L' altra donna del re

Disclaimer: Don't confuse this book with a biography of Mary Boleyn. It's fiction all the way. It's a good read when you remember that this is fiction and not a blow-by-blow account of historical events. And because it is fiction, Gregory is able to play a little fast and loose with historical fact. Leggi tutto

I picked this one up at work because I want to see the movie (hello, Scarlett Johansen and Natalie Portman? Yes please), and because I know I'll have thousands of people asking me about it, like with Atonement, which I never read. In short, this book sucks. It's the worst kind of historical fiction

I didn’t realize that a book can be annoyingly entertaining before reading The Other Boleyn Girl. I was annoyed by Mary and Anne’s sister rivalry and constant dramas, but Philippa Gregory is a good storyteller who weaves a spider web of the royal court with smoothness. The smell of the scandal, the Leggi tutto

This was one of the first books I read by Philippa Gregory -- and out of order. How could I do that to myself... but in the end, you can read them out of order assuming you know the entire list of monarchs in order. :) Informative book. If you're a history buff, it will line up well -- and give you

I'm not a big fan of a historical fiction about royalty but Anne Boleyn has been always extremely fascinating. Too bad here her character is degraded to a greedy, selfish victim of her own ambitions. And, no matter how appropriate those things were at that time, I couldn’t stop cringing over the fact Leggi tutto