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Summary: A definite page-turner!
Review: Even at nearly 700 pages, this book is a fast , wonderfully written read that kept me hooked from page one--I stayed up late and read it in two nights!As the book opens in 1521, Mary Boleyn is thirteen, and at the execution of her 'uncle', the Duke of Buckinghamshire. Until the very last moment, Mary is certain that King Henry VIII will grant clemency. Even when she sees the Duke beheaded, she believes the king didn't mean it. When she voices her opinion to her mother, her mother says, "Then you're a fool, and a fool to remark on it." The scene beautifully sets up the rest of the book--Mary Boleyn soon becomes a pawn in her family's never-ending drive for prestige and power, and she realizes her place in the court, the risk to life given one wrong move, and eventually, her own inner strength. Although everyone knows how the tale ends--with Mary's sister Anne becoming the Queen, and then losing her head--you won't be able to put this book down. The behind-the-scenes look at court life, and the family-encouraged rivalry between Anne and Mary, told from Mary's fresh perspective, is an eye-opener. I highly recommend this book--for fans of the Tudor era, it's a must-read piece of historical fiction.
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Summary: Court needed a recess!
Review: Interesting piece of historical fiction set in the court of King Henry. I enjoy how the story was told by the point of view of Anne's sister. However, for the first 2/3rd's of the book, the cycle is repetitive- the sisters resume their activities at court, they argue with each other, feelings get hurt, one of the sisters gets sent away, she comes back, repeat. Of course there are little side diversions which vary, but I felt the first portion of the book to be redundant. On the flip side, the ending came too quick. I am sure Anne Boleyn felt the same way. A little trashy, but oh how I did look forward to reading it every night!
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Summary: Bonus Star for Boleyn Girl
Review: I thought this book was awsome. Im used to reading period peices like Jane Austen and seeing the purity of the Olden days, but this book was more the coruption. It kept me hooked on every page and had so many twists and turns i couldnt put it down without it being in my mind for the rest of my days.
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Summary: Best book this summer
Review: I read a lot of historical fiction -- and more than a few about Henry the 8th and Elizabeth I's time -- but this was by far one of the best I've ever read. I couldn't put it down, and stayed up all night two different evenings until I fell sleep. Even knowing that the general outcome of Anne Boleyn, it was completely fascinating the way Phillipa Gregory developed every character in this book. Each person became alive -- good and bad, villain and angel -- so that you felt like you actually could see these people, hear them talk and knew them intimately. It's a tale about the human spirit, and a wonderful love story that is intricately woven in with a great deal of historical fact. Anyone who loved the trilogy about Josephine Bonaparte will especially love this story.
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Summary: An Interesting Eye-Opener
Review: This book was very interesting, although very long, I read it in record time because it was so hard to put down. It opened my eyes to the treacherous ways of the old courts of England and it fanned out beautifully from the facts we know about Anne Boleyn and her family's lives into an interesting and tragic, fictional account.
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Summary: A fascinating glimpse of history
Review: ...but an even better story of a girl's journey to womanhood. Philipa Gregory's Mary Boleyn was a three dimensional character who sprang to life in the pages of the book. Mary Boleyn was her family's pawn, married off at an early age and tossed in the king's bed shortly thereafter. But as the story unfolds, Mary finds herself and finally has the strength to marry for love. Gregory's ability to weave a fictional story into a historical work was breathtaking.
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Summary: WOW!
Review: This was a GREAT book, I'm an avid reader and I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Tudor English History. Althought is not technically a true account, it does have some historical truth and the thoughts and feelings of the main character are absolutely riviting.. Great Read A+++++++
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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: I love historical fiction and this book was one of the best I've read. The book never lags and it's a pageturner from start to finish. If you are especially addicted to English history, don't miss this book. It ranks right up there with those by Sharon Penman and Margaret George. You'll enjoy every minute of it!
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Summary: Loved it!
Review: I really enjoyed this book, it was a great look at a very fascinating person at a very interesting time in history. Not much is known about Mary Boleyn, but Phillipa Gregory does an amazing job with three facts: 1) Mary was the mistress of a King 2) her sister was Anne Boleyn 3) she defied her family and court to marry for love. I was delighted to discover that Mary's daughter Catherine was the mother of Lettice Knollys, who ended up marrying Queen Elizabeth's favorite, Robert Dudley (I adore all those wonderful Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt novels like "My Enemy, the Queen.")
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Summary: You Won't Put This One Down
Review: If you are reading the Customer Reviews section, don't bother...JUST BUY THE BOOK! It's a great read and you find yourself so caught up in it that you won't want to put it down or do anything else until it's finished. Then, you'll find yourself thinking about it day and night and wishing that the author would write a sequel, exploring the generations to come! The Other Boleyn Girl gives an entirely new and surprising peek into the lives of the Tudors in England. Anglophiles will love the book for it's modern-day slant on the historical record, and history-phobics will also love it because of the author's ability to convey fantastic visual images without bogging the reader down into unnecessary details. The 600+ pages will fly by so quickly that it feels like reading a book half it's size.
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