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I thought it would be a fun change of pace to do a review as a comparison between a book and movie, as opposed to our regular book review format. Over my winter break, I watched my brother’s girlfriend with her head buried in a book. She was entranced with the novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory. I borrowed the book from her when she finished it, and I too was riveted. Philippa Gregory is an extremely talented writer, using incredibly rich descriptions to really pull the reader in.

The Other Boleyn Girl, as written by Phillipa Gregory, is the story of Mary Boleyn, the younger sister of Anne Boleyn - who became the Queen of England when she plotted to have Queen Elizabeth dethroned and then went on to marry King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn actually catches the King’s eye long before her sister Anne comes into the picture. She becomes his mistress, although she is already married to another man, and bears Henry two children: a girl and the “all important” boy.

It is Mary’s ambitious family that thrusts Anne at the King whilst Mary is laid up waiting to give birth to his child. Henry then becomes enchanted with Anne, and it is Anne’s determination that drives her to the English throne, regardless of the fall out to any and all.

This story is a fascinating tale of that time period in history. Phillipa Gregory depicts it so vividly that I could see it. I have a greater appreciation for 16th century than I ever had before. If you like historical fiction at all, it is a must read!

Unfortunately, I cannot speak as highly for the movie, The Other Boleyn Girl. Released in 2008, I opted to rent it from NetFlix. Glad I didn’t pay full price! Many people believe that reading a book before you see the movie, ruins the movie. In this instance, I wouldn’t have had any idea at all what was going on if I hadn’t just read the book. I do think that I’m, “sharper than the average bear” but seriously, I would have had a hard time following the plot.

They (the screenwriter, producer, director - Hollywood) changed too much of the story. A huge plot line in the book was the rivalry between the sisters. It was a driving force. Whereas, the way they established it in the movie was weak, and then they had the two Boleyn girls “kiss and make up.”

Hollywood made a big deal out of the “incest scandal” between Anne and her brother George, because it would sell, but in the novel it was only hinted at, never confirmed. I also was disappointed in the ending. When they chopped Anne’s head off, they should have been consistent with how it really happened in the time period.

The only praise I have for the movie is for the actors. I did think it was well cast, as Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana are all very easy on the eyes, in addition to being incredibly gifted at their craft. I held on to see what would happen next, because I liked them, not the movie.

All in all, I loved the book but did not care for the movie. I’m excited to read the five sequels that have come from this original story: The Queen’s Fool, The Virgin’s Lover, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Other Queen. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring you some future book reviews on them as well!

Posted by Frances in Book Talk |

This entry was posted on Friday, March 6th, 2009 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Book Talk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.