The Other Boleyn Girl

Title The Other Boleyn Girl
Author Philippa Gregory
Published by Harper Collins
Edition eBook (also available in paperback)

(from the publishers website) Politics and passion are inextricably bound together in this compelling novel of the Tudor court.

The Boleyn family is keen to rise through the ranks of society, and what better way to attract the attention of the most powerful in the land than through the charms of one of the daughters, Mary Boleyn, at court? But Mary becomes the king’s mistress at a time of change. He desperately needs an heir.

When Mary’s sister Anne catches the king’s eye, she won’t agree to be his mistress - only his wife. What happens next is common knowledge – but here it is told in a way we’ve never heard it before, with all of Philippa Gregory’s characteristic perceptiveness, backed by meticulous historical research and superb storytelling skills.

* reader beware, this review is written in the assumption that you are already aware of the story of Anne Boleyn. If you are not there are some spoilers included*

My Review

I have to admit that I have put off reading this book for quite a while. I'm a huge fan of history, the Tudor era and Anne Boleyn in particular and I'm often dubious when it comes to reading books that deal with an area of history that is a personal favourite. I think that for me, whether I can get on board with the authors portrayal or not can really affect if I enjoy the book. However after having read a couple of the Cousins War books by the same author I decided to finally give The Other Boleyn Girl a chance. I'm glad I did because it's certainly an interesting and often entertaining read.

The story is told through the eyes of Mary Boleyn, Annes younger sister. Through her the reader gets to experience life at the flirtatious, often claustrophobic court of King Henry 8th. I found Mary, often a difficult heroine to like. Even though I was aware that I was reading about a time where things were different, it was hard to not become frustrated with Mary's inability to stand up for herself in her younger years. However as the character grew I did feel more admiration towards her especially in the tender scenes involving her children.

My biggest problem with this book was that it seemed very one sided, the author is clearly a supporter of Catherine of Aragon rather than Anne Boleyn. There are numerous occasions in the book where the author portrays the two different women by using very emotive language. Catherine is often described as regal, poised and able to hold herself with great dignity in the face of humiliation however Anne is described as selfish and almost wild at times, flying at people with her claws out. The way this is done often feels too forced, personally I like to make my own mind up about the characters. 

The story of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn is quite well known, especially as there are currently numerous books and tv shows revolving around the Tudor era. But what Gregory does here is tells the reader a well known story but still manages to keep you gripped at times as she gives you, what you might call, a backstage pass. She shows you what might have really happened behind closed doors, behind the facts. At times it really made me think about what I thought I knew about these characters.  Her take on whether Anne was a pawn, like her sister, used by her familys greed, or if she was herself the driving force. What really happened between her and her brother George, was it just a loving sibling relationship or was a line crossed?

One of my favorite parts of the book, was as the story draws to a close and we approach the execution of Anne. Gregory's Mary Boleyn is certain that Anne won't be executed, but will in fact retire to a nunnery. This is written so well that you can feel the tension in the book as the execution scene arrives. For a moment I could almost believe Mary, though of course we know that Anne will die.

I certainly enjoyed this book, and although there were parts I didn't 100% agree with I think that is because I already had my own opinions on these people but I did go on to read the follow up, The Boleyn Inheritance (review to come). Gregory is very easy to read and makes history exciting and accessible to her readers.