Prachtig geschreven roman die me lang zal bijblijven. Het verschil tussen de zussen, de ene zo lief en meegaand en de ander schijnbaar verdorven tot op het bot, en de meedogenloosheid van Anna Boleyn is wat zwaar aangezet, zodat ik vanaf pagina 200 al begon uit te kijken naar de onthoofding. De manier waarop Anna en Maria ingezet worden ter bevordering van het fortuin van de familie Boleyn is verbijsterend, en af en toe kostte het me moeite om te realiseren dat dit boek gebaseerd is op ware gebeurtenissen.
De personages komen echt tot leven en ik voelde met ze mee, naar het einde van het boek toe zelfs met Anne, hoeveel artistieke vrijheid de schrijfster zich ook gegund heeft met de beschrijving van hun woorden en daden, en zelfs met 640 bladzijden heb ik me geen enkel moment verveeld. ( )

With the release of The White Queen earlier this year, I've been hearing a lot about Philippa Gregory so I decided to try one of her books from the library. I had no clue that this was a series and that this is actually meant to be the second book, but I don't think that hindered me from enjoying the book any less. This is also the first historical fiction that I read which is not related to WWII!

Set in the 1500's, the Howard family are ready to do everything to advance in King Henry VIII's court and the Boleyn sisters are part of the game they are playing. The story is told from the point of view of the less popular sister, Mary Boleyn, who attracts the King's attention for a few years but then is set aside when his attention turns to Anne Boleyn. The rivalry between the two sisters is very evident, however Mary remains loyal to the ambitious Anne throughout her rise to power, and then her downfall when she could not give the King what he wanted.This is a captivating story of ambition, love, treachery and drama all in one book.

This book has really got me interested in the Kings and Queens of Britain, and while reading it I even bought a non-fiction book about this topic. Apart from what probably everyone knows I did not have much knowledge about the history of the British royal families, but now I am fascinated by it and want to know more. Reading The Other Boleyn Girl felt like reading a classic, I loved the complexity of the plot, the number of characters involved, and that something is always happening to keep you reading on. Although there are many characters, I think Philippa Gregory did a great job at giving just enough information on each for you to connect with them, but not overdoing it to a point that it gets confusing. Choosing Mary Boleyn as the narrator was excellent in my opinion, it gives you a view of the court from the girl that was given less importance and considered not to be as intelligent as her sister, but was loyal to her family just the same. Throughout the book I couldn't decide whether I liked or hated Anne. I admired her persistence and how ambitious she was, especially for a woman in those times, but she also came across as being ruthless and determined to get what she wants without caring about anyone else. I hated her mostly because of the way she treated Mary, but her fate left me feeling bad for her.

The Other Boleyn Girl has made it to my all time favorite books. In fact I was amazed when I was reading reviews on this book that people gave it a negative rating because they said that the facts are not all correct. I mean, this is fiction and it shouldn't be entirely on the facts. If you're interested in the facts shouldn't you just read a non-fiction book? That is just my thought because I thoroughly enjoyed this book for what it is, and I ended up buying the book after I had finished reading my borrowed copy! ( )

This was one of those books I couldn't put down. I was always kept guessing and it was well worth being sleepy over. ( )

4 Reasons why I liked this book:

1- It introduced me to the wonderful historical fiction genre of which I was totally unaware.Now I have a wonderful collection of historical fiction (Jean Plaidy , Sharon Kay Penman, Susan Higginbotham , Michelle Moran to name a few )

2- It is perhaps one of the best fictions I have read about sibling rivalry .There was a strong undercurrent in the sisterly talks right from the beginning. One wants power while the other wants love and to achieve this their paths cross , not once but many times.

3- Jealousy, rage , power thirst , romance , passion , treachery are just few of the emotions this books deals about. The power game in the court of Henry VIII has been showcased in the best manner possible.

4-It is partially responsible for my craze about TV Series Tudors ( )

A wonderful historical fiction! The characters really drew me in. Although, I love to read about Henry VIII and his wives so it didn't take much to draw me in. This book is full of plotting and deception. I couldn't put it down. ( )