"I have read other Philippa Gregory books, so I wanted to read The Other Boleyn Girl also. I'd read The Queen's Lover, and I believe before, I had also read -- yeah, The Queen's Lover and The Queen's Fool.
This book is about the lesser known Boleyn girl, Mary, and also how she comes to have a love affair with Henry VIII, and also then how her sister takes over; so it's very much about the behind-the-scenes court life of the Boleyn or Howard Boleyn Family and what life is like living in that crazy time and that crazy place in a place that's oftentimes glamorized. So it's very interesting; you really get a behind-the-scenes look at what life is like in the court.
Philippa Gregory has a really interesting way of making historical fiction completely fascinating where you want to spend several hours in your armchair with her; and she just draws things in a fabulous way, and I just love getting a sense in what people's lives were like. I think I sympathize quite a bit with Mary, and it was very easy to dislike Anne Boleyn, who's drawn to be just the nastiest creature you can imagine. She's just -- she just seems to have her fingernails out, and she's just gonna scratch her way up to the top. And it's very interesting how the family dynamics are just so ruthless where there's just no real true fondness for family members, that each is required to play their part for the benefit of the betterment of the family.
I would recommend the book to people who not just like historical fiction, because I think give it a try. If you haven't read historical fiction, try it and see if you enjoy it. I think she makes it interesting enough; her writing is interesting and energetic enough for a modern reader. Of course, it's a modern book about historical people. I think a modern reader would enjoy this book. Also, if you do enjoy historical fiction, you'll definitely enjoy it. I would rate this book four stars. I think it's a really strong, energetic and exciting read. You can sit and enjoy it for several hours at a time."
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