Review: The Other Boleyn Girl
| This novel is the well-researched but still very fictional story of Mary Boleyn. There’s some debate as to whether she was the famed Anne Boleyn’s younger or elder sister, but in this novel she’s the younger by two years. Her story begins some time after she is a married woman of thirteen or so.
As maid-in-waiting to his wife, Mary catches the eye of King Henry VIII. He becomes captivated with her and the Boleyn/Howard family works to keep her in his eye until eventually she becomes his mistress, sky-rocketing them up in the court pecking order. It doesn’t matter that she’s already married–the contrived affair is more important and Mary’s own personal feelings about the matter are of course considered completely irrelevant. |
The story chronicles the decades from this affair to when Anne Boleyn is finally executed. While the author has done her research, she has the pick of theories and goes with many which are neither proven nor, in truth, very likely: that the Boleyns were really guilty of incest, for example; nor is it truly thought that Mary’s first two children were fathered by Henry the King. As such it is a rather sensationalist book, seeking out the gossip: the kind of story-telling that one might find in, say, a tabloid.
On the other hand, it’s a wonderful read, captivating the feel of a corrupt court and a fascinating period in history. It shows well how things were done: Mary’s cuckolded husband benefited from the affair with new estates, and he is portrayed as accepting that as a common sense good second best…
While I knew where the story would eventually lead, I still had a hard time putting it down to find out what happened next! Where it truly excels is in painting a picture of the likely feelings and reactions of two young girls whose personal feelings are absolutely irrelevant to their families–and to the developing character of Mary who, once a mother, is less interested in being the mistress than in hanging on to her children. The author does a great job of painting her characters, especially the women: the pain of Catherine of Aragon when her husband cheats on her and eventually sets her aside, Mary’s decision to go against the family’s wishes and marry for love, and Anne’s stress and strain as she fights to keep the king’s attention.
My major gripe with the book is its poor grammar, in particular the use of commas where a period or colon would be much more appropriate. Poor editing is one of my gripes, even when the author is well-established and presumably has more say. Nonetheless I loved the book, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history and the ability to take historical fiction with a large grain of salt.
