Julie's Review: The Other Queen

Summary: For years Philippa Gregory’s readers have been asking her to write a novel about Mary Queen of Scots—a request she now fulfills with a tale as engrossing as any she has ever written. A heroine everyone recognizes but few truly know, Mary Queen of Scots is remembered mostly for her death on the scaffold than for her turbulent, romantic life. In The Other Queen, Philippa Gregory resurrects Mary and her world by way of a chapter from her life that is all but forgotten: Mary’s long imprisonment as a “guest” of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. With the earl and his wife, whose fortune and marriage are jeopardized by the extraordinary woman under their charge, Gregory has found the perfect means for understanding Mary herself, a queen who will lie, seduce, plot, and sacrifice the lives of thousands in her quest to regain her Scots throne—and to take over Queen Elizabeth’s. ~amazon.com

Review: The Other Queen is not Ms. Gregory's strongest novel. Honestly, if it wasn't for the 2011 TBR Challenge I probably would have put it down or skimmed the remainder of the book. I will start by saying that is very unlike me and especially with her novels. Typically, they captivate me from beginning to end.

Part of it had to do with the fact that there were not any truly likable characters. I admired Bess but I wouldn't trust her and sure as heck wouldn't count on her to have my back in time of strife. While I did try to like Mary Queen of Scots I just couldn't do it. As beautiful as she was on the exterior, she was a horrible individual in her soul. She thought she was untouchable and divine.I guess back then the royals hadn't learned that they were human just like the rest of us.

You pretty much guess from the beginning of the novel that the Earl and Lady of Shrewsbury housing the Queen of Scots isn't going to turn out well for them. Not only does it pretty much bankrupt them but well it seems that her charms are irresistible for men. I found the Earl to be weak minded and while he thought he rules the house, you knew it was Bess. He states several times how loyal he is to Queen Elizabeth but honestly in the end, the only one truly loyal to the Queen of England was Bess. Although in the end there was something in it for her.

Some might not like Queen Elizabeth and I guess she's not a truly likable person, but she ruled the only way she knew how, by fear. She surrounded herself with people who had their own agendas and at times didn't truly serve the Queen. I guess not much has changed in politics, Monarchy or Democracy.

I would not recommend this to be your first Philippa Gregory novel unless you want to read about Mary Queen of Scots. Even then this only captures three years of her life.

I am looking forward to starting to read her Cousin's War books soon though. The Lady of the Rivers: A Novel (The Cousins' War), The Red Queen: A Novel (The Cousin's War) and The White Queen: A Novel (Cousins' War).

Final Take: 3/5

Lisa reviewed it too!

Lisa's Review: The Other Queen

Summary:

This dazzling novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory presents a new and unique view of one of history's most intriguing, romantic, and maddening heroines. Biographers often neglect the captive years of Mary, Queen of Scots, who trusted Queen Elizabeth's promise of sanctuary when she fled from rebels in Scotland and then found herself imprisoned as the "guest" of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick.

The newly married couple welcome the doomed queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court. To their horror, they find that the task will bankrupt them, and as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Elizabeth, their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treachery and 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.

Philippa Gregory uses new research and her passion for historical accuracy to place a well-known heroine in a completely new tale full of suspense, passion, and political intrigue. For years, readers have clamored for Gregory to tell Mary's story, and The Other Queen is the result of her determination to present a novel worthy of this extraordinary heroine.

Review:

Other than my review of The Other Boleyn Girl movie and Julie's Review of the book, this is my first experience with Philippa Gregory. The Other Queen focuses on the first three years of Mary Stuart's captivity in England and it was definitely interesting. The research seemed to be well done and the little digging I did on my own, seemed to match up. Frankly, if anything there wasn't true, I wouldn't be able to poke any holes, so I have to trust her research.

The novel is well written. It is told from the point of view of the three main characters, George, his wife Bess, and Queen Mary. George is an earl given what he believes to be the honorable task of hosting the Queen until she is restored to her throne in Scotland. He is soon mistaken as he becomes infatuated with the beautiful young queen . Bess, is a shrewd "business woman" or, you know, golddigger, who sees the keeping of the queen as an opportunity to advance her fortunes as well as those of her children. She is soon mistaken because Mary is a queen and expects to be treated as such. Mary is portrayed as an arrogant beauty, who believes that her claims to the thrones of France, Scotland, and England makes her untouchable.

I believe Ms. Gregory made a mistake choosing to write about this point in Mary's story. A lot of backstory has to get filled in with excessive exposition. The first three years of Mary's captivity are filled with plots to free her, one of which came close to succeeding, however, characters are hardly, if ever a part of the action and the story certainly suffers for it. With fifteen years of captivity left when the book ends, the story is wrapped up all to neatly and Mary's march to execution was relayed in dream sequence. Seriously? Hmm, definitely not what I was expecting.

All in all, I didn't hate this book, mostly I wasn't sure what to expect, so my reaction is mostly ambivalent.

Final Take: 3/5

Related: Other works by Philippa Gregory

Julie's Review: The Constant Princess

Summary: As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs and crusaders King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina, princess of Wales and of Spain, was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England, where she finds true love with Arthur (after some initial sourness) as they plot the future of their kingdom together. Arthur dies young, however, leaving Catalina a widow and ineligible for the throne. Before his death, he extracts a promise from his wife to marry his younger brother Henry in order to become queen anyway, have children and rule as they had planned, a situation that can only be if Catalina denies that Arthur was ever her lover. Gregory's latest (after Earthly Joys) compellingly dramatizes how Catalina uses her faith, her cunning and her utter belief in destiny to reclaim her rightful title. By alternating tight third-person narration with Catalina's unguarded thoughts and gripping dialogue, the author presents a thorough, sympathetic portrait of her heroine and her transformation into Queen Katherine. Gregory's skill for creating suspense pulls the reader along despite the historical novel's foregone conclusion. ~amazon.com

Review: Most of us are more familiar with Anne Boleyn and her fate in the Tudor Kingdom but how much is really known about Queen Katherine of England, King Henry VIII's first wife? The Constant Princess (Boleyn) answers the mysterious background of Princess (Infanta) Catalina of Spain into one of the most regal Queen's of history. After reading The Other Boleyn Girl I wanted to know more about the Queen that Anne Boleyn destroyed. Her history is very interesting and she was quite the lady. She was the youngest (Infanta) daughter of Queen Isabelle and King Ferdinand of Spain and was born to be the Queen of England. She was married to King Henry VII's eldest son Arthur when she was 16 and after an awkward beginning they fell deeply, madly in love which for an arranged marriage that was purely political was quite rare. Arthur died within 6 months of their marriage and made her swear on her death bed to say that their marriage was never consummated so that she might marry his brother Harry and become the Queen of England as she was meant.

Of course the best laid plans never go as planned and she has to wait 7 long years before she can marry Harry, partly because of his age and partly because of political doing. Thankfully, Ms. Gregory doesn't take us through all of the years that Catalina is in desolation in England but skips ahead to the early years of her and King Henry's marriage. During the early years she taught King Henry much about the world and also gained much insight into his demeanor and how he was pretty much a spoiled brat who wasn't prepped to take the thrown. We see how Princess Catalina develops into Queen Katherine and is still revered as one of the greatest queens in history. She learns to master the politics of England and grows into a woman that shines outside her parent's shadow. She definitely earned the title of "The Constant Princess" by never faltering in her beliefs and in her promise to Arthur as he died.

While I found the book interesting and a really good, solid read, if you are expecting the same kind of book as The Other Boleyn Girl you will be disappointed. If you want a solid read on the history of a wonderful and strong woman then The Constant Princess (Boleyn) will not disappoint.

Final Take: 4.0/5

Book to Movie: The Other Boleyn Girl

Summary: Based on the best-selling novel The Other Boleyn Girl is a captivating tale of intrigue romance and betrayal starring Natalie Portman Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana. Two sisters Anne (Portman) and Mary (Johansson) are driven by their ambitious family to seduce the king of England (Bana) in order to advance their position in court. What starts as an opportunity for the girls to increase the family fortune becomes a deadly rivalry to capture the heart of a king and stay alive.

Review: I knew not to expect much from the movie since the book is one of my favorites for 2008, but I really couldn't believe they said it was even based on the book. If that's what based on means, well then I guess they just liked Ms. Gregory's idea. The Other Boleyn Girl is slow in the first half of the movie and finally picks up speed, only to have it end. At one point I even asked my sister if we should bother finishing it!

They missed key points of the book that I felt were essential to the storyline and the definitely down played the politics which were vital to King Henry's reign as King. I thought the casting was decent; Eric Bana as King Henry was delicious to look at and even Scarlet Johannsen was believable as Mary Boleyn. The only miscast I would say was Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn. Natalie is an extremely talented actress but this role was not right for her, in my humble opinion. Anne is vindicitive, coniviving, schemeing and an outright witch with a "b" and that just didn't come through for me with Natalie.

It was a decent interpretation of the book but had some gaping plot holes where the book was nice and tidy. I mean the book was about Mary, Anne was secondary and I felt that the movie made it the opposite.

You are better off reading the book or if that's not your thing, then watch The Tudors - The Complete First Season because while it's not based on the book, it's closer than the movie that was. Plus, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is easy on the eyes.

Book to Movie Final Take: 3/5

Related:
Lisa's Movie Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

Julie's Book Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

Julie's Review: The Queen's Fool

Summary: It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires. Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen's Fool is another rich and emotionally resonant gem from this wonderful storyteller. ~amazon.com

Review: I never like to read the same author back to back just because I don't want to compare one to the other. So it's been a few months between reading The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool: A Novel, which is enough time to enjoy The Queen's Fool on it's own merits but know that it just didn't live up to The Other Boleyn Girl.

I enjoyed the story of Hannah and how the book was told from her point of view. I believe as a reader, you got a good portrayal of Queen Mary, Lord Robert and Princess Elizabeth through her eyes. She comes into the King's Court as an innocent, naive young boy/girl and leaves the Queen's court as a strong, confident young woman. She is a holy fool instead of a comical fool for the royal court and is often used for others biding. She falls in lust with Lord Robert and will do whatever he instructs her. She is placed in Princess Mary's house to spy on her for Lord Robert but ends up growing to love the Princess that becomes Queen. While serving Queen Mary, she is sent to spy on Princess Elizabeth for the Queen and gets captured into Princess Elizabeth's spell. Sound like a soap opera? It is but set in the 1500s.

I don't claim to know much about this period in history, but I do enjoy reading historical fiction about it. I will admit to googling Lord Robert Dudley to see he looked like in portraits. He was a handsome man for that period in time and it seems very charismatic. I loved learning about Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth at that period in history.

I enjoyed coming to Hannah and seeing her transform from a young girl/boy to a confident young lady. She really came into her own. She learned that she could still be a strong woman and have a husband she did love.

In The Other Boleyn Girl the descriptions were so vivid you felt like you stepped back in time and were living there. I didn't get the quite the same feeling from The Queen's Fool. The descriptions were good and I could picture much of the scenery but I think that is because I was already acquainted with the time period.

If you enjoy historical fiction, then I highly suggest your pick up either of these books by Philippa Gregory. If you aren't into historical fiction, you will still find the story of Hannah intriguing and a satisfying read.

I'm lucky enough to have all of Philippa's books thanks to my aunt, so over the next several months I'm sure I'll eventually read most of them.

Final Take: 4.5/5

Related: Julie's Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

Book to Movie: The Other Boleyn Girl

I am sure that by now, we avid readers are well aware that the movie almost always decimates many elements in the book. Based on Julie's review, the summary included and the comments so far, I believe I can safely say that this statement holds true for this adaptation. There are some elements in the book that are most certainly missing from the book. I even overheard a fellow moviegoer remarking on how different the book was from the movie.

Anyway, since I can not fairly do a comparison review of the book versus the movie, this will be a review of the movie purely on its merits.

I never planned on reading this book, because I don't consider myself a fan of historical fiction. I sought this movie out simply based on the fact that I am a big Scarlett Johanssen fan and the previews made it look good.

I knew Julie was reading The Other Boleyn Girl and I remembered leaving the movie thinking that I couldn't wait to read her review because this was a pretty (excuse my language) damn good movie.

This movie is all about the relationship or rivalry (if you will) between the Boleyn sisters, who are vying for the King's affections to improve their family's status and wealth. Scarlett Johansson is brilliant as the sweet, good-natured Mary and Natalie Portman is delightful as the deliciously devious and desperate Anne. Let us not forget to mention Eric Bana, who is a very HOT (sorry-couldn't help it) King Henry, though his role is not as important here as I expected to to be. Since we all know how the story goes, it was rather interesting and quite plausible to see this take on what ultimately led to Anne's demise.

Filled with beautiful costumes and jewelry and of course beautiful people, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and it's certainly a great way to spend a couple of hours.

Final Take: 4.25/5

P.S. Thinking about the summary of the book, though, I have to believe that this adaptation may have been better served as a mini-series. I'm going to put this book on my to be read list, but I'm a little disappointed, that I've already ruined the ending for myself.

Julie's Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

Summary: Sisterly rivalry is the basis of this fresh, wonderfully vivid retelling of the story of Anne Boleyn. Anne, her sister Mary and their brother George are all brought to the king's court at a young age, as players in their uncle's plans to advance the family's fortunes. Mary, the sweet, blond sister, wins King Henry VIII's favor when she is barely 14 and already married to one of his courtiers. Their affair lasts several years, and she gives Henry a daughter and a son. But her dark, clever, scheming sister, Anne, insinuates herself into Henry's graces, styling herself as his adviser and confidant. Soon she displaces Mary as his lover and begins her machinations to rid him of his wife, Katherine of Aragon. This is only the beginning of the intrigue that Gregory so handily chronicles, capturing beautifully the mingled hate and nearly incestuous love Anne, Mary and George ("kin and enemies all at once") feel for each other and the toll their family's ambition takes on them. Mary, the story's narrator, is the most sympathetic of the siblings, but even she is twisted by the demands of power and status; charming George, an able plotter, finally brings disaster on his own head by falling in love with a male courtier. Anne, most tormented of all, is ruthless in her drive to become queen, and then to give Henry a male heir. Rather than settling for a picturesque rendering of court life, Gregory conveys its claustrophobic, all-consuming nature with consummate skill. In the end, Anne's famous, tragic end is offset by Mary's happier fate, but the self-defeating folly of the quest for power lingers longest in the reader's mind. ~amazon.com/Publisher's Weekly

Review: I know I'm a little obsessed with a book, movie or tv show when I dream about it every night and well in this case it was the wonderful, beautiful and enchanting The Other Boleyn Girl. I had put this book off for so long not sure if it was going to live up to the hype, but boy did it ever. I can't remember the last time that I read a 600+ page book and savored every single word the author wrote. This is the first time I've read Philippa Gregory and I can tell you it won't be the last.

I knew a little bit about this period in history but not a lot. Obviously I knew the major players, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn but that was about my extent of knowledge. I found the fact that the story is written with historical facts and figures but then fictional from the point of emotion and behind the scenes riveting. I knew how the story ended, with Anne being beheaded but how she got there was truly fascinating. Even more intriguing was her sister Mary and her rise from being a pawn to being her own woman. The Other Boleyn Girl is told from Mary's point of view and offers a fresh look at history but doesn't attempt to re-write it. I liked the supporting characters that surrounded Queen Anne's court and figured out early on that George wasn't into women and perhaps was a little too close to his sister Anne for their own good. Henry VIII is an interesting character and pretty much a power hungry jerk but there were many sides to him also.

This is yet another book that I'm sorry I put off reading for so long. It was truly a remarkable work of Historical Fiction and one that I will glad push onto anyone who hasn't read it. So if you were like me and have it on your bookshelf to read, pick it up and start it, I can guarantee you'll be enthralled immediately.

Now, I just need to decide if I want to see the movie. So if any of you ventured out this weekend and saw it and read the book, let me know your thoughts. I have limited time to get out and see a movie so I want to know if this book to movie adaptation is worth it. If not, I'll go and see Juno.

Final Take: 5/5