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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this novel as an easy read but I am not sure what all the fuss is about.
I can see why this is one of Gregory's most popular books. This was my favourite of the series so far. I think some credit has to go to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn for providing us with the infamous tale, but Gregory writes it in such a way that I found it hard to put the book down.
This is a great portrait of the English court during the reign of Henry VIII. It also chronicles the life and experiences of the Boleyn family through the eyes of the less famous Boleyn sister, Mary. I loved this book and am anxiously awaiting the film version - hope they don't screw it up too badly...
This is far and away my favorite Philippa Gregory novel to date (and I've read them all a few times, just to be sure!). I find that I always drift back to this book for a re-read that I know will be enjoyable, and it never, ever fails me. I find that I'm rooting for the characters every time, even though both history and my countless readings of this book tell me I'm hoping in vain.
I know that while some people find the length tedious, I find that it accurately portrays the passage of time in a way that The Tudors and the movie version of this novel failed to do. I also love watching Mary's blossom into maturity and acceptance of love, especially in contrast to Anne's rise and inevitable fall. I think Gregory paints a very fair portrait of Anne, using her knowledge of the time and imagination to create the kind of character that Anne Boleyn may have needed to be in order to accomplish what she did. While she is not exactly likable, she certainly gets your attention!
Overall, I urge lovers of the Tudor period to give this book a fair try. I think it is definitely a view of these historical figures and this time period that is engaging, educational (especially for first-timers who want to get a feel for the Tudor court), heartbreaking, and wonderful.
I know that while some people find the length tedious, I find that it accurately portrays the passage of time in a way that The Tudors and the movie version of this novel failed to do. I also love watching Mary's blossom into maturity and acceptance of love, especially in contrast to Anne's rise and inevitable fall. I think Gregory paints a very fair portrait of Anne, using her knowledge of the time and imagination to create the kind of character that Anne Boleyn may have needed to be in order to accomplish what she did. While she is not exactly likable, she certainly gets your attention!
Overall, I urge lovers of the Tudor period to give this book a fair try. I think it is definitely a view of these historical figures and this time period that is engaging, educational (especially for first-timers who want to get a feel for the Tudor court), heartbreaking, and wonderful.
weirdly written (the voice is so modern at times) but oddly compelling
When asked about this book, my favorite adjective to use is "saucy", said in that Austin Powers way, that implies these sisters take off their clothes... a lot. Their brother, too. Not a criticism, but don't go into this expecting War and Peace. Except that it's a longish book, this is a fairly fun and interesting read. Though the author took a lot of liberties with the story, you will walk away with a pretty good idea of life in Henry VIII's court and the historical figures involved. It made me go on and read more about the Tudors.
This was an engaging and fairly well-balanced read. I get bored by courtly intrigue and don't really have much patience for historical romances, but I liked the main character a lot. I would've preferred a bit more historical detail and a more vividly drawn setting -- since most of the point of historical fiction is to show the historical setting.
I did also like Mary as an interesting and fallible unreliable narrator. I also liked how understandably fearful and confused her reactions to her brother falling in love with a man were. It felt as complicated as it should be.
I knew the basics of Boleyn story before I started reading, and the deviations from the textbook version were a little jarring (and the foreshadowing of the end a bit heavy-handed). I wish I were more sure of the historical accuracy of the novel -- wondering about it distracted me (quite a lot) from the reading experience.
I did also like Mary as an interesting and fallible unreliable narrator. I also liked how understandably fearful and confused her reactions to her brother falling in love with a man were. It felt as complicated as it should be.
I knew the basics of Boleyn story before I started reading, and the deviations from the textbook version were a little jarring (and the foreshadowing of the end a bit heavy-handed). I wish I were more sure of the historical accuracy of the novel -- wondering about it distracted me (quite a lot) from the reading experience.