Reviews

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

rwilhoyte's review against another edition

2.0

I started this book hoping it would be as interesting and full of power struggles as the Other Boelyn Girl. It wasn't. The book really focuses on Mary Queen of Scots and the couple meant to keep her under house arrest while Elizabeth is advised what to do with her. I found all three of these characters really annoying and one dimentional. The each have a separate goal in life and none really seem to like the other. Bess is attached to the money and property she brought into her marriage with George from previous husbands. George is torn between the Queen Elizabeth, whom he is duty-bound to serve and Mary, Queen of Scots, whom he has a schoolboy crush on. Mary is constantly scheming to escape but her escapes are written more like a teenage girl trying to get out of her parent's house for a night of partying than a queen trying to be restored to her throne. The three are constantly moving around to protect Mary from those that would save her, which makes it hard for the reader to figure out where they are geographically unless you pay strict attention the chapter headers. I feel like all the characters did was whine about their circumstances and therefore the come off very juvenile. I didn't like this book, which is shame because I am interested in this period of history and I really like Phillipa Gregory.

booksandbea's review against another edition

4.0

Few eras in history were as rife with the stress that comes with reigning in your own right as a woman. Combined with just a border of separation, the political sphere of men plotting and scheming for the downfall of the rival is a brilliant window into the expectations of women by men. God's own anointed but yet a weak and feeble woman. Wrong. Mary Stuart- Queen of Scots has been tarred with the age old brush, but a mistreated woman does not mean a push over. Elizabeth Tudor is shown through the lens of favourites, paranoia and the weight of succession, the hallmark of her 45 year reign but it is Mary who's tenacity shines through. Martyrdom securing her as a tragic figure all these many years later, its nice to see a version of Mary who cannot escape her present, but takes small controls back in every which way she can. That is the true mark of 'I shall not be curtailed'.

lavins's review against another edition

5.0

I've enjoyed the way the book was written, the historical facts, the portrait painted of the events in the 1750 years.

bohoautumn's review against another edition

1.0

I really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, and The White Queen was okay, but I had to abandon this one 6pgs in as I just wasn't enjoying it.

Tediously repetitive, to the point that I suspect Gregory was aiming for a new audience - those with a 110 IQ.

Perhaps that might ease off further into the story, but the 1st-narrative was grating - many utterly unbelievable/unnatural observations. That continues all the way, so I had to let it go.

Shame, was looking forward to some entertaining light fiction.

sourflame's review against another edition

3.0

Enjoyable overall, but drags a bit in places.

celiapowell's review against another edition

2.0

I think Philippa Gregory may be running out of chunks of English history to write about. For this novel, she centres the plot on Mary, Queen of Scots, who is exiled from Scotland by rebels, and imprisoned by Elizabeth in England (due to her threat to Elizabeth's reign as the next heir to the throne.) Mary spends the majority of her time in luxurious house arrest with the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife Bess, and the narrative switches between these three. Mary is plotting to regain her throne, the Earl is slowly falling in love with the fascinating Queen, and his wife is worried about their rising debt as they support the Queen's household.

Unfortunately, an entire book of this gets rather dull. You wouldn't think so, after all - there's an entire rebellion in the middle, our characters flee from rebel forces, and the political scene is filled with intrigue - and yet, my main impression from the story is that of claustriphobia, stuck in the house with Mary, stuck doing embroidery with Bess and fretting about money, and the Earl being dopey and William, thinking passionate pages of internal dialogue about vivid, French-educated (which Gregory seems to equate with gorgeous, enticing temptress) monarch. Not the thrilling trashy historical fic I expect from Gregory, really.

mrselizabethv's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

lauraward24's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

jodigraham's review against another edition

3.0

I wish there had been a character for me to cheer for in this one. Rather than dig-in to Elizabeth or Mary, the story was diluted with the additional point of view of George and Bess. I think Bess deserves her own story where she has more dimension than a slighted woman who is more worried about money and her house than she is about her family. The four main characters felt very surface - so different from other Phillips Gregory novels. (She’s consistent in her dislike of Elizabeth, though. That has been a common thread throughout. These last few Tudor novels.)

madamesmiley's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An excellent closeout to my favorite series.