The Other Boleyn Girl - Books (Philippa Gregory, Paperback)

Everyone knows the fate of Anne Boleyn, but not many know the story of her rise to majesty and the part played by her rival and sister, Mary, who was Henry's mistress and mother to two of his bastard children before the dazzling older Boleyn girl even caught his eye. Philippa Gregory, whose own role as the Queen of historical romance grows more secure with each new novel, has surpassed her self with this epic tale of lust, jealousy and betrayal. The Other Boleyn Girl charts the lives of both Boleyns--each in their turn "the other Boleyn Girl"--and their fiercely ambitious, conniving family who used the girls as pawns to advance their own positions at the court of Henry VIII. At 13, Mary is little more than a child when she is presented to Henry, ordered by her scheming family to serve her King and country by opening her legs whenever commanded, or doing anything else the great monarch desires. And while his loins are satisfied, life at court is sweet for the unofficial Queen and her pushy coterie. Inevitably though, the King's eyes soon begin to wander and Mary is overlooked, helpless to do anything but aid her family's plot to advance their fortunes, replace her with Anne and give Henry the greatest gift of all: a son and heir.

So good a job has Ms Gregory done at portraying the Boleyns and Howards as selfish, scheming, treacherous manipulators however, that it becomes increasingly hard to feel empathy for any of them. While Mary is merely hapless, Anne is the most ruthless of them all, so that instead of feeling cheated by knowing the outcome of her story, it only serves to help digest her unpalatable rise. Such a gruesome destiny was never more deserved. Ms Gregory has worked hard at researching her historical references. Daily life at court is described in fascinating detail--from the relentless leisure pursuits, masques and banquets laid on for the easily bored King to the complex hierarchies and machinations of the courtiers. However, the fall of Queen Katherine of Aragon and her only child, the Princess Mary, and the politics of the competing European courts and the break with Rome are seen only as a backdrop to the bawdy goings-on of the Boleyns and their fateful race for the crown. --Carey Green

Customer Reviews of The Other Boleyn Girl

Mrs. J. A. Guy

28th December 2008

Sensational!
This is the first of PG's books I have read, and I can safely say I was blown away, and will be reading a lot more soon!

Everytime I picked up this book I was transported to the Tudor Court, to the sixteenth century in the reign of King Henry VIII, I became a "fly-on-the-wall" courtier, and loved every minute of it. It was probably the fastest I have ever read a novel, and I don't even like to read books quickly, I like to relish each page, which I did with this book too, of course, but each page was far more anticipating that usual! Mary's tale is very gripping and you become involved in the drama of the court, the lusty, dangerous drama which makes that era so spectacular.

I especially loved the way the characters are so easily imaginable, it felt as if a highly enjoyable film was rolling in my head as I read each chapter. I really really loved it!

I asked for the rest of the Tudor Court novels for Christmas and can't wait to read them.

A definite must-read in my opinion!

English Literature Student
Herts, UK
28th November 2008

Historical Soap Opera
As a big fan of historical fiction, and also a big fan of Tudor history, particularly Anne Boleyn, I was quite excited to pick up this novel that focused on the forgotten tale of Mary Boleyn. It makes a good, light read, as long as it is not taken seriously. It is enjoyable for perhaps a reader that is ignorant of the tale of Anne Boleyn, but if they are unfamiliar, they are going to go away with a very dark picture of Henry VIII's most famous wife.
The research surrounding the everyday lives of the courtiers is thorough and convincing, as are the details of the buildings, landscape and costumes. The main problem with this novel is that Gregory is clutching at straws to come up with a story for Mary and fleshing her out as a character, and as such, sacrifices Anne's character as a two-dimensional super bitch. Mary is characterised as her opposite, but is problematically modernised for the modern reader. Many of Mary's reactions to situations are completely out of context. Gregory would have done a better job to have made her a woman of her time and made us understand her in her own contemporary society, that way; we would have truly been drawn into their world.
The depiction of Anne is awful to put it mildly. It makes her out to be guilty of the worst crimes, and that her fate was deserved. She is made out to be a truly selfish person, concentrating only on herself, and that any charm that she had was not her natural personality, but a complete act. I know this is fiction, but I think an author has a responsibility when writing about someone who was a real person. This is a clear insult to her memory. Anne spent much of her time studying theology, as a patron to the arts and to religious figures she had sympathy for, and did endless work for the poor. Of course nobody is perfect, but at least add gray to the palette, not complete black or white. And Gregory has taken almost every single exciting rumour and scandal that have since proved false by historians and fitted it into her plot to make a wild Eastender's episode.


The film adaptation of this novel, starring Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as her sister Mary, should be avoided.

Despite the terrible representation of both Anne and Mary (she is a little too perfect) I wouldn't call this novel anti-feminist or misogynistic as many critics have been branding this novel (though Gregory does seem to have something against ambition, though she depicts it as a destructive force for both men and women). The problem with feminist critics is that they focus too much on the representation of just women and not the men, but it seems very clear to me that the men do no better in this novel.

If you know you would not take this novel too seriously, then I think it would be enjoyable for you. It is an easy accessible read, and has a lot to offer on every day Tudor life, and it may pull you in to do some of your own research in non-fiction books. Just as long as you do not go away thinking that this story has any truth in it besides from the obvious. On a side note I have also seen the film, and will briefly say that while this book may be worth some of your time, the film most certainly is not.

R. Brown
germany
24th November 2008

what a read!
This is the first of philippa gregory's books that i have read and thought it was wonderful. Towards the end i could not put this book down and found it a very interesting read.

J. Styles
UK
11th November 2008

Dangerous stuff
"The other Boleyn girl" as a franchise has been terrifically successful, spawning two films and some heated debate along the way. But for numerous reasons, it should be approached with caution by the reader.

Personally, I agree with other reviews in that I don't mind some historical innaccuracies in my fiction, despite having a history degree, as long as it's made clear that fiction is all it is. And I did enjoy some parts of the book. I like the claustrophobic description of court life in the tudor period, and the intensity of the relationship between the sisters. And yes, some bits are quite sexy. None of it would pass as a plausible description of human relationships, but never mind- the point of romantic fiction is, after all, idealisation and escapism.

Unfortunately, Gregory over-reaches herself, and seems to claim in the "Q&A" section in the back of the book that her flights of imagination have some substance in historical truth. Anyone who reads the book should know before hand that they don't. I'm not going into specifics, since others have before me, but pretty much all that stands up to even cursory investigation in the book are the names. What I and a lot of other people would worry about is that many people won't even bother with cursory investigation, and will accept the sexed-up, wildly sensationalist version of events in the book as truth. Some people will say it doesn't matter, but our history explains our society. It is important we have a realistic idea of it.

Interestingly, I also find that the writing ability of Gregory varies inversely with her ambition. So when writing about something she knows about, she as female rivalries and insecurities, she is really quite entertaining. But as the book progresses, her perspective widens and she looses her grip. I've found this with other Gregory books as well; they start off intensely personal and emotive, but somewhere toward the end they disintegrate into hysteria and witchcraft. Really, for better historical and romantic fiction with a female perspective, read Joanne Harris.

I also have to say that I find Gregory's grasp of sexual politics quite insulting. Mary, the "heroine" of the book, is niaeve, passive and guliable. Gregory attempts to compensate for this later by depicting Mary as socially and sexually liberated, and ends up giving us as soppy, misty-eyed a depiction of domestic life as has ever existed. Meanwhile, Anne is lambasted as cold, calculating and, most unforgiveably in Gregory's eyes, ambitious. Her execution is portrayed as a just reward for daring to have her own opinions and agenda and interfearing in men's business.

Apparently the author claims elsewhere to be a "radical, feminist historian." Well, she's wrong on all counts. Her outlook is retrogressive, she's a hack journalist playing with history because she knows it will sell books, and she has all the feminist integrity of a pussycat doll (remeber that video where they dance around in underwear claiming "I don't need a man"?).

As I said before, I did enjoy some parts of the book. It makes perfect holiday reading, as it doesn't make too many demands on you. I just don't think anyone should fool themselves that what they're reading is at all historical or intellectual. It's the literary equivalent of a rom-com, with just as many gaffs and plot holes, but with rather better costumes. It will entertain, but it won't improve you any.

avid reader
UK
26th October 2008

brilliant
this is the first book by this author that I have ever read, and it is absolutely brilliant. It is historically accurate, and brings to life the sordid life of the tudor court,under Henry Englands most nortorious ruler. I have since watched the film, based on the book, which cannot hold a candle to this book. Do yourself a favour forget the film and just read the book, you will not be able to put it down. This book is a real page turner.