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clotalksbooks's review against another edition
I'm afraid this was a DNF for me 😢 I normally love Alison's books but this one just wasn't going anywhere. Felt it was just about discrediting other writers and talking about other people rather than Mary! I didn't pick this up to learn about her mother, or Anne, or Henry's other mistresses... I wanted to learn about Mary. I listened to 3 hours and feel she was hardly mentioned. I would normally persevere but I have lots of other books I want to listen to.
allyriadayne's review against another edition
3.0
It took me such a long time to read this book, I really don't understand why. This was my first non fiction book by Alison Weir, I firstly read her historical fiction book about Lady Jane Grey, [b:Innocent Traitor|111218|Innocent Traitor|Alison Weir|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388228144s/111218.jpg|910444], which I liked a lot even thought I though her writing was too dense. In this one, it happened the same but her writing style fits much better with non fiction.
I did not know much about Mary Boleyn before, but I've always been interested in her because she was Anne Boleyn's sister, I wanted to know how was their relationship, with Mary been one of King Henry's former mistress before Anne married him, though, it was ratter bittersweet to know the reality of it.
One of the problems I have with this book was that like any other "secondary" female in history, Alison Weir did not have much to work with. Only two letters survive of Mary and what is what most people know her for (Henry's mistress) was conducted discreetly or simply there isn't record of her at court at that time. i would say 60% of the book was not about Mary Boleyn, but about the people close to her: Her two husbands, her children, Anne and the rest of the Boleyn family and what passing mention of her in letters and reports is still left. It left me more doubts (mostly about her feeling/thoughts on some matters but it's because I CARE) than I have, but I guess I'll have to fill it with fiction, if there is.
I did not know much about Mary Boleyn before, but I've always been interested in her because she was Anne Boleyn's sister, I wanted to know how was their relationship, with Mary been one of King Henry's former mistress before Anne married him, though, it was ratter bittersweet to know the reality of it.
One of the problems I have with this book was that like any other "secondary" female in history, Alison Weir did not have much to work with. Only two letters survive of Mary and what is what most people know her for (Henry's mistress) was conducted discreetly or simply there isn't record of her at court at that time. i would say 60% of the book was not about Mary Boleyn, but about the people close to her: Her two husbands, her children, Anne and the rest of the Boleyn family and what passing mention of her in letters and reports is still left. It left me more doubts (mostly about her feeling/thoughts on some matters but it's because I CARE) than I have, but I guess I'll have to fill it with fiction, if there is.
squishkilldieew's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent and comprehensive biography of Mary Boleyn. A lot of legends and pseudohistory surround this figure in Tudor history, and Weir writes well to shine some light on the truth of Boleyn.
Her writing style is not overly dry, and engaging. A lot of research was taken into account, and it really shows. I look forward to reading more by Weir, as she makes history come to life through her prose.
Her writing style is not overly dry, and engaging. A lot of research was taken into account, and it really shows. I look forward to reading more by Weir, as she makes history come to life through her prose.
reginaexmachina's review against another edition
I'm a history major and have read some pretty dry history books but I couldn't make it through this biography. I think the topic of Mary Boleyn is interesting especially given the lack of sources we have about her. However a lot of this book talks more about the sources and heresy than actually giving a narrative about Mary's life.
riverdeboz's review against another edition
4.0
Other reviewers fault this book for the lack of contemporary evidence of the life of Mary Boleyn; however, I found Alison Weir’s ability to present the atmosphere and personalities surrounding Mary to be very interesting. I’ve not read another book about Mary or her sister Anne that brought the French court to such life for me.
If hard facts of the life of a subject are important to you, this may not be the biography for you; however if you want to know the feel of the time and place that the subject lived through, with wonderful detail and impeccable research, then seek out this book on a ‘lesser’ Tudor era figure.
If hard facts of the life of a subject are important to you, this may not be the biography for you; however if you want to know the feel of the time and place that the subject lived through, with wonderful detail and impeccable research, then seek out this book on a ‘lesser’ Tudor era figure.
kpeeps111's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book very much. I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't already read Philippa Gregory's The Other Bolyen Girl, which is one of my favorite guilty pleasure novels ever. It was very interesting to compare across the fictional account and the records of what really happened. Almost more interesting was the process by which Weir goes about finding all of this information and piecing it together. I'm not a historian by any means, so that was kind of a new thing to me. The records regarding Mary Boleyn are so sparse, it was interesting to see how inferences must be made about what she was doing and how she felt about things. At times it got a bit dry (particularly the first few sections about when Mary was born and whether Mary or Anne was the eldest sister), and there were sections where I wish Weir would explain herself and her sources better (I had to look up what an inquisition post mortem is - she references them many times but never explains the significance) but overall I enjoyed it very much. Despite the academic tone, this book was very compelling to me and I had difficulty putting it down. I do love a good biography.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
3.0
Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn, has had an unfortunate reputation over the past half millennium. During her lifetime, rumors flew about her licentious behavior. She was alleged to be very free with her sexual favors, something that only high-born men, including kings, were allowed.
As a young teenager, Mary spent time at the French court of Francois I. It was suspected and has been repeated by historians throughout the last five hundred years, that she was Francois' mistress. We have a term for that today. It's called statutory rape. If a 13, 14, 15 year old girl did have sexual intercourse with the all-powerful king, it is very unlikely that she had much choice in the matter. But, as Weir points out in this study of Mary's life, there is really no independent proof that this ever happened.
Neither is there any real proof that, later, Mary became the mistress of Henry XIII or that she bore him at least one child. Henry never acknowledged the child, as he did many of his bastards, although he does seem to have made some provisions for her along the way, which may be an indirect evidence of the relationship.
Mary Boleyn was one of three children of a cold and calculating father, Thomas Boleyn. Thomas felt no compunction about using his children to further his ambitions. And he was very ambitious. Of the three children, Anne became queen, George flew very high at Henry's court, but Mary was always in the background. She never earned the fame - or notoriety - of the other two. That turned out to be a very fortunate thing for her.
In fact, in Weir's telling, Mary seems to have been a very ordinary woman with very ordinary dreams and desires. She married once in an arranged match and had two children in that marriage, a daughter and a son. The daughter may have actually been Henry's. The son pretty certainly was not. It was apparently not a particularly satisfying marriage, but then it ended with he death of her husband.
In good time, she met William Stafford, a soldier in the king's army, and Stafford, who was several years younger than Mary, fell in love with her. She did not immediately return his feelings, but after she got to know him, she did. They married secretly without asking permission of the king or queen, who by this time was Mary's sister, Anne. For a high-born woman to marry in such a manner was a great scandal. But it seems to have been worth it to Mary because she was very happy in her marriage.
Weir has meticulously researched this story and the footnotes and appendicies are extensive. In the end, we know all about the speculation concerning Mary Boleyn's life, but we also know that, for the most part, it is just speculation made up of the fevered imaginations of male historians over the centuries. In truth, very little is actually known for certain about this woman's life. She will ever remain a mystery.
As a young teenager, Mary spent time at the French court of Francois I. It was suspected and has been repeated by historians throughout the last five hundred years, that she was Francois' mistress. We have a term for that today. It's called statutory rape. If a 13, 14, 15 year old girl did have sexual intercourse with the all-powerful king, it is very unlikely that she had much choice in the matter. But, as Weir points out in this study of Mary's life, there is really no independent proof that this ever happened.
Neither is there any real proof that, later, Mary became the mistress of Henry XIII or that she bore him at least one child. Henry never acknowledged the child, as he did many of his bastards, although he does seem to have made some provisions for her along the way, which may be an indirect evidence of the relationship.
Mary Boleyn was one of three children of a cold and calculating father, Thomas Boleyn. Thomas felt no compunction about using his children to further his ambitions. And he was very ambitious. Of the three children, Anne became queen, George flew very high at Henry's court, but Mary was always in the background. She never earned the fame - or notoriety - of the other two. That turned out to be a very fortunate thing for her.
In fact, in Weir's telling, Mary seems to have been a very ordinary woman with very ordinary dreams and desires. She married once in an arranged match and had two children in that marriage, a daughter and a son. The daughter may have actually been Henry's. The son pretty certainly was not. It was apparently not a particularly satisfying marriage, but then it ended with he death of her husband.
In good time, she met William Stafford, a soldier in the king's army, and Stafford, who was several years younger than Mary, fell in love with her. She did not immediately return his feelings, but after she got to know him, she did. They married secretly without asking permission of the king or queen, who by this time was Mary's sister, Anne. For a high-born woman to marry in such a manner was a great scandal. But it seems to have been worth it to Mary because she was very happy in her marriage.
Weir has meticulously researched this story and the footnotes and appendicies are extensive. In the end, we know all about the speculation concerning Mary Boleyn's life, but we also know that, for the most part, it is just speculation made up of the fevered imaginations of male historians over the centuries. In truth, very little is actually known for certain about this woman's life. She will ever remain a mystery.
_durchgelesen's review against another edition
5.0
If you have read the other Boleyn girl and want to know the real, fact based background of Marys life this is really interesting. Also I loved how Weir shows different opinions or rather paths of interpretation for certain clues (because there is not a whole lot archived about Mary) and lines them up to conclude what Mary was like as a person and how she felt during her rather turbulent life.
notafraidofvirginiawoolf's review against another edition
4.0
Well, then.
My life is a lie--as is everything I thought I knew about Mary Boleyn. Turns out Jean Plaidy's thoughtful portrait of her as this sweet, vague bed-hopper is just not on--unfortunately, nor is Plaidy's portrayal of Anne as a clever, intuitive person seeking to avoid sexual promiscuity because of what happened to her sister. Shame, because that was my favorite portrayal so far.
But helas...Anne's a bitch.
On the plus side, however, Mary's not a whore. Much. And she actually had a really adorable marriage with William Stafford.
A meticulously researched book which forced me to reevaluate my opinions of everyone in the period--except Henry VIII. Still kinda hate him.
However...
I understand that many of Weir's sources are very inconclusive, and I love and respect that she's not pulling conclusions out of her ass just to make a better story...
But the fact remains that VERY little is known about Mary, so much of the book begins with sentences like 'we can only speculate...' which is a bit annoying. However, as stated before, not her fault.
All in all, 4 stars, chirr'ns. 4 stars.
My life is a lie--as is everything I thought I knew about Mary Boleyn. Turns out Jean Plaidy's thoughtful portrait of her as this sweet, vague bed-hopper is just not on--unfortunately, nor is Plaidy's portrayal of Anne as a clever, intuitive person seeking to avoid sexual promiscuity because of what happened to her sister. Shame, because that was my favorite portrayal so far.
But helas...Anne's a bitch.
On the plus side, however, Mary's not a whore. Much. And she actually had a really adorable marriage with William Stafford.
A meticulously researched book which forced me to reevaluate my opinions of everyone in the period--except Henry VIII. Still kinda hate him.
However...
I understand that many of Weir's sources are very inconclusive, and I love and respect that she's not pulling conclusions out of her ass just to make a better story...
But the fact remains that VERY little is known about Mary, so much of the book begins with sentences like 'we can only speculate...' which is a bit annoying. However, as stated before, not her fault.
All in all, 4 stars, chirr'ns. 4 stars.
airzinnn's review against another edition
2.0
I felt the book was repetitive at times and a bit all over the place. It seems well researched, but it's a subject with very little proof so I'm reading a true account of speculation.