The Other Boleyn Girl
Gregory and Historical Fiction at Their Finest
Now a movie staring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, The Other Boleyn Girl novel has thrilled audiences for seven years.
Life and times in the court of King Henry VIII and the twisted relationships between sisters Anne Boleyn and Mary Boelyn create the text for Phillipa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. Published in 2001, Gregory received high praise for her novel, spurning her on to write four sequels: The Queen’s Fool, The Virgin’s Lover, The Constant Princess, and The Boleyn Inheritance. Now made into a feature film to be released in March 2008 staring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, the life and times of Tudor England are again being immortalized in both text and film.
Synopsis
The novel begins when Anne Boleyn returns to her sister after being a lady-in-waiting at the French Court. Mary Boleyn, only fourteen years old, is married, but this does not stop King Henry VIII from making her his mistress. Mary fathers two children with him, Catherine and Henry, and finds herself falling in love with him, just as her sister, Anne, sets out to win the king for herself. Anee succeeds, demoting Mary to a mere lady-in-waiting, and making her “the other Boleyn girl.” The novel goes on to account Gregory’s interpretation of what happened between the two sisters, and also other members of their family throughout this tumultuous time, both politically and personally for the girls.
Characters
Mary Boleyn serves as the novel’s protagonist, and is made into a heroine by Gregory. Anne Boleyn is portrayed as a more scheming woman than Mary, and their sisterly relationship suffers greatly because of it. Mary and Anne’s brother, George, is married to Jane Parker, but has a personal secret of his own that causes great grief. Finally, William Stafford, a mere servant at the court, plays a key role in the sister’s lives and in the final unraveling of the plot.
Phillipa Gregory
Born in Kenya in 1954, Gregory moved to England as a toddler with her family, where she was educated, eventually attending University of Sussex and University of Edinborough where she received her doctorate in 18th century literature. She went on to teach at several universities, and also did work with BBC radio. Now a successful novelist in the historical fiction genre, Gregory continues to astound audiences with her Wideacre series and Tudor series. She currently lives in England with her husband and two children.
Movie
Set to be released in March 2008, The Other Boleyn Girl has a star-studded cast that is sure to bring it all home at the box office. Along with costume design by Sandy Powell, also the designer for Shakespeare in Love, the fantastic sites used as filming locations (Cornwall, Dover Castle and Penshurst Place, just to name a few) make this $40 million dollar movie one with high expectations. The cast includes the following:
Anne Boleyn – Natalie Portman
Mary Boleyn – Scarlett Johansson
Henry VIII – Eric Bana
George Boleyn – Jim Sturgess
Elizabeth Boleyn – Kristin Scott Thomas
William Stafford - Eddie Redmayne
References: The Official Site of Philippa Gregory
