I almost did not read The Other Boleyn Girl because I had started reading Wideacre by Gregory and was so offended by the sexual depravity of the main character that I had to put it away. A friend had loaned the book to me, and I tried to return it to her explaining that I just couldn't read it because of the bad experience of the first book. She urged me to keep it and read it anyway because "it really is a good book." So, I started it on the plane on the way home from visiting her, and she was right.
I really enjoyed looking at the relationship of Anne Boleyn and Henry VII from the perspective of a sister, Mary, who is overlooked and mistreated but loved nonetheless. I thought the opening of the book with the beheading was very well-written and certainly takes you to the time and place where simple misdeeds can mean your life.
The family's lack of regard for Mary's desires in her life was sad. I wanted to go smack her parents for basically prostituting their daughter for their own financial and political gain.
My friend's feelings on the book is that Anne's character was a little overdrawn--she was TOO much of everything: beautiful, manipulating, sexual, etc. That didn't bother me, however, because it was clear from Henry's infatuation with her that she would have had to have been TOO much in order to lose her life.
I'm very interested to see what the book club thought of OBG. I enjoyed it enough to stay home an extra day getting over a sinus infection so that I could finish it. I know one other person didn't like it...
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