The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance opens in 1539 with Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, hoping for the king to marry so that she can be released from living at Blickling Hall on her brother's charity and be a lady-in-waiting for the new queen. She is still haunted by the events of 1536, when her husband George Boleyn and his sister, Anne, were beheaded - after Jane played her part in giving evidence against them. Her excuse is that they would've died anyway and she ...
...lands and fortune. However, as the story progresses, we soon realise that this was not her only motive… The story is told through the eyes of three women: Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Anne is also desperate to go to the English court, if only to escape her strict brother who doesn't let her do anything and accuses her of being 'lustful' and 'loose' with no reason. He is a cruel man who locked up their father when he was dying ...

DoubleFantasy11 22.09.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

...in reading books set in the past, just so I can get a bit of an insight into how my ancestors may have lived. OK so at the moment I haven't found any royalty in my tree but I have found out that my Great x 3 Grandfather worked as a Carpenter in the Tower of London for Queen Victoria and traced my tree back to around 1580 when Queen Elizabeth I would have been on the throne. Although being an East Ender now living in Derbyshire quite a few of my ancestors ...
...ancestors could well have seen the Royalty of their day, out and about riding through the streets of London to get to other places. So some of the obvious books to read would be Charles Dickens, for an insight into the Victorian era and Philippa Gregory for an insight into the Tudor period. I read both Charles Dickens' Oliver and Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl whilst on holiday earlier in the year and recently have finished Philippa Gregory's ...

paulpry118 30.11.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

*** The Author *** Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya in 1954, and then her family moved to England. She has degrees in history and literature, and has worked for a local newspaper and BBC radio. Now a full time writer, she lives with her family on a small farm in the North of England. She has written contemporary novels, but is most well known for her historical fiction. *** Background to Plot *** This tale of the volatile and dangerous court ...
...Jane Boleyn. At the start of each chapter is the name of the storyteller, plus the place and date of that part of the tale. I felt that hearing the events from the differing viewpoints of these three women, added interest to a main plot that at least some readers will be already familiar with from history lessons. Jane Boleyn sees herself as the sole survivor of an unlucky family and an heiress to scandal. Her version is heavily influenced by her ...

luckyarchers 27.09.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance is set after The Other Boleyn Girl, Queen Jane is dead and the King is looking for his new wife, and so we meet Lady Anne of Cleves. The book however isn't only through the eyes of Anne and it switches between a young Katherine Howard and Lady Jane Rochford the sister-in-law in Anne Boleyn, the be-headed Queen. The book begins with Anne of Cleves having her potrait painted along with her sister, and she strongly wishes to be ...
...living a boring life in the country and longing for a request to go back to court to be a lady in waiting to the new Queen. Katherine Howard is at Lambeth living with her step Grandmother, and at only 15 is already worrying of becoming old and dreaming of riches. Anne of Cleves is of course chosen by King Henry to become the new Queen of England and so she begins her procession from Germany to London. She is overwhelmed by all the attention she gets, ...

GemmaC25 01.08.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

...just doesn’t live up to the fabulousness that is The Other Boleyn Girl. The Boleyn Inheritance tells the stories of three relatively unknown Tudor women: Jane Rochford (Wife of George Boleyn and remembered as a schemer), Anne of Cleves (history’s infamous smelly wife) and Katherine “Kitty” Howard (A slutty teenager if the rumours are to be believed). But since when does Gregory conform to stereotypes? In this story she tries to unravel the mysteries ...
...been passed down through the generations. Although she obviously has done masses of research for each of the characters, Gregory freely admits that it was an extremely task and that there is a lot of ‘padding out’. As it happens, the historical surroundings of the events are as accurate as you would expect for historical fiction. Throughout this book we are exposed to new ‘evidence’ to the characters of these three women and by the end of it you ...

HisAngel 06.07.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

...and Queens of Britain or the Romans! Hence the reason why I'm such a keen viewer of programmes such as The Tudors and Rome. Yes I know that neither are completely correct with the truth, but there are some things which you can get away with. One of my favourite authors of these types of novels is Jean Plaidy but recently I have discovered another who is just as good. Phillipa Gregory. She has written past books The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin ...
...of 1539 at the time of Henry VIII. It has been over 3 years since the beheading of Anne Boleyn and her brother George, whilst the people of England are desperate for a new Queen. Jane Seymour has already died, alone, the absence of the King well noticed. But now is not the time for grieving of those who are no longer around. There are 3 main narrators throughout the book. Jane Boleyn (wife of George), Anne of Cleves ( the 4th wife) and Katherine ...

crezzie 19.04.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

This book tells the story of Henry VIII's fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Most readers will therefore know the ending, but this book was still completely engrossing and I couldn't put it down. Unlike most of Gregory's books, which are told from the perspective of just one character, this is told from the viewpoints of three - Anne, Katherine, and Jane Boleyn, who will be familiar to readers who have read 'The Other Boyeln ...
...because Gregory hasn't simply believed the words of Henry VIII, as many historians have, but instead studied the evidence to try and work out what these women might have been like. Anne of Cleves is therefore intelligent and likeable, suffering abuse from her brother but still trying hard to please. Seeing her transformation into a confident and graceful 'sister' of the King is wonderful. Katherine seems like a normal, slightly spoilt teenage girl ...

ali_morag 15.06.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

...read and really interesting into the bargain. It relates the stories of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law, Jane Boleyn. The author cleverly uses the three main characters to narrate their own stories in short chapters relating the events of the time in their own voices. Anne of Cleves has suffered the title of "The Flanders Mare" for too long since her rejection by Henry VIII and it is brilliant to read what appears ...
...life. Katherine Howard is the woman/ young girl the aged and ill Henry prefers to Anne, and someone I feel history has mainly missed out! She is portrayed a silly young girl with a passion for nice gowns, jewels and young men. The book explains how Jane Boleyn was married to George Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's brother. She gave evidence at Anne and George's trials which ultimately led to their executions. She is lady-in-waiting to all the queens of Henry ...

reviewer201 28.08.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

...feel like a part of the story. She does this by creating a unique atmosphere that only she seems to be able to achieve where the Tudor Court is concerned. Along with this, by allowing you to delve right into the minds of her characters you cant help but feel for them and understand thier situation. i felt that the Boleyn Inheritance portrayed the life of little Kitty Howard very well and is actually very sad as it shows how she was really just a ...

thelittle_one 29.08.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

...Cleves were women drawn into the Tudor Royal Household and in a variety of ways, suffered as a consequence. This story is written from the perspective of the three women, each having their turn in relating events or expressing their thoughts and feelings. Philippa Gregory uses the bones of historical fact and fleshes them out with conjecture. She does this in a very clever way that shows insight into how each might have reacted based on their age, ...
...it's not difficult to appreciate the problems she might run into in taking on the volatile Henry VIII as a husband! Philippa Gregory ends the book with historical notes that state the facts that are known about the three women. This is helpful in separating the fact from the fiction. When I first started to read this story, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the 'threefold' story telling method, but I ended up being more and more drawn in and desperate ...

gillianae 27.03.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

The backdrop for this book is Henry VIII's court. It follows three high-ranking but very different women. Henry VIII is widowed after the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour, and is looking for a new bride. Anne of Cleves is hoping that Henry will chose her to become Queen and release her from her enclosed life with her family. Jane Boleyn is shunned from court after the execution of her husband and her sister-in-law Anne Boleyn, but is praying ...
...to return as Lady-in-Waiting to the new Queen. Katharine Howard is living in London with other prospective maids-in-waiting. The book is written as a diary of these three women and highlights the dangers that they face living in an atmosphere of greed, pretence and religious fervour with the shadows of the Tower of London forever present. I couldn't put this book down. I learnt a lot more fascinating facts about the Tudor Era and my previous opinions ...

sparrow06 08.04.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

Life at Henry the VIII's court continues in Philipa Gregory's book The Boleyn Inheritance, following Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard's child hoods and life at court. Jane Boleyn's point of view is also shown in this wonderful piece of historical fiction. Ms Gregory must surely be the mistress of Historical fiction for her writing give the characters contemporary personalities which we can indentify with, which brings history to life. You feel ...
...Duke of Norfolk as the manipulative plots that forced the young Boleyn girls into Henry's bed, a force which drives the narrative of this story. You also empathise with the vain Katherine and jealous Jane as Gregory presents them as very human realistic characters, full of human failings and flaws but nonetheless fascinating subjects to read about. The ending was enjoyable and now leaves me hungering for more of her books. It has also shown me that ...

Mistybrook 12.08.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

Phillipa Gregory certainly captures the atmosphere of the English Court in this great read. After the death of Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymore he marries Anne of Cleeves who is an extremely shy young woman and not blessed with good looks he quicky divorces the young lady and marries a young girl named Katherine Howard, cousin of Anne and Mary Boleyn. Katherine is very naive and not ready to tkae on the reponsibility of Queen of England. As time ...
...decides is only option is to have her beheaded. The book is written showing the views of three different women in the French court. Anne of Cleeves, Katherine Howard and Lady Rochford (Jane Boleyn), whom was married to George Boleyn, Anne and Mary's brother. An excellent book! ...

kayteex 07.09.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

by no means the best of philippa gregorys books this is still a very gripping book. it was very interesting to read about members of the tudor family who often do not get as much of a mention as others. even though most people know the eventual outcome of the lives of these tudor women you will still be glued to the page to find out what happens to anne of cleves and katherine howard! ...

h007 20.02.2008
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance - Sequel to the best seller (now film) The Other Boleyn Girl. Philippa Gregory is a novelist who specializes in Historic Novels. She also has a PHD in eighteenth century literature. The Boleyn Inheritance is written in the perspective of three women. Anne of Cleaves (fourth wife of Henry VIII) Kathryn Howard (Fifth wife) and Lady Jane Rochford (introduced to us as Jane Parker in the previous book). Gregory tells us of Anne's ...
...at pleasing her family and the king at just fifteen years of age! And Jane Parker's guilt at her betrayl of her husband and his sister (George and Anne Boleyn). Gregory focuses on the scandals and visiousness of the Tudor Court of England under the rule of a vane and aging king. An excellent read that proves both exciting and slightly educational (helped with history classes). One thing to be aware of is that this book contains alot of content and ...

LiviaLavelle 15.10.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory