The Boleyn Inheritance (The Tudor Court, #3)

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The Boleyn Inheritance (The Tudor Court #3)

by Philippa Gregory (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 43,621 ratings · 3,094 reviews

Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance

Anne of Cleves
She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck...more

Hardcover, 518 pages

Published December 5th 2006 by Touchstone (first published August 28th 2006)

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The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Best Historical Fiction

56th out of 3,151 books — 13,798 voters

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

Best Books About Tudor England

3rd out of 350 books — 904 voters

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Aug 30, 2007 Kristen Boers rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who would have liked "The Other Boleyn Girl" if it wasn't so presumptuous.

My favorite Phillipa Gregory book was "The Other Boleyn Girl." I read that book about 6 months before it blew up the bestseller list. My father had seen it at a book store and thought I might like it. So, he bought it for me. I read it. I liked it. It blew up. So then came 'Queens Fool' 'The Virgin's Lover' 'A Constant Princess' and now, 'The Boleyn Inheritence.' Things seem to have gotten worse with each Gregory book. I liked 'The Boleyn Inheritence' in the same way that I like to eat at Chili...more My favorite Phillipa Gregory book was "The Other Boleyn Girl." I read that book about 6 months before it blew up the bestseller list. My father had seen it at a book store and thought I might like it. So, he bought it for me. I read it. I liked it. It blew up. So then came 'Queens Fool' 'The Virgin's Lover' 'A Constant Princess' and now, 'The Boleyn Inheritence.' Things seem to have gotten worse with each Gregory book. I liked 'The Boleyn Inheritence' in the same way that I like to eat at Chili's in the Atlanta airport. It's an ok expereince, there could be worse for sure, but it certainly is not an experience I seek out when I am not in the Atlanta airport.
In fact, I bought this book in the Atlanta airport. A week before I left for my trip my friend Hannah and I were in the bookstore looking at the book, and both of us had been kind of disappointed with Phillipa Gregory lately, and we both decided not to get the book, knowing that one of us would cave and get it eventually lend it to the other. Well, Hannah wins. I caved. And while I'm not sorry I did, I 'm not particularly glad I did either.
The thing I've noticed about Gregory is that with each book she seems to trust her audience less and less, emphasizing key plot points and methapors countless times, to make sure the audience gets how important these things are. I tried counting how many times the term "Boleyn Inheritence" came up, but I gave up 1oo pages in. We get it, they inheresited physical things as well as a legacy. Stop beating that metaphorical horse. Which makes me think that maybe the audience has become the kind of people who need things re-itereated constantly. Then I get mad at Phillipa Gregory for selling out. But it's not her fault, is it? It's the fault of the women who see these books as romance novels, ignoring the historical interest and the need to tell a good story in an artistic way. That's really what is lacking here. The artistic, readable, intriguing narrative from "The Other Boleyn Girl" has been watered down and served with a side of fries. Which is fine. For some people. But not for me. So, you could read this book. Or you could read "The Other Boleyn Girl." It's like the difference between Chili's and The Outback. They're both chains, but one is just a little classier, just a little more expensive, just a little better tasting.(less)

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Feb 26, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-seller

You have to hand it to Philippa Gregory — she creates a lot of suspense out of a story everyone knows the ending to. Normally I don’t much go in for historical fiction, but this was available at the library on cd and I had a road trip coming up, so, in the words of Katherine Howard, “Voilà!” I was entertained, though not enthralled.

The novel spans Henry VIII’s marriages to Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, and is narrated by three women: Anne, Katherine, and Lady Rochford (Jane Boleyn, siste...more You have to hand it to Philippa Gregory — she creates a lot of suspense out of a story everyone knows the ending to. Normally I don’t much go in for historical fiction, but this was available at the library on cd and I had a road trip coming up, so, in the words of Katherine Howard, “Voilà!” I was entertained, though not enthralled.

The novel spans Henry VIII’s marriages to Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, and is narrated by three women: Anne, Katherine, and Lady Rochford (Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law of beheaded Anne Boleyn). Anne of Cleves is both intelligent and honorable, and I felt for her as she slowly realizes that she’d exchanged the humiliations of her brother’s court for the life-threatening humiliations of Henry’s court. The only problem with Anne is her repetitive “realizations” of Henry’s insanity. “I think he must be mad!”; “I fear the king is mad!” “The country is ruled by a madman!” How many times can you be surprised by this? Anyway, it got a bit old, as did her droning on about her life being in danger, especially as we already know she doesn't end up beheaded. (Remember the rhyme: "Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.") And besides, Henry VIII wasn't insane, just selfish and corrupt.

The truly mad character is Lady Rochford, who yearns to return to the same court that had decimated her family a few years before. Even more unbelievably, she is shocked — shocked! — when her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, proves as duplicitously self-serving as ever. I mean, isn’t it obvious that if a man will throw one niece under the bus, he’d throw another one? Her machinations seem doomed from the start simply because of who she's taking orders from.

The real star of the show, however, is Katherine Howard, the endearingly materialistic, shallow, short-sighted teenage successor to Anne of Cleves. She’s not so much stupid as supremely unintellectual, with a genius for flirtation and blindness to danger. Surprisingly, I found myself rooting for this self-serving little hussy who didn't think twice about feigning ecstasy with a disgusting old man if it meant she'd get a new dress. There's something refreshing about a person who doesn't know you're supposed to hide your materialism.

In the audiobook the women are narrated by three different actresses, which adds immeasurably to the individual voice of each character —Katherine’s portrayal was spectacular. Fun to listen to on a drive, though I wouldn't waste the time to read it.
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Nov 28, 2007 Agnes rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who enjoy historical fiction with harlequin overtones

Oh, bad historical fiction, how I love thee!! I must confess that I had a hard time putting this down, much like its prequel "The Other Boleyn Girl." To be fair, the historical research is impressive, with the author using the most up-to-date resources and theories available about the reign of Henry VIII, but still...the sex scenes! The maidens! The lack of discussion of politics and historical context! Never mind, it was a great read and I'm sure I'll reread both books in a couple of years. (Ha...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Shy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, books-i-own, genre_historicalfiction

I was first introduced to Philippa Gregory when I watched movie adaptation of one of her novels. The Boleyn Inheritance is actually the third installment in her Tudor series and was preceded by The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl (The movie was adapted from this novel). I was a bit skeptical while reading the first few chapters of the book but was pleasantly surprised at how good it eventually turned out to be.

In The Boleyn Inheritance, King Henry VIII was no longer the handsome, bel...more I was first introduced to Philippa Gregory when I watched movie adaptation of one of her novels. The Boleyn Inheritance is actually the third installment in her Tudor series and was preceded by The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl (The movie was adapted from this novel). I was a bit skeptical while reading the first few chapters of the book but was pleasantly surprised at how good it eventually turned out to be.

In The Boleyn Inheritance, King Henry VIII was no longer the handsome, beloved young man that we met in The Other Boleyn Girl. He was portrayed as a fat, stinky, mad and paranoid tyrant, who ruled his country with such cruelty. When Anne of Cleves found out that the king chose her to be his forth wife, she treated it as a way to escape herself from her obnoxious brother and mother. Little did she knows what she got herself into and the devastating mistake she made during her first acquaintance with the king caused him to hate her ever since. In the Court, she met Katherine Howards, a very young, witty, naive lady-in-waiting, who was willing to do anything for few pairs of gowns, ribbons and jewelries. There was also Jane Boleyn, head of Queen's privy chamber, who was responsible for the death of her own husband and sister-in-law and also one who never hesitate to put others' head on the block for her own personal gain. This is the story about betrayal, backstabbing and political game that creates a question of who will be sustained enough to survive it in the end?

The thing that I love most in this book was the way it was narrated from three different viewpoints. Yes, some people might find it repetitive but in my opinion, it is fascinating to see the same plot being played in the mind of three different persons. It sort of acquaints us with these different personalities and make us understand further on what their personal intentions might really be. In term of character development, most of them are somewhat one dimensional but this is completely understandable because I believe it would be hard to let a historical figure evolves without deviating too far from the original fact of the story. The book was beautifully written until at some points, I feel like I can see them dancing, hear the music, feel the fear and smell the unpleasant scent of blood. Definitely a book that shouldn't be missed by any fans of historical fiction. (less)

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Jun 03, 2008 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical fiction lovers, Women 17 and up

Shelves: favorite, read-once

I read The Other Boleyn Girl first and that book should bow down to this one. The books hardly compare. This one is by far the better book. Although I greatly enjoyed both, for me this one was told in such a unique way and by women I didn't know much about that it grabbed me from the beginning. It tells the story from three different perspectives. One unexpected and extremley interesting the wife of Anne Boleyn's brother, now a widow. Lady Rochford (Jane Boleyn) is now a bitter older women wanti...more

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Apr 18, 2008 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: women who in the future will be that sort of crumbly old Harlequin Romance reader

Shelves: chick-lit

Hmm...do I recommend The Boleyn Inheritance?

NO.

Here's why:

1. It makes me acutely aware that if I enjoyed this series of Phillipa Gregory books in my youth, that when I get crumbly (read: old), I'll probably end up enjoying Harlequin Romance novels.

2. In The Boleyn Inheritance, as with The Other Boleyn Girl, Ms. Gregory writes with such myopic vision that I wanted to scream from the claustrophobic feeling. She writes around in circles, covering the same topic repeatedly with only slight variation...more Hmm...do I recommend The Boleyn Inheritance?

NO.

Here's why:

1. It makes me acutely aware that if I enjoyed this series of Phillipa Gregory books in my youth, that when I get crumbly (read: old), I'll probably end up enjoying Harlequin Romance novels.

2. In The Boleyn Inheritance, as with The Other Boleyn Girl, Ms. Gregory writes with such myopic vision that I wanted to scream from the claustrophobic feeling. She writes around in circles, covering the same topic repeatedly with only slight variation. Granted, that is perhaps the entire feel of living at court in King Henry VIII's time, and so she's reconstructing the aura through her writing style. The only redemption for it, though, was her use of three perspectives. In TOBG, we only got to see Mary's view with editorializing, so this new usage of three narrators was the only fresh air readers get.

3. If you are my mother-in-law or my grandmother, stop reading here.

Okay, now that it's just us frivolous girls, this novel is full of intrigue, backstabbing, political gaming, greed, beheading. All of which make the perfect plot. And then there's the s-e-x. Lots of s-e-x. Ugh. It churns my stomach, quite honestly, how incredibly detailed they get, how up close and personal they get with a topic that should, imo, be only personal/private. I'm not a prude...obviously, since I finished reading it when I should have set it aside. I know, I know, it's historical fiction, and King Henry VIII was really flatulent, had a huge, open, stinking, puss-oozing wound and was impotent to boot. I get it. Really, I get it. Ms. Gregory kept hitting me in the face with it all, though, and eventually I got fed up.

So, three reasons I won't recommend this to anyone. And yet, I can't help imagining that if a friend told me she read it, I'd probably grin and say, "Is it good for you?"

It did wrap up nicely the loose ends she left in TOBG, like Jane's (George's wife) betrayal being totally bogus. I enjoyed seeing her get her just desserts.

Now, on the other hand, if Ms. Gregory chooses to novelize Princess/Queen Mary's and Queen Elizabeth's reign, I might run headlong into those. If I remember correctly, there was NO sex there.(less)

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Feb 09, 2008 Jenn Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Tudor historical fiction

I picked this up immediately after reading The Other Boleyn Girl, unable to slake my thirst for more of Henry VIII and his court. I was skeptical, as all should be when embarking on a sequel of any sort, but was pleasantly surprised. Divided between three narrators, the evil and half-mad Jane Boleyn, the ill-fated Katherine Howard, and the strong survivor, Anne of Cleves, the reader gets a new perspective on the fourth and fifth wives of Henry VIII. Indeed, though I always knew that Anne of Cle...more

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Jun 12, 2007 Sammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-the-good

When I read that Philippa Gregory had a new book out I knew I just had to get it. Thankfully Christmas was just around the corner and there was still room under the tree for a book! I fell into reading it within days of unwrapping it and found myself in a completely different world in the first page.

Gregory has caught up, somewhat, to the successful story of The Other Boleyn Girl. She corrects the flaws from The Virgin's Lover with the way she presents the different perspectives. It still causes...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Bunny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-09

When I realized it was this book's turn on the list (I keep about 15 or so books in my car out of the library at a time, and go by order of the list on the library's site), I really wasn't excited. I considered returning it and thinking about picking it up later. I'm glad I didn't.

I really, really enjoy Gregory's style of writing, I have to admit. It's extremely easy to read, which isn't so easy when dealing with historical fiction.

I did not sympathize even a little bit with Katherine Howard. I...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: king-and-queen-tudor-dynasty, five-stars-best-i-ever-had

Well have taken a break from reading (I do that periodically when I get a string of disappointing reads and have no time to go library--been using lunch breaks to exercise but am again realizing I must excercise my mind too:) Anyways back to this glorious book..I must say I was pleasantly surprised by Mrs Gregory as I LOVED the book and movie The Other Boleyn Girl and so was hyped to read a tale of what happened after all that? In this book you learn the status of the poor beheaded Queen Anne's...more

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Jan 24, 2010 Lushbug rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic read. Really sucks you into the terrible Tudor age. Henry is brought to life as an old, smelly, fat, puss filled tyrant-deluded and feared by all, his every whim catered to.

Book is narrated by three people, Anne of Cleves who comes over as Henrys fourth bride, Katherine Howards who becomes his fifth wife and Lady Jane Rochford who is lady in waiting to both these brief queens.

Anne of Cleves comes across as a very sensible, kind woman. You can understand everyones confusion and dismay...more Fantastic read. Really sucks you into the terrible Tudor age. Henry is brought to life as an old, smelly, fat, puss filled tyrant-deluded and feared by all, his every whim catered to.

Book is narrated by three people, Anne of Cleves who comes over as Henrys fourth bride, Katherine Howards who becomes his fifth wife and Lady Jane Rochford who is lady in waiting to both these brief queens.

Anne of Cleves comes across as a very sensible, kind woman. You can understand everyones confusion and dismay when she is usurped as Queen by the silly, vain Katherine Howard simply because the King finds her more attractive. Anne handles her public casting off and humiliation well (imagine the embarrassment of knowing a fat old smelly king who repulses you has openly told the court he cant bed you as you have slack breasts and a fat belly) and being unable to defend yourself for fear of punishment and death. You can feel the fear of court-no one knows who will be caught in the trap and bedheaded on trumped up charges and everyone seems willing to turn on their friends to escape the axe.

Even Katherine was quite likable-at the end of the day she had had no parental authority in her life when growing up and spent her teenage years in idleness with other young girls-who can blame her for becoming a silly wanton intent on nothing but her own pleasure. I shuddered with repulsion alongside her when she has to endure the kings public groping and when she had to lie with him in a bed and try to conceive a child ( as her future depended on it) though he is well past the ability and must have made her want to vomit (being about twenty stone, smelly, with a fuss filled leg that constantly oozed and stank) urghhhh.

None of the three women get any choice in their life `We are all players in this game, but we do not choose our own moves'.

One of those books that made me want to read more on the Tudor queens and even the notorious Jane Rochaford and discover more about their life and times.

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Jan 15, 2009 Kallierose rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 04, 2008 Joyce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mainstream-fiction, historical-fiction

I quite enjoyed reading The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory. I knew little of Henry VIII’s two wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, beyond the 1970 BBC television series, “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”. Once I accustomed myself to the first person present narrative of Gregory’s book (which was a bit jarring at first), I found her telling of the stories of these two lesser-known queens fascinating. Katherine Howard particularly became uniquely sympathetic to me, her end quite heartbr...more I quite enjoyed reading The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory. I knew little of Henry VIII’s two wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, beyond the 1970 BBC television series, “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”. Once I accustomed myself to the first person present narrative of Gregory’s book (which was a bit jarring at first), I found her telling of the stories of these two lesser-known queens fascinating. Katherine Howard particularly became uniquely sympathetic to me, her end quite heartbreaking.

I had always been curious about what became of Anne of Cleves after her “divorce” from Henry VIII, but in this regard, I have to admit I was disappointed by the book. Once Anne was no longer queen, her life became increasingly dull to follow, despite…or perhaps, because of…the author’s attempts to sustain the tension by keeping Anne always at risk of Henry VIII’s wrath. In the BBC series, Anne is a woman who saves herself from a distasteful marriage and a dangerous king by her intelligence and good humor. She was a woman I longed to follow into her subsequent domestic life as Henry VIII’s “sister”. In Gregory’s version, while equally intelligent, Anne appears to escape more by the whims of fate than through any cleverness or initiative of her own, and consequently continues her “escape” only by the “luck” of the king eventually dying. Although at this far date, no one can know which version of Anne of Cleves (if either) was true, I much preferred the witty, courageous, caring queen of the BBC series. In the end Gregory’s version of Queen Anne simply became tedious for me.

Lady Rochford, sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and cousin to Katherine Howard, was the third woman whose story is told in this book. The author’s note at the end calls Lady Rochford a “horror”, but she did not come across to me that way. Perhaps if I had read The Other Boleyn Girl, rather than just seeing the movie, she might have seemed more “horrific” in The Boleyn Inheritance. Instead, while ambitious, willing to be manipulated, and ultimately disloyal to the extreme, I felt that Gregory wrote her with considerable sympathy. Perhaps I mistakenly took Lady Rochford’s rationalizations for her actions at face value, when Gregory did not intend me to do so, but if I was meant to see pure evil at Lady Rochford’s core, rather than the same pathetic weakness the rest of Henry VIII’s court was caught up in, Gregory failed to convince me in this regard.

I give the book four stars for sex scenes and images that were not, in my opinion, strictly necessary to advance the story (though admittedly, far fewer than there could have been), for an unconvincing scene between Lady Rochford and the Duke of Norfolk towards the end of the book that felt too “over the top” for me, and for a certain “distancing” of Katherine Howard’s emotions, also towards the end, due to the unconventional first person present narration. This is a book I enjoyed reading for new insights it gave me into the stories of Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, but it is not a book I am sure I would trouble myself to read again.

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Apr 15, 2008 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a sequel to the Other Boleyn Girl. Since I did not know that, it seems safe to say that it does not matter if you have read the prequel, this book is, and of itself, a good read. If you like reading about the devastating reign of Henry VIII and the women he destroyed in his wake, you will enjoy this historical fiction book!

The point of view is from three women whose are entwined in Henry’s court. The book begins with Anne of Cleves, on her way to Hampton Court from Germany to becom...more This book is a sequel to the Other Boleyn Girl. Since I did not know that, it seems safe to say that it does not matter if you have read the prequel, this book is, and of itself, a good read. If you like reading about the devastating reign of Henry VIII and the women he destroyed in his wake, you will enjoy this historical fiction book!

The point of view is from three women whose are entwined in Henry’s court. The book begins with Anne of Cleves, on her way to Hampton Court from Germany to become Henry’s third wife and the next Queen of England. Katherine Howard, the girl/woman who serves as a lady in waiting to Anne of Cleves, and Lady Jane Rochford, head of the Queen’s privy chamber. Lady Rochford is recently widowed, her husband killed on the chopping block with his sister, Anne Boleyn, in large part from testimony given against them from Jane Rochford.

The plot closely follows historic events of the time including the struggle between the Protestants, Catholics, and Henry as the head of the Church of England. I liked the focus on women, the descriptions of feelings of low self-worth, treatment as property, and only valued when they served the needs of country alignment in world power and dominance or at the whim of men. It is a story of lies and deceit and the daily fear of the living under a maniacal king who at his will could take your life.

I listened to this as an audiobook which i recommend. There is something very jarring about the voices of the characters that lends and really adds to the story.

This is a different take on women that surround Henry the VIII and while its historic fiction I must say the characters seem so real to their historic likenesses. Philippa Gregory is my fave for historical fiction from these times. I also read the Constant princess which is excellent about Queen Katherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife via his brother.

The portrayal of the three women in this time period of Henry's life- Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard are all fascinating. (less)

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Jun 14, 2008 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

"So, he is dead at last. The man who failed the promise of his youth, the king who turned tyrant, the scholar who went mad, the beloved boy who became a monster. How many did the king kill? We can start to count now that death has stilled his murderous will. Thousands. No one will ever know. Up and down the land the burnings in the marketplace for heresy, the hangings at the gallows for treason. Thousands and thousands of men and women whose only crime was that they disagreed with him. This is t...more

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Aug 21, 2007 Johanna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: history buffs, historical fiction fans, fans of semi-trashy novels.

Shelves: readandfinished

Don't get me wrong, this novel is pretty well-researched and there weren't any points at which I scratched my head and said, "Hey, wait a minute...." but it is a little trashy, with some elements of the bodice ripper. Also, I had to deduct a whole star for Gregory's excessive use of "little" as an adjective. All women were "little" (except for Jane Boleyn, who is batshit crazy), at some point or another, with Katherine Howard being referred to as "Little Kitty Howard" in almost every single chap...more

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Jul 04, 2008 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2008-reads

I must admit, I was not so determined to read this book - I hated Jane Boleyn with a fiery passion and therefore did not really care for her thoughts and views, and I loved Mary Boleyn as a narrator in 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. I'm so glad I read this though. The Boleyn Inheritance is just as fascinating as its predecessor; I could not put it down, wanting to know what would happen next even though I already knew what the outcome would be. I thought I would be irritated by the switching of charac...more

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Feb 28, 2009 RunRachelRun rated it 4 of 5 stars

Picked this up in the Las Vegas airport on the way to a company meeting. Read it on the flight back - pretty good - Gregory did a wonderful job capturing the three heroines voices, Jane Boleyn, Queen Anne and then the wonderfully idiotic Katherine. It's always interesting to look back from feet firmly planted in 2009 to the past where women were really bought and sold, pawns in the game of power. We're not there yet, but it's a hell of a lot easier now than then.

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Mar 11, 2010 Kristen "Kirby" rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Die hard " The Other Boleyn Girl Fans"

Shelves: chubby-chunster, march-2010, reviews

Ugh, does Philippa Gregory know how to craft a repetitive and excruciatingly slow story, or what? She awkwardly repeats the same phrase and idea, over and over. For ex- " Henry, England's fat, selfish king sits on the throne with a murderous gaze. Henry seems so angry, the court is unsure how to act, so they dance without their hearts in the act. They dance slowly, unsure. They dance under his murderous gaze with fear. The court shall act passive. Shall try to help him cool, as he is murderous i...more

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Sep 06, 2007 Teddy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read With Books Around the World Book Club.

Here's the review I posted on Amazon.ca:

A Great Sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl!

Philippa Gregory does her magic again, in this sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl. Her writing makes history come alive as she entrances her readers to hang on every morsel.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as The Other Boleyn Girl. I'm not quite sure why, however, I was a bit annoyed with one of the central characters Jane Boleyn. In The other Boleyn Girl, she was portrayed...more

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Jul 18, 2007 Stacy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Philippa Gregory dropped the ball on this one. This book covers the reigns of Henry VIII's fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard. I have enjoyed most of her other books covering the Tudor years in England, but here she leans on the device of having three narrators to lengthen a less-developed story by having them repeat the same ideas over and over. If I had a nickel for every time a character mused some version of "Henry VIII is a selfish, smelly, fat tyrant with a noxious...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Nicola added it · review of another edition

Overall, a good read. Life in the court and shadow of King Henry VIII during his years of marriage to Queen Anne of Cleves and Queen Katherine Howard is portrayed through the eyes of three women, all trying to ensure their survival and fortunes during these fearful times. The women are the two Queens and the Lady Rochford, a lady in waiting who serves both during their short marriages to the King.

As well as depicting the vanity and increasing madness and/or selfishness of the King, the book ref...more

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May 12, 2010 Jennifer added it

Pub. Date: December 2006

* Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing
* Sold by: Simon & Schuster Digital Sales
* Format: eBook, 528pp
* Sales Rank: 4,580

* Series: Philippa Gregory Tudor Series, #3
* Product Browse duration in Minutes: 60
* File Size: 603 KB
* ISBN-13: 9780743298544
* ISBN: 0743298543

The Boleyn Inheritance is told from three points of view: Jane Boleyn (wife to the deceased Thomas), Anne of Cleaves (Henry’s fourth wife), and Katherine Howard (Henry’s fifth wife). Jane...more Pub. Date: December 2006

* Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing
* Sold by: Simon & Schuster Digital Sales
* Format: eBook, 528pp
* Sales Rank: 4,580

* Series: Philippa Gregory Tudor Series, #3
* Product Browse duration in Minutes: 60
* File Size: 603 KB
* ISBN-13: 9780743298544
* ISBN: 0743298543

The Boleyn Inheritance is told from three points of view: Jane Boleyn (wife to the deceased Thomas), Anne of Cleaves (Henry’s fourth wife), and Katherine Howard (Henry’s fifth wife). Jane is the expert maid in waiting. She is called upon by the Duke of Norfolk to keep an eye on the new queen and report back to him anything that she does. Jane owes her life to the Duke, and so she is in his pocket to survive. Jane poses as a friend to the new queen Anne and attempts to be in her confidence as the story continues. However, Jane begins to like the queen and when plots against her begin to crop up, she has doubts whether she can put another queen to death as she did to her sister-in-law Anne Boleyn. The thoughts of Anne Boleyn and her husband Thomas haunt her throughout the book. Jane poses as the wise older woman who has been through quite a lot, but her transformation towards the end shows that she still has a lot to learn.
Anne of Cleaves is considered an unreformed woman by her family, but she is chosen to become the new queen of England because an alliance between England and Cleaves would be helpful. She does not speak a word of English, but as she moves into her new life, she learns quickly. Because of her troubles at home, she has no idea how to please the king in bed. This leaves their marriage unconsummated. Henry also detests her after a mix-up in one of his games. Although she is a pure and strong girl, she often finds herself bending to the will of the men that she finds in charge of her. When she is dethroned, she becomes a sister to the king and finds herself much happier in the countryside. She loves England, but counts herself lucky to be one of the few that survives King Henry’s marriage.
Lastly, Katherine Howard is a young, flirty girl. Her beauty catches the king’s eye and he courts her while he is married to Anne and Katherine is a maid in waiting. Katherine’s uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, wants to see the king and Katherine wed. He schemes and encourages the flirtations until it actually happens. Katherine is a flighty little girl and only measures things in what materials she receives. She often begins her narration with a list of what she owns. This is probably because she is only around fifteen when she marries the king. She attempts to please him in bed, but it is difficult work when he is so old, fat, and wounded. Finally, with the help of Jane, she takes on a lover. Then, as with Anne Boleyn, all hell breaks loose and the king attempts to kill everyone.
I know that I keep saying this, but I have been on a historical fiction kick. I really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl (book only, movie was terrible), so I decided that I would continue with this series. As time moves on, I am hoping to go through each one. Gregory has a way with characters. It’s like you get to see into their souls and travel inside their heads with them. Anne of Cleaves was by far my favorite character in this story, but all three women were beautifully illustrated. As I was reading, I could feel my moods shift with the difference in narration. Katherine was always bubbly and it made me want to read her parts faster as if I was speaking them like a young girl would in a quicker, happier tone. The plot is predictable, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone. It is nothing new what happened within King Henry’s court. Her books are much more interesting than anything else that I have read about him though. I’m sure that she has taken liberties with parts of history to make her tales more enchanting and personable, but I would recommend it to people who want a glimpse of what he was like. Gregory’s tales are definitely worth a reread and they are something that I will keep upon my shelves.
5/5 stars(less)

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Mar 31, 2009 Nicola added it

Shelves: fiction, unfinished

An unevocative retelling of Henry VIII’s doomed marriages to Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.

First, I should note that this book contains a lot of paragraphs of the following structure:

“Could this book really be so overwritten? I couldn’t believe that this book was so overwritten. It was overwritten and yet I didn’t know why. Why was it so overwritten?”

No, really. I’m not exaggerating. I wanted to attack the thing with a red pen. I realize that the trend is for historical novels to be sweepi...more

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Jan 28, 2009 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I devoured this book in three days. I love history....I love a good story. King Henry VIII was a madman....claiming to be the only one in his kingdom that knew the will of God....and he used that to manipulate people and policy. England, at this point in time, is not protestant(the king is afraid of them), and is not Catholic(He hates papists)...but has a church where King Henry makes the rules and is second only to God. Women in that day were used as exchange to help the family gain favor and w...more

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Jan 08, 2009 Amanda (Amanda's Weekly Zen) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

The narration of this novel was interesting. Gregory took three women and tried to create distinct voices for each woman and use them to relay the action around them to the reader. At times this approach to narration worked and other times it was hard to see the difference between the characters. They all have their quirks which is the defining marker of their voice. Towards the end of the book each time we read Katherine she would begin her chapter by listing the things she had, which would hel...more

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Dec 26, 2008 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the book following in sequence after The Other Boleyn Girl. After reading several other Philippa Gregory books in this series, I liked coming back and reading this one which included several familiar characters. King Henry VIII really was a madman and it would have been difficult living under his reign. But, having read the previous books, The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl, you knew that he was once handsome, charming and somewhat reasonable, and you feel sad for him.

The s...more

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May 21, 2013 Diana Dempsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the fourth Philippa Gregory novel that I've read - after THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, THE VIRGIN'S LOVER, and THE QUEEN'S FOOL - so it's safe to say I'm a fan. This book is another winner, in my opinion, though it took me longer than usual to be drawn in, and I believe I know why.

The novel is written in first person from three points-of-view. The reader is inside the heads of Jane Boleyn (the sister-in-law of the beheaded Queen Anne), Anne of Cleves (the outsider soon to be Henry VIII's fourth...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Lillian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

http://teatimewithtazo.blogspot.com/2...

Here's a fact about me- I love Tudor history. When I was younger I was all about 'The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I' which gave me my first perception of Henry VIII. A supposed overly obese, sullen old man who sometimes didn't like his daughter. Then I happened on 'The Other Boleyn Girl' which gave me a look at young Henry VIII who was supposedly super charismatic and attractive. That spark my curiosity enough that I've read a couple of small biographers on H...more http://teatimewithtazo.blogspot.com/2...

Here's a fact about me- I love Tudor history. When I was younger I was all about 'The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I' which gave me my first perception of Henry VIII. A supposed overly obese, sullen old man who sometimes didn't like his daughter. Then I happened on 'The Other Boleyn Girl' which gave me a look at young Henry VIII who was supposedly super charismatic and attractive. That spark my curiosity enough that I've read a couple of small biographers on Henry and the time. I'm really interested in Alison Weir's books which all seem to be about Tudor England.
Anyway...the review
The Boleyn Inheritance follows three women- Anne of Cleaves, Henry's fourth wife, Jane Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law whose testimony put Anne and her brother to death and Katherine Howard, Anne of Cleaves maid in waiting and Henry's fifth wife.
The book starts from Jane's perspective and I didn't like how it opened. It seemed at the time Gregory was making Jane out to be a misunderstood heroine when in The Other Boleyn Girl she made the character out to be a total creep, no joke. However, as the story progressed Gregory showed that Jane painted that picture of herself and that no one else really believed it.
The story overall was well done. She used Anne of Cleaves perspective to show what Henry was doing to the church and the burnings and hangings that happened from his paranoia. In the author's note Gregory stated that she wanted to dispel the myths of Anne of Cleaves being ugly and Katherine Howard being stupid. She painted Katherine as a young girl (she was 15 when she married the king) who only wanted pretty things and to have a romance.
Anne of Cleave portrait sort of dispels the myth of her being ugly and Gregory's reasoning for that rumor was the king didn't like her because she rejected him when he first met her disguised and a homeless man.
I admire Philippa Gregory as a historical fiction writer because the truth is, we won't really know why things happened in the past; and she does a commendable job making the pieces all fit together in an engaging way.(less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Dee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Got me terribly worked up about how much of a shit Henry VIII was - not quite as good as The Other Boleyn Girl, but still interesting and it pulled me in enough so that I re-read TOBG :) This one covers the marriages of Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. I love the way Philippa Gregory can bring her characters to life: there is a lot of depth to two characters who have not been treated kindly by time. It reminds me a lot of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon in that the differing viewpoin...more

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About Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel The Other Boleyn Girl, which was made into a TV drama and a major film. Published in 2009, the bestselling The White Queen, the story of Elizabeth Woodville, ushered in a new series involving The Cousins’ War (now known as The War of the Roses) and a new era for the acc...more

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The Other Boleyn Girl (The Tudor Court, #2)

The Constant Princess (The Tudor Court, #1)

The Virgin's Lover (The Tudor Court, #5)

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