Goodreads | The Other Boleyn Girl

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Sally rated it:

(review of isbn 0006514006)

03/14/08

bookshelves: historicalfiction

I picked this one up at work because I want to see the movie (hello, Scarlett Johansen and Natalie Portman? Yes please), and because I know I'll have thousands of people asking me about it, like with Atonement, which I never read. In short, this book sucks. It's the worst kind of historical fiction - light on the history, and not fun or well written to make up for it. The characters are one dimensional, the writing is trite and full of cliches. Complete trash, but I'm not putting it on my enjoya...more I picked this one up at work because I want to see the movie (hello, Scarlett Johansen and Natalie Portman? Yes please), and because I know I'll have thousands of people asking me about it, like with Atonement, which I never read. In short, this book sucks. It's the worst kind of historical fiction - light on the history, and not fun or well written to make up for it. The characters are one dimensional, the writing is trite and full of cliches. Complete trash, but I'm not putting it on my enjoyable trash shelf, because it's not particularly enjoyable.
The worst thing about this book was how blatantly obvious it was that Gregory hates Anne Boleyn. Mary may have been the narrator, but Anne was without doubt the main character, and it is impossible to enjoy a book where the author goes all out to make you hate the main character. Especially a badly written main character. Anyone who has done any literary criticism, or any writing, will know that good characterisation involves showing, not telling. We're told how charming and witty Anne is to the King, but we're shown her being a bitch and arguing with Mary. Anne would have been a much more effective character if she'd been written like her brother George (the only likeable character in the whole book), who IS charming and witty, will stab you in the back if it suits him, but then admit to it with a disarming honesty. If she'd been charming but manipulative to everyone, including Mary, her seduction of the King would have been much more plausible, but as it was I just couldn't see it.
Then there's the way Gregory manipulates historical fact in order to make Anne seem worse. Anne was clever, and well educated, all we got from that was that she spoke French and read a lot, but in reality her education and ability to discuss politics and serious issues with Henry was a significant attraction. And there was the love affair with Henry Percy. Anne admits to her sworn enemy that she has slept with her betrothed, and he says, no you didn't because it isn't politically convenient for you to marry him and later doesn't tell the king even when he's in a precarious political position because of Anne. WTF plothole??
Next we have the incest and the witchcraft, both of which Gregory paints as true. No, seriously. As far as incest goes, well, who the hell would sleep with their own brother? Apart from the fact that it's generally acknowledged that it was just a means of getting rid of them. As for witchcraft, well she was a devout Christian, and again, it's generally thought to be a convenient pretext.
The whole enmity between sisters thing is a creation, which would be fair enough, poetic license, dramatic tension, etc etc. Except Mary hates Anne, and yet she's always doing what she's told, helping Anne out, blah blah. She'll occasionally say that of course she loves her she's her sister, but we're told far more often and with far more vehemence how much she hates her, and all we're shown is the fights and the vindictiveness. Again, this is mostly because Gregory hates Anne. She seems to like Mary, although if the real Mary was anything like the characterisation then I can't see why. Gregory's Mary is insipid, whiny and spineless, and pretty much irritates the hell out of me. And then we get the whole "wanting to marry for love and not power as a feminist statement" thing that Gregory does with Mary, while we are told Anne, who had power and intelligence in her own right, is a spineless pawn in a man's game of politics. She couldn't possibly have been regent of England without her uncle's help, we are told. This of the woman who split the church, dethroned a queen, and was mother to Queen Elizabeth.
In the Author's note Gregory cites Retha Warnicke's The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn as one of her main sources, which according to Wikipedia (I know, Wikipedia, but still), is generally considered to be unsubstantiated which explains some of this. She also expresses admiration for Queen Elizabeth I, which I found rather ironic considering she is Anne's daughter and Anne and Elizabeth seem to me to have been very similar in character as well as ability. ...less

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Ana T. rated it:

(review of isbn 0006514006)

02/18/08

bookshelves: medieval, read-along-challenge, read-in-2008, traded

Read in February, 2008

I bought this book a few months back but I was hesitant to pick it up. Anne Boleyn's story is one I researched a long time ago and I wasn't too sure I wanted to revisit it. However this month I decided to read it with A. and A. so we could all discuss it and now I'm glad that I did it.

I wasn't sure I was enjoying it very much at first. Mary Boleyn seemed, at times too innocent and tongue-tied, and at other times an intelligent observer of human nature. I wasn't too convinced with her as a ch...more I bought this book a few months back but I was hesitant to pick it up. Anne Boleyn's story is one I researched a long time ago and I wasn't too sure I wanted to revisit it. However this month I decided to read it with A. and A. so we could all discuss it and now I'm glad that I did it.

I wasn't sure I was enjoying it very much at first. Mary Boleyn seemed, at times too innocent and tongue-tied, and at other times an intelligent observer of human nature. I wasn't too convinced with her as a character! A king's mistress should be at the time an enviable position and she seems not to care for it which I found a bit unbelievable. Also Anne seemed too sophisticated for a girl of 16, not only she knows anything and everything about manipulating and seducing a man she is even knowledgeable enough to know her sister wont hold his interest for long and the real secret to do that. Even if she has learned a few tricks in the french court it seems a bit too much that in that time and age powerful nobles like her father and uncle would listen to a mere girl of 16. She seems a bit over the top in her ruthlessness and her knowledgeable attitudes. It's difficult to believe that Mary, being the king's mistress would so readily be ordered about by Anne, she would surely revel in the power she had. And being born is such a family of courtiers it's also difficult to believe she would be as innocent and without malice as she is portrayed here. She might be young but she was surely aware of what riches she could and should obtain. If nothing else from being brought up that way.

I became much more engrossed in the action after Anne captures the kings attention, and seems much more aware of what's at stake, and Mary is allowed to spend more time in the country with the children. It's seems to me that both sisters are much more fleshed out after that and it became more interesting for me too.

I think Gregory tried to paint them has having two opposing tempers and attitudes. To me she went a bit too far, that black and white approach is too unreal. The story is reported from Mary's point of view who is the narrator and is usurped and sometimes humiliated by Anne on her way to the throne. It would be too easy to say that one was the good and the other the bad but I feel that they basically did the same thing. Gregory chooses to portray Mary's affair as the family's ambition and Anne's fight for the throne as her personal ambition but can we really say that was what happened? And is that really relevant? The girl who had Henry's attention when he first thought of getting rid of Catherine would do all in her power to be his future queen. And if Anne was an intelligent and learned young woman who participated in the debates regarding the new religion to help her cause I think that that is more compliment to her than something to condemn. What she may not have realised was that, after getting rid of one queen it would be easier for Henry to get rid of another if she fell out of favour or didn't give him the desired son. He was a king of which it was safer to be mistress than wife.

As Mary's story unfolds I became more and more interested in her. She did really marry a "nobody" and she had to go away because of it, it seems like a beautiful love story and I found myself eager for more details about her and William's courtship. Much more than about Henry and Anne's which is ruined a bit for me because of Gregory’s portrayal of Anne who must have been scheming and determined yes but also intriguing and more complex than she appeared here.

Gregory does take several liberties with the story and I'm usually okay with that if there are no known facts or if there are several theories about it but I was really disappointed with what she decided to use to support Henry's accusations. Totally unnecessary I think, history is interesting enough in this case; no need to pass for truth something that is widely known today to be a lie... The case against Anne Boleyn was so badly done and the king's interest in getting rid of her was so open that even his contemporaries (and Anne's enemies) felt it unfair and without cause.

So yes I think Gregory is a good storyteller if even I am sometimes jarred out of the story by things I recognise as not being true or because the characters react in ways that I find are too modern. I will read her again but I'm hoping she won’t pull much more stunts like that one or she will ruin the books for me.

Grade: B...less

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Ana O. rated it:

(review of isbn 0006514006)

03/05/08

bookshelves: 2008-read, english, historical-fiction

Read in February, 2008

My advice to anyone wanting to read this book is to think of it as historical fantasy, any familiar names and settings are pure coincidence, or you probably won't be able to enjoy it. The author took some liberties with the story of the Boleyn family, using facts that were already proven false and others that are pure speculation. But if you're able to close your eyes and imagine that what you're reading is just fantasy, then you're in for a wonderful time!
The story is told from the point of v...more My advice to anyone wanting to read this book is to think of it as historical fantasy, any familiar names and settings are pure coincidence, or you probably won't be able to enjoy it. The author took some liberties with the story of the Boleyn family, using facts that were already proven false and others that are pure speculation. But if you're able to close your eyes and imagine that what you're reading is just fantasy, then you're in for a wonderful time!
The story is told from the point of view of Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister and the other Boleyn girl, she's only 14 when the story starts and one of the Queen's ladies in waiting. This was one of the things that I most liked about this book, the fact that you get a narrator like Mary, someone who is usually cast aside and forgotten when Anne enters the scene. This time we're able to read more about her and her feelings even if they're fantasized! At first her character annoyed me, she seemed too innocent and ignorant for someone already married and raised at court, maybe she was 14 but at that time she was already a woman and not a child. But her character grows, learns, and at the end she was probably the only Boleyn that I liked. With everything that she went through I was so glad that she finally rebelled against her family and married William Stafford, she deserved a shot at happiness, I was just sorry to see the book end with Anne's death, I wanted to know more about their future life together.
This author has definitely something against Anne Boleyn, I'll grant you that she probably wasn't one of the most loving women, but I don't know how much of her ambition and coldness wasn't due to her odious family. They wanted to have one of the Boleyns in power, no matter which one, so they schemed and plotted using one of the girls in the family and Anne didn't want to be cast aside like her sister, she wasn't getting any younger either so she must act soon. The author portrays her as a cold bitch, the complete opposite of her sweet sister, doing everything in her power to be Queen, never caring who she hurt along the way. In the end I always feel a little sorry for her, she learns the hard way what she did to Queen Catherine!
The two sisters were always closely followed by their brother George, his character was probably the one that I hated the most, he was a spineless weakling and to tell you the truth I wasn't a tad sorry for his fate, I was sick and tired of him. Even his gossipy wife, Jane Parker, was more interesting than he was, in fact I'd very much like to read something about her to learn the other side of the story, every book that I've read portrays Jane from the Boleyn's point of view.
The biggest surprise in this book, and I'm not talking about the end, is King Henry's character, no wonder Eric Bana was chosen to play his part. Philippa Gregory describes him in such a way that even I fell in love with him in the beginning, and this is King Henry VIII we're talking about, the very man that is able to repel me every time I read about his real story. He must have had something interesting about him, I'll grant you that, but for the most part women only wanted to be near him because he was the king and not because of his sunny personality. In the book we have an attentive, caring, sensitive and loving king that would charm any woman!
So Philippa Gregory created a story that grabs you from the beginning and won't let go until the very end, no matter if it's truthful or not. I loved her writing and will certainly read more of her books, I'm especially curious about The Constant Princess which tells the story of Catherine of Aragon, she always fascinated me....less

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Stella rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

06/16/08

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: No-one

OK firstly, there's no doubt that Philippa Gregory can write a good story. Her prose is engaging and the content fThe Other Boleyn girl was easy to read.

However what put me off was the absolute ignorance of historical fact and total villification of Anne Boleyn - yes this is a fictional interpretation but now it has made it to the big screen, there are a few who will think this is what really happened.

Ms. Gregory describes Mary Boleyn as her personal heroine and this bias is clear throug...more

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Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

05/29/08

Read in May, 2008

I can't imagine that anyone who picks this book up is not at least somewhat familiar with the historical story of Henry VIII and his unfortunate marital history so the plot is no mystery. I was only vaguely aware of the rumors of his relationship with Anne's sister, Mary Boleyn, and Mary is the narrator and witness to the story.

The marked physical and temperment differences between Mary and Anne were contrived and hard to believe. Truly I think it was just a lazy way for the author to ge...more I can't imagine that anyone who picks this book up is not at least somewhat familiar with the historical story of Henry VIII and his unfortunate marital history so the plot is no mystery. I was only vaguely aware of the rumors of his relationship with Anne's sister, Mary Boleyn, and Mary is the narrator and witness to the story.

The marked physical and temperment differences between Mary and Anne were contrived and hard to believe. Truly I think it was just a lazy way for the author to get the reader to immediately understand the situation: Mary - Good; Anne - Bad. How did two girls with identical backgrounds and upbringing end up so diametrically opposite in personality and ambition? How did Anne not get married off to the benefit of her family as did her YOUNGER sister, Mary? I kept coming back to these questions when reading the book and the lack of explanation of the inconsistencies of their respective situations bothered me. It's the age-old Madonna/Whore dichotomy and I expected better.

I can't imagine that this book can be taken as a historically-accurate recounting of the story so I discounted much of the more "Harlequinesqe" happenings, but it did provide interesting background into how King Henry could go from loving husband to Katherine of Aragon to tyrant and despot so easily led around by the nose by Anne. Obsession with Anne alone didn't explain why he completely went off the deep end during the second half of his reign. When he finds that his power is truly absolute, I don't know anyone that wouldn't easily lose their sense of boundaries and become rudderless. For the first time that I was able to understand that evolution.

The author makes an obvious effort portray the absolute lack of power/autonomy that women struggled with during the era. But, even given that context, I had a hard time believing that Mary, or Anne for that matter, would be so passive in the face of the machinations of their family. My understanding is that once a woman married, she was her husband's "property", but certainly not here and Mary's husband's actions never rang true for me. I also found Mary's troubled relationship with Anne hard to swallow. Even when the writing was on the wall and given Mary's strong feelings for her own children, she seemed unable to break free from putting her sister first and doing what she knew to be morally right. Bullocks.

But, the thing I kept wondering after finishing this book was: What was Anne thinking? I couldn't imagine she thought this was going to end well for her--regardless of her able manipulations. Once a King throws over one woman, every subsequent woman is in a precarious position and Anne doesn't ever seem to clue into that. For someone who seemed so attuned to handling the King early on, firey Anne inexplicably lost the ability to read/fulfill his desires when it mattered most. Enter docile Jane Seymour. The Boleyn family gambled quite a lot when the whole question of success boiled down to one uncontrollable fact: Anne's always questionable ability to produce a legitimate male heir and we all know how that worked out. They put all their eggs into Anne's basket and suffered for it.

I think I agree with other reviewers in that I recommend reading this as a piece of historical fiction rather than an actual retelling of the ill-fated relationship between Henry and Anne. The story was engrossing and I enjoyed exploring the questions of women's roles in marriage and family within the Tudor court. There were a number of memorable characters for me, namely Queen Katherine and even George Boleyn, that I enjoyed reading. I haven't seen the movie, but I imagine this story, filled with sex, betrayal, sex, and conspiracy, and a little sex, should translate well in Hollywood.

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Marisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

05/04/08

recommended to Marisa by: anyone who is open-minded and likes historical fiction
recommends it for: anyone who loves history and drama

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

The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of two sisters: Mary and her sister, the famous Anne.

Mary is obedient, loyal, and loving while Anne is ambitious, clever, and power hungry. Her thirst for power and position make her a deadly enemy and a dangerous ally.

As the book opens, the Boleyn family in their desire to acquire wealth and position in the court of King Henry VIII, takes Mary from her husband, William Carey, and forces her to become the king's mistress.

The king is anxious to p...more

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Oriana rated it:

(review of isbn 0006514006)

03/10/08

bookshelves: english, keepers, read-along-challenge

Read in February, 2008

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

I normally don't write reviews, never did but somehow, I think I should start todo something to keep track of my readings. With the support of my two friends, Ana T. and Ana O., here's my first try... Beware, there’s some slight spoilers and a major one at the end.

The Other Boleyn Girl was, in fact, a reread. This book was part of my Read Along Challenge with Ana T. and Ana O. and I'm glad we included it in our list.

I still remembered getting really annoyed the first time with the hist...more I normally don't write reviews, never did but somehow, I think I should start todo something to keep track of my readings. With the support of my two friends, Ana T. and Ana O., here's my first try... Beware, there’s some slight spoilers and a major one at the end.

The Other Boleyn Girl was, in fact, a reread. This book was part of my Read Along Challenge with Ana T. and Ana O. and I'm glad we included it in our list.

I still remembered getting really annoyed the first time with the historical liberties taken by Philippa Gregory and this second round I just wanted to enjoy the story while keeping in my mind it is (very!) loosely based on real facts and it's far from being an accurate historical portrayal. Like Ana O. says in her review, this is better to be read as an historical fantasy. Couldn't agree more!

I struggled during all the book to keep that thought, but sometimes it was useless. Many parts of this story was based in unproved theories and even Mary Boleyn's life is mostly a mystery. There's some tidbits here and there, but very little information, especially about her relationship with her sister or/and the King Henry VIII.

It's rather obvious that the author has a huge sympathy for Mary Boleyn and even, sometimes, a bit of a condescending attitude towards the young, pretty and naive girl who fell helplessly in love for her king. Now, Anne is an entirely different thing, she's described as a true villain! An intelligent and ambitious young woman who did everything she could to attract Henry's attention and become a Queen. Two sisters. The fair and the dark one. The generous and the ruthless. This omnipresent dichotomy was kind of annoying and took some of the characters complexity and richness.

Henry VIII gained here an image that I suppose he really never had. He might have been a charismatic king, even charming occasionally but never someone physically attractive or even sweet and gentle or an attentive husband. For some moments, I even had the feeling that everyone had their schemes and intrigues, except for him. He is clearly a victim, just like sweet Mary.

What really bothered me in this story, was the sensationalized end. The incest with the brother, the accusations of witchcraft and treason. Gregory gives reason to the king for murdering his wife when nothing, absolutely nothing proves she was guilty of all those crimes. Even knowing the flaws, the historical mistakes and trying to keep this as a light reading, I just couldn't stomach this one without some frustration.

Besides these aspects, I really must confess that Gregory's writing style make up for the other less pleasant parts. The 16th century settings are described vividly and the court life and intrigues really drags you easily into the story. She is a talented storyteller and this was a page turner.

Grade: B+.
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Annalisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

04/30/08

bookshelves: chick-lit, historical-fiction, movies

Read in March, 2008

recommended to Annalisa by: Melinda

This is history, well distorted history with a flair for medieval misconduct, and yet I find myself engrossed in the characters and wondering what will become of them, even though history is set in stone. It is a fascinating time and I loved following the political plotting that shifted constantly as well as the ideals (especially about women and childbirth).

Although overly exaggerated and repetitive, the book moves quickly, is exciting, until surprisingly just before the climax. One of the...more This is history, well distorted history with a flair for medieval misconduct, and yet I find myself engrossed in the characters and wondering what will become of them, even though history is set in stone. It is a fascinating time and I loved following the political plotting that shifted constantly as well as the ideals (especially about women and childbirth).

Although overly exaggerated and repetitive, the book moves quickly, is exciting, until surprisingly just before the climax. One of the most infamous moments in history, when it should be tense with suspense, it steps back from firsthand scenes to a less descriptive overview. The intensity dies. For that I was disappointed. I think she missed an opportunity to victimize Henry's mistreated wives giving the novel more emotional charge.

While the story was interesting, I didn't buy its historical accuracy. It seems as if Gregory took a few historical events and invented a more exciting tale than one that was probable. Mary was looser than she was an unintelligent pawn; I understand the sisters weren't close so their drama is fabricated; I'm sure there was parental encouragement instead of detached scheming; and I can see modern-day tolerance in the author's descriptions of Boleyn misconduct, particularly George's. Misconduct that was fabricated but presented as probable. I doubt. The same suspicion could have been better planted with a mere touchy-feely family. I would have liked to see the charges as more ambiguous instead of being spoon-feed theories, particularly theories that I don't believe probably on any level.

But I suppose history is open for interpretation. It's fiction not a biography and I have to read it on that level. It's just that Gregory planted enough inaccuracies and improbabilities that I found myself doubting her interpretation of all events and characters more than I gave it credence. With Anne although her viscousness was over the top, I did find possibilities in her ambition and scheming. Possibilities I wish were explored more closely, like her intelligence and wit. However I found her character far more authentic than Mary's. Mary who was just as naive in the opening chapter as the closing and whose personality ran the gamut of discording emotions. Of all the Boleyns, I enjoyed George's portrayal the most. I believed his character and think Gregory appropriately captured his charm.

I also enjoyed Henry VIII's portrayal, whom I have always detested as an evil selfish man. Here you see his self-justified transition from spoiled boy to power-hungry tyrant and get a feel for his motives. It makes you think that nobody considers themselves malicious but wants to feel justified. A person I intensely dislike, I can if not sympathize with at least understand.

While I agree with reviews about flaws in character, plot, and history, I found myself engrossed in the story and anxious for the outcome and that is why I'm giving it four stars. If the aim of the book is to get one interested in history than Gregory did her job. I couldn't wait to sneak a peak at the true histories online. I wanted to know what was true and what imagination as I set off to do my own research. Now I want to know more about the time period. Despite the scandalous sex, I will be reading the sequels....less

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Mandy rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

07/10/07

Read in July, 2007

Disclaimer: Don't confuse this book with a biography of Mary Boleyn. It's fiction all the way. It's a good read when you remember that this is fiction and not a blow-by-blow account of historical events. And because it is fiction, Gregory is able to play a little fast and loose with historical fact. Mary was most likely the oldest Boleyn child, not the youngest as presented here. She had also served the French kings court, just as Anne did, but was sent home in disgrace after tales of her promis...more Disclaimer: Don't confuse this book with a biography of Mary Boleyn. It's fiction all the way. It's a good read when you remember that this is fiction and not a blow-by-blow account of historical events. And because it is fiction, Gregory is able to play a little fast and loose with historical fact. Mary was most likely the oldest Boleyn child, not the youngest as presented here. She had also served the French kings court, just as Anne did, but was sent home in disgrace after tales of her promiscuity got out, including the fact that she was probably also that king's mistress. She was probably not the young, inexperienced girl Gregory chooses to portray her as. Gregory also depends heavily on Retha Warnicke's thesis that a homosexual ring surrounded Anne and included her brother George. This has been widely discredited by historians, since both Anne and George were very religious, and George was also a renowned womanizer.

Otherwise, it was a decent book. There were parts I thought went a little far, especially with Mary and George teaching Anne "whore's tricks" to woo the king without actually having sex with him. Granted, activity like this may have happened, but I don't necessarily want to read about it. I loved the love story between Mary and William Stafford, and would have liked to seen more of the relationship between Anne and Henry, when they were younger, seemingly in love, and she was as much a partner and advisor in his affairs as king (especially in religious thinking and such) as any man at court.

Somehow though, this book has tarnished my romanticized concept of courtly behavior. It's horrifying to consider that some of the political wrangling and the use of women as temptations, mistresses, and pawns to rise in society, titles, and the court probably happened, at least to some extent. If this was the way life was in those days, I would hope that I was a commoner. Because being in the court and used as someone's chattel to get what they wanted with no regard for my desires or who I loved would have been awful. ...less

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Lynn rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

02/16/08

bookshelves: british-history, historical-fiction

Read in February, 2008

I'd been meaning to get to this book for years, but, despite my love of historical fiction, hadn't felt a sense of urgency over reading it for a couple of reasons: 1) I've had a hard time getting over the negative reaction I had to this author's earlier book The Favored Child, and I also wasn't a big fan of her condescending introduction to the new edition of Anya Seton's Katherine. 2)...more I'd been meaning to get to this book for years, but, despite my love of historical fiction, hadn't felt a sense of urgency over reading it for a couple of reasons: 1) I've had a hard time getting over the negative reaction I had to this author's earlier book The Favored Child, and I also wasn't a big fan of her condescending introduction to the new edition of Anya Seton's Katherine. 2) The reviews I'd read were also mixed, at best; this book seems to be one you either really love or really hate.

However, I did know I wanted to read it before I saw the movie, so I finally gave it a shot.

My verdict? Meh. I can't say that I either really loved or hated it. It didn't make me feel much of anything.

I think I might have liked this book a lot more if it had had a different narrator. Mary Boleyn was such an insipid and unbelievable character that I had a hard time following her thought process. One minute she's wildly in love with Henry, the next she just wants to settle down in the country with her children - and maybe a hundred pages later she'll give you a hint of when her feelings changed and why. She seemed to constantly switch between unbelievable naiveté, and unbelievable independence. I never knew which Mary was going to show up from scene to scene.

I'd like to blast this book for historical inaccuracy, since I'd always been told Mary was the elder of the Boleyn girls, but, having done a bit of sleuthing, it does appear that the details of her life remain so much of a mystery that scholars still debate her birthdate, and whether or not Henry VIII could have fathered either or both of her Carey children. So, I'll give Philippa Gregory that round. I'll eat my hat if the other events in this book happened as represented, though. Others have already pointed out the incredibly unfair depictions of Mary and George Boleyn. I also would have liked to have seen more of Henry in the second half of the book. Mary keeps telling us he's turned into a tyrant and a monster, and we see it from a distance in his actions, but not in the few times we see him face to face.

The characters I thought were best-drawn were actually the two wronged spouses, Katherine of Aragon, and William Carey. Here were a couple of characters who were allowed a bit of depth and ambiguity - and they also disappeared after the first half.

After reading this book, I have a hard time understanding what the fuss was about. I guess I have The Other Boleyn Girl to thank for the current crop of historical fiction bestsellers, but I don't see what about it struck such a chord with the public. I've read far better, and far worse, in the genre. And, although I enjoy books about the Tudors, I think life's too short to bother with the rest of Ms. Gregory's oeuvre.

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Shiloh rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

07/04/08

Read in July, 2008

I love English history especially when it deals with the monarchy. I know that this is more fiction than history; but that is what makes it so interesting. The history doesn't tell us the thoughts, hopes or motivations for why people do what they do and historical fiction allows to imagine what might have been the reason for what happened.

The beginning of the book was easy light reading. Even though Mary was basically being forced to be the king’s mistress by her family, she was in love wi...more I love English history especially when it deals with the monarchy. I know that this is more fiction than history; but that is what makes it so interesting. The history doesn't tell us the thoughts, hopes or motivations for why people do what they do and historical fiction allows to imagine what might have been the reason for what happened.

The beginning of the book was easy light reading. Even though Mary was basically being forced to be the king’s mistress by her family, she was in love with him and I was excited for her "achievements." Towards the middle of the book it got very heavy as Anne started to take Mary's place. It started to get so depressing that I stopped reading for a few weeks.

Anne, for the most part, I hated through out the book. She was cruel and vindictive. But every once in a while, in the middle of hating her, a human moment came out and then I would feel a little sorry for her. But, the next moment she'd be back to her tricks and I'd hate her all over again. She was complex but evil to the very core. I know this is fiction, but part of me wonders if history has portrayed her as evil for the benefit of King Henry. I wonder if the real Anne really was really as bad as the books say; this book being no exception. It would have been interesting if the author would have given Anne some more redeeming qualities like she might have had if history wasn’t written by men trying to win favor with the king.

There are two themes in the book that I have been thinking about ever since I finished reading it. First, the relationships between sisters. The book puts Anne and Mary against each other, always jealous of the other and always in competition. While I understand that jealousy and competition exist in relationships between sisters, I felt it was really exaggerated in this book and I couldn't relate to how cruel they both were to each other. They were loyal to each other at times but it didn’t seem like love or friendship was ever part of the relationship. Having four sisters I love, that was difficult for me to relate to.

The other theme I have been thinking about is the role women played in this society. In this book they were literally traded as sex partners to promote their family’s standing in society. Besides sex, the only value they seemed to add was giving birth to sons. If they couldn’t give birth to sons it is because they had sinned or they were evil. Even logical characters in the book questioned Anne’s morality because she couldn’t carry a baby. The entire case for Henry’s divorce from Katherine hinged on the fact that she must not have been a virgin when they married because she never produced a male heir. After, the divorce from Katherine, Mary understands that life will never be the same for women in England again because their husbands can be rid of them legally and morally with the same justification that the King has just used. Anne even comes to this understanding as she is about the be overthrown by Jane Seymore. The situation for women is hopeless unless that have a male baby.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I thought about it for several days after and was entertained enough to keep reading all 600+ pages.
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Julie rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

07/10/08

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: Historical fiction buffs

I've come to prefer well-written history to historical fiction; my enjoyment of the fiction is marred by my desire to know what "really" happened. Plus, I'm embarassed to read a book with Scarlett Johannson on the cover, so I resisted this book for a while until several friends I respect recommended it. It turned out to be a fun, compelling read. Definitely a good beach book.

The biggest reason I didn't have the "what really happened?" tension while reading it is because...more I've come to prefer well-written history to historical fiction; my enjoyment of the fiction is marred by my desire to know what "really" happened. Plus, I'm embarassed to read a book with Scarlett Johannson on the cover, so I resisted this book for a while until several friends I respect recommended it. It turned out to be a fun, compelling read. Definitely a good beach book.

The biggest reason I didn't have the "what really happened?" tension while reading it is because I was already quite familiar with the historical facts (I strongly recommend Antonia Fraser's "The Wives of Henry VIII" if you want a readable but scholarly account). I was impressed with Gregory's deft characterization and how she used modern dialogue without feeling anachronistic. And I surprisingly didn't mind the historical inaccuracies because most of them contributed so clearly to the plot and because she got so many other things (both fact and flavor) right.

(Spoiler (and spoilsport) alert for the next paragraphs.)

The fundamental inaccuracy in the book was the duration and seriousness of Henry's affair with Mary. This was clearly fictionalized but essential to the plot. In truth, Mary probably had a brief fling and was married off afterward. Fraser argues convincingly that later rumors about Mary's children's paternity are probably baseless; if they had truly been Henry's own, he would have acknowledged them the way he did Bessie Blount's son. (And as the characters in the book seem to expect him to for that matter.) But it was necessary for the book for the affair to be more serious, to make Mary such an effective foil for Anne; a ditzy girl with a "wanton reputation" would not have been nearly as appealing a character. And it worked well enough that I forgive the fiction.

More troubling to me the tension over Anne's acting as ward for young Henry--in the era, it was common for someone with a more elevated social position to act as guardian to a relative, primarily as a financial arrangement. Neither in the historical record, nor even in the novel itself, is there any evidence of Anne's using her "bastard Tudor" nephew/ward as a pawn in any of the succession games, and her supposed use of him to strengthen her own case like a stretch. But I liked the emphasis on Mary's unusually strong maternal attachment, so again, it was useful for plot and character development.

Other inaccuracies struck me as just odd, like making both sisters so young. While there's doubt about the exact birth dates of Anne and Mary, it seems more than likely that they were almost a decade older than their ages in the book. It's unlikely that an obscure girl like Mary would need to have been married off at 13; she went unmarried to the French court for a few years around age 15, and she was almost certainly older than Anne. Some of the chronology-fudging is plot-driven, but this just seems unnecessary.

But nit-picking aside, it was certainly a fun read and I'd recommend it to any fans of historical fiction. It's several notches up from the typical bodice-ripper....less

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Sherese rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

04/14/08

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: those who enjoy soap opera dramas w/ historical perspective

Scandalous, Soap Opera melodrama set in the English court of Henry VIII. I have to admit when I read Shakespeare's play Henry VIII in the 12th grade English, I became so fascinated by the lives of last true Tudor King ( Edward doesn't really count he never truly had a chance to rule without council as he died at age 14) and his six wives(hundreds of mistresses). At 16 years old, exploring the world of the English court in the early 16th century was a cross between a Jerry Springer episode and a ...more Scandalous, Soap Opera melodrama set in the English court of Henry VIII. I have to admit when I read Shakespeare's play Henry VIII in the 12th grade English, I became so fascinated by the lives of last true Tudor King ( Edward doesn't really count he never truly had a chance to rule without council as he died at age 14) and his six wives(hundreds of mistresses). At 16 years old, exploring the world of the English court in the early 16th century was a cross between a Jerry Springer episode and a tawdry, trashy Harlequin supermarket novel. Of course it helped that I had wonderful teachers in high school, who could make almost anything interesting and fun (maybe with exception of grammar diagraming sentences which I still don't understand haha).
In particular, I remember all the rumors and scandals that surrounded the court during Henry's reign including his rumors to have died from Syphilis, his seeping smelly leg wound which had been festering for years with pus gushing out on his over 300 pound body, his takeover of the church and the Pope to suit his own needs for ultimate power (male heir)and his annulments, Sexcapades and homosexuality, Anne's alleged tryst with stable hands and livestock etc etc. What teenager in their right mind wouldn't find that this interesting and worth learning about when presented with such subject matter?

This book is which is still fiction, really seems closer to the truth in many regards than fiction. Historically, many of the events and characterizations put forth by Ms. Gregory seem very believable and fall in line with many of the rumors that historians have been arguing about for centuries. Although many might criticize the potrayal of Anne Boleyn as a cut throat, ambitious, murdering biatch, I found it added to the empathy I felt for Mary Boleyn and her need to be free of the control of her family and the king and finding "true love" and raising her children. It also made reader think about the status of women during this time in history. The ladies at court had miserable lives, regardless of their gentry. Living solely for the purpose of pleasing your family, then your husband and producing male heirs is unthinkable to the modern woman. Particularly, someone like myself who would have been bedheaded at age 4 for my outspokenness and unwillingness to conform societal( male ) standards.

I would have rated this book even higher but I felt it dragged on for a bit too long. I bought the paperback edition and it was 735 pages. Now, I'm a fast reader and have no problem getting through a good book much longer than this one, but sometimes too many details are just too many details. I like to read books and then see the movies based on the books. But inevitably I always hate the movies, and from what I understand the movie for this book sucked but I may stll rent it anyways to develop my own opinion.
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Megumi rated it:

(review of isbn 0743269837)

02/10/08

bookshelves: historical, romance

Read in November, 2007

I picked up this book on a whim. Generally, I don't go for historical fiction, but I have a bit of an interest in the era of Henry VIII. What better way to dive further into the period than with this book, right? Wrong.

The Other Boleyn Girl suffers from several problems. There are no truly likeable characters (save a couple of minor characters), and they all lack any real development. The writing is also somewhat juvenile and repetitive.

The heroine of the story, Mary, is too good and...more I picked up this book on a whim. Generally, I don't go for historical fiction, but I have a bit of an interest in the era of Henry VIII. What better way to dive further into the period than with this book, right? Wrong.

The Other Boleyn Girl suffers from several problems. There are no truly likeable characters (save a couple of minor characters), and they all lack any real development. The writing is also somewhat juvenile and repetitive.

The heroine of the story, Mary, is too good and naive to take seriously or even like. It is hard to believe someone so dim-witted would ever survive in a court like Henry VIII's. It is also extremely hard to believe Mary could be so good-natured having been raised by a family so amoral and ambitious as the one described in this book. I could have overlooked Mary's simplicity if she had shown some growth, but at the end of the book she is just as naive and simple-minded as she is at the beginning. Anne, on the other hand, is depicted almost as evil incarnate. She's nothing more than a cookie-cutter villain in this story. The rest of the characters are never developed enough to be of any real interest, or even provide decent relief from the Boleyn sisters.

Along with the dull two-dimensional characters, The Other Boleyn Girl is written in a style that seems very dumbed down. Perhaps this is on purpose since the book is narrated by Mary in the first-person. Even so, unless I'm reading a book targeted towards a juvenile audience, I expect the writing to be of a higher quality than what I found in this book. More annoying is the repetitiveness of Philippa Gregory's writing. Gregory has a habit of using the same phrases and even situations over and over again. There are so many family meetings among Mary's family they are hard to distinguish one from another, and worse yet, they hardly advance the plot.

I'll say one positive thing for this book. I think Gregory did a decent job capturing the feeling of life at a royal court. I'm no historian, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of Gregory's descriptions, but I think her portrayal of it, with all the scheming and underhanded goings on between the houses, makes sense.

My overall impression is Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl is nothing more than junk food for the brain. If you're looking for something solid and satisfying, look elsewhere. If you just want something mindless to nibble on while you pass the time, then perhaps you may get some enjoyment from this book....less

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Karen rated it:

(review of isbn 0743227441)

02/24/08

Read in February, 2008

I have to confess that I have a bit of a fascination with the Tudors, which is what originally motivated me to read this book. As a historical novel, it's incredibly well researched. I doubted some of the events in the novel, but upon completing my own research, I found them to be true. That is probably the strongest part of the novel. But, of course, novels are centered on characters, particularly when they're told from the first person point of view, as this novel is. And that's the major...more

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