Book Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

I picked up this book after many recommendations on The Nest Bookclub message board. For those who are not familiar with this book, it's historical fiction and is an account of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry the VIII. The story isn't all about her though. It's about her and her sister and their initial competition in taking over the queen's throne and the results that follow thereafter. The narrator is her sister Mary -- the "other" Boleyn girl.

At first I was very intimated by the size of the book -- 600+ pages, but I gave it a try. I wish I could say that it was a fast read despite the page #, but I'd be lying. While many girls who read this book said that they just could not put this book down, it absolutely dragged for me! I started this book in October and am just now finishing it. I actually put it down and read nothing for a couple of weeks. While that's partly due to the scrapbook projects and Christmas cards I've been working on, it was also due to the story for me too. It just seemed to take forever for things to get going. Some of the story line seemed repetitive to me too. I was like, "Okay already! We all know what is going to happen -- just get there!" The chapter lengths were difficult too. Some chapters were super short at just a page or so while others were 50 pages! Holy moly -- I have no problem reading a couple of chapters if I know they are reasonable in length, but every time I got to one of those super long chapters, I would put the book down and not pick up again for another couple days because I just couldn't commit that much time to ONE chapter. Grrrr!

Overall, it was a pretty good story. Once I got going again, I liked the book and was glad to be reading it. Sticking with it though through certain sections was HARD! If it wasn't for my need to finish what I start, I don't think I would have finished this book. I only sat down and finished it today because I was tired of looking at it on my desk, taunting me..."Quitter!" Oh well, I did finish it and am glad to do so.