The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
Blurb
Two women competing for a man’s heart. Two queens fighting to the death for dominance. The untold story of Mary Queen of Scots.
Fleeing rebels in Scotland on Queen Elizabeth’s false promise of sanctuary, Mary Queen of Scots finds herself imprisoned as the “guest” of George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. Soon the newly married couple’s home becomes the centre of intrigue and rebellion against Elizabeth, and their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treason, or if the great spymaster William Cecil links them to the growing conspiracy to free Mary from her illegal imprisonment, they will all face the headsman. Using new research and her passion for historical accuracy, Gregory places the doomed queen into a completely new tale of suspense, passion, and political intrigue.
Review
I have always been a massive fan of Philippa Gregory’s books although I will be honest I find them a bit more gossipy if that is the correct word than say an historical fiction book by Alison Weir. I started this book before Christmas but because of how busy I was and one thing and another I took a break from reading it and then picked it back up last week.
I will be honest this book was a hard slog for me and I mean a hard slog. I just could not gel with the format. The book is told from the perspectives of Mary Queen of Scots, Bess of Hardwick and George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury. Each chapter is told from one of their opinions but the chapters are extremely short and so I could never seem to get fully into each chapter.
We will never know what these three characters were truly like as all that is left is historical evidence but I found Gregory’s interpretation an interesting one, especially of Bess. One of my favourite houses to visit is Hardwick and I admire Bess. She was a powerful woman who in this day and age would have been a successful business woman who people would hopefully respect and admire. However, in Tudor times Bess is hampered by being a woman, by marrying George she signs over everything she owns to him and this leaves her in constant danger of losing it all. However, Gregory portrays her as money obsessed and almost a bean counter but I really don’t think that is what she was like. She was a strong woman who wanted her independence and the right to be a successful land and property owner without being judged by the men in the world. I couldn’t help but feel devastated for her as events unfurled.
George was exactly as I always imagined him whether that is a fair assessment or not I can’t say but Gregory in my opinion got him down perfectly. I’ve read so many differing opinions of Mary Queen of Scots and I can see the side Gregory decided to portray but I must admit she was annoying. I’ve never come across a character who kept contradicting herself so much.
Overall, this book was like ploughing through treacle and not like Gregory’s other books I have read. I just did not like the format and could never seem to get into the book. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.
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About the author
Philippa Gregory is one of the world’s foremost historical novelists. She wrote her first ever novel, Wideacre, when she was completing her PhD in eighteenth-century literature and it sold worldwide, heralding a new era for historical fiction.
Her flair for blending history and imagination developed into a signature style and Philippa went on to write many bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen.
Now a recognised authority on women’s history, Philippa graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck University of London.
Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Nielsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output.
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