Best known for her historical novels taking place during the Tudor Period, Philippa Gregory is one of the most popular novelists writing today. Although all of her novels are well-written and researched, three in particular, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Queen's Fool, stand out as particularly exemplary. Combining rich historical detail with intense personal interaction and lively characters, Philippa Gregory books are definitely worth reading.
The Other Boleyn Girl (movie edition, Touchstone, 2008)
Perhaps Gregory's most famous book, The Other Boleyn Girl chronicles the life and reign of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second queen, through the eyes of her younger sister Mary. Although she originally becomes Henry's mistress, she is soon supplanted by Anne, whom she helps throughout her rise to the throne. Finally, after the death of her first husband, she finds happiness with a new man, with whom she settles down with her children after her sister's downfall.
Although some have criticized this particular Philippa Gregory book for the liberties it takes with history, it is nevertheless largely true to the events as they actually occurred, with some fabrication used for some parts of the story that are not explicitly clear in the history that has come down. Furthermore, the main protagonist Mary is a fascinating character in and of herself, and one can genuinely feel her pain as she witnesses the downfall of both her beloved brother and sister. It is highly recommended that one read the novel before watching the film.
The Boleyn Inheritance (Pocket Edition, 2008)
Taking place several years after the events of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance tells the story of Henry's Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard (Henry's fourth and fifth wife,) and Jane Rochford, the former wife of George Boleyn. Alternating between their three perspectives, the novel continues up until Catherine's and Jane's execution, while Anne is allowed to live in relative peace with her status as the king's sister.
Although not as personally riveting as its predecessors, The Boleyn Inheritance is nevertheless an interesting story, focusing as it does on the politics that often went on behind the scenes of Henry's drama-filled court. Furthermore, one cannot help but feel sorry for the rather silly Catherine, who never fully realizes that her marital infidelities will eventually end up sending her to the scaffold, and for Anne, whose plainness results in Henry's divorcing her. However, one can also not help but fee that Jane, who betrayed her husband to his death in the previous novel, gets her just desserts by meeting the same fate he did.
The Queen's Fool (Touchstone, 2004)
Set in the tumultuous and treacherous courts of Henry's daughters Mary (later known as Bloody Mary,) and Elizabeth (the Virgin Queen,) The Queen's Fool is told from the point of view of their court fool, Hannah. Throughout the novel, Hannah struggles with her native Judaism and with her divided loyalties between the two women struggling for the crown. By the end of the novel she has accepted her Jewish heritage and decides to live in wedded peace with her husband Daniel.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of this Philippa Gregory book is the very humane presentation of the usually-maligned Queen Mary, who in this novel is shown as a tortured soul. Elizabeth, on the other hand (in a move very typical of most of Gregory's portrayal of her,) is depicted as very scheming and manipulative, which is a change from her usual presentation in other fiction. All in all, however, The Queen's Fool is surprisingly accurate, addressing Renaissance Jewish life in a very sensitive way and, like much of Gregory's fiction, one feels an intensely personal relationship with the narrator and even with the characters with whom she interacts.
Other Philippa Gregory Books
For those who wish to read more of Gregory's books, she has recently begun a new series entitled “The Cousins' War about the Wars of the Roses; the first novel (published late last year,) is The White Queen.
Thomas West - Thomas grew up near Wheeling, WV, but pursued a Bachelor of Arts in English, History, and Classics at Marshall University. After working ...
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