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- Title: Lives of the Queens of England Volume 5
- Author: Agnes Strickland
- Narrator: Ann Boulais
- Length: 14:57:43
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 22/09/2016
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: History, Europe
- ISBN13: SABLIB9784084
As I settled into my favorite armchair with a cup of jasmine tea, the same one I used to drink during my research fellowship at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, I pressed play on Ann Boulais’ narration of “Lives of the Queens of England Volume 5”. The crackling fireplace and Boulais’ crisp enunciation transported me back to that glorious summer when I first discovered the Strickland sisters’ works amidst the library’s ancient stacks. This audiobook experience offers a fascinating time capsule of Victorian historiography, particularly in its treatment of Katharine Parr and Mary I – two queens whose legacies continue to spark debate in my graduate seminars on gender and power.
The Stricklands’ approach reminds me of my first encounter with Murakami’s bilingual narratives – just as his stories shift meaning between Japanese and English, these queenly biographies transform when moving from printed page to spoken word. Boulais’ measured pacing allows listeners to appreciate the Victorian cadences of the prose, though modern ears might notice the absence of contemporary feminist analysis that my students now expect. The narration particularly shines in dramatic moments like Katharine Parr’s narrow escape from political intrigue, where Boulais modulates her tone to create genuine suspense.
What fascines me most is how this volume exemplifies the Victorian tension between moral instruction and historical documentation. Listening to the description of Mary I’s reign, I recalled heated classroom debates about whether we should judge historical figures by contemporary standards. The Stricklands’ portrayal, filtered through Boulais’ nuanced delivery, presents both the queen’s religious fervor and her political calculations without modern psychological framing – a valuable case study in historiography’s evolution.
Through a cultural lens, this audiobook reveals how Victorian women historians carved space for female narratives within male-dominated academic circles. The sisters’ access to previously unused sources makes this work particularly noteworthy, though Boulais’ occasional stumbles with archaic terms remind us of the linguistic gulf between Victorian and modern English. The audio format actually enhances some sections, particularly the descriptions of court ceremonies, which gain immediacy when heard aloud.
While the production lacks musical cues or dramatic effects found in newer historical audiobooks, this minimalist approach suits the material. It mirrors my experience teaching with primary sources – sometimes the unadorned text speaks most powerfully. The free availability through LibriVox makes this an excellent resource for educators and history buffs alike, though serious scholars will want to supplement it with more recent biographies.
This volume’s treatment of Katharine Parr as both scholar and survivor particularly resonates after my semester exploring early modern women’s writing. Boulais captures Parr’s intellectual vitality in the passages about her theological writings, though modern listeners might wish for more contextualization about Renaissance humanism’s influence. The parallel journeys of these two Tudor queens – one remembered for scholarship, the other for religious persecution – create compelling audio narrative arcs that hold surprising relevance today.
With scholarly appreciation for historical voices, both past and present,
Prof. Emily Chen
