The Edge of Glory

The third book I read this year was The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I hadn't known the author before but I'd heard positive critiques about it everywhere. At Christmas the BBC version of the book was on TV, which almost put me off reading the book because it was full of sex scenes and obscene puns, but I had bought the book beforehand. For me, the age of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I is one of the most exciting periods in history, and I just love to know what's behind the scenes. You know, all this intrigue, the personality of the people. What I love even more is the story of successful and powerful women. I knew that Anne Boleyn was executed but nothing more. I didn't even know the she was Elizabeth's mother.

What makes Gregory's book unique is that she tells the story through the eyes of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne, and the former lover of the king. I do not want to spoil the "story," let's just say it's a series of machinations in the court. Anne and Mary belong to a family of courtiers who are commoners, and they see the girls as means of rising. A favourite of the king would always stand you in good stead, be it a concubine or a wife. The important thing is to have a healthy son by the king.
In this book you can find cultural history, fashion, entertainment, witchcraft, adultery, homosexuality, the depiction of a woman's opportunities and rights, machinations, and much more. Of course it is partly fictitious, but the author relied on several historic sources.
The character of Anne Boleyn is quite intriguing as she is both a victim and a wrongdoer. She is quite ambitituous, and she is gambling with her life. Her greatest ambition is to become the queen of England, yet her life becomes a misery after she achieves it. The relationship of the sisters remains ambiguous throughout the story. It is a strange mixture of rivalry, love, hate, adherence, pity, jealousy, and what not. Mary remains naive and good-hearted, while Anne becomes possessed by her ambitions and fears.
I read the book as an assignment of our two-member book club with my boyfriend, and he hasn't finished yet. But as soon as he does we will watch the 2008 film version of it, starring Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, and Scarlett Johansson. I might as well read other books by Gregory, especially those related to the Tudors.

P. S. The title refers to Lady Gaga's song which I can't help but love.
P. P. S. The curious thing is that I was telling my cosmetician about the book and it turned out that she had read the book and seen the film.