The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
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Book Reviews of The Boleyn Inheritance
Book Review: Stunning and charged.
Summary: 5 Stars
Phillipa Gregory does it again with this novel. The Boleyn Inheritance is a striking tale of the least known wives of Henry the VIII, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. We also meet Jane Boleyn known mostly in history only for her part in seeing her husband George and her sister-in-law Anne go to the scaffolding. We follow the tale from Cleves when Anne is being selected, right on up to the scaffolding and eventually the Kings death, and the whole book will hold you spell bound.
I could hardly set this one down, and yet at parts I had to. It is so descriptive and so heart breaking you will cry for the way these women are terribly caught up in this court. Henry VIII truly was a mad man bent on his own whims, his own desires and no one ever dared tell him no, for if they did they could, and would end up dead. Watch as the body counts of those sent to the scaffold tally higher, for small crimes like simply loving a girl. And those who are the true masterminds of the plots get away from the axe man like a slippery snake in the grass.
You will shake your head at how stupid and frivolous young Katherine is as a Queen. And yet you will feel utterly horrified for her in the end she was really only a child of 16 years who could not possibly know right from wrong when she only ever did was she was told. I believe in the end the only one I did not feel sorry for was Jane Boleyn, to me she made her own bed. Through pure jealousy, ambition and self preservation, in the end she got what was coming. Though preferably no one should have died because of the whims of a selfish King, who thought he was a god. If you haven't read this book yet, do. You will be emotionally grabbed and riveted to each and every page.
Book Review: Gregory Can Bring Back the Dead
Summary: 5 Stars
THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE is in some ways a follow up to The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory's most renowned novel to date, but this striking retelling of the Tudor court after Anne Boleyn could easily stand on its own.
The Boleyn Inheritance is the story of three women: Jane Boleyn, the widowed Lady Rochford; Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VII; and Katherine Howard, his fifth wife and second to be executed. While most history buffs will know the story, Gregory has done the remarkable by breathing life into all three of these real historical figures. Each of the three has their own distinct personality, and even if Gregory had not informed you of whose turn it was to narrate, you have been able to figure it out based on their unique literary voice. As it was, I enjoyed the roving point of view, especially when it was Jane's turn. Jane is not someone who is beloved by history, but Gregory made her seem more human than I've ever read her.
Katherine's narration was also a pleasant surprise. It made me feel even worse for her at the end because she was shown to be truly a child, someone far too young to be Queen of England, much less Henry VIII's wife. Her naivete is shown in a mixture of the brainless things she sometimes says and the soft bent of her thoughts, relatively an innocent compared with other courtiers. She doesn't realize until it is too late that no one can be trusted in Henry's court.
This story is never boring and readers will be immediately struck by the color Gregory brings to known historical events, not sacrificing accuracy for style, but having them both in equal measure. Truly a delight to read. You won't want this book to end.
Book Review: Who Could Forget Jane Boleyn? Learn The Last Piece of the Boleyn Puzzle
Summary: 5 Stars
Just when you thought you knew it all about those Boleyn Girls, Philippa Gregory reminds you that there was one more. Who could forget George Boleyn's wife, Jane Boleyn, the one rumored to have betrayed her husband and her famous sister in law, Anne? Gregory delights us with the story of Jane Boleyn AFTER the beheading of Anne Boleyn and her relationship with the two next queens of King Henry the VIII, Queen Anne of Cleves and Queen Catherine Howard.
That each woman "speaks" in her own voice is very effective. Queen Anne is a sympathetic character - strong, charming, and intelligent. Queen Catherine is hilarious and views the world with a childlike innocence although she is very keen in the ways of men. Jane Boleyn is just plain creepy. Jane is the mostly willing pawn in the Howard family's rise to power but is she really safe member of the family? And what about that business with George and Anne? Did Jane give the evidence that damned them both? Anne of Cleves simply wants to survive in this crazy kingdom. Will she survive when the first three wives did not?
As Gregory spans the period of time from Queen Anne's rise and fall from the throne to the end of Queen Catherine's reign there are few questions that remain unanswered. I had the great honor of visiting Hampton Court last year and we were told that Queen Catherine haunts the halls there. After reading Gregory's well-researched and intricately woven tale, I don't wonder why anymore. The Boleyn Inheritance is well-written and cleverly designed - a story you don't want to miss.
Book Review: My favorite Philippa Gregory book so far
Summary: 5 Stars
I absolutely LOVE this book! Gregory brilliantly navigates between Henry VIII's 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, his 5th wife, Katherine Howard (she was just a teenager!), and Lady Rochford, whose testimony on her husband, George Boleyn, sent him to the block. The Tudor history comes alive in Gregory's talented writing -- each chapter in their unique voice and character. When I finished the book, I count my blessing that I wasn't living during such horrific period in history where your daily life was filled with constant fear, not because of anything you did, but simply because someone didn't like you. Out of the three women, only one comes out alive. My only complaint about this book is that it's smaller than the other Gregory's books I bought and the print wasn't very good - some pages were faded. But the novel more than made up for it; otherwise, I'd give it a four star.Book Review: A fantastic read
Summary: 5 Stars
I was intrigued into the story of Kathryn Howard and Jane Rochford after watching the Tudors. I knew that the series wasn't completely historically accurate, and this book was a great attempt to reach historical accuracy. They way it was laid out and narrated was done beautifully and made it reader friendly and enjoyable. The 3 different women who speak from this book have their voices heard in and their stories told in the most unique way. I found this book to hold me the best of all the novels I've read thus far regarding the Tudors reign and King Henry's wives. If you do not wish to read a 500+ page book, I found the book-on-tape/disc to be equally if not more enjoyable to hear because the book is truly brought to life through the women speaking. Highly recommended for a leisurely read.