Everyone knows the fate of Anne Boleyn, but not many know the story of her rise to majesty and the part played by her rival and sister, Mary, who was Henry's mistress and mother to two of his bastard children before the dazzling older Boleyn girl even caught his eye. Philippa Gregory, whose own role as the Queen of historical romance grows more secure with each new novel, has surpassed her self with this epic tale of lust, jealousy and betrayal. The Other Boleyn Girl charts the lives of both Boleyns--each in their turn "the other Boleyn Girl"--and their fiercely ambitious, conniving family who used the girls as pawns to advance their own positions at the court of Henry VIII. At 13, Mary is little more than a child when she is presented to Henry, ordered by her scheming family to serve her King and country by opening her legs whenever commanded, or doing anything else the great monarch desires. And while his loins are satisfied, life at court is sweet for the unofficial Queen and her pushy coterie. Inevitably though, the King's eyes soon begin to wander and Mary is overlooked, helpless to do anything but aid her family's plot to advance their fortunes, replace her with Anne and give Henry the greatest gift of all: a son and heir.

So good a job has Ms Gregory done at portraying the Boleyns and Howards as selfish, scheming, treacherous manipulators however, that it becomes increasingly hard to feel empathy for any of them. While Mary is merely hapless, Anne is the most ruthless of them all, so that instead of feeling cheated by knowing the outcome of her story, it only serves to help digest her unpalatable rise. Such a gruesome destiny was never more deserved. Ms Gregory has worked hard at researching her historical references. Daily life at court is described in fascinating detail--from the relentless leisure pursuits, masques and banquets laid on for the easily bored King to the complex hierarchies and machinations of the courtiers. However, the fall of Queen Katherine of Aragon and her only child, the Princess Mary, and the politics of the competing European courts and the break with Rome are seen only as a backdrop to the bawdy goings-on of the Boleyns and their fateful race for the crown. --Carey Green

2008-11-11 Dangerous stuff

"The other Boleyn girl" as a franchise has been terrifically successful, spawning two films and some heated debate along the way. But for numerous reasons, it should be approached with caution by the reader.

Personally, I agree with other reviews in that I don't mind some historical innaccuracies in my fiction, despite having a history degree, as long as it's made clear that fiction is all it is. And I did enjoy some parts of the book. I like the claustrophobic description of court life in the tudor period, and the intensity of the relationship between the sisters. And yes, some bits are quite sexy. None of it would pass as a plausible description of human relationships, but never mind- the point of romantic fiction is, after all, idealisation and escapism.

Unfortunately, Gregory over-reaches herself, and seems to claim in the "Q&A" section in the back of the book that her flights of imagination have some substance in historical truth. Anyone who reads the book should know before hand that they don't. I'm not going into specifics, since others have before me, but pretty much all that stands up to even cursory investigation in the book are the names. What I and a lot of other people would worry about is that many people won't even bother with cursory investigation, and will accept the sexed-up, wildly sensationalist version of events in the book as truth. Some people will say it doesn't matter, but our history explains our society. It is important we have a realistic idea of it.

Interestingly, I also find that the writing ability of Gregory varies inversely with her ambition. So when writing about something she knows about, she as female rivalries and insecurities, she is really quite entertaining. But as the book progresses, her perspective widens and she looses her grip. I've found this with other Gregory books as well; they start off intensely personal and emotive, but somewhere toward the end they disintegrate into hysteria and witchcraft. Really, for better historical and romantic fiction with a female perspective, read Joanne Harris.

I also have to say that I find Gregory's grasp of sexual politics quite insulting. Mary, the "heroine" of the book, is niaeve, passive and guliable. Gregory attempts to compensate for this later by depicting Mary as socially and sexually liberated, and ends up giving us as soppy, misty-eyed a depiction of domestic life as has ever existed. Meanwhile, Anne is lambasted as cold, calculating and, most unforgiveably in Gregory's eyes, ambitious. Her execution is portrayed as a just reward for daring to have her own opinions and agenda and interfearing in men's business.

Apparently the author claims elsewhere to be a "radical, feminist historian." Well, she's wrong on all counts. Her outlook is retrogressive, she's a hack journalist playing with history because she knows it will sell books, and she has all the feminist integrity of a pussycat doll (remeber that video where they dance around in underwear claiming "I don't need a man"?).

As I said before, I did enjoy some parts of the book. It makes perfect holiday reading, as it doesn't make too many demands on you. I just don't think anyone should fool themselves that what they're reading is at all historical or intellectual. It's the literary equivalent of a rom-com, with just as many gaffs and plot holes, but with rather better costumes. It will entertain, but it won't improve you any.