MADreads

Life amongst the Tudors

May 7th, 2007 Mary K. - Central

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory is intriguing  historical fiction that portrays the Boleyn/Henry VIII story from the perspective of Anne’s sister, Mary.  The  Boleyn family was part of the king’s court, and even though Mary was already married at the age of 14, she caught the king’s attention and her family pushed her into becoming the king’s mistress.  It is well known that Henry desperately wanted a son, and that his first wife Queen Catherine of Aragon, did not have a son that lived.  And we know also that he had six wives in his quest to produce the next king.  It is ironic that his daughter with Anne Boleyn became Queen Elizabeth I. 

Even though Mary is the narrator, the real story is that of Anne, a beautiful woman who desperately wanted to be queen.  Mary and her brother George are Anne’s closest companions and the only family members she can trust.  Their Uncle Howard is actively involved in trying to push the family’s favor with the king, and has no qualms about using his nieces as pawns.  Their parents are also very ambitious and are more than willing to go along with the family plans to enhance their own weath and standing.

This is a long and complicated book that brings us into the Tudor era very effectively.   It is told entirely from the perspective of the Boleyn women and therefore gives a good idea of what court life was like; the political events of the era are described as the women in the court would have received the news.  Reading this book made me go to some encylopedias to brush up on that era.

I also discovered that the Other Boleyn Girl is in production as a feature film starring Natalie Portman as Anne and Scarlett Johansson as Mary.  I will look forward to the movie, but am glad to have read the book first.

Entry Filed under: Historical Fiction