I feel the need for rage...

[burntcopper]

(juleskicks, feel free to join me in the historical accuracy screaming)

I stupidly clicked on that 'lookit the new book' link on amazon when trying to find the track listing for a cd. Same author as did The Other Boleyn Girl, which is due to be made into a film with Scarlett Johanssen. The book they were advertising looked boring, so I clicked on the link to The Other Boleyn Girl, to find out if it was any good, since it's regularly in the 'ridiculously popular historical romance' bit. Read the reviews and synopsis and proceeded to gape, all historical accuracy sensibilities offended and doing the headdesk at peoples' stupidity.

See, it's about Mary Boleyn. Anne Boleyn's (possibly) elder sister. BBC and Wikipedia pages, respectively.

About how she was shoved at Henry VIII at 13, told to shut up and open her legs, all because of the ambition of her parents and OMG the evil and helpless pawn that she was and was FORCED to bear his children while the WICKED Anne schemed in the background to become queen and Mary was cast aside, still preggers and how Mary is a mere naive PAWN subject to the lusts of Henry and is pure-hearted and....

Half the reviews are 'Omg, I never knew this, and I've learned so much history'

...I'm sorry, REWIND. Mary Boleyn. This would be the same Mary Boleyn who went as part of Mary Tudor's retinue to Louis XII's court, then had a load of affairs, including with the next king, Francois I, and actually got kicked out of France in disgrace because she was having so many affairs and her indiscretion? Then joined Catherine of Aragon's retinue, became Henry's mistress, got dumped a couple of years later (and yes, really was only about 2-3) and married off. Kids born *after* she got married. Almost certainly her husband's, because Henry's previous track record with sons - she had one in 1526, several years after the affair ended - was to acknowledge said son and give them title and lands.

Yes, the Boleyns and Howards were scheming bastards. You've at least got *that* right.

I must go and stab all authors who do this.

Comments

[delle.livejournal.com]

hm. I thought I'd read "The Other Boleyn Girl" - IIRC Mary is portrayed as being hopelessly under her father's thumb and doing what she was told. She's also portrayed - again trusting my memory which is like swiss cheese these days - as having a crush on Francois which was exploited by both her father (for ambition) and Francois ('cos Mary is supposed to be very blonde and very pretty and HEY! guys will be guys right?), then disillusioned and resigned when it happens again with Henry.

Mary was married to Henry Carey, who was politically well-connected (to the Howards? am I right?), had two children (boy and girl) whom were acknowleged (and again if I'm remembering the book right) and Mary insisted were her husband's. Eventually she is widowed and able to run off with her One True Love, William (?) Stafford.

Again, I have to say I may be remembering the wrong book. But the one I read portrayed Mary as knowing, not calculating, but not stupid and certainly not naive after Francois. But also rather spineless and dominated by men. Anne is portrayed as more knowing, more aware, less in awe of their father and much more her own woman. Also a woman that watched Mary be used and passed around and determined not to do the same.

However, I will definately join you in the hate of all those who read fiction - it's FICTION people! - or watch a movie and determine they now Know History. ARGH.

[burntcopper.livejournal.com]

William Carey? Second son, one of Henry's court, bugger all money and survived on what favours Henry tossed his way.

well, Carey died in 1528, eloped with William Stafford in 1534 (which, is, er, rather a gap) got kicked out of court and basically disowned for the second marriage, and there's quite a bit after that. ended up inheriting the Boleyn lands partly because she was estranged from court goings-on and thus didn't get executed for being one of Anne's circle.

[juleskicks.livejournal.com]

RAAAAAWWWWWR.

Seriously, people. Stop. Just stop. Never mind that while I want to applaud what's her face for making a career out of historical fiction, all her books run together and they all bore the hell out of me. Relationship-based fiction = boring as hell, sry2say, and the fact that you plant it in an historical setting does not make it that much more interesting -- particularly not when you take such liberties with the setting.

And the era has been done to death. Oh my god, I'm so sick of Tudor/Stuart-era fiction. Maybe it's just that Gregory seems particularly impossible to avoid and I'm past my phase of being interested in that period of history, but I'm so over Henry VIII, Mary, and Elizabeth I can't even tell you. I understand that it's easiest to write about the royals and the upper classes in general because the most information on them is readily available (and because, admittedly, the royals usually have juicy trainwrecks of lives), but a) researching is the most fun part of writing historical fiction and b) everyone writes about the royals and the upper classes.

Just. Rawr. So many things to be annoyed at.