Take a photo of a barcode or cover
chasm 's review for:
The Boleyn Inheritance
by Philippa Gregory
Far more than just a sequel to the Other Boleyn Girl, the Boleyn Inheritance strives to tell the story of three powerful women in the English court, all diverse in their fates and ideals. Anne of Cleaves is the fourth wife to Henry VIII, a lost lamb in a English world, adjusting to the foreign world she is unmercifully thrown in. Jane Boleyn, or Lady Rochford, is the wife of George from the Other Boleyn Girl, a great gossip and plotter at court. And lastly we have Katherine Howard, a new Howard maid sent in to seduce the king.
The story uses a combined narrative of all three women, slipping in easily from the naive and greedy voice of Katherine Howard to the more anguished and scheming voice of Jane Boleyn, and lastly to Anne of Cleave's gentler yet mature tone. I love how much stronger the women are in this chapter, so much more sincere or defined in terms of personality. Yet, all have their deep obvious weaknesses and none were as perfect, as desirable and intriguing as Anne Boleyn.
The novel focuses a lot more on inner turmoil instead of only hot blooded seductions, a contrast to the previous novel - which I do like. In particular, Jane Boleyn obsesses frequently about the young and beautiful George and Anne Boleyn, gone from the world. She reminisces about their perfection, their desirable smiles, their capricious attitudes. However, Jane struggles with that same sense of loss, and more as she was the only one that survived. The king is old, and romance has lost its charm now, so emotion and comfort, power and independence are much more prevalent themes in this book.
But as I read more and more into Gregory's writing, I see the same things I have disliked over and over again. I am repeatedly reminded that women are worthless pawns in the world, cast off only to win favors with the rich yet easily disposed of when failing to do so. Katherine Howard, and even Jane Boleyn or Anne of Cleaves (at first!) show the same reluctant and pathetic attitudes as Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl, they let themselves be controlled by men - their lives dictated by fathers, uncles, and husbands. I admired Anne of Cleaves at the end for seeking her true self, and Anne Boleyn's fiery self possessed manner; they were breaths of fresh air in such novels.
Also, Gregory's writing is awfully bland at points. She may excel at romance, or even at dialogue and actions but she utterly fails at description. Her descriptive writing, modifiers and imagery lacks severely - weakening the appeal of the Tudor court and the spirit of the age. The book seems quite simple in language as well, and the words repetitive and often crude. I think I had an unrealistic expectation of fanciful metaphors and imagery painted on velvet curtains for this novel, but I do feel if Gregory's writing was a bit more descriptive, the rating would be higher.
I don't really think I'll read another Gregory novel, but we'll see. However, I enjoyed the Boleyn Inheritance far more than the Other Boleyn Girl, and perhaps if I'd somehow read it first, it would be a great read to me. I don't really recommend this novel if you've disliked the Other Boleyn Girl, the novels are truly not dynamically different.
The story uses a combined narrative of all three women, slipping in easily from the naive and greedy voice of Katherine Howard to the more anguished and scheming voice of Jane Boleyn, and lastly to Anne of Cleave's gentler yet mature tone. I love how much stronger the women are in this chapter, so much more sincere or defined in terms of personality. Yet, all have their deep obvious weaknesses and none were as perfect, as desirable and intriguing as Anne Boleyn.
The novel focuses a lot more on inner turmoil instead of only hot blooded seductions, a contrast to the previous novel - which I do like. In particular, Jane Boleyn obsesses frequently about the young and beautiful George and Anne Boleyn, gone from the world. She reminisces about their perfection, their desirable smiles, their capricious attitudes. However, Jane struggles with that same sense of loss, and more as she was the only one that survived. The king is old, and romance has lost its charm now, so emotion and comfort, power and independence are much more prevalent themes in this book.
But as I read more and more into Gregory's writing, I see the same things I have disliked over and over again. I am repeatedly reminded that women are worthless pawns in the world, cast off only to win favors with the rich yet easily disposed of when failing to do so. Katherine Howard, and even Jane Boleyn or Anne of Cleaves (at first!) show the same reluctant and pathetic attitudes as Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl, they let themselves be controlled by men - their lives dictated by fathers, uncles, and husbands. I admired Anne of Cleaves at the end for seeking her true self, and Anne Boleyn's fiery self possessed manner; they were breaths of fresh air in such novels.
Also, Gregory's writing is awfully bland at points. She may excel at romance, or even at dialogue and actions but she utterly fails at description. Her descriptive writing, modifiers and imagery lacks severely - weakening the appeal of the Tudor court and the spirit of the age. The book seems quite simple in language as well, and the words repetitive and often crude. I think I had an unrealistic expectation of fanciful metaphors and imagery painted on velvet curtains for this novel, but I do feel if Gregory's writing was a bit more descriptive, the rating would be higher.
I don't really think I'll read another Gregory novel, but we'll see. However, I enjoyed the Boleyn Inheritance far more than the Other Boleyn Girl, and perhaps if I'd somehow read it first, it would be a great read to me. I don't really recommend this novel if you've disliked the Other Boleyn Girl, the novels are truly not dynamically different.