Ana O.'s review

The Other Boleyn Girl
by Philippa Gregory

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/818588.The_Other_Boleyn_Girl?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Other Boleyn Girl" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5104V0AB9XL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/818588.The_Other_Boleyn_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Other Boleyn Girl</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9987.Philippa_Gregory">Philippa Gregory</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9846084?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 4 of 5 stars 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.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/635159?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Ana O.'s review
rating:

bookshelves: 2008-read, english, historical-fiction
status: 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 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 alread...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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message 1: by Oriana

01/26/2008 07:40AM

Leitura conjunta com a Alex e a Ana T. Não esquecer que é para Fevereiro!!!!!:P