The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory, is an introspective novel that explores what life in the court of King Henry VIII must have been like. Gregory's description of places and characters is vibrant and vivid. She portrays historical events through the eyes of her characters who are both fallible and human.
The main characters, Mary and Anne Boleyn, are just normal girls with feelings and problems who get caught up in the struggle for power. They are pressured by their family to win and hold the favor of the king. At first, Mary is liked by the king, but then Anne maneuvers her way into the king's favor. While Mary believed that she truly loved the king, Anne only has ambition to be the next queen. Since Anne feels like she has lost her only chance to love when her family forbade her to marry the man she loved, she is only driven by ambition because she feels that she has nothing else. Gregory makes the reader pity Anne because of her lack of someone who truly cares for her and her sense of hopelessness. On the other hand, Mary chooses to do what she feels is best for her despite the opposition of her family for her choice. Through reading The Other Boleyn Girl, the reader feels how useless the struggle for power is and how it does not truly bring anyone happiness.
The Other Boleyn Girl is an excellent novel; it delves into the lives of ordinary girls who let the struggle for power overtake their lives. The novel takes the reader on a wonderful adventure full of hopes, rivalries, deceit, regret, and love.