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    The Other Boleyn Girl
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    The Other Boleyn Girl
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    The Other Boleyn Girl
    Audiobook (abridged)7 hours

    The Other Boleyn Girl

    Written by Philippa Gregory

    Narrated by Emilia Fox

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Fabulous historical by Philippa Gregory, the queen of Tudor novels. Set in the court of King Henry VIII, Mary Boleyn attracts the attention of the young king and becomes his mistress; when he tires of her, she sets out to school her sister, Anne, as a replacement.

    When Henry VIII tires of pretty young Mary Boleyn, her powerful family instructs her to promote her sister, Anne, as a replacement. But Anne Boleyn, newly returned from the French court, intelligent and spirited, doesn’t agree to be Henry’s mistress – only his wife. PItting the king’s desperation for an heir against his powerful advisors – Wolsey, Cromwell and Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk – what Anne brings about will change the course of a country’s history.

    Told with all of Philippa Gregory’s characteristic perceptiveness, backed by meticulous historical research and superb storytelling skills, The Other Boleyn Girl brings a legendary court, its politics, personalities and scheming vividly to life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 15, 2007
    ISBN9780007265794
    Author

    Philippa Gregory

    Philippa Gregory is the author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl, and is a recognized authority on women’s history. Many of her works have been adapted for the screen including The Other Boleyn Girl. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction. She is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She was awarded a CBE title for services to literature and charity in 2022. She welcomes visitors to her website PhilippaGregory.com.

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    Reviews for The Other Boleyn Girl

    4/5

    220 ratings186 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I know nothing of the Tudors except for what I read in this book and the author claims that she was accurate. Of course, there's no way to be certain. History is told by the winners, so if Anne Boleyn was a saint there's no way of knowing. Apparently, historians want us to believe that she was an ambitious witch-bitch of a woman that enchanted the king and gave him only one heir (and not a bad one).

      Despite all of that, the book is wonderfully written. If it's historically accurate, then those Tudors were a trashy group of people and a lot of fun to read about!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      It had been a long time since I read a book that completely engaged me and literally made me feel like I was there.
    • 4/5
      The Other Boleyn Girl covers a very important era in England historically speaking and does address the immense changes happening at the time; but, at times, it can read like a gossip magazine. The backstabbing, secrets, lies, betrayal all contribute to this feeling. Whether this was done intentionally by Gregory or not, it certainly increased the book's popularity among teenage girls. It was much more interesting than a normal history book. Even though many of the described historical happenings were inaccurate or exaggerated, the book was not necessarily dependent on these events. The book is popular because it offers a different, more personal take on a very well-known story. It gives the reader a glimpse into an unknown world- that of the royal court of England. If you're looking for a detailed, factual account of the reign of Henry VIII, this is not your book, but if you're looking for a fairly quick read and entertaining story, as I was, this is definitely the book for you.
    • 4/5
      I would give the first half of this book 2, maybe 3 stars and the 2nd half, four stars so if you're struggling with caring about what happens to any of these characters, stick with it. I finally started to care about Mary after she fell in love with William and wanted to make a life for herself. Some parts of the book I relished in, while some parts I just had to forget about as soon as I read it.
      To the argument that the author took many liberties with the story and distorted some facts, it is historical FICTION!! I don't think I would use it to teach a history lesson.
      All in all, it was an entertaining read.
    • 4/5
      Delicious page turner. Even though you know how it will end, you still want to keep reading. The romance between Mary and the "Nobody" is lovely. The Anne character is so enchanting and so so manipulative.
    • 3/5
      I usually love historical fiction. I think it's fascinating when a writer does her research and presents a story that, while true in its historical accuracy, manages to bring a character to life and lend it a bit of modern sophistication. I love feeling that connection with a character from the past, so I was looking forward to reading this novel. The problems are many. First of all, Ms. Gregory has cast aside much of what modern historians accept as fact; namely, that Mary was the older sister, that her children's paternity was always questioned, and there is no evidence to suggest their brother was gay. The addition of these elements serves to cheapen this novel, relegating it to a tabloid of sorts. Historical inaccuracies aside, I also found flaws in the writing itself. Run-on sentences abound, affecting the overall fluency. Also, the characters are so exaggerated as to be quite unbelievable. Anne is portrayed as purely evil, seeking her own selfish ambitions with no regard for her family, while Mary is portrayed as a pure and innocent child who is used unwillingly by her ambitious family. The reason I decided to give it 3 stars is because, if you can ignore the "historical" aspect, it is a riveting tale. The 600+ pages went by fairly quickly for me, and I was honestly interested in the story, particularly that of Mary and William's courtship. It takes a large imagination and no small amount of talent to invent such a touching courtship, and for that, she is to be commended.
    • 5/5
      I found this book really interesting. Once I picked it up and started reading I couldnt put it down. I really love this time period. I enjoyed that every chapter was another year. This books pace was nice. It was a rollercoaster with the rise and fall of marys family. I wasn't to fond of her sister anne. I however did enjoy her brother George. overall, I love the cover of this book, and I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading the next book by Philippa Gregory.
    • 4/5
      I was so bored by this book when I started it. I only finished it because I was already halfway through when I thought it boring (I read it very fast) I found it was actually pretty good and I learned a lil bit about the lives of the women who were loved by the King.
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable and yet horrifying look at the Tudor court. This novel was written with the history of the Boleyn girls in mind and is an easy and pleasant way to get a feel for the Tudor times. I'm glad I was born in the West in the twentieth century! This was a great introduction for me to historical novels. A great read and I got a feel for that bit of history at the same time.
    • 5/5
      SUCH an engaging book! Gregory has a fantastic writing style that really pulls the reader in. Her characters are vibrant and really jump off the page, and somehow the story doesn't drag, even over 700-whatever pages. The movie didn't even come close to doing this book justice, and I'd highly recommend reading "The Boleyn Inheritance" if you finish this and want more of the same.
    • 4/5
      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
    • 4/5
      I'm not one for romance or period novels, but I really enjoyed it. I heard it was the "intellectual's trashy romance novel"- and it is.
    • 4/5
      I immediately became wrapped up in the lives of the Boleyn family. I found the descriptions of life and family relationships appalling. However, I could not stop reading. I found myself chearing for Mary and wishing that she could escape her sister's control.
    • 4/5
      I had read other Phillipa Gregory books before, but this is really the best one there is. If you are at all interested in the Tudor period you should read this book for it's lush portrayal of the period, even though it lacks some historical accuracy. The story of Mary Boleyn's life, along with that of her more famous sister Ann, is fascinating, and will interest any history buff.
    • 4/5
      I do not typically read this type of book, but my sister got me interested in the show 'The Tudors', which led me to read this book. It was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!
    • 5/5
      This book was very interesting, the story is one that has never been written before. A mix of compassion, fear, love, hate, family, problems, back in the industrial/middle ages. I love "historical" "back at that time" novels. After watching the movie i became interested in reading the book and loved it way more than the movie!
    • 4/5
      This author REALly did her research, made this story so believable I think I really do believe it. Especially after reading the historical background about Mary Boleyn. I had no idea such a person existed; this author is a genius for having unearthed her story and telling it so beautifully. Warning: if you want to enjoy the book to the fullest, do not watch the movie first. It's also good in its own right and as its own version of the story, but its fast pace doesn't prepare you well for the more developed, gradual plot of Philippa Gregory's 660-page tome.
    • 5/5
      A good read. Ann Boleyn's story told from Mary Boleyn's perspective.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Was the first book I read in the Tudor series and now have read all of them. I knew about Anne but loved learning about Mary and Catherine Carey.
    • 3/5
      The story of the Boleyn girls, fiction based upon some facts. The story told from the less infamous Mary Boleyn. Good mindless reading.
    • 5/5
      What a dramatic family! I usually grab everything that i can get my hands on that relates to this family. I thought the book was very entertaining. The love/despise relationship between Mary and Anne got a little aggrivating at times but it makes for great drama. I felt so sorry for Mary and wanted to smack Anne a few times, so you can say the book draws you in. It was interesting to finally read something about Mary. She is often neglected in other books that i have read. I think this book is a great read. I really enjoyed it and i do recommend it. I would also recommend skipping the movie!!!
    • 2/5
      I am willing to say that I enjoyed this book. I didn't enjoy it more than I expected to. And I didn't have particularly high expectations. So in the end, how much does that tell you?I have spent too much of my life around Elizabethan history. I was immersed in it from the time I was a baby, so I am snobbish about unexpected things. I didn't find too much to complain about here though. (I'm sure it was there had I gone looking.)So, decently enjoyable. Better than a lot of chick lit, to say the least.
    • 3/5
      This is a good, but not great, portrayal of the court of Henry VIII at the time of Anne Boleyn. It is good because the subject matter itself is so compelling, even if one knows the outcome; it is not great because the writing is pulpy and a bit low-caliber. I am mystified as to why the editor of this book let the phrase "...s/he said flatly" be used, oh, say 30 times or more. Is there no other way to describe this action? I am also not a fan of chapter endings like "And I never saw him alive again." Nevertheless, this is an engaging page-turner that does it's job of being good historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      This book is quite long, but is an easy read. I wouldn't there's much actual "history" to the historical fiction-definitely more fiction. Just think of it a novel about a time and place, and don't worry about the accuracy, and you can enjoy it. Anyone who's an expert in British history should not read this book-they'll be too annoyed at the inaccuracies!
    • 5/5
      Upon opening the book and flipping to page one, I was immdeiately sucked in to the juicy and twisted lives of our main characters, the Boleyns. As the story starts out, our youngest Boleyn Mary, has arrived to court and manged to catch the eye of the king, Henry VIII. Mary, a girl of mere fourteen, falls deeply and madly in love with him AND her growing prospects as unofficial queen. But, as their courtship continues Mary comes to realize this is no game and that she is no longer just the King's lover but a pawn in her family's want and need to rise in power. But as the king's interest starts to fade she is forced to step aside for her rival and bes tfriend: the eldest Boleyn sister, Anne. Mary soon finds herself in a troubling situation: does she fight for her family? or follow her heart and let fate guide her way? This is by far the most intriguing and mind-boggling books I have read yet. The twists and turns, the surprises and the unexpected is much what gives this book its flavor and sparkle. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys juicy tales of love, ambition and mind-blowing surprises.
    • 3/5
      Essentially a romance novel. Diverting historical fiction, good for a "beach read". Literature it's not. At 660 pp., is twice as long as it should be.
    • 4/5
      Interesting story but could have been 200 pages shorter.
    • 4/5
      I love history. I love fiction. So what is better for me then historical fiction? That's right, add the scandalous Tudor period and I am hooked. When I read a historical fiction, I take into account that this is first and foremost FICTION. I do not take any of it as a history lesson, I love letting my imagination run wild. Now that's all clarified. I loved "The Other Boleyn Girl". I felt like I was sucked back into the scandal and drama of the Tudor household. We have murder, betrayal, adultery, illegitimate children and beheadings. I feel that Ms. Gregory was able to bring Mary Boleyn, the lesser known sister of the once Queen Anne Boleyn, to life. I know at the end of the book, I wondered about all the "what ifs" and "imagine if it happened this way or that". I thoroughly recommend reading this book and closing your eyes and imagining being in the world of King Henry VIII's court and being swept away.
    • 3/5
      I'm not really one for historical fiction and I was a bit sceptical of this one. It is a light read, but I found myself engrossed in it and time slipped by without realising it. I'm not sure how accurate it is historically, but it portrays the main characters as multidimensional and evokes empathy for the heroine. A good holiday read.
    • 4/5
      This was an interesting perspective on the life of Anne Boleyn and a very entertaining read.