Book Discussion: The Other Boleyn Girl

[scrappychik]

I bought a paperback copy from Amazon with both sisters & Henry on the cover (photo from the movie I think). The quote is found in the chapter Spring 1527. Hope you find it

[Jessi]

Originally Posted by mayphoenix

hi jessi...

i'm doing the other boleyn girl for my english assignment. and i remember reading a part in the book where Mary mentions she is 'the other boleyn girl' but now i can't seem to find that page?? would you be able to assist me?

I just saw this post tonight. I hope you find it. I remember it being there.

[Jessi]

I copied this from another site, and thought you may enjoy the information, since there are 5 books in the series (I will probably want to read them all):


The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory which was first published in 2006. It is a direct sequel to her previous novel The Other Boleyn Girl, and the most recent addition to her five-part series on the Tudor royals. (The other titles in the series are The Constant Princess, The Queen's Fool, and The Virgin's Lover.) The novel is told through the voices of three narrators - Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Jane Boleyn, who was mentioned in The Other Boleyn Girl. It covers a period from 1539 until 1542 and chronicles the fourth and fifth marriages of King Henry VIII of England.

Many of the same characters and themes from The Other Boleyn Girl are explored in The Boleyn Inheritance, particularly Gregory's criticism of the English Reformation and aristocratic court. The novel has received generally positive reviews and it has avoided the controversy created by its prequel.

[mayphoenix]

Hi scrappychik.. i finally found it! on my book it was on page 201.... phew.. i thought i was going blind!

thanks jessi for your added info! i hope i do well in my essay!

THANKS TO ALL!

[scrappychik]

Good luck!!

[mjais]

Mayphoenix: Hi! and good luck on your essay!


All of the backstabbing, spying and plotting that goes on in the king's court... The Queen didn't really stand a chance.

I thought it was a bit odd of the Queen to share her plans (to write to her nephew) with Mary. I was hoping Mary would not betray her by telling her family about her plans, but she did. I suppose Mary felt she had no choice, if she wanted to see her children.

As far as Anne's concerned, she has no conscious about what she's doing. Does she realize that if he can get rid of one queen, then he might take a fancy to get rid of of another? Her own words give it away.

'I have caught the King and sealed the fate of the queen. I have overturned the order. Nothing will ever be the same for any woman in this country again...The Queen will know of it on our wedding day and not before. She is to go to a nunnery in Spain. I do not want her in my country...Anne, Queen of England.' Pg 275

[mjais]

Here's a video of the author - Philippa Gregory, talking about 'The Other Boleyn Girl'.

YouTube - The Other Boleyn Girl

[mjais]

Book Worm.jpg

Wk #4 Discussion Pgs: 350 - 500
June 11th - June 17th

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Even though there is no proof, does anyone else think Anne and/or her father had something to do with the attempted poisoning of Bishop Fisher? Or the sudden and unexpected sickness of Princess Mary?

[mjais]

We're getting close to the end of the book and there's so much happening in this week's discussion pages. A few things stand out for me.

Mary finally seems to be able to see past her family's ambitions. She's becoming more independent. She's in love with William Stafford - a 'nobody' and she realizes that with him she can have the life she really wants; away from court, and with her children. Throughout this story Mary hasn't been 100% innocent, but I'm glad to see her have some happiness in her life.

As for Anne, she's made a lot of enemies. No matter what the king does,the people do not like her and she's snubbed during their trip to France. With her temper and her high-handed, ruthless behavior she's her own worse enemy, really. While I was reading, I wondered whether this goal, this marriage, the drama - all of it - is it really worth it to Anne. She's had to do so much conniving and put in so much effort to get this man to marry her and yet, to me it seems she can't enjoy it because she never stops plotting. It's never enough for her.

I definitely wouldn't have wanted to live at court during Anne's courtship and marriage to Henry VIII.

[mjais]

Book Worm.jpg

Discussion Pages: 500 - End of Book
June 18th - June 30th

This is our end of the book discussion. Please feel free to discuss what you thought of the ending, the book, the characters, etc... when you've finished reading the book (if you haven't already)

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I have approx 65 pgs left to read, so I'll finish the book very soon. I'll post my comments once I'm done, but I think this book is a great read.

[mjais]

I've finished the book and I really enjoyed reading it. I do recommend it.

Anne's fate was sad and tragic, but not a surprise. I think the fact that she was not allowed to marry the man she truly loved, Lord Percy, affected her deeply and left her with a coldness and a need to 'show them all' - which played a part in her fate. She desperately wanted to be queen and to have her child become an heir to the throne. In the end, she paid the ultimate price for getting what she wanted.

I also watched the movie of 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. Although the scenes of the countryside, the castles and the costumes were gorgeous, the film didn't keep my interest. It wasn't nearly as good as the book.

[mjais]

For anyone who'd like to know a bit more about the historical facts surrounding Anne Boleyn, the six wives of Henry VIII and/ or the Tudor history, here's a website to check out Anne Boleyn. This site has several interesting links.

[scrappychik]

Thanks for the links, mjais I just finished watching the movie and have to say I liked the book so much better!! I also recently read another book by Philippa Gregory,her first novel actually, Wideacre, and would recommend it as well

[mjais]

Scrappychik, thanks for the book recommendation. I'm almost finished reading all of the books on my summer reading list, so I am interested in some new reading material and will add Wideacre to my list.

I just finished reading Tori Spelling's book - 'sTori Telling' and it was much better than I thought it would be. She doesn't pull many punches, especially when she writes about her relationship with her mother. It's a good read, if you're in the mood for something lighter and gossipy.

[AllisonB]

The Henry VIII books by Alison Weir are superb (non-fiction). HBO's "The Tudors" spurred me to read more about them and I've read several by her.

[mjais]

Originally Posted by AllisonB

The Henry VIII books by Alison Weir are superb (non-fiction). HBO's "The Tudors" spurred me to read more about them and I've read several by her.

I agree. 'The Tudors' does a fantastic job of telling the saga of Henry VIII (and his wives). I'm looking forward to season 3 of the show.

I've only read one of Allison Weir's books - about Queen Elizabeth. It was great!

[scrappychik]

OOh that show sounds good! We get all HBO channels with our new cable package, so Ill have to check it out. I just finished "Meridon",the last book in the Phillipa Gregory trilogy. I really like her work. Im currently reading another of her novels The Constant Princess (story of Katherine of Aragon)

[mjais]

Oops! 'The Tudors' is on Showtime, not HBO. I forgot to mention this in my last post.

The schedule for the show and the episode guides can be found on the Showtime website.

[scrappychik]

Darn! I really wanted to see it. I only get Starz & HBO Maybe I can rent past seasons from Netflix???? Thanks for the info mjais