The Other Boleyn Girl [Paperback]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and re-read it often. The characters are interesting, the story is well-paced and well-told, and Phillipa Gregory invokes the sights and sounds of the Tudor court very well. In Mary Boleyn, the book's narrator, she creates a character that the reader cares about, and surrounds her with even more entertaining historical figures - if there is one drawback to this book, it is that Mary is eclipsed by her 'supporting cast'.

However, as good as this book is, it is not one to be believed. Gregory's facts are deeply in question - it is well known that Mary was the older Boleyn sister, not the younger, and her reptutation is at odds with the naive country girl that Gregory presents us with. It is highly unlikely that her children were fathered by the king (he'd never hesitated to bestow myriad titles on his other illigitemate son, after all, and yet Henry Carey, Mary Boleyn's son, went ignored), and the depiction of Anne Boleyn is unnecessarily negative. The pity we are presumably supposed to feel for Anne at the end of the book feels a little forced after Gregory has chronicled the cruelty, selfishness and incest of the character, but nevertheless Anne is fascinating to read about, and once again Gregory's gift for writing good characters is shown spectacularly.

If you read this book as a novel, a story, and ignore the historical innacuracies, then you will almost certainly enjoy it. The relationship between the three Boleyn siblings is interesting, and Gregory is very skilled at showing us the court - so much so, in fact, that the book dims a little when Mary is away from London. Katherine of Aragon is excellently portrayed, and the machinations of the Duke of Norfolk, the head of the Howard family, are intriguing. Mary's love affair with William is touching - all the more so because it is the one thing we can be sure is true.

The story of the rise and fall of both the Boleyn girls in the affections of Henry the VIII. The novel follow Mary Boleyn through becoming the mistress of the king and bearing him two children to becoming a discarded mistress in favour of her older sister Anne - she is forced to teach Anne to hold the fickle king while Anne waits to become Queen - to marrying the man she loves and eventually ending in Anne's death.

This is the book that got me into reading historical fiction and I am still fond of it, against my better judgement. I feel that it is Philippa Gregory's best work to date. I warmed to Mary as a protagonist as she grew from a naive girl into a woman, eventually becoming brave enough to marry the man that she loves rather then one of her family's choice. I also really like the fact it was showed the rise Anne Boleyn though a realistic perspective and a natural confidant to the centre of power without giving away all the mystery of Anne by using her as the main character. Also I felt that the Tudor Court was written in a evocative way, I could visualise the sights and smells easily.

The book has been criticised for being inaccurate in its details about Mary (older or younger sister and she was probably the mistress to the French King first) but as it dealt with a lesser known historical personage I felt it got away with putting a different spin on Mary and in reality there is no certain hard facts for her. I read Mary as an unreliable narrator, and so the story was her version of events which would probably differ significantly if told by a different protagonist, such as George. As to Anne although she was portrayed as vicious and harpy like in the novel, I did think that relations between sisters can sometimes twist and sour into the love-hate relationship Mary and Anne shared in the book. I also that Anne must have had some fire in her to continually refuse the king and must have been under intense stress during the years before she could marry the king and after when there was no forthcoming heir, which I felt the novel tried to address. While many critics often point to the hints in the novel towards the possibility of incest between Anne and George, I always assumed that it was left up to the reader to choose as we are seeing through Mary's eyes and she see precious little in reality. I interpreted it as Mary only really considered the possibility when it is the accusation against them at the end, and then she doesn't really know if its true or just made up. I do prefer my historical novels accurate, and the irrefutably The Other Boleyn Girl does contain many inaccuracies. However, as long as you ignore Philippa Gregory's assertions that her books only deviate from the historical record where there are gaps to fill and recognise that it is a sensationalised, heavily embellished work of fiction not a history book, then there isn't too big of a problem.

I would recommend this book as it remains one of my favourite guilty pleasures and is enjoyable as a light read.

I first read this book a few years ago. I recently re-read it and having read a variety of fact and fiction on the period since then I have to say what an utter disappointment this book is. I find it hard to sympathise with Mary Boleyn who in the book is basically a sop, pushed forward by her family, then aside in favour of her sister. Phillipa Gregory conveniently neglects that Mary Boleyn was rumoured to be King Francis of France's mistress too...for those that don't know he called her his "English Mare" and she was also referred to as the infamous whore. Anne is instead portrayed as a terrible person who would do anything to be Queen, even more to concieve a son and therefore deserved everything that happened to her. Don't get me started on George Boleyn being gay...I bet that guy is turning in his grave! I also extremely dislike how Gregory included Bibliographies with her work to make them appear more authentic. Your a fiction writer, not a historian, don't make your book look more credible by citing sources, all of which are secondary. Alison Weir, in the book The Lady Elizabeth fully accounts for where liberties have been taken.

For those that would critique this review, I am not against Gregory per se. I really liked The Constant Princess as I thought it portrayed a believable account of the alternate history, that being that Katherine of Aragon actually did consummate the marriage with Henry's brother Arthur. That was the key difference between that and TOBG...I could not find it a believable alternative at all. Anne hiding miscarriages, sleeping with her brother to concieve a son, etc. The only other book of her's I have read was The Queens Fool, again, I did not enjoy this book. In conclusion, if your desperate to read this book than by all means do. It differs greatly from the film, infact it is better then the film tbh. But bear in mind that it is only fiction.