About this title: Politics and passion are inextricably bound together in this compelling drama. 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 to place their most beautiful young woman at court? But Mary becomes the king's mistress at a time of change. He needs his ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Touchstone Books
Date Published: 2002
ISBN-13:9780743227445ISBN:0743227441
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Shelf and edgewear. Still very readable. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 672 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Touchstone Books
Date Published: 2002
ISBN-13:9780743227445ISBN:0743227441
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Pages are in nearly like new condition but edges show some slight signs of handling. Cover shows some very slight edgewear. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 672 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Pocket Star
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781416556534ISBN:1416556532
Description: Very Good. 1416556532 Mass market paperback, previously read used book in very good condition, may have slight worn corners and varying degre..._ read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Pocket Star
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781416556534ISBN:1416556532
Description: Very Good. 1416556532 Mass market paperback, previously read used book in very good condition, may have slight worn corners and varying degre..._ read more
"Utter rubbish. It is poorly written, particularly the embarrassing dialogue e.g. "she was hot for the King".
The author selects a particularly fascinating period of history, but those events just weren't interesting enough apparently, so she makes up various events purely for their titillation value.
There is much better historical fiction out there."
"OK firstly, there's no doubt that Philippa Gregory can write a good story. Her prose is engaging and the content fThe Other Boleyn girl was easy to read.
However what put me off was the absolute ignorance of historical fact and total villification of Anne Boleyn - yes this is a fictional interpretation but now it has made it to the big screen, there are a few who will think this is what really happened.
Ms. Gregory describes Mary Boleyn as her personal heroine and this bias is clear through the book. A very dark picture of a woman without feeling (except fear and arrogance) or conscience is painted of Anne Boleyn. This I do not agree with.
In fact it is widely accepted by historians that Anne was the younger sister not Mary, that in fact, Anne was a very loving Mother to Elizabeth, that she was not universally hated by the British people and even her dignity and composure in death, with her documented last words being a tribute to the King, are denied in this version of events.
Taking the historical innaccuracies aside, as a woman, Anne is painted as the cause of Henry becoming a tyrant, as the reason women had to live in fear that they could be cast aside and so she had her just desserts when Henry cast her aside.
Let us not forget that Henry was actually the one who was married - Anne was just a teenager when she met him and a pawn in a political game. Henry is responsible for his own behaviour, not Anne, his own greed, arrogance and increasing desperation for a son are the reason he became a tyrant, not Anne. For he himself had many other wives after he disposed of her ad his pattern of behaviour continued.
To absolve him of this and place the blame at Anne's door is a shocking error in this book.
In addition, yes Anne and Henry paved the way forward for divorce in this country - Anne helped changed history and who knows what would've happened otherwise. Yes there may have been wives cast aside as a result but at least they are saved a life with someone who cannot stay faithful or whatever. And look how many wives can walk away from a bad marraige, an abusive one, an unhappy one, as a result of this young woman's bravery in taking on a King and country.
It is widely accepted that Anne also had an impact in the improved relations with France when she accompanied Henry to the Court. The trip is documented in the book however once again Anne's significant role in these relations, her exceptional intelligence and wit, her educational background in the French court and her overall contribution are completely undermined and glossed over in this book.
It is also documented in history that the saintly, oh so pure of heart, so good Mary as portrayed by Ms. Gregory, went nowhere near Anne or her brother when they were sent to the Tower and did not see them for some time before that happening. Her support was as absent as she was - preferring to keep her distance and save her good self perhaps? Who knows.
OK rewrite history in an entertaining fictional read - fine. But to completely and unneccesarily villify one woman at the expense of another,a nd more or less absolve the shocking behaviour of a man, a Kig no less, is really not a great message for woman in this day and age in my opinion.
And that is what grates me about the book - what is says about women when a strong and intelligent young woman like Anne Boleyn who certainly did not deserve her unfortunate demise, is portrayed as some Machiavellian villain rather than the brave woman she was and the positive contributions she made to the development of this country for the role of women (I'm a Catholic so I'm not talking religiously, THAT is a completely different matter!.
Shocking. Would not recommend this book as a result."
That is honestly all I can really say after reading this book. I had several issues with it, and at the same time, I enjoyed several aspects about it.
The main reasons I didn't like about this book: 1. The vulgarity. Sure, this is not the most bawdy book I have ever read--but it is close. The details it gives about "whore tricks" and other sexual practices are somewhat disturbing. I can hardly imagine what a teen would think if subjected to this book.
2. The classification. I am a conneseiur of good historical fiction. Having heard of this book, I thought I might give it a try. Be forewarned this book is far from historical fiction . It is closer to a modern, more obscene version of a Jane Austen novel. Don't get me wrong, the book does have some historical evidence in it--but for the most part, it is just a romantic tale of couple after couple after couple.
3. The writing (partially). As I have read elsewhere, Gregory does one thing really well in this book: she makes you dislike the main character Anne Boleyn. I can't think of another book that I have had that much distaste for one of the main characters. Shouldn't an author try to get you to like her characters? (At least present the truth and then let you decide if they are good or bad?)
4. The plot. At times this book seemed to lack a plot. It just kind of drudged along. ...meh...
What I did like about this book:
1. The sappy romance: All one has to do is look at the cover of this book and realize that it is a sappy chick book. With that in mind, be prepared for some think romance in this book. It was Mary's later courtings allowed me to enjoy some of the romance presented in this book.
2. The writing about court: I enjoyed reading Gregory's words of how the royal court dined and entertained themselves. How most girls had dozens of fine gowns... Wine was used to "wake one up" in the morning... Other details such of those were very enjoyable for me.
3. The organization. The book was organized by season and year making it helpful to reference where you were in the story. Believe it or not, I recall that about 8 years pass in this one book.
Overall, this book was okay. It wasn't phenomenal...and I probably won't read it again. But now at least I can watch the movie and say..."Hey! I actually read this book before I saw the movie.""
"I read this book because I was interested in seeing the movie, but didn't get to it while it was in the theaters. Now I realize I liked the book enough that the film is sure to be a disappointment. The depiction of Henry VIII here is pretty accurate to other portrayals of him that I have read. Henry is petty, childish, and selfish--a completely unlikable person.
A fun read overall. It gave me a hankering for more historical fiction, so I plan to check out a few of Ms. Gregory's other books in the Tudors series."
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