Why I enjoyed Reading Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl

There are novels that you just read and then you simply walk away from it after a few pages. And there are novels that once you opened the first page, you just simply cannot stop reading until the end! One such novel is "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory. The moment I read the first page, it has become very difficult to let go. I just kept on reading and reading until I reach the end. Well, I know what will happen in the end -  Anne Boleyn being beheaded. But, the way the novel is written which is without exaggeration has provided me an illusion as if was living during Tudor times and actually being there when all of those happened through the narration of Mary Boleyn.

The novel is fiction. The events narrated, though based on actual events during the reign of Henry VIII, is fictional which means that the conversations between and among the characters of the novel may or may not have happened. Everything in the novel is the creation of the imaginative mind of the author. No one has actually heard the conversations between the King and Mary Boleyn while in bed. No one really knew the true nature of the relationship between Anne Boleyn and her brother George. Despite all existing documents recovered during the reign of King Henry VIII, no one can say with absolute certainty if Anne Boleyn was indeed guilty as charged and is justified to be beheaded. Yet, when you read the novel, there is something there that will make you believe what history has failed to find out.

What is the novel about? The Other Boleyn Girl is the story of two sisters - Anne and Mary Boleyn. The latter being the "other Boleyn Girl". It was Mary who first caught the eye of King Henry VIII when she came to Court as a fourteen-year-old girl. She fell in love with the King and for a brief moment experienced the life of a Queen though unofficially. Mary later realized how she is just a mere pawn in the Boleyn Family's ambitions. When the King, later on, lost interest in her, she was practically forced to give her place to her rival and sister Anne. Unlike Mary, Anne knew how to play the game better, and eventually, she was able to convince King Henry to take matters into his own hands without regard to established rules and traditions.  King Henry VIII declared himself as England's religious head and divorced his wife to marry Anne. After an exciting story of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, Anne was beheaded and Mary lived a long and happy life with the man she loved.

Based on the realistic presentation of fictional events, this novel is very entertaining. In the context of historical reality, "The Other Boleyn Girl" is worth reading. There are life lessons you can take with you for guidance in this very materialistic world we are living in. Life lessons can only be taught through the narration of the life of someone like Anne Boleyn who had given everything for something that is not actually worth it. The grandeur of royalty is far much less compared to the simple life chosen by Mary - the other Boleyn Girl. Mary made the correct choice to leave life in the palace for the countryside where life is simple and true.

If you love chess, reading "The Other Boleyn Girl" is to have an idea of how chess is played in real life. The King is a valuable piece that having his favor means having wealth and power. The King in real life is the most powerful and holds the kingdom together. Without the King, there will be civil war since the various Lords will fight among themselves to grab power. Thus, it is very important for a King to have a male heir. A male heir will ensure the continuity of the kingdom. When Anne Boleyn failed to give King Henry VIII a male heir, she lost the King's favor and it signaled her downfall. Despite being a Queen, Anne was powerless against the King.

In chess, the King is the most valuable piece on the chessboard. But, it is the Queen who is the most powerful. In chess, the King can only move one square at a time but the Queen can move from end to end in the chessboard. In the novel, however, we will see how powerful the King is. His power has practically no limits. The Queen is only subservient to the King's desire. Ironically, this is different in chess and it is for good reasons.