I like Philippa Gregory novels, but know that they are "Fiction based on Historical characters" as Claire so charmingly put it! They get me interested in reading about what really happened.
Philippa Gregory's novel is akin to those films with the heart-wrenching scenes of Mary of Scotland pleading with Elizabeth I. It's good drama although the two women never met.
Phillipa Gregory never claimed her book was 100% fact and it's largely BECAUSE of her book and its adaptations that many people became interested in the Tudors and that part of history. And because of how popular her book was it inspired other movies and TV shows to make content about the Tudors. Philippa Gregory did her job well. Which was to write a FICTIONAL novel BASED on historical events, tell a good story and get people interested enough to do their own research. Just because some people are idiots and take a fictional book as fact that shouldn't reflect badly on her FICTIONAL novels.
It was indeed interesting and entertaining. I did enjoy! You’re right. People need to not take fictional movies as factual. It has been fun looking for facts! I do love history!
Whitney Dahlin in my opinion, if you intend to tell a historical fiction story, you should be as fact-based as possible and not effectively rewrite history in order to create a “good” story. It doesn’t matter if she never claimed it as fact, it would be stupid to write a book like this and believe no one would take it at face value. A majority of people will avoid research and take things in their simplest forms. The Other Boleyn Girl perpetuates the myths created against Anne Boleyn, who was killed in a terrible mistrial of justice caused by the King himself. It’s effectively part of the 500 year old smear campaigns against a woman who did nothing wrong but marry a tyrant. Gregory’s story is nonsense and should be viewed as such.
@@hkazu63 ALL fictional books involving history are made up to some degree. We can't know what the actual historical people were thinking and saying, we don't know what happened behind closed doors. It is a fictional story and Gregory never claimed it as anything other than fiction. She can change as much or as little as she wants. It's her book. Why is it her fault that people are too stupid to do ten seconds of googling and instead they take a fictional book as God's truth? Just because YOU prefer a factual fictional novel (which doesn't really make sense in the first place) that doesn't mean her novel was bad or wrong in anyway. People who take a fictional novel and believe it's true are the dumbest people alive and that's not her fault. She wrote a good story with historical people and events. The end. Why don't you write the factual fictional novel about Anne Boleyn yourself? I would love to read it! I think it's actually a really great idea to write a fictional account of Anne Boleyn that's as true as possible and dispels the myths surrounding her. I would enjoy that very much, probably more than Gregory's book but just because I would enjoy your novel more doesn't mean Gregory did anything wrong.
USA is sexually driven media ( I live here, may be true most a..seems worse here despite less constriction abroad) a..in US ? Sex sells..the more obscene / naughty ? The better. ( What else could explain the horrific travesty to lit that is " 50 Shades of Grey")
@@EvanMurphyCapstone oh dear - you must have missed the "The Beauty Books" by Anne Rice, writing as A. N. Roquelaure that came out in the 1990s. 50 shades is nothing.
Love AR ( more the works before subsidization)... my point is only in the US ( hate when we claim " America"- Hello, 2 continents multiple countries) just saying...50 Shades is garbage writing that sold billions as lit when it was bottom barrel erotica in freshman class prose
Thanks, Claire for distinguishing between fiction, focused on entertainment and seeking out historical accuracy. Personally, I prefer historical accuracy because I think the truth is stranger and more entertaining than fiction.
Two videos in one day! We’re being spoilt! Historical fiction is great, we as readers just need to remember that it is indeed fiction, with a dash of reality, not the other way around. Another great video Claire, thank you.
Chiaroscuro Amore totally agree! People can’t be angry that it’s not totally accurate ... it’s clearly a fictionalised version of history, if fact was the desired thing - people should read history books.
@ThatOneAsianBroChick and Margaret Beaufort is about the only person during the Cousin's War that none of the contemporary courtiers , foreign and English had anything bad to say about.
Claire thank you so much for the shout out to Riley. She was so thrilled when she heard it. We just came back from an 18 day adventure to England and Scotland and Riley is eager to see all the photos we took there. Just a beautiful place. Thank you for all your videos just love watching them!
Riley’s mom here. When I told her you gave a shout out, she popped out of bed to watch. Thank you for 1) helping me get her up on time 😂 2) brightening her day. She was full of smiles and I got teary eyed watching her watch the video so happy! So thank you on behalf of my mom Cathy, Riley and me! She also wants to know if you can be her pen pal! Told her that you’re probably busy but I’d ask - worth a shot! Thanks again!
I always thought that the doctors and astrologers were right in saying that Anne was to have a boy when she was pregnant with Elizabeth. She did turn out to be the monarch England needed, a role that a boy was expected to fill.
I’m so thankful to you for bringing the facts about the “incest” charges against her and her family. I turned the movie off when she decided to malign a female character that she tries to claim she champions. The facts that she twists words and creates imaginary thoughts to back up her arguments is sickening.
Completely morally wrong to twist history this way & make millions in so doing!!!! Long may the real truth be known & well publicised. Thankyou for your integrity!
I remember seeing this movie in the theater when I was a teen and when that scene came on my mother (who knows a lot about English history) leaned over and said "this is bullshit....this never happened." She later explained to me that the charges were made up by the Henry and his minions to get rid of Anne.
@@17hollydog but that IS the problem; there are many people who don’t look into the history, and think it IS historically accurate. Why not just set the plot in a fictional kingdom, and then it is not going to irritate people who know the history, although they would recognise what it is loosely based upon. At the same time Also the disclaimer one often sees with films “based on a true story“ really often needs to be “loosely based on a true story”.
I always learn something in your videos. Thank you for your scholarship and passion. You referred to the expression, "Take it with a grain of salt." A dear friend of mine always referred to gross exaggerations with, "Take it with a salt sandwich!" Thanks again!
I absolutely LOVED that book! It actually got me interested in history, especially Tudor history, to the point where I pursued a teaching degree. I remember seeing the movie when it came out with my then boyfriend, who was also a huge history buff and while I was thoroughly enjoying the drama before me he is getting more and more irritated because of all the inaccuracies. The most irritating of which, apparently, was the fact that a simple house in the countryside had glass windows. We spent the whole drive home talking about how glass would not have been affordable to anyone besides high nobility. I would put the movie on to annoy him sometimes :)
I liked The Other Boleyn Girl. I get caught up in the period settings and costumes but I've learned that when history is written as historical fiction, facts are usually embellished or distorted for entertainment.
Even though The Tudors isn’t the most accurate show on the planet, I adored Anne’s relationship with Elizabeth. The scene where she and young Elizabeth are looking at the fish in the fountain is so adorable, it’s very sweet.
You'd need to do a whole series of vids on inaccuracies in "The Spanish Princess." That one darn near drove me to distraction, what very few scenes I've seen from it.
After watching The White Princess and The White Queen, I thought, "Oh, I just have to watch the Spanish Princess." Catherine of Aragon and her parents are some of my favorite historical figures. But I have heard The Spanish Princess is so awful! I have watched a few previews and a clip here and there but cannot make myself buy or rent it, or sit through a whole episode even.
Well, in my humble opinion, The Spanish Princess is OK if you just pretend it's a story and ignore that it's being presented as history or even based on history. It's a sharp departure from The White Queen and The White Princess in that those two books took liberties but I didn't mind so much because the liberties were entertaining and actually made me wonder about some of the possibilities they presented about the women in those stories, women we know so very little about. For instance, Anne Neville became more real to me thanks to the way Gregory portrayed her. However, The Spanish Princess . . . I've seen only a few scenes and I kept saying "nope, that never would have happened, nope, that never would have happened, nope, that never would have happened, nope . . . " The bits about Catherine running roughshod over the nobles when she arrives in England (she knows how to wield a sword? really?) and Margaret Beaufort trying to usurp Henry VIII really got to me. It genuinely made me angry in ways The White Queen and The White Princess seldom did (though the latter did have more of those moments than did the former). So I won't be watching anymore of it.
I watched the 1st episode and wasn't impressed. But I knew what to expect when I learned who the author was. Nothing against Phillipa as I enjoyed " The Other Boleyn Girl" but its definitely not accurate at all
We may as well include other Tudor related TV shows for Claire to review while we are on the topic of TV adaptations of Ms. Gregory's novels. I watched several clips of Spanish TV shows "Carlos, Rey Emperador" and "Isabella" here on UA-cam. The Tudors appear in one season and a few episodes, respectively. The historical inaccuracies in the shows always annoyed me.
I dont doubt it. Honestly it's very likely you are, there are so many descendants, it's crazy. I'm related to the old Scottish monarchs on my moms side and on my dads side, we traced it back to Richard the king makers father as one of my great grandfather. So hes like a great uncle of mine several times over, making Anne and Isabella Neville cousins of mine. Its wild.
Thanks so much for this Claire. Thoroughly enjoyed this, and your knowledge is, as always, breathtaking. There is no substitute for fact, and the facts about Mary Boleyn could be written on a stamp. I enjoy Philippa Gregory's books (some more than others) mainly because her style is very accessible and they are real pageturners (the curses in The White Queen series are a good example of harmless and compulsively entertaining reading). But I never forget they are fiction and intended to entertain. It is so irritating when novelists assert that their work is historically accurate (Mantel's seem to be well researched although often difficult to read). Gregory's liberties are as nothing compared to a trilogy of historical conspiracy novels I have just been reading about Catherine Howard, her survival of her execution (it was someone else executed in her place), giving birth to Henry's twins in secret (as Henry had gone mad - this part not too unbelievable!) with the help of Anne of Cleves, and the daughter eventually (through a baby substitution) becoming Mary Queen of Scots!!! (who died just before her execution, so they beheaded her dead body). All laugh out loud, unless taken seriously by the uninformed reader, which, I garee, is always the danger. Keep on going Claire - your work is much appreciated!
I've just watched this video and saw this comment. I read that trilogy. Fantastically entertaining but complete hokum but I did love how some of the details we know to be true were used to make some elements plausible 😄
Taylor Summers Now that is something I would love to hear/read 💖 Even though the series is mostly fiction, I freaking adore Nathalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn❣😻
Her best fit in a role imo. Better than her Margaery Tyrell which was perfection. She WAS Anne Boleyn in the Tudors. The chemistry between her and Jonathan Rhys Meyers helped a ton also. The tension between them was so intense no matter what kind it was sexual tension, or anger. She is exactly how I would expect Anne Boleyn to be.
Since I've become more of a skeptic in general, I no longer enjoy historical fiction about a real person. The inaccuracies bother me too much to enjoy the story.
Thanks, Claire, for a very lively, funny ("Ewww") and interesting account of the fictional aspects of The Other Boleyn Girl. You didn't have to convince me, since I haven't read the book or seen the film! The Tudors are crazy enough without having to fictionalize them, but Phillipa sells books, so... Oh, I got my On this Day long-sleeved t-shirt in the mail today--I love it!
I just received my v-neck t-shirt and hoodie too so I'm going to post photos a bit later. Love them! Thank you so much for buying one. I love Gregory's writing style but the Q&A section of The Other Boleyn Girl just drove me crazy.
Thanks Claire! So enjoyed this. Historical fictions have sparked my interest in so many different directions- but I’ve never enjoyed Phillipa Gregory. Her male characters are the very worst of humanity. If a man wrote women that way, he’d be laughed out of town. IMO.
What's true is that these depictions of Mary, Anne, George and Thomas Boleyn are commonplace. Anne and Mary rivals, Thomas using his daughters to 'get on', George and Anne betrayed by unloved and jealous Jane ... I wonder what Anne was really like? She has completely fascinated me. I'd love her to walk into the room more than everyone as want to see what she looked like. Quite incredible really. Did she have a fiery temper? Is there truth in her name being Nan Bullen? Thank you for amazing videos and next year I want to come to your AB experience at Hever Castle - hope you still do them. Will read Jane Seymore by Julia Fox. Not sure she was meek and mild (sample book from Kindle). After this video I need to scrap what I thought was true and restart my research!! Xxx
Thank you very much for this video! I don't see a lot of people talking about the issues with 'The other Boleyn girl' on youtube so this is great. I will say that I, at the very least, appreciate Gregory's merits as a writer. She's got a way of creating her own interpretations on real historical figures and presenting the essence of the Tudor period in boldness and colour. What annoys me is how far she feels she has to go to twist these real people's characters into what she needs for the stories: Hero, villain, sidekick and love interest. People like Anne Boleyn and her daughter Elizabeth could've been extremely compelling to write about as they were. Embellishments can be made of course but the essence must stay true. Even the way she wrote them was interesting so long as she owns the fact that it's historical fiction. But I digress. Thanks again for these Tudor videos-they're very educational on a rainy day.
Aaaah! This is my favorite subject!. Thank you so much for some historical facts! Thanks for being Switzerland in the torrid world of Tudor geography. 😀😁😁 p.s. It is quite easy to create juicy TV worth drama by painting people; long dead and unable to defend their reputations, any lurid colour that one might like. It is a much more difficult task to speak out for their true lives, which must be gleaned from between the lines of hundreds of miles of ink on paper. Thank you so much for being their champion Claire.🚩🏵️🚩🏵️🚩
Claire, do you have a compilation on Henry VIII's mistresses? I have seen a couple pop up in my stream, but I really doubted the authenticity. Thank you, you have helped educate me some more.🤗
I don't think I've done a talk here on his mistresses, but I've done a series looking at his alleged illegitimate children, and their mothers, for the Tudor Society a while ago. I will add that to my list for the future. Thank you!
Many years ago (like 35 or more) I read a book by Phillipa Gregory called Meridian (set in the 1800's)that I found at my local library. An interesting story I really enjoyed about a girl rumored to be from nobility but raised by gypsies. There were hints about something dark about her parentage as to why she ended up with the gypsies but nothing explained really. A year or 2 later I joined Doubleday book club and in it I discovered Meridian was the 3rd book of a trilogy (Wideacre)so I ordered the first 2. OMG not only were her parents siblings but her grandparents were brother and sister. So repulsive. So the Other Boleyn Girl was not her first novel about incest.
Thanks, thanks a lot for this video! I loved it. I will never understand why a story so extraordinary as Anne Boleyn's life is (born in a modest family, educated in Flanders and Paris, crowned Queen of England and all thanks to her uncomm intelligence and charm) has to be rearrange and changed. It's a general habit (Catherine of Aragon was not a brunette, Elisabeth of York was not a kind of Samantha Jones of the 15 century) but really the Other Boleyn Girl was simply a fictional story based on history. If I may add, it seems that Francis the first not only said that about Mary boleyn but he added that she was a mare that he and his courtisans very much enjoyed to ride. Sorry very brutal for our time, but very normal at the time for a king.
I love this video idea! I’m so glad you’ve answered questions about this. The factual inaccuracies ruined it for me as it definitely does not display her character from what we know.
I receive so many questions about this book and film because it's one that provokes an interest in the Boleyns and people then want to know what's true and what's fiction.
Just saw this film again last night on TV. Thanks so much for all this information and explanation. Have become fascinated with the subject upon discovering ancestry, direct descent from Mary Boleyn/Henry Carey... as are no doubt countless others.
Thank you for this video Claire. I disputed someone’s assertion that Thomas Boleyn pimped his daughters on another video yesterday, specifically mentioning that “The Other Boleyn Girl” is rather inaccurate.
People are always saying “I’m so glad I grew up before social media so my dirty laundry isn’t everywhere” but it’s hundreds of years later and we’ve got this record of who people were sleeping with and arguably Henry is most famous for all this stuff as opposed to any political or military achievements.
Golllllly! (as Gomer Pyle would have said) All that and nobody in the novel was a lesbian???? That seems to be the number one thing in history revisionism. There has to be at least one lesbian. I have Julia Fox's book on Jane Boleyn because Claire recommended it. It is a really good book and maybe the best source to learn all we can about Jane Boleyn. What most of us have a hard time understanding about Tudor times is that people, especially nobles, had much less freedom than we do today. What little freedom there was was restricted by religion and legal strictures. Many times, why people did what they did, has to do with ancient twists in law that we cannot begin to imagine today. I think Jane's apparent actions can be clearly understood in the correct context.
If I remember rightly, there's a scene between Catherine Howard and Anne of Cleves with some honey in an Emily/Brandy Purdy book. I found that quite odd.
I was so relieved to have watched this - there seemed to be rather a good many inaccuracies. I'm not normally a reader of historical novels and expect them to elaborate. This book was one I have actually read, but I couldn't actually manage to the end. I found it far too cringeworthy for my taste. Thank you Claire for pointing out these inaccuracies which I found quite troubling.
Thank goodness for yourself claire who supports anne boleyn. I have encouraged my friend and shared with her about the tudors. First time and shes enjoys it. I set her questions on anne boleyn factual and given her your name to research factual. I have sparked a new interest for her and helps her in this lockdown .
Melissa Pack ....read the book. It is completely different from the movie. I believe that there are only two points of intersection (aside from the most vague family history). The only thing that the book and the movie have in common is the title. I find it bizarre that Philippa Gregory approved.
@@leanie9660 and there are 2 Other Boleyn Girls movies. Jodhi May was Anne Boleyn in the TV movie form 2004? I think?. The 2 movies are so different that it is hard to believe they were based upon the same book.
My interest in the Tudors started with “Anne of a Thousand Days” ; I saw that film when I was 14, and then started reading historical fiction novels by Jean Plaidy such as Murder Most Royal which was about Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. However, researching the actual historical events is far more intriguing. I don’t know why film makers distort history so much!!! I saw this film, but I was annoyed. At least the costumes were beautiful to look at.
I just watched the Tudors It seem they took some of the things from the other Boleyn Girl too. I wrote a paper about Ann when I was in 12th grade and I got a A+ on it. My Dad was So proud he put It on his refrigerator. It' s a good little memory of my dad thanks to Ann Boleyn. she was a very interesting subject to write
I love your videos so much, such a highlight when I have time to watch them. I’m gonna be a little bummed when 2019 is over and we don’t have a daily video. The church bells also are just music to my ears 🎶🎶🎶
The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society I would love you to continue the daily videos about tutor history. I found your channel a month ago and finally watched all your videos. I love this channel.
Here's my thing with fictionalizing historical figures -- at what point does the "fictionalization" become disrespectful and ultimately unacceptable? These were people, and people shouldn't be defamed whether they're living or dead.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" is my favorite book. I got it the summer before my first year of high school, when I had just turned fourteen. I remember I always had my copy with me, to the point where I was reading it so much and it literally fell apart on me. I've had to buy two copies since then, funnily enough.
I wonder if in 1536 Percy would have said yes we were bethroed, if Cromwell could have made Annes marriage to the King invalid and her life could have been saved.
Or Percy would have been framed as a liar and they both would have gotten into trouble. Thomas Cromwell was determined to get rid of Anne no matter what.
That was wonderful. Thanks Claire. I am amazed by how many people take whatever Gregory writes as historical fact instead of fiction based on historical events.
The premise of Phillipa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl" was "what if there WAS some sort of basis of truth to the charges against Anne Boleyn? How would that have played out? What sort of people would act that way and what would motivate them to do so?" The historical consensus is that the charges against Anne and George Boleyn were baseless and contrived so as to give the king the grounds to execute Anne. Then he could marry Jane Seymour and their children would have no shadow of illegitimacy over them cast by a still-living ex-wife. There were no witnesses put forward to corroborate the charges of incest or that Anne had ever been unfaithful to the king except those obtained by torturing poor Mark Smeaton. Particularly telling is the contrast in King Henry's behavior in the matter of Anne Boleyn and in that of Catherine Howard, where there was evidence of Catherine having had the opportunity to commit adultery and the consistent accounts of multiple witnesses of Catherine having had relations with men before she married the king. During Anne's trial, King Henry was relaxed, unconcerned and focused on Jane. Neither Anne nor George ever confessed to any of the charges and they energetically defended themselves. During the investigation into Catherine Howard, which was never allowed to be heard in open court, the king was distracted, emotional and visibly grief-stricken. He didn't want the charges against Catherine Howard to be true but they were. Catherine also confessed. He wanted Anne to be found guilty and to be dealt with and the verdict was a forgone conclusion irrespective of the actual testimony and evidence.
That may have been the premise, but if it was it was poorly executed. If she had to try to argue that premise by not only ignoring certain facts, but inventing facts known not to be the case, it rather proves the opposite. Frankly, it was a rather stupid premise to begin with. Even back then it was known that the trial was a political show, and the charges a mere pretext. There were far better subjects in history to do that sort of thing with where you can stick with the known facts but see if another interpretation than the traditional one usually given is possible.
I enjoy Phillipa Gregory's stories, but that is exactly what they are....stories. They are based on certain historical facts, but like all authors, she has taken liberty of putting "a flair" to the facts. What these books have done for me was to make me interested in the Tudors and that is why I subscribed to your channel to know the truth.
For the life of me I will never understand why on earth people imagine that a film, designed purely for entertainment, should be "accurate." The book is historical fiction, the film is historical fiction. Both feature some real people and some real places but neither of them has ever claimed to be a documentary. Both are just imaginary creations of the author/producer, designed to amuse and divert the reader/watcher. Anyone wanting accuracy needs to start reading some of the serious historians on this subject or doing their own research. I'm very glad Claire pointed this out at the beginning of the talk.
Yes! When Mary whisked off Elizabeth in the end,I rolled my eyes! These type of historical fictions are fun! I have been watching Versailles recently and I have to pause at points and do a history search for accuracy,just so I don't get it wrong. But I enjoy it any way! It's a spin.
@@anneboleynfiles Just for the costuming and sets alone! It's really entertaining. They stay close to historical timeline and events and of course Luis and his brother are better looking than in real life,but the politics and the events stay fairly close to actual events. I reccomend it. It's also fun to look up each person and event and compare. I have really enjoyed it and learned alot. And as I said, it's filmed largely at Versailles,so the setting is epic!
@@anneboleynfiles They deviate at one point with the man in the Iron mask. It gets imaginative lets say,but it doesn't ruin the plot or the historical pattern of the film. The sexuality is rather provacative but not untruthful and really not out of the norm for the court. But no, I didn't watch it with a group of people or small children. It's very adult. Most of the story line is based on true events and people. There is a poisoning scandle that actually happened. I was like no way! I researched it and pretty much all of it was historical,even most of the characters implicated and killed. Who knew?
@@anneboleynfiles You're right! The sex was over the top. I merely need a suggestion to get the picture; I don't need to observe the entire act. BUT...it's worth it for the magnificent costuming and sets. The acting is pretty great, too.
I still have the novel "The Concubine" by Norah Lofts that I read many years ago. It is historical fiction, but since I've been reading nonfiction books about and doing a lot of research on the Tudors for decades, I find that novel much closer to what I imagine Anne experienced in her life at court and later as queen, given a reasonable amount of literary license and speculation. I recommend it if you can find it.
I loved the Other Boylen Girl, the book, not the movie. I had no interest in that particular time in history until i read that book. In the back of the book she listed a lot of historical books written by historians, david starkey, allison weir, etc. I read a lot of them and my interest in this period has never waned. I still read everything i can about Anne. I just read a historical fiction book about the French Revolution and i am immersed in that. Historical fiction can spark an interest in so many things that you never knew you'd find interesting.
Hi Claire! What it boils down to is that there are so many missing details about Anne and Mary's lives; and these blank spaces have enticed some historical novelists to fill in the blanks with whatever. And it hasn't mattered too much whether those filled-in blanks are verifiable or not. It all seems to fall under the heading It Could Have Happened This Way, with emphasis on could. Don't we all wish these folks had written things down and dated those writings! Thanks for the video -- cheers!
When this book came out my first thought was, "Oh, that sounds interesting!" but when I started to hear how inaccurate it is I decided to give it a miss. After hearing all this I am glad I did! I understand about historical fiction having to infer a lot of things, but IMO if an author is going to change so much that is factual the setting, names, details in general should be changed to make clear the difference between fact and fiction. But of course the writer wants to have the advantage of the instant interest Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn awake in the reading public. I have little respect for a writer who twists facts so violently. Historical truth is difficult enough to find without making more confusion.
As a writer myself, it truly is the author’s prerogative to make historical changes to fit their vision of their story. This is not done to irritate readers it is done to entertain. That said not everyone will find it entertaining and that is the way with all published books. You cannot please everyone and every writer knows that when they put their work out into the world. And it is very hard to put your work out into the world to be picked apart by dissatisfied readers. We all just hope readers will like our work. Those that don’t like our work is part of being a writer. I have always tried to make any historical events or dates in my books to be as accurate as possible. My personal pet peeve. My only problem with Phillipa Gregory is that she dissed all genre writers as hacks. No idea why she found it necessary to make that statement considering how successful she is and knowing that genre writers are certainly no threat to her or her success.
@@CherylGormanAuthor I am very aware of how difficult it is for writers to send their "own darling child" (to quote Jane Austen) out into a cold, cruel, world to be exposed to the comments of reviewers as well as casual readers. But I am afraid it is part of being a published author. I think a writer of historical fiction should stick as closely to known facts as possible, using imagination only when there are no known facts. For instance, I would find no fault with a writer who took the story of the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower and wrote of what they imagined might have happened because there is such a dearth of facts in the case. But I would object to a novel in which, I suppose as a blow for female equality, Anne Boleyn was portrayed as taking part in the jousts at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. (In disguise, of course!) To me the one is legitimate speculation, the other is just silly.
Thank you- this actually made me chuckle! Now I've become a fan.Knowing more about history takes some of the fun out of these historical fiction books. It's called "suspension of disbelief". This is not a great analogy, but sort of explains it: it's like watching a Spider Man movie. We subconsciously suspend our disbelief in super powers, so we can enjoy the film more, and we do not picture it as actors and stunt people on a movie set, (or in this case, the creative imaginings of a historical novelist) but a type of "possible" reality-because the movie or book is not too unrealistic. I like Ken Follet's historical novels, such as "The Pillars of the Earth", because the main historical events that take place are what I understand actually happened (such as the murder of Thomas Becket). The main characters are important in the novel, but not so important that I would consciously disbelieve that the person existed (like if he wrote that Thomas Becket had a twin brother who takes his revenge). Still, I did enjoy the Tudors on Netflix, even if I knew that certain events didn't happen (for example, Henry's sister Mary marrying the king of Portugal instead of France). I did not see or read the "Other Boleyn Girl".Lisa
I’m really enjoying the Phillipa Gregory books at the moment as historical fiction. Definitely taking everything with a pinch of salt. It’s nice to be reading them and then watching your videos and hearing more accurate accounts. But I agree that historical fiction can lead to a further interest in the historical figures, but people definitely have to keep an open mind with this. Thanks for the video, thoroughly enjoyed.
I would love to know what you think of Alison Weir's work? I have not read her books but have been recommend them. I would like to say in defence of Philippa Gregory she has a compelling style of writting. Though historically inaccurate, her books are very emotive. I particularly enjoyed Three Sisters, Three Queens. As I have studied history myself I know to pile on the salt with these kinds of stories and so I tend to set them apart somewhat from from the inspired people/events and take them for what they are, fiction for entertainment. In saying that I do get frustrated when people put more stock in them and use it as a spring board for their argument.
Alison Weir’s work is EXCEPTIONAL. I’ve read several of Weirs’ work, Mary Queen os Scots, Eleanor of Aquitaine,, Six Wives of Henry VIII and several more, which are very well written with an in-depth knowledge of the historical events. IMHO, Philippa Gregory’s work is sub-par to Weir’s.
@@duchessnanciann9592 that's because Weir's books are historical non-fiction and Gregory's are historical fiction. I've read several of Weir's books on the Tudors, but she's one sided. In regards to the Plantagenets she's not fair at all.
Found your channel yesterday and I’m bingeing. I’ve been in love with history for as long as I can remember and this is the kind of content that I wish there was more of. I’m also dying to know what your tattoo says.
Love this video! I haven't read this book, but I have read The Sunne in Splendour (about Richard III), and found its value is that it gives possible explanations for Richard's motivations and actions on the matters in which Henry VII and Shakespeare so thoroughly trashed his memory later on. It would be nice to read actual history supporting the conjecture in that book. On the other hand, I've also read "Mademoiselle Boleyn," which really, really needs to be taken with a tiny grain of salt.
I would if it was Tudor! It is 364 years old, but it's Spanish and 17th century, so doesn't really fit into the topic. I do love it though, quirks and all!
I’ve read the other Boleyn Girl and many other books on the Tudor times . This is the reason I love your videos and you ,I know you will give all of us the accurate version.Thank you so much.
If people are reading Historical FICTION, what part of the word FICTION don't they understand? Why do they need it explained to them? Writers and film makers use their poetic license all the time. Why would anyone mistake it for fact? I'm beginning to think we are living in a world where people can no longer tell the difference between reality and make believe.
Thanks for another interesting and thoughtful analysis. I’m not a huge fan of Phillipa Gregory’s novels. I think it’s very possible to write an interesting novel that is also historically accurate, and her distortions and sensationalism, if anything, diminish the appeal of her books. There is plenty of room for character development, plot additions, dialogue, and other fictional elements within the known historical framework. The actual persons and events of this period (and many others) are so fascinating that, as it is said, “one couldn’t make this stuff up if they tried”.
The thing that annoys me so much about Phillippa Gregory novels is that people quote what was in her books like it is actual history. So really annoying
I enjoy actual history, alternate history, revisionist history, inspired by history--- all of it!! There is room for all of it. The Gregory book is well written and the movie is entertaining.
This would be a great series if you talked about movies/books and the inaccuracies! I love historical fiction, ad though I understand an author's right to change a bit to match their vision-theme of their work, sometimes it can be a bit much. You should try songs from Six the musical! Fantastic musical, but has a lot of old inaccuracies and myths.
Thank you for your insight and research and for sharing them with the public. I have never read the book, but I have read other books by Philippa Gregory. I think I'm going to throw them all out. I am a direct descendant of Sir Nicholas Poyntz, who King Henry and Queen Anne visited in August 1535 at Iron Acton and stayed at his house which he had built specifically for their visit. So, I am a Tudor "nut" myself. Patsy Lee Wood Lovell (Virginia, USA)
I love Philippa Gregory. I love her Books and the way she told stories. My passion for The Tudors started with her books, so i am thankfull to her for that. As we all know, she writes historical fiction. There is real historical facts in her books i believe, but the main part is fiction. If we want real historical facts, maybe it is better to read biographies... I love to read historical fiction books and then, compare with real facts and see the differences. It is a passionate way to learn 😊
I would love to see you cover the Tv show “The Tudors” and talk about the show and it’s inaccuracies (it’s a very good show though) greetings from USA !
@@nicolefornuto7177+ Some of her books seem to contradict. While The Other Boleyn Girl makes Anne seem like an evil shrew, I think she acknowledges that that's not what actually happened. She does so-- subtly-- in other books.
Because of the enmity apparent in the Gregory books, I’ve never bothered to read them. Elizabeth has fascinated me since I was little, so I have always had a special affection for Anne, long before The Tudors. Thank you for doing these.
I love your blouse! Also The other Boleyn Girl is my favorite movie about the topic always wondered why it was so inaccurate. Thank you for doing this video!
Didn't care for The Other Boylen Girl, but I do like The Tudors... Even with its inaccuracies. You have definitely enlightened me on truth over fiction.. For that I Thank You Claire
The Tudors drove me mad at times, but I did love how they brought the young Henry to life and the lavishness of the court. I also appreciated some of the lesser-known events, like Henry nearly drowning when he went headfirst into a muddy ditch, being depicted.
As you touched upon, any movie or novel, or even video or lecture, that spurs interest in the real history that can be proven, is actually a good thing, as long as one is open and able to seperate just a good story from the equally convoluted , sometimes even better, truth, and it comes down to the fact that although the story may be somewhat incorrect, the reality is more shocking or more interesting just because it IS true. I am one that saw the movie about Henry the VIII starring Charles Laughton way back when I was about 10 years old, which spurred my particular interest in the truth of Tudor history. I am so glad you are here to put the record straight, because I feel your knowlege is spot on especially because you cite sources and also provide context for the sources. Thank you Claire. Btw... loved Phillipa Gregory's historical novels, the movies, and many other treatments by other authors throughout the years... I know you are bashing noone.
Yes, historical fiction is often how people end up being drawn to a certain period of history. It's such a wonderful way of provoking an interest, or even an obsession.
I read the book knowing it just fiction so I did not expect it to be historically correct. Also I thought the film entertaining but of course just like the book it was fiction. If it gets people interested in Tudor history that is good thing I think. I tend to watch & read anything with 'Anne Boleyn' in the title lol . Natalie Portman was a very beautiful Anne Boleyn in the film but I hated the ending when she was on the scaffold, Natalie Dormer's performance was magnificent.
I was curious about peoples thoughts on the movie vs the book for those who have both seen the movie and read the book I've seen the movie. Would you recommend reading the book?? Thanks.
@@jcaylalove8713 It is a long time since I read the book so don't remember it in detail. I think I found it quite entertaining but not historically correct at all. I think it had a lot of 'shock value' in it to promote more interest. If you just except it as a piece of fiction & don't mind that you might like it, but I would not say it is great.
I have read ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’, hope I have the title right, by Phillips Gregory. But it was years ago! it was at a time when I was reading a lot of historical novels, just for pleasure. My love of historical fiction started with Jean Plaidy, who did seemed to keep to the basic facts but made the people, situations and coversations seem realistic. I had always loved history so I thoroughly enjoyed my reading. As for ‘The Other Boleyn Girl, whilst I did read the whole book I did find some of the depicted scenes and conversations more than a bit salacious, and at times disgusting. Listening to your talk reminded me of some of the things that seemed “just wrong”. Thank you. I am thoroughly enjoying your presentations and I am learning, plus being reminded of my love of history, especially medieval, early modern and into the 19 century.
Claire: when reading the Other Boleyn Girl “we need to take a pinch of salt”
Me: When reading Philippa Gregory we need to take the whole spice rack.
Agreed😂😂
I like Philippa Gregory novels, but know that they are "Fiction based on Historical characters" as Claire so charmingly put it! They get me interested in reading about what really happened.
A pinch of salt? You need the entire block!!
I said a bucket, but yours works too.
For real
Hopefully you do a video about how accurate “The Tudors” was about Anne Boleyn and whatnot!
That would be lovely! I'm so obsessed with the Tudors!
That would be cool to see.
That would be cool to see.
Yes please!!!!
Not only with Anne but with all of them
Anne and Mary were sisters; George was their brother - I think that's where fact ends and fantasy begins.
LOL :D
Yep
Especially when Cromwell accused Anne Boleyn of having an affair with her brother George...
newfiesmum
Exactly!
best comment
Philippa Gregory's novel is akin to those films with the heart-wrenching scenes of Mary of Scotland pleading with Elizabeth I. It's good drama although the two women never met.
Perhaps a better title might have been “A Load of Tudor Poppycock”. The movie was strictly for entertainment. Thank you for clearing up this mess!
I do love the word "poppycock"!
Phillipa Gregory never claimed her book was 100% fact and it's largely BECAUSE of her book and its adaptations that many people became interested in the Tudors and that part of history. And because of how popular her book was it inspired other movies and TV shows to make content about the Tudors. Philippa Gregory did her job well. Which was to write a FICTIONAL novel BASED on historical events, tell a good story and get people interested enough to do their own research. Just because some people are idiots and take a fictional book as fact that shouldn't reflect badly on her FICTIONAL novels.
It was indeed interesting and entertaining. I did enjoy! You’re right. People need to not take fictional movies as factual. It has been fun looking for facts! I do love history!
Whitney Dahlin in my opinion, if you intend to tell a historical fiction story, you should be as fact-based as possible and not effectively rewrite history in order to create a “good” story. It doesn’t matter if she never claimed it as fact, it would be stupid to write a book like this and believe no one would take it at face value. A majority of people will avoid research and take things in their simplest forms. The Other Boleyn Girl perpetuates the myths created against Anne Boleyn, who was killed in a terrible mistrial of justice caused by the King himself. It’s effectively part of the 500 year old smear campaigns against a woman who did nothing wrong but marry a tyrant. Gregory’s story is nonsense and should be viewed as such.
@@hkazu63 ALL fictional books involving history are made up to some degree. We can't know what the actual historical people were thinking and saying, we don't know what happened behind closed doors. It is a fictional story and Gregory never claimed it as anything other than fiction. She can change as much or as little as she wants. It's her book. Why is it her fault that people are too stupid to do ten seconds of googling and instead they take a fictional book as God's truth? Just because YOU prefer a factual fictional novel (which doesn't really make sense in the first place) that doesn't mean her novel was bad or wrong in anyway. People who take a fictional novel and believe it's true are the dumbest people alive and that's not her fault. She wrote a good story with historical people and events. The end. Why don't you write the factual fictional novel about Anne Boleyn yourself? I would love to read it! I think it's actually a really great idea to write a fictional account of Anne Boleyn that's as true as possible and dispels the myths surrounding her. I would enjoy that very much, probably more than Gregory's book but just because I would enjoy your novel more doesn't mean Gregory did anything wrong.
I love reading historical fiction and it usually sparks my interest to research more about the real story.
Same here
Margaret Davies yep I with you
Exactly. That is one of the good aspects of Historical Fiction
Same!
I’d love to see more of these done. Hollywood tends to take too many liberties with history
Nah it’s Philippa Gregory. She butchers history, believes all woman hate other women and loves incest
@@Medusa0999 Her books are fun to read, though, as long as we remember that they are mere "bodice rippers" and not history!
USA is sexually driven media ( I live here, may be true most a..seems worse here despite less constriction abroad) a..in US ? Sex sells..the more obscene / naughty ? The better. ( What else could explain the horrific travesty to lit that is " 50 Shades of Grey")
@@EvanMurphyCapstone oh dear - you must have missed the "The Beauty Books" by Anne Rice, writing as A. N. Roquelaure that came out in the 1990s. 50 shades is nothing.
Love AR ( more the works before subsidization)... my point is only in the US ( hate when we claim " America"- Hello, 2 continents multiple countries) just saying...50 Shades is garbage writing that sold billions as lit when it was bottom barrel erotica in freshman class prose
Thanks, Claire for distinguishing between fiction, focused on entertainment and seeking out historical accuracy. Personally, I prefer historical accuracy because I think the truth is stranger and more entertaining than fiction.
Yes, me too, and I also love author's notes where they go into detail on what's factual and where they have filled in the blanks. That is so useful.
Two videos in one day! We’re being spoilt!
Historical fiction is great, we as readers just need to remember that it is indeed fiction, with a dash of reality, not the other way around.
Another great video Claire, thank you.
Chiaroscuro Amore totally agree! People can’t be angry that it’s not totally accurate ... it’s clearly a fictionalised version of history, if fact was the desired thing - people should read history books.
I think of it as glorified fan fiction.
@ThatOneAsianBroChick and Margaret Beaufort is about the only person during the Cousin's War that none of the contemporary courtiers , foreign and English had anything bad to say about.
Claire thank you so much for the shout out to Riley. She was so thrilled when she heard it. We just came back from an 18 day adventure to England and Scotland and Riley is eager to see all the photos we took there. Just a beautiful place. Thank you for all your videos just love watching them!
It's a pleasure! Wow, how wonderful. It's so lovely that you have this shared interest in history. I hope you had a wonderful time.
Riley’s mom here. When I told her you gave a shout out, she popped out of bed to watch. Thank you for 1) helping me get her up on time 😂 2) brightening her day. She was full of smiles and I got teary eyed watching her watch the video so happy! So thank you on behalf of my mom Cathy, Riley and me!
She also wants to know if you can be her pen pal! Told her that you’re probably busy but I’d ask - worth a shot!
Thanks again!
OMG almost an hour about Anne Boleyn!! Yesss!! Thank you so much Claire! I always love to hear what you think about Anne's life and how she was.
Well, I do love talking Tudor!
I always thought that the doctors and astrologers were right in saying that Anne was to have a boy when she was pregnant with Elizabeth. She did turn out to be the monarch England needed, a role that a boy was expected to fill.
I’m so thankful to you for bringing the facts about the “incest” charges against her and her family. I turned the movie off when she decided to malign a female character that she tries to claim she champions. The facts that she twists words and creates imaginary thoughts to back up her arguments is sickening.
Completely morally wrong to twist history this way & make millions in so doing!!!!
Long may the real truth be known & well publicised. Thankyou for your integrity!
I remember seeing this movie in the theater when I was a teen and when that scene came on my mother (who knows a lot about English history) leaned over and said "this is bullshit....this never happened." She later explained to me that the charges were made up by the Henry and his minions to get rid of Anne.
OMG… she wrote a story - they made a film …no body said it was fact it’s says based on !!
@@17hollydog but that IS the problem; there are many people who don’t look into the history, and think it IS historically accurate. Why not just set the plot in a fictional kingdom, and then it is not going to irritate people who know the history, although they would recognise what it is loosely based upon. At the same time Also the disclaimer one often sees with films “based on a true story“ really often needs to be “loosely based on a true story”.
I always learn something in your videos. Thank you for your scholarship and passion. You referred to the expression, "Take it with a grain of salt." A dear friend of mine always referred to gross exaggerations with, "Take it with a salt sandwich!" Thanks again!
Oh I like your friend's saying! Brilliant!
I absolutely LOVED that book! It actually got me interested in history, especially Tudor history, to the point where I pursued a teaching degree. I remember seeing the movie when it came out with my then boyfriend, who was also a huge history buff and while I was thoroughly enjoying the drama before me he is getting more and more irritated because of all the inaccuracies. The most irritating of which, apparently, was the fact that a simple house in the countryside had glass windows. We spent the whole drive home talking about how glass would not have been affordable to anyone besides high nobility. I would put the movie on to annoy him sometimes :)
Short answer: no
Slightly less short answer: God no.
Thank you for saving us all the time 😂
I liked The Other Boleyn Girl. I get caught up in the period settings and costumes but I've learned that when history is written as historical fiction, facts are usually embellished or distorted for entertainment.
Even though The Tudors isn’t the most accurate show on the planet, I adored Anne’s relationship with Elizabeth. The scene where she and young Elizabeth are looking at the fish in the fountain is so adorable, it’s very sweet.
The Other Boleyn Girl started my passion for the Tudors so i'm glad I read it.
Me too
I haven't read the book but I did enjoy the movie. Have you seen the movie?
I think it has done that for many many people.
@@jcaylalove8713 surprisingly, I haven't seen the movie but will try too do so. Thank you!
@@paulanavilliat18 I will be very interested in your thoughts between the two. please let me know 😊
The operative word is "novel", not "biography".
You'd need to do a whole series of vids on inaccuracies in "The Spanish Princess." That one darn near drove me to distraction, what very few scenes I've seen from it.
After watching The White Princess and The White Queen, I thought, "Oh, I just have to watch the Spanish Princess." Catherine of Aragon and her parents are some of my favorite historical figures. But I have heard The Spanish Princess is so awful! I have watched a few previews and a clip here and there but cannot make myself buy or rent it, or sit through a whole episode even.
Well, in my humble opinion, The Spanish Princess is OK if you just pretend it's a story and ignore that it's being presented as history or even based on history. It's a sharp departure from The White Queen and The White Princess in that those two books took liberties but I didn't mind so much because the liberties were entertaining and actually made me wonder about some of the possibilities they presented about the women in those stories, women we know so very little about. For instance, Anne Neville became more real to me thanks to the way Gregory portrayed her. However, The Spanish Princess . . . I've seen only a few scenes and I kept saying "nope, that never would have happened, nope, that never would have happened, nope, that never would have happened, nope . . . " The bits about Catherine running roughshod over the nobles when she arrives in England (she knows how to wield a sword? really?) and Margaret Beaufort trying to usurp Henry VIII really got to me. It genuinely made me angry in ways The White Queen and The White Princess seldom did (though the latter did have more of those moments than did the former). So I won't be watching anymore of it.
I watched the 1st episode and wasn't impressed. But I knew what to expect when I learned who the author was. Nothing against Phillipa as I enjoyed " The Other Boleyn Girl" but its definitely not accurate at all
I couldn't get it to. It seemed like a lie from the very 1st scene
We may as well include other Tudor related TV shows for Claire to review while we are on the topic of TV adaptations of Ms. Gregory's novels. I watched several clips of Spanish TV shows "Carlos, Rey Emperador" and "Isabella" here on UA-cam. The Tudors appear in one season and a few episodes, respectively. The historical inaccuracies in the shows always annoyed me.
I love "The Other Boleyn Girl" (probably because Mary Boleyn is actually a multiple great grandmother of mine) but I always treat it as a novel.
I dont doubt it. Honestly it's very likely you are, there are so many descendants, it's crazy. I'm related to the old Scottish monarchs on my moms side and on my dads side, we traced it back to Richard the king makers father as one of my great grandfather. So hes like a great uncle of mine several times over, making Anne and Isabella Neville cousins of mine. Its wild.
Good for you most people I bump into don’t think that 😆
Zachary Clark mine also my great grandma was a West
Me too. Her son was my 14 times great grandfather.
Mary is also in my ancestry; Fox Family of Virginia...are you related to William Clark of Lewis and Clark? Probably...
Thanks so much for this Claire. Thoroughly enjoyed this, and your knowledge is, as always, breathtaking. There is no substitute for fact, and the facts about Mary Boleyn could be written on a stamp. I enjoy Philippa Gregory's books (some more than others) mainly because her style is very accessible and they are real pageturners (the curses in The White Queen series are a good example of harmless and compulsively entertaining reading). But I never forget they are fiction and intended to entertain. It is so irritating when novelists assert that their work is historically accurate (Mantel's seem to be well researched although often difficult to read). Gregory's liberties are as nothing compared to a trilogy of historical conspiracy novels I have just been reading about Catherine Howard, her survival of her execution (it was someone else executed in her place), giving birth to Henry's twins in secret (as Henry had gone mad - this part not too unbelievable!) with the help of Anne of Cleves, and the daughter eventually (through a baby substitution) becoming Mary Queen of Scots!!! (who died just before her execution, so they beheaded her dead body). All laugh out loud, unless taken seriously by the uninformed reader, which, I garee, is always the danger. Keep on going Claire - your work is much appreciated!
I've just watched this video and saw this comment. I read that trilogy. Fantastically entertaining but complete hokum but I did love how some of the details we know to be true were used to make some elements plausible 😄
Hmm, could you do this for "The Tudors" and Natalie Dormer's version of Anne Boleyn?
Taylor Summers Now that is something I would love to hear/read 💖 Even though the series is mostly fiction, I freaking adore Nathalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn❣😻
@@CrystalGoddess90 ikr
Have to agree, Natalie Dormer certainly was perfect to demonstrate the sexual tension between Henry and Ann.
Her best fit in a role imo. Better than her Margaery Tyrell which was perfection. She WAS Anne Boleyn in the Tudors. The chemistry between her and Jonathan Rhys Meyers helped a ton also. The tension between them was so intense no matter what kind it was sexual tension, or anger. She is exactly how I would expect Anne Boleyn to be.
Natalie Dormer is a brilliant actress and the absolute best choice for Anne.
Since I've become more of a skeptic in general, I no longer enjoy historical fiction about a real person. The inaccuracies bother me too much to enjoy the story.
Why read historical fiction when there are so many excellent, accurate, readable biographies available?
@@lonahansen4990 Historical Fiction is for entertainment. If people find escapism in them, then leave them to it
Thanks, Claire, for a very lively, funny ("Ewww") and interesting account of the fictional aspects of The Other Boleyn Girl. You didn't have to convince me, since I haven't read the book or seen the film! The Tudors are crazy enough without having to fictionalize them, but Phillipa sells books, so... Oh, I got my On this Day long-sleeved t-shirt in the mail today--I love it!
I just received my v-neck t-shirt and hoodie too so I'm going to post photos a bit later. Love them! Thank you so much for buying one.
I love Gregory's writing style but the Q&A section of The Other Boleyn Girl just drove me crazy.
I’ve been lurking about this channel. Just wanted to say how much I enjoy being here. I love Tudor history!
Thanks Claire! So enjoyed this. Historical fictions have sparked my interest in so many different directions- but I’ve never enjoyed Phillipa Gregory. Her male characters are the very worst of humanity. If a man wrote women that way, he’d be laughed out of town. IMO.
I've enjoyed some of her novels and characterisations, but I do understand what you mean about the men in them.
What's true is that these depictions of Mary, Anne, George and Thomas Boleyn are commonplace. Anne and Mary rivals, Thomas using his daughters to 'get on', George and Anne betrayed by unloved and jealous Jane ...
I wonder what Anne was really like? She has completely fascinated me. I'd love her to walk into the room more than everyone as want to see what she looked like. Quite incredible really. Did she have a fiery temper? Is there truth in her name being Nan Bullen?
Thank you for amazing videos and next year I want to come to your AB experience at Hever Castle - hope you still do them.
Will read Jane Seymore by Julia Fox. Not sure she was meek and mild (sample book from Kindle).
After this video I need to scrap what I thought was true and restart my research!! Xxx
Thank you very much for this video! I don't see a lot of people talking about the issues with 'The other Boleyn girl' on youtube so this is great. I will say that I, at the very least, appreciate Gregory's merits as a writer. She's got a way of creating her own interpretations on real historical figures and presenting the essence of the Tudor period in boldness and colour. What annoys me is how far she feels she has to go to twist these real people's characters into what she needs for the stories: Hero, villain, sidekick and love interest. People like Anne Boleyn and her daughter Elizabeth could've been extremely compelling to write about as they were. Embellishments can be made of course but the essence must stay true. Even the way she wrote them was interesting so long as she owns the fact that it's historical fiction. But I digress. Thanks again for these Tudor videos-they're very educational on a rainy day.
Aaaah!
This is my favorite subject!.
Thank you so much for some historical facts!
Thanks for being Switzerland in the torrid world of Tudor geography.
😀😁😁
p.s. It is quite easy to create juicy TV worth drama by painting people; long dead and unable to defend their reputations, any lurid colour that one might like.
It is a much more difficult task to speak out for their true lives, which must be gleaned from between the lines of hundreds of miles of ink on paper.
Thank you so much for being their champion Claire.🚩🏵️🚩🏵️🚩
Ha! I'm Switzerland, love that!
Claire, do you have a compilation on Henry VIII's mistresses? I have seen a couple pop up in my stream, but I really doubted the authenticity. Thank you, you have helped educate me some more.🤗
I don't think I've done a talk here on his mistresses, but I've done a series looking at his alleged illegitimate children, and their mothers, for the Tudor Society a while ago. I will add that to my list for the future. Thank you!
That is something that hasn't been written about enough. Very interesting. And what about Fitzroy, Henry's illegitimate son?
Good question!
@@kelleyl2279 He died young sadly.
Ah, yes. Anne Boleyn is very much interesting. So are the other Queens, but from a 'poll' I put on Wattpad, everyone loves Anne Boleyn more.
Many years ago (like 35 or more) I read a book by Phillipa Gregory called Meridian (set in the 1800's)that I found at my local library. An interesting story I really enjoyed about a girl rumored to be from nobility but raised by gypsies. There were hints about something dark about her parentage as to why she ended up with the gypsies but nothing explained really. A year or 2 later I joined Doubleday book club and in it I discovered Meridian was the 3rd book of a trilogy (Wideacre)so I ordered the first 2. OMG not only were her parents siblings but her grandparents were brother and sister. So repulsive. So the Other Boleyn Girl was not her first novel about incest.
Thanks, thanks a lot for this video! I loved it. I will never understand why a story so extraordinary as Anne Boleyn's life is (born in a modest family, educated in Flanders and Paris, crowned Queen of England and all thanks to her uncomm intelligence and charm) has to be rearrange and changed. It's a general habit (Catherine of Aragon was not a brunette, Elisabeth of York was not a kind of Samantha Jones of the 15 century) but really the Other Boleyn Girl was simply a fictional story based on history.
If I may add, it seems that Francis the first not only said that about Mary boleyn but he added that she was a mare that he and his courtisans very much enjoyed to ride.
Sorry very brutal for our time, but very normal at the time for a king.
I love this video idea! I’m so glad you’ve answered questions about this. The factual inaccuracies ruined it for me as it definitely does not display her character from what we know.
I receive so many questions about this book and film because it's one that provokes an interest in the Boleyns and people then want to know what's true and what's fiction.
I'll admit even though I don't like the way Philippa Gregory wrote Anne or Elizabeth her books are entertaining in a way .
Just saw this film again last night on TV. Thanks so much for all this information and explanation. Have become fascinated with the subject upon discovering ancestry, direct descent from Mary Boleyn/Henry Carey... as are no doubt countless others.
Thank you for this video Claire. I disputed someone’s assertion that Thomas Boleyn pimped his daughters on another video yesterday, specifically mentioning that “The Other Boleyn Girl” is rather inaccurate.
People are always saying “I’m so glad I grew up before social media so my dirty laundry isn’t everywhere” but it’s hundreds of years later and we’ve got this record of who people were sleeping with and arguably Henry is most famous for all this stuff as opposed to any political or military achievements.
I barked a laugh so abrupt at the title, it made both of my cats jump! 😆 I will watch anything with Eric Bana at least once, though.
A Bleak Tether i love Eric bana yum ❤️
My reaction upon just reading the title: No. The movie shows Mary at court, at Anne's execution, walking off with Elizabeth. LOL what? Never happened.
Golllllly! (as Gomer Pyle would have said) All that and nobody in the novel was a lesbian???? That seems to be the number one thing in history revisionism. There has to be at least one lesbian.
I have Julia Fox's book on Jane Boleyn because Claire recommended it. It is a really good book and maybe the best source to learn all we can about Jane Boleyn. What most of us have a hard time understanding about Tudor times is that people, especially nobles, had much less freedom than we do today. What little freedom there was was restricted by religion and legal strictures. Many times, why people did what they did, has to do with ancient twists in law that we cannot begin to imagine today. I think Jane's apparent actions can be clearly understood in the correct context.
If I remember rightly, there's a scene between Catherine Howard and Anne of Cleves with some honey in an Emily/Brandy Purdy book. I found that quite odd.
@@anneboleynfiles Is Julia Fox's book on Jane Boleyn Lady Rochford fact or fiction
I was so relieved to have watched this - there seemed to be rather a good many inaccuracies. I'm not normally a reader of historical novels and expect them to elaborate. This book was one I have actually read, but I couldn't actually manage to the end. I found it far too cringeworthy for my taste. Thank you Claire for pointing out these inaccuracies which I found quite troubling.
That scene at the end of the movie drove me bonkers! More so than the other inaccuracies
Yes and the fact that they had Anne crying on the scaffold. The real Anne died with a courage and grace that was never seen before
Thank goodness for yourself claire who supports anne boleyn. I have encouraged my friend and shared with her about the tudors. First time and shes enjoys it. I set her questions on anne boleyn factual and given her your name to research factual. I have sparked a new interest for her and helps her in this lockdown .
I haven't read the book yet but I checked out of the movie when Anne begs her brother to sleep with her so he can get her pregnant. SMH
Melissa Pack ....read the book. It is completely different from the movie. I believe that there are only two points of intersection (aside from the most vague family history). The only thing that the book and the movie have in common is the title. I find it bizarre that Philippa Gregory approved.
@@leanie9660 and there are 2 Other Boleyn Girls movies. Jodhi May was Anne Boleyn in the TV movie form 2004? I think?. The 2 movies are so different that it is hard to believe they were based upon the same book.
My interest in the Tudors started with “Anne of a Thousand Days” ; I saw that film when I was 14, and then started reading historical fiction novels by Jean Plaidy such as Murder Most Royal which was about Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. However, researching the actual historical events is far more intriguing. I don’t know why film makers distort history so much!!! I saw this film, but I was annoyed. At least the costumes were beautiful to look at.
I just watched the Tudors It seem they took some of the things from the other Boleyn Girl too. I wrote a paper about Ann when I was in 12th grade and I got a A+ on it. My Dad was So proud he put It on his refrigerator. It' s a good little memory of my dad thanks to Ann Boleyn. she was a very interesting subject to write
Aw, have you still got it? I love looking back on projects I did as a child.
@@anneboleynfiles no unfortunately I don't have it but I have the memory always.😊
I love your videos so much, such a highlight when I have time to watch them. I’m gonna be a little bummed when 2019 is over and we don’t have a daily video. The church bells also are just music to my ears 🎶🎶🎶
Well, you might just persuade me to carry on!
The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society that would be so awesome!!!!!
The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society I would love you to continue the daily videos about tutor history. I found your channel a month ago and finally watched all your videos. I love this channel.
Here's my thing with fictionalizing historical figures -- at what point does the "fictionalization" become disrespectful and ultimately unacceptable? These were people, and people shouldn't be defamed whether they're living or dead.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" is my favorite book. I got it the summer before my first year of high school, when I had just turned fourteen. I remember I always had my copy with me, to the point where I was reading it so much and it literally fell apart on me. I've had to buy two copies since then, funnily enough.
"My brother doesn't spring to mind as someone who can help me out with that" YOUR LOOK! I'm cracking up
I wonder if in 1536 Percy would have said yes we were bethroed, if Cromwell could have made Annes marriage to the King invalid and her life could have been saved.
Or Percy would have been framed as a liar and they both would have gotten into trouble. Thomas Cromwell was determined to get rid of Anne no matter what.
That was wonderful. Thanks Claire. I am amazed by how many people take whatever Gregory writes as historical fact instead of fiction based on historical events.
I love that movie. Inaccurate as it may be.😂😁
Agreed. Loved the clthes.
I loved the film locations and costumes - beautiful. Eric Bana wasn't bad either!
@@anneboleynfiles he's very easy on the eyes!
I thought Natalie Portman made a fine Ann Boleyn...the best depiction, physically...
The premise of Phillipa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl" was "what if there WAS some sort of basis of truth to the charges against Anne Boleyn? How would that have played out? What sort of people would act that way and what would motivate them to do so?"
The historical consensus is that the charges against Anne and George Boleyn were baseless and contrived so as to give the king the grounds to execute Anne. Then he could marry Jane Seymour and their children would have no shadow of illegitimacy over them cast by a still-living ex-wife. There were no witnesses put forward to corroborate the charges of incest or that Anne had ever been unfaithful to the king except those obtained by torturing poor Mark Smeaton. Particularly telling is the contrast in King Henry's behavior in the matter of Anne Boleyn and in that of Catherine Howard, where there was evidence of Catherine having had the opportunity to commit adultery and the consistent accounts of multiple witnesses of Catherine having had relations with men before she married the king. During Anne's trial, King Henry was relaxed, unconcerned and focused on Jane. Neither Anne nor George ever confessed to any of the charges and they energetically defended themselves. During the investigation into Catherine Howard, which was never allowed to be heard in open court, the king was distracted, emotional and visibly grief-stricken. He didn't want the charges against Catherine Howard to be true but they were. Catherine also confessed. He wanted Anne to be found guilty and to be dealt with and the verdict was a forgone conclusion irrespective of the actual testimony and evidence.
That may have been the premise, but if it was it was poorly executed. If she had to try to argue that premise by not only ignoring certain facts, but inventing facts known not to be the case, it rather proves the opposite.
Frankly, it was a rather stupid premise to begin with. Even back then it was known that the trial was a political show, and the charges a mere pretext. There were far better subjects in history to do that sort of thing with where you can stick with the known facts but see if another interpretation than the traditional one usually given is possible.
Thanks for the clarification. I always see that film as being “Hollywoodised”.
American woman here, coming over to Claire for all the tea after seeing “Other Boleyn Girl.”
I enjoy Phillipa Gregory's stories, but that is exactly what they are....stories. They are based on certain historical facts, but like all authors, she has taken liberty of putting "a flair" to the facts. What these books have done for me was to make me interested in the Tudors and that is why I subscribed to your channel to know the truth.
For the life of me I will never understand why on earth people imagine that a film, designed purely for entertainment, should be "accurate." The book is historical fiction, the film is historical fiction. Both feature some real people and some real places but neither of them has ever claimed to be a documentary. Both are just imaginary creations of the author/producer, designed to amuse and divert the reader/watcher. Anyone wanting accuracy needs to start reading some of the serious historians on this subject or doing their own research. I'm very glad Claire pointed this out at the beginning of the talk.
Exactly. Well Said 👍👏
Yes! When Mary whisked off Elizabeth in the end,I rolled my eyes! These type of historical fictions are fun! I have been watching Versailles recently and I have to pause at points and do a history search for accuracy,just so I don't get it wrong. But I enjoy it any way! It's a spin.
Is Versailles worth watching? I watched the first episode and I thought the sex and violence were a bit overdone.
@@anneboleynfiles Just for the costuming and sets alone! It's really entertaining. They stay close to historical timeline and events and of course Luis and his brother are better looking than in real life,but the politics and the events stay fairly close to actual events. I reccomend it. It's also fun to look up each person and event and compare. I have really enjoyed it and learned alot. And as I said, it's filmed largely at Versailles,so the setting is epic!
I know..the movies are nice to watch but very inaccurate...
@@anneboleynfiles They deviate at one point with the man in the Iron mask. It gets imaginative lets say,but it doesn't ruin the plot or the historical pattern of the film. The sexuality is rather provacative but not untruthful and really not out of the norm for the court. But no, I didn't watch it with a group of people or small children. It's very adult. Most of the story line is based on true events and people. There is a poisoning scandle that actually happened. I was like no way! I researched it and pretty much all of it was historical,even most of the characters implicated and killed. Who knew?
@@anneboleynfiles You're right! The sex was over the top. I merely need a suggestion to get the picture; I don't need to observe the entire act. BUT...it's worth it for the magnificent costuming and sets. The acting is pretty great, too.
I still have the novel "The Concubine" by Norah Lofts that I read many years ago. It is historical fiction, but since I've been reading nonfiction books about and doing a lot of research on the Tudors for decades, I find that novel much closer to what I imagine Anne experienced in her life at court and later as queen, given a reasonable amount of literary license and speculation. I recommend it if you can find it.
I just re-discovered your videos after a bit of a hiatus... I so love your work!
Philippa Gregory would make a great soap opera screen writer. Just my humble opinion.
I loved the Other Boylen Girl, the book, not the movie. I had no interest in that particular time in history until i read that book. In the back of the book she listed a lot of historical books written by historians, david starkey, allison weir, etc. I read a lot of them and my interest in this period has never waned. I still read everything i can about Anne. I just read a historical fiction book about the French Revolution and i am immersed in that. Historical fiction can spark an interest in so many things that you never knew you'd find interesting.
Also, you're right about how sickening the incest was used in the book.
Incest seems to be quite a theme as she also has it in her Meriden trilogy.
Hi Claire! What it boils down to is that there are so many missing details about Anne and Mary's lives; and these blank spaces have enticed some historical novelists to fill in the blanks with whatever. And it hasn't mattered too much whether those filled-in blanks are verifiable or not. It all seems to fall under the heading It Could Have Happened This Way, with emphasis on could. Don't we all wish these folks had written things down and dated those writings! Thanks for the video -- cheers!
Oh to find a diary would be fantastic, wouldn't it?!
I’d love to see one of these for the “Tudors!”
Would be amazing. Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn was magnificent
Thank you for this video. I love your dedication to your channel, and your communication with your Followers. Thanks again.
When this book came out my first thought was, "Oh, that sounds interesting!" but when I started to hear how inaccurate it is I decided to give it a miss. After hearing all this I am glad I did! I understand about historical fiction having to infer a lot of things, but IMO if an author is going to change so much that is factual the setting, names, details in general should be changed to make clear the difference between fact and fiction. But of course the writer wants to have the advantage of the instant interest Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn awake in the reading public. I have little respect for a writer who twists facts so violently. Historical truth is difficult enough to find without making more confusion.
Yes, in this case I really think that the story doesn't need messing with, it's an incredible story as it is.
As a writer myself, it truly is the author’s prerogative to make historical changes to fit their vision of their story. This is not done to irritate readers it is done to entertain. That said not everyone will find it entertaining and that is the way with all published books. You cannot please everyone and every writer knows that when they put their work out into the world. And it is very hard to put your work out into the world to be picked apart by dissatisfied readers. We all just hope readers will like our work. Those that don’t like our work is part of being a writer. I have always tried to make any historical events or dates in my books to be as accurate as possible. My personal pet peeve. My only problem with Phillipa Gregory is that she dissed all genre writers as hacks. No idea why she found it necessary to make that statement considering how successful she is and knowing that genre writers are certainly no threat to her or her success.
@@CherylGormanAuthor I am very aware of how difficult it is for writers to send their "own darling child" (to quote Jane Austen) out into a cold, cruel, world to be exposed to the comments of reviewers as well as casual readers. But I am afraid it is part of being a published author. I think a writer of historical fiction should stick as closely to known facts as possible, using imagination only when there are no known facts. For instance, I would find no fault with a writer who took the story of the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower and wrote of what they imagined might have happened because there is such a dearth of facts in the case. But I would object to a novel in which, I suppose as a blow for female equality, Anne Boleyn was portrayed as taking part in the jousts at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. (In disguise, of course!) To me the one is legitimate speculation, the other is just silly.
@@dorothywillis1 Yes, as I said it is part of being an author. You are entitled to your opinion. Have a wonderful day. :)
@@dorothywillis1 I would watch the hell out of Anne Boleyn kicking ass in a jousting tournament! You should pitch that. Pure gold.
Thank you- this actually made me chuckle! Now I've become a fan.Knowing more about history takes some of the fun out of these historical fiction books. It's called "suspension of disbelief". This is not a great analogy, but sort of explains it: it's like watching a Spider Man movie. We subconsciously suspend our disbelief in super powers, so we can enjoy the film more, and we do not picture it as actors and stunt people on a movie set, (or in this case, the creative imaginings of a historical novelist) but a type of "possible" reality-because the movie or book is not too unrealistic.
I like Ken Follet's historical novels, such as "The Pillars of the Earth", because the main historical events that take place are what I understand actually happened (such as the murder of Thomas Becket). The main characters are important in the novel, but not so important that I would consciously disbelieve that the person existed (like if he wrote that Thomas Becket had a twin brother who takes his revenge).
Still, I did enjoy the Tudors on Netflix, even if I knew that certain events didn't happen (for example, Henry's sister Mary marrying the king of Portugal instead of France). I did not see or read the "Other Boleyn Girl".Lisa
I’m really enjoying the Phillipa Gregory books at the moment as historical fiction. Definitely taking everything with a pinch of salt. It’s nice to be reading them and then watching your videos and hearing more accurate accounts. But I agree that historical fiction can lead to a further interest in the historical figures, but people definitely have to keep an open mind with this. Thanks for the video, thoroughly enjoyed.
I would love to know what you think of Alison Weir's work? I have not read her books but have been recommend them. I would like to say in defence of Philippa Gregory she has a compelling style of writting. Though historically inaccurate, her books are very emotive. I particularly enjoyed Three Sisters, Three Queens. As I have studied history myself I know to pile on the salt with these kinds of stories and so I tend to set them apart somewhat from from the inspired people/events and take them for what they are, fiction for entertainment. In saying that I do get frustrated when people put more stock in them and use it as a spring board for their argument.
Alison Weir’s work is EXCEPTIONAL. I’ve read several of Weirs’ work, Mary Queen os Scots, Eleanor of Aquitaine,, Six Wives of Henry VIII and several more, which are very well written with an in-depth knowledge of the historical events. IMHO, Philippa Gregory’s work is sub-par to Weir’s.
@@duchessnanciann9592 that's because Weir's books are historical non-fiction and Gregory's are historical fiction. I've read several of Weir's books on the Tudors, but she's one sided. In regards to the Plantagenets she's not fair at all.
@@l.plantagenet Weir also writes novels too but she makes very clear which are biographies and which are fictional.
@@ThePeachygal I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing. Is there any that you would recommend?
"The Lady in the tower is great."
Found your channel yesterday and I’m bingeing. I’ve been in love with history for as long as I can remember and this is the kind of content that I wish there was more of. I’m also dying to know what your tattoo says.
Oh I am so excited to watch this whole thing! It's my bed time but I'll watch this all tomorrow
Love this video! I haven't read this book, but I have read The Sunne in Splendour (about Richard III), and found its value is that it gives possible explanations for Richard's motivations and actions on the matters in which Henry VII and Shakespeare so thoroughly trashed his memory later on. It would be nice to read actual history supporting the conjecture in that book. On the other hand, I've also read "Mademoiselle Boleyn," which really, really needs to be taken with a tiny grain of salt.
I have The Sunne in Splendour on my kindle and really need to get round to reading it.
@@anneboleynfiles It's amazing. You'll love it, I'm sure.
I am like not even a fourth of the way through and i just love this so much.
Another great video, Claire, thank you!
Can you ever talk about your house? I just love the background and the passthrough.
I would if it was Tudor! It is 364 years old, but it's Spanish and 17th century, so doesn't really fit into the topic. I do love it though, quirks and all!
I wonder about how much modern amenities her house has! That it is still standing after 364 years.
Thank you for coming to Anne's rescue from the movie, I often thought how much of it was real,,,
Love your longer videos like this when you really get stuck in, Claire. 💕
I’ve read the other Boleyn Girl and many other books on the Tudor times . This is the reason I love your videos and you ,I know you will give all of us the accurate version.Thank you so much.
If people are reading Historical FICTION, what part of the word FICTION don't they understand? Why do they need it explained to them? Writers and film makers use their poetic license all the time. Why would anyone mistake it for fact? I'm beginning to think we are living in a world where people can no longer tell the difference between reality and make believe.
That's what fox news depends upon....😮😮😮
Thanks for another interesting and thoughtful analysis. I’m not a huge fan of Phillipa Gregory’s novels. I think it’s very possible to write an interesting novel that is also historically accurate, and her distortions and sensationalism, if anything, diminish the appeal of her books. There is plenty of room for character development, plot additions, dialogue, and other fictional elements within the known historical framework. The actual persons and events of this period (and many others) are so fascinating that, as it is said, “one couldn’t make this stuff up if they tried”.
The thing that annoys me so much about Phillippa Gregory novels is that people quote what was in her books like it is actual history. So really annoying
I enjoy actual history, alternate history, revisionist history, inspired by history--- all of it!! There is room for all of it. The Gregory book is well written and the movie is entertaining.
This would be a great series if you talked about movies/books and the inaccuracies! I love historical fiction, ad though I understand an author's right to change a bit to match their vision-theme of their work, sometimes it can be a bit much. You should try songs from Six the musical! Fantastic musical, but has a lot of old inaccuracies and myths.
Thank you for your insight and research and for sharing them with the public. I have never read the book, but I have read other books by Philippa Gregory. I think I'm going to throw them all out. I am a direct descendant of Sir Nicholas Poyntz, who King Henry and Queen Anne visited in August 1535 at Iron Acton and stayed at his house which he had built specifically for their visit. So, I am a Tudor "nut" myself. Patsy Lee Wood Lovell (Virginia, USA)
I love Philippa Gregory. I love her Books and the way she told stories. My passion for The Tudors started with her books, so i am thankfull to her for that. As we all know, she writes historical fiction. There is real historical facts in her books i believe, but the main part is fiction. If we want real historical facts, maybe it is better to read biographies... I love to read historical fiction books and then, compare with real facts and see the differences. It is a passionate way to learn 😊
I would love to see you cover the Tv show “The Tudors” and talk about the show and it’s inaccuracies (it’s a very good show though) greetings from USA !
I absolutely loved the other Boleyn girl! This was very interesting! Ive also watched the show lol 😊Thank you for posting!
I cant stand Philippa Gregory's books. She makes the Boleyns sound like the Kardashians.
Thank god I'm not alone!
I tried reading two of her books and couldn’t even finish them. Not sure if I like historical fiction at all. That was my first go of it haha
same here not to mention she loves to bash Anne and Elizabeth on things that weren't true
@@nicolefornuto7177+ Some of her books seem to contradict. While The Other Boleyn Girl makes Anne seem like an evil shrew, I think she acknowledges that that's not what actually happened. She does so-- subtly-- in other books.
Anne Boleyn = Kim Kardashian 😁 Poor Tomas Boleyn became woman😁 worst than lost head.
Because of the enmity apparent in the Gregory books, I’ve never bothered to read them. Elizabeth has fascinated me since I was little, so I have always had a special affection for Anne, long before The Tudors. Thank you for doing these.
When has Hollywood ever let the truth get in the way of a good story?
I love your blouse! Also The other Boleyn Girl is my favorite movie about the topic always wondered why it was so inaccurate. Thank you for doing this video!
Didn't care for The Other Boylen Girl, but I do like The Tudors... Even with its inaccuracies. You have definitely enlightened me on truth over fiction.. For that I Thank You Claire
The Tudors drove me mad at times, but I did love how they brought the young Henry to life and the lavishness of the court. I also appreciated some of the lesser-known events, like Henry nearly drowning when he went headfirst into a muddy ditch, being depicted.
As you touched upon, any movie or novel, or even video or lecture, that spurs interest in the real history that can be proven, is actually a good thing, as long as one is open and able to seperate just a good story from the equally convoluted , sometimes even better, truth, and it comes down to the fact that although the story may be somewhat incorrect, the reality is more shocking or more interesting just because it IS true. I am one that saw the movie about Henry the VIII starring Charles Laughton way back when I was about 10 years old, which spurred my particular interest in the truth of Tudor history. I am so glad you are here to put the record straight, because I feel your knowlege is spot on especially because you cite sources and also provide context for the sources. Thank you Claire. Btw... loved Phillipa Gregory's historical novels, the movies, and many other treatments by other authors throughout the years... I know you are bashing noone.
Yes, historical fiction is often how people end up being drawn to a certain period of history. It's such a wonderful way of provoking an interest, or even an obsession.
I read the book knowing it just fiction so I did not expect it to be historically correct. Also I thought the film entertaining but of course just like the book it was fiction. If it gets people interested in Tudor history that is good thing I think. I tend to watch & read anything with 'Anne Boleyn' in the title lol . Natalie Portman was a very beautiful Anne Boleyn in the film but I hated the ending when she was on the scaffold, Natalie Dormer's performance was magnificent.
I was curious about peoples thoughts on the movie vs the book for those who have both seen the movie and read the book I've seen the movie. Would you recommend reading the book?? Thanks.
@@jcaylalove8713 It is a long time since I read the book so don't remember it in detail. I think I found it quite entertaining but not historically correct at all. I think it had a lot of 'shock value' in it to promote more interest. If you just except it as a piece of fiction & don't mind that you might like it, but I would not say it is great.
I love this video! I have so much trouble with fiction about Anne, I much prefer nonfiction.
Lovely info. I adore watching videos with Tudor era info .
My maiden name is Boleyn and I meet so many distant “ cousins” in the comments. Thank you.
I have read ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’, hope I have the title right, by Phillips Gregory. But it was years ago! it was at a time when I was reading a lot of historical novels, just for pleasure. My love of historical fiction started with Jean Plaidy, who did seemed to keep to the basic facts but made the people, situations and coversations seem realistic. I had always loved history so I thoroughly enjoyed my reading. As for ‘The Other Boleyn Girl, whilst I did read the whole book I did find some of the depicted scenes and conversations more than a bit salacious, and at times disgusting. Listening to your talk reminded me of some of the things that seemed “just wrong”. Thank you. I am thoroughly enjoying your presentations and I am learning, plus being reminded of my love of history, especially medieval, early modern and into the 19 century.