Thursday, June 19, 2008

A Novel Idea....

I picked up a book last evening which I was considering reading. I'm not going to mention the title, but it's historical fiction. Two of the three main characters are Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

To my surprise, I found the following disclaimer inside the book:

"This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental."

Am I the only person that sees that as funny??? I cracked up laughing.

What are we saying here? Is the disclaimer saying that Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, and Anne Boleyn were merely figments of the author's imagination? That Anne Boleyn was not mother to the future Queen Elizabeth I and never lost her head to an executioner's sword? Sorry if that's a spoiler. But if that comes as a surprise, then you really must not have been paying attention in school. I was approximately four to five years old when I "met" Anne at the Royal London Wax Museum in Victoria and was told that she had her head cut off. Always the master of wise-cracks, Dad asked, "Why is she wearing a pearl necklace?" When I said I didn't know, he replied, "So they could cut on the dotted line."

Is it suggesting that England and the Tower of London are make believe? If that's so, that's pretty wild. You see, I've been both to England and the Tower of London. I've seen armour that belonged to Henry and I've stood on Tower Green where Anne was executed. This was in 1981 - long before this book was written. I even have photographic evidence.

I know the intent of the disclaimer: no one knows exactly what words passed between these people, and, obviously there probably are some characters that the author created. That being said, the far-reaching scope of the disclaimer just struck me as pretty funny.