The Other Boleyn Girl

I enjoyed this way more than The Queen's Fool, the only other Philippa Gregory I've read. Mary Boleyn felt like a fully fleshed character in a way that the other book's narrator never did. I still wasn't impressed though; I feel like there are plenty of other treatments of the era and people that are better done however.

I suspect I will not be picking up any more of Ms. Gregory's book; there are too many awesome authors in the world for me to not be picky.

What can I say...weakness for historical fiction. Anyway, this one was certainly a page-turner. But, apparently Gregory's interpretations of the confirmable history of Anne Boleyn are occasionally a little wild, and I figured that out (thanks, Wikipedia!) after feeling like some of the plot twists were just flat out implausible. However, adultery, incest, homosexuality–you want it, this book has it.

Not really knowing what this story was going in, I really hated it for about the first quarter. The only thing that kept me going besides a morbid curiosity was Gregory's talent for storytelling. She made it fun to read about one of the most sickening political environments I have ever heard of. That takes talent.

The story follows Mary Boleyn from just after she's married at about twelve years old, all through the ups and downs of her life, which for much of it, was barely her own. Taken from her marriage bed to be flaunted before and then bedded by the king, then to be cast aside for her sister, reunite with her cuckolded husband who the gets sick and dies, and finally to find true love. She manages to barely get through the sludge of court and come out happy and with her three children.

It's a heartbreaking story of what can happen to family, love, and sanity when an entire country is dancing to the whims of a vain, power-crazed tyrant. At the same time, a beautiful story of a woman's love for her children and the man she finally comes to love protecting and loving her as a husband should.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I picked it up because I had heard a lot about it as well as had seen previews for the movie version of the book. I didn't know there was another Boleyn girl, so I was definitely interested.

I have always been very interested in Henry VIII and his 6 wives and have been willing to read just about anything about them, whether it was fiction or non-fiction. As far as historical fiction, I thought this book was well written and the author, Phillippa Gregory, did her research. I was a bit surprised by a few things in the novel, like the way she portrayed Anne Boleyn as a power hungry, controlling, manipulative and corruptive woman who would stop at nothing to get Henry VIII and become queen. I did not know there was a Mary Boleyn, but she's a very compelling woman.

I found this book to be a fast read, there was not a moment when it dragged for me. I was able to read it and not get bored or distracted. I found myself thinking about the book and the relationships of Mary, George and Anne Boleyn, as well as how the three of them worked throughout Henry VIII's court. I don't want to spoil it too much for those who haven't read the book, but there were a few surprises I wasn't expecting as far as the relationship between George and Anne. George is the older brother of both Mary and Anne, and all three siblings are very close, but there was a different level of closeness between George and Anne. Some of the “hints” definitely have left me wondering what was going on in Henry's court, either with or without his knowledge.