two are married, problems crop up. Catherine never becomes pregnant, and despite this being the constant theme from her past relationships, Henry is incensed. To pass the time, she dotes on her stepchildren. She is also drawn to the "forbidden" ideas of Protestantism, and she has taken to reading forbidden books and discussing the topics with her inner circle. Once Henry has decided to be rid of her, these faults snap at Catherine's heels, and she has many narrow escapes. There's a moment where a lord is carrying the signed warrant for her arrest when he drops it, and Catherine's servant intercepts it. I never realized before how narrowly Catherine avoided being beheaded like her predecessors. The novel was fraught with tension, and it was truly an enjoyable read, even while it was nerve-wracking.

Unfortunately, even after the death of Henry, Catherine's life doesn't improve much. She dies young, embittered and depressed. I felt for her. Compared to Henry's other wives, Catherine Parr feels the most relatable. She's a simple woman who just wants to marry the man she loves and raise her family in the idyllic countryside. These are things most everyone wants, but since she is a queen and later a dowager queen, she must be subjected to ambitious people who use her for her fortune and influence, and her realization of this when she catches her fourth husband in a compromising position is heart-breaking.

However, I dock this a whole star because of the portrayal of Princess Elizabeth. Throughout the novel, Elizabeth ages from a child of 8 or 9 to an adolescent. She is also set up as a sort of rival for Catherine Parr as various men contemplate marrying either of them for material gain. Elizabeth is painted as someone who is aware of this but who is also sensual and passionate, despite only being a literal child. Sure, teenagers can rebel and think they're on equal footing with an adult whom they have a crush on, but it's problematic, in my mind, to portray young Elizabeth as someone who was "asking for it". For those saying that girls just married younger back then, that is true, but not to the extent that we think. It was not common practice for girls under the age of 13 to be sexually active, so I find it in very poor taste to illustrate a 9 year old Elizabeth as being sexually desirable and being aware of it.

Aside from the disturbing scenes regarding Elizabeth, the novel is well-written, and the pacing is excellent. Readers are kept on the edge of their seat the entire time while their hearts simultaneously break for such a tragic figure in Tudor history. ( )

I enjoyed the book but I am not a fan of Katherine Parr - she was the boring wife compared to the others. I know she had no choice in marrying Henry VIII but she also didn't try to make her mark either. It could have been that she was afraid of poking the bear so to speak. Jean Plaidy did a great job of outlining the dull life she lead with Henry but I am eager to move on to the next book in the series. ( )

what a sad life she had. marriage to 2 old farts that she looked after, then to Henry another old fart who had swx with her and blamed her for no kids, then to Seymour who was hot for her goddaughter Elizabeth, then had a child and died only about 35. ( )

“The Sixth Wife” proved rather a tedious experience and one of Jean Plaidy’s weakest novels. I’ve read several books about Katharine Parr, all of which were more engaging than this one.

Too much “telling” rather than “showing” is the biggest problem. Don’t explain what characters are like; show it via action and dialogue.

To me, this is the worse characterisation of Henry VIII that I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of novels that feature this fascinating king. The author over-describes Henry’s thoughts and “tells” us what he’s like too often. His deathbed scene is a melodramatic mess.

Regarding dialogue, this novel has an inconsistency in language. It’s a blend of old-style English and modern English, albeit the modern language is tainted not only with the passive voice, but with mixed-up syntax.

For example, at one point Henry VIII says: “It doth, Kate, and it shall. Thou mayest rest assured of that. Thou art good to kiss.” And later: “Are you a fool, Chancellor?”

Also compare: “There is no joy for me in this life if thou sharest it not with me” with “I would do you no harm.”

It’s not just inconsistent, it’s unbelievable that someone would radically alter their manner of speech this way. Ideally, the language should be contemporary, although I realise some people prefer it to be as authentic as possible, even though it slows the narrative flow. Point is, an author should pick one style and stay with it, and not keep mixing it up

Another annoying trait this author has is writing with hindsight. Her characters say or think prophetic things, which is too unrealistic.

For example, Thomas Seymour has this unrealistic feeling, which is as good as a premonition: >He was certain of ultimate success with the Princess Elizabeth; he felt sure she would one day be Queen of England.When he contemplated his good Catholic Queen Mary on the throne he could almost smell the fires of Smithfield. Why is it, he pondered, that she cannot give me sons? If she would but give me a son I should not be displeased with her. Why had he not another son? Why, why should sons be denied him? It seemed that the bells continually warned her: “Sons, sons, sons!””I think of those others… Anne Boleyn and Catharine Howard.” ( )

Katherine Parr escaped with both her neck and her life as the final wife of the monstrous King Henry VIII. She went on to marry the love of her life Thomas Seymore, only to find that he was not quite the man she thought him to be. ( )