The Other Queen

I've read quite a few of Gregory's other books and enjoyed them. This one wasn't as good as the others. Although I appreciate the fact that focusing on the years that Mary Stuart was a prisoner in England is a different focus for telling her story, the down side is that all of the most exciting parts of her story have already happened and are being retold or remembered. Since Mary is a prisoner there is really nothing for her to do, except plot and flirt.
The Earl of Shrewsbury is depicted as annoyingly simple. He falls in love with the Queen of Scots and despite the fact that she is constantly plotting and lying he STILL defends her to his wife and Queen Elizabeth, and STILL cannot say no to her.
The Countess was the most sympathetic character of the whole story. She is the only voice of reson and moderation. The only thing that bothered me was her constant assertion that she is a self-made-woman, risen from nothing. After hearing about how her previous husbands helped her gain and maintain her fortune over and over again I was ready to yell, "OK! I get it!".
I guess that I would have to say that I'm glad that I checked this book out of my local library and read it for free. It's not a terrible book, but when compared to Gregory's other books I feel that it comes up short.

Let me start out by saying this.. I adore Phillipa Gregory. She is, by far, one of my all time favorite authors. I love Tudor England and historical fiction. She is the queen of that genre. I have loved every book she has ever written. Seriously. And I loved The Other Queen. But it wasn't my favorite. Not even close.

And it wasn't her writing that didn't do it for me. It was the characters. I just didn't care much for them. The Queen of Scots came off as a petulant brat. (Which maybe she was.) This story takes place during the years she was held captive with the George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife. The narrative switches between Mary, George and his wife, which is interesting, but can also be confusing in some novels. I think this one would have been better handled in a single person view, Mary's. I think I would have liked her better.

There is not alot of romance, which I didn't really expect, but a little more would have been nice.

I can't give a Phillipa Gregory novel a bad review, so I will say that it just wasn't my favorite. Maybe I am just to biased with my adoration for Queen Elizabeth that I couldn't identify with a story about a traitor to her throne??

I've been reading this book now for 3.5 weeks, when it really should have only taken me a day or two. The action is very slow, there's not a lot of time for development of the characters. I could not get emotionally invested in any of the three main characters telling the tale. Each chapter is incredibly short, and this drove me nuts throughout the book.

I love Mary, and I love anything vaguely Tudor, so I've been wanting to read this book for a while. I wasn't crazy about the back-and-forth taking-turns-telling-the-story in the Boleyn Inheritance, and I was so disappointed when I realized that this book was more of the same.

The story moves so slowly, that I was bored throughout most of the book. Only my stubbornness & love for Gregory's other books, made me force myself to continue.

As others have said, if you are really interested in the history or Mary, or if you are in general a Gregory fan as I am, then the book is absolutely worth reading. It's not a good book to try, if you've never read one of hers before.

Send in the axe man! PLEEEEEEEEEZE SEND IN THE AXE MAN!

"The Other Queen" by Philippa Gregory is the tedious story of Mary Queen Of Scots and the years of imprisonment before her execution. Anyone who ever knew any history knows Mary lost her head both figuratively and literally.
I've never wished before for an abridged version of a book but in this case, I wished with all my heart that I could get to the end of it.

The story is told from three distinct points of view. The first is from her jailer, George, the Earl of Shrewsbury, a traditional nobleman in the service of Elizabeth the First of England. The second is his wife Bess, the Countess of Shrewsbury, a self-made woman who is one of the early merchant princes. The third is, as expected, Mary the queen.

The juxtaposition of points of view shows the decline of the aristocracy, the rise of the merchants, and the arrogance of royalty. Not one of these three individuals is likeable but then again, the book is based on historical fact. There's nothing very likeable about people who claw their way to the top or the ones who sit on top and look down.

I've read nearly all of Gregory's works, and for the most part have really enjoyed them. Except for this one. This book tells the story of Mary Queen of Scots, but tells it starting from the date of her incarceration in England. The story switches by chapter between three first person points of view: Mary herself, and her 'captors', the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess. Each POV is equally uninteresting. Bess whines about the cost of keeping the queen in every one of her chapters, the Earl moons over the queen, and the Queen moons over Bothwell, her protector and forced husband in Scotland. The most interesting parts of her story-her time in France and the hardships she faced while trying to hold the throne in Scotland, are glossed over as sketchy memories. The book was bland and boring, leaving me with no real insight into Mary's life. I hope the next book I read by her won't be as bad.

Probably the weakest of her historical fiction books. Using my "blank space" measure, this book was not very good. Lots of blank space before/after each chapter. Not a good sign. And I really dislike books that divide up chapters between 2-3 different characters viewpoints. It makes for choppy reading and quite honestly, is lazy writing. The author committed one of my biggest pet peeves-- using the same phrases/words over and over and OVER again until you begin to wonder if they have exhausted their personal vocabulary. If I had to read Mary speak "I have to be free" one more time, *I* was going to behead her. The only thing this book did was make me interested in reading the books in the bibliography. Also, you HAVE to pay attention to the dates in each chapter's title, otherwise you might not really understand HOW much time is passing since the writing/story is pretty much the same through the entire book (Mary is shuffled between various estates; money keeps being spent to keep her; she hatches different plots to free herself) I was very disappointed in this book. Well...wait. Maybe the *only* book of Gregory's that I thought was worth anything was The Other Boleyn Girl. The rest of her books kind of went downhill from that one.

This book started out a little slow. At times i did find it interesting, but i was tempted several times to put it down.

This book is told from three viewpoints, which to be honest, always irritates me. Its great to see things from all points of view, but i would have preferred for this book, that she picked a arrator and stuck with it. Maybe Bess, who seems interesting.

It covers the early years of Mary, Queen of Scots captivity, and a couple uprisings that were planned on her behalf.

What gets me is how everyone was falling over themselves for this woman, even after all the executions. It wasnt totally unbelievable though. Which is the reason for the three stars. At times i felt Mary's belief in her own station seemed unrealistic, but then i remember how she was raised, so it's not completely unrealistic.

I really liked Bess. She was practical, and honest to a fault.

Check this out of the library, its not for everyone, as the plot drags at times.

I've read Jean Plaidy's novels Royal Road to Fotheringhay: The Story of Mary, Queen of Scots and The Captive Queen of Scots: Mary, Queen of Scots so I was pleased to see another version of this story.

I was disappointed. While the book isn't bad, it's not great, or really that good. Plaidy does a much better job telling her story, in her second book. The three narratives were fine, but broke the story up and didn't really link together. The characters never really develope, when they interact they seem very cardboard. I was really waiting for the end of the book to come.

The only thing I really liked was that there were three people and you could get supposed conversations. But that only served to inhance what I read in Plaidy's book.

Read it if you're like me and have to finish a series, but don't rush. And it's something you could probably skip if you're not really into it.

I pinched this book from a work colleague for a quick read over my work break period. Thought I would have a look at something not tied into the Ancient History genre as a friend of mine is a big Philippa Gregory fan and praises PG immensely though not this work.

I guess I might have pinched the wrong PG book (not that I wasnt warned). I have read enough non fiction to know this is a fascinating age (Elizabeth, Mary, Francis Drake, Spanish Amada, Pirates and all) But its not that interesting when its all chapters and chapters of dear despised Mary sitting and sewing, with all the interesting bits before and after her imprisonment skipped. I tend to enjoy novels about women leaders and strong women at that. But this one has a supposedly strong woman getting awful preachy about how tough it is to be a woman in man's world, and how history is written by men who paint all women as either whores or saints, and how ruling by use of fear is so intrinsically awful. At this point one can start stringing the violin.

Its not a book one can turn more than a few pages at a time before needing a rest. Slow, and lacking a bit of spice. Told from three points of view, Mary Queen of Scots, George Talbot, her jailer, and his wife Bess
its sometimes a bit hard to follow. I tend to prefer just third person narrative and dialogue. But if you want first person with multiple viewpoints then you might like it if you can just keep up with who is saying what, when and about whom because it can get that confusing (a bit like travelling along the backroads of Britain in thick fog at night with no headlights).

Oh well. When she finishes it, my work mate shall share "The Other Boleyn Girl" with me. I am more optimistic with that book judging by the reviews.

Gregory has again capitalized on her popularity as a historical fiction writer, specifically on the topic of the Tudors. While The Other Queen takes place during Elizabeth's reign, the focus of this book is on the tragic figure of Mary Queen of Scots and her "jailers," George Talbot and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. The narrative changes voices between the three of them, and each gives their perspective during this tumultuous time in English history.

Bess declares herself over and over again as a self-made woman who has constantly risen in title and wealth through four marriages and her own determination. When first asked to host Mary, she feels honored and is sure she will be greatly rewarded and highly praised. But the cost of housing Mary and her huge entourage quickly takes a toll on her, her fortunes, and her relationship with her husband. George is immediately besotted with his guest and is easily manipulated by the queen. While he sympathizes with Mary, he is a staunch loyalist to the crown and repeatedly declares that he must always be honorable in his duty to Queen Elizabeth. However, his devotion and infatuation with Mary costs him his reputation, not to mention his fortune.

Mary is portrayed as scheming and calculating. She constantly emphasizes her royalty and infallibility as God's anointed queen and stresses her desire to be free. She is confident that Elizabeth would never have the audacity to execute her; she who is the queen of Scotland, the queen consort of France, and heir to the English throne. She believes so strongly that she is entitled to be in Elizabeth's place that she feels no remorse in her plotting to dethrone her cousin. She has no qualms about using her charm and sexuality to influence men to conspire against Elizabeth.

The Other Queen was not quite as captivating as some of Gregory's other Tudor books. There is a lot of redundancy: they move from one castle to another repeatedly, Mary is constantly conspiring and claiming her innocence at the same time, George is relentlessly smitten in his defense of Mary, and Bess is persistently monitoring her accounts and referring to her former husbands. Plus Gregory is very vague in defining Mary's roll in the death of her second husband and in her marriage to the Earl of Bothwell. Aloud, she claims he raped her and she married him in duress, but in her letters to him and in her thoughts, she remains dedicated and fervent in her love for him. This book follows only a short period of Mary's captivity, a mere three years of the sixteen she is held in England under George's guard. But Gregory does a good job in describing the conspiracy of the Northern Lords to free Mary and return her to the Scottish throne and other schemes which lead to the execution of so many papists committed to the release of Mary.

I wanted to like this book, since I love the Tudor period, but it was soo repetitive I gave up after 100 pages.

The first person multiple-viewpoint technique might be interesting if there was something new to say, some deeper insights offered into the character's feelings and motivations. But it is the same in every instance. Loyal-to-a-fault hero, two scheming women.

If an author is going to use first person, it had better be for a good reason, otherwise they might as well go for third person omniscient. I didn't like Bess or Mary at all, and the history in the book was nothing new either, just the standard material about Mary you could find in most books.

George is the only person who redeems this book of manipulator and manipulated, but he is not given much to do with all going on in the Mary and Bess sections. A worthy effort, but not a sterling one.

I'm a huge fan of Philippa Gregory's historical fiction novels on the Tudors. Every time one comes out, I eagerly read it, usually in one sitting, and revel in her writing talent. I really do adore her books; they make the history come alive and she has a penchant for detail, making everything so interesting. So, then, I asked myself, how in the world was The Other Queen so boring, so tedious?

I think the main problem is the characters. The voice of the book is divided between three people, and it jumps so often that the reader doesn't really have a chance to sympathize with any of the characters. By the end of the book, I didn't really care what happened to any of them; I just wanted the book to be over.

And the characters are so whiny! Mary, Queen of Scots, complains the entire book about being a Queen and what that means and how she's so special. Seriously, there are pages of the book where she just rants about herself. It's unreal. Bess of Hardwick (probably the most sympathetic character in the book) complains about how much money Mary is costing her. And George, Earl of Shrewsbury, complains about how he loves Mary. It really was just unbelievable.

On top of that, the story is somewhat boring. Gregory chooses to focus on Mary's time of imprisonment in England and all the plots she's involved in. Generally, the most interesting periods of her life were before that, when she was married to the Dauphin of France and then Queen of Scotland, and the Babington plot, after which she was sentenced to death.

Of course, I do have to say some good things as well. As other Gregory novels, the book seems meticulously researched and her attention to detail is commendable. She really does paint a portrait of the Elizabethan world; however, the book is not set at court, and I think it suffers for that. Country houses are much less interesting than the intrigue at Queen Elizabeth's court. So, in some senses, the blandness of the story isn't Gregory's fault; she was trying to tell the story from a certain point of view that, by its nature, just wasn't that interesting.

I also have to ask: has anyone else noticed Gregory's apparent prejudice against Queen Elizabeth? In every book, she is portrayed as a weak, sissy queen or as a whorish girl. I'm not saying she was perfect, I'm just saying that Gregory's bias is more than apparent, and it's starting to get old.

In sum, skip this book. Gregory hasn't lost me as a fan yet, and I'll still be in line for her next book, but I'm just going to pretend like I don't know that this book actually exists.

The two stars are for the amount of research that goes into a book such as this.

As others have noted, this book was repetitive, with poor character development. Several other things irritated me, such as the basic fact that Marie had auburn hair, and in the book it is 'dark', and compared to ravens; also even the women refer to fine needlework (embroidery) as 'sewing'. No woman of the time would have done this.

I listened to this as an unabridged audio book, in conjunction with my sewing. About halfway through, I began to realise that not much was going to happen, and thought briefly that it would never end.

Read Jean Plaidy's books instead.

I had high expectations about this book after hearing about how much everyone loved Philippa Gregory, but I honestly didn't love this book. I thought at first that maybe I just didn't love the subject matter, I'm not a huge history fan, but there are other historical novels that I love. So why did I not like this one...? Simply put, I didn't like any of the characters. The main characters are Mary (The Queen of Scots), George, (The Earl of Shrewsbury) and his wife Bess.

Mary was a queen, she was gorgeous and of royal blood. I didn't need to be reminded of this almost every other sentence! Each character tells their own story, and a lot of Mary's pages are filled with how wonderful she thinks she is....it got old fast! Other characters also talk about her this way, it's almost as if she has some magical power that makes all men fall in love with her!

As for Bess, I understood why she was the way she was, but she did come off as pretty cold hearted at times. I know the way she felt and acted were very much called for, but still, she wasn't likeable.

In the beginning of the book I really liked George. He is a very honorable and kind man. But as the story went on, I liked him less and less. He talks about how he would never do anything dishonorable, but in my opinion he very much did! He dishonors his wife and the Queen of England, yet he still thinks he is an honorable man who would never do such a thing. He realizes his mistakes a little too late and ends up paying for them. I can't really say too much about what he does or I will spoil it for you, but by the end of the book I realized I didn't like him either.

I got to point where I was picking this book up every chance I got just because I was so ready to finish it and move on to something else. It wasn't exciting, I didn't relate to any of the characters, and the story seemed to drag on and go back and forth! ( If you read it you will see what I mean about the back and forth..."she's happy, oh no things aren't working out, oh wait yes they are, she's happy again.")

In the end, I'm glad I gave this book a chance, but it just wasn't for me. I know many people rave about Philippa Gregory, so I do plan on giving her books another chance. Hopefully the next one I pick up will be a little more enjoyable

Having enjoyed some of Phillipa Gregory's work I chanced upon this with great expectation. This was a major disappointment which I could not finish. Little insight is gained into Mary, Queen of Scots, and the other two narrators, Lord Shrewbury and his Lady Bess, came across as pathetic. This is such an exiting period of history and Mary, queen of Scots was such an interesting character that I found it hard to believe that story could be made so dull by the alternating missives of the three narrators/main characters. The major events are covered in past tense, and some of the major players are left out, with most of the novel filled with repetition. Please rather read Mary Queen of Scotland & The Isles: A Novel if you want a compelling and exciting historical novel about Mary, Queen of Scots.

While I enjoyed the book and it was well written as far as historical detail, the author's view of Bess of Hardwick does not correspond with mine. Shortly before I was aware of this book, I had read Mary S Lowell "Bess of Hardwick Empire builder" and own a copy of David Durant's "Bess of Hardwick Portrait of an Elizabethan Dynast". I recommend these books to get a more clear picture of Bess, or at least a different opinion as to her character. You also might want to consider the book "The Tower and the Dream" which details her life.

Yes, it did get repetitive "my house" "my house" "my fortune" "my fortune". While Bess definitely did have the hard headed business sense, she apparently had something else, more than enough charm and charisma to get the men to marry her and leave her their property!!

I really enjoyed the Mary part of the book, I felt the author got that voice right. The book gets better as it goes along, especially in the last chapters.

There are so few real good historial books being written compared to yesteryear, in fact many of the "old authors" such as Jean Palidy are being reissued now. So I would recommend it just because of the time period if you like Tudor books.

Philippa Gregory is a master storyteller who has written several stunning historical novels. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. There is nothing wrong with the point of view (telling the story from 3 eyewitnesses--Mary, Bess, and George). The only problem. as many have stated, is the length. It took me forever to finish this book. I cannot tell you how many times I read a character's thoughts and wondered how many times I had already read the same thing. In the end, we know no more than we did to begin with, and we were glad to put them all to rest. That is a rare feeling for me with a Tudor period historical novel.

This book was a disappointment. I'm glad that I checked it out of the library instead of buying it. It lacked the quality of "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Boleyn Inheritance". It's surprising because Mary Stuart was every bit as interesting as Anne Boleyn and of more historical importance than Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.

What I liked about the book: Mary Stuart is presented in a more realistic light than the romantic portrayals of her in movies. Think "Mary Queen of Scots" with Vanessa Redgrave. This Mary Stuart was more calculating and charismatic. With the Reformation/Counter Reformation in full swing, the novel conveyed how she was able to win converts to her personal cause in England.

What I didn't like: having the novel set in the years after Mary's abdication. Having the novel's present set in the time of Bothwell and Darnley would've been preferable. If there was to have been a narrative, why not have one of Mary's Ladies in Waiting be the teller? The Shrewsburys were boring. It may have even been accurate. Gregory like other historical novelists played fast and loose with the facts in other novels, she didn't here. This may have hurt this story.

If you are looking for good historical novel of Mary Stuart; I would recommend Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles"

The book itself is okay, but the audiobook is unbearable when George's perspective is read. The actor reading his part uses a sort of indulgent grandmother voice for the entire time, except in a couple instances where he speaks another character's voice, which sounds just fine. His voice made me cringe every time George had a chapter.

The Other Queen: A Novel

This is not the 'norm' when it comes to Mary Stuart - Queen of Scotland - heir apparent to both France (through marriage) and to the English Throne (her sister is King Henry VIII's sister).

The story reflects the period in which Mary was 'guest' in her cousin Elizabeth's country while waiting to be returned to Scotland where she would retake her throne from the brother who stole it from her. It tells of the conditions she was kept and of her keepers. It tells of the politics of the era that kept her in hiding away from the public's eye. It tells of a queen without a country in a country where she did not have very many friends - including her cousin.

As other reviewers have mentioned - the story is long and it drags at many places. It does not, in my opinion, have the 'action' that makes you want to read for hours and hours on end. Though like Phillipa Gregory's other books - it is very well researched and looks at a different side then what most people know, it is not the attention grabber you are used to from her.

Would I recommend you read it? Absolutely - but there are alot of other books - even Phillipa Gregory's books that I would read first.

I have to say it: I felt like the Little Engine that could while reading this book..."I think I can, I think I can"...finish it book that is!

Like most in my Historical Fiction world I have been eagerly anticipating Philippa Gregory's newest release The Other Queen, but I admit I picked this book up at the store with a little hesitation. While, I was interested to read Gregory's view point on Mary Stewart I knew it wouldn't measure up to other novels I have read on her.

Also, like most others, The Other Boleyn Girl, was my initiation into historical fiction and I will love Philippa Gregory forever for that. At the beginning of my historical fiction "learnings" I would read reviews and not understand why people weren't all that impressed with Gregory's writing, but that has since changed. After reading the likes of Sharon Kay Penman, Elizabeth Chadwick and Jean Plaidy how could it not?

The Other Queen tells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots during the time of her imprisonment with George & Bess Shrewsbury. It is told from 3 different points of view; Mary, Queen of Scots, Bess and George. A lot of people seem to have an issue with so many view points, but I don't have an issue with it (yet). Mary Stewart is a very interesting woman with a very interesting role in history, but you wouldn't get that from reading this book. The action is pretty much non-existent. And goodness, the repitition....yes, we know Bess raised her self up from nothing, yes we know that George is an honest man and yes Mary is a stunningly, beautiful woman and a Queen that must be free. Good lord, could one more man fall in love with her instantly?!

Bottom line...not too bad of a read for someone not totally dedicated to the Historical Fiction genre. My hope is that this book will serve as an "initiation" for someone else and we can bring more recruits over to the wonderful world of Historical Fiction!

Overall: 3/5

Song: "Mary, Mary" by Run DMC (Why ya buggin')

Seriously, can she?

This is kind of a TL;DR, so for those who don't want to read it here's the bottom line - this books sucks, stop cutting out important characters (Walsingham) and mutilating others beyond recognition (everyone else), you can do better, Phillippa!

I'm a big fan of Gregory's prior work - though I can't agree with other reviewers' praise of her research skills: TOBG is fiction, folks, pure and simple - no, Queen Elizabeth was not raised in bucolic splendor by her adoring auntie, and there is zero evidence that Anne's niece and nephew were Henry's kids, aside from court gossip. And if they had been? He would have ennobled them, just like he did his other bastard, Henry FitzRoy. Anyway, sore subject.

However, her writing is usually light and entertaining, historical accuracy notwithstanding. This book, however, fails on both accuracy and readability.

On the readability count: Mary is quite possibly the least sympathetic character I've ever encountered in Gregory's books, with Lord Shrewsbury a close second. She is a conniving wench, and it's impossible for me to understand how anyone can like her. We're told again and again how beautiful, charming, graceful, blah blah blah she is, but she comes off as so obvious and simpering that I just wanted to smack her. And quite frankly, I had to set the book down a couple of times because I was so tired of Gregory's endless repeating of "I am chosen by God to rule! I am an anointed Queen! I can never be killed because I am chosen by God to be an anointed queen!" Literally, I think Mary repeats some version of this about 50 times in the first few chapters. We get it. Once Gregory finally tires of raining down anvils, she turns to writing Mary as the most paint-by-numbers seductress imaginable. You begin to wonder how in the hell any man, let alone a man of Elizabeth's court who should certainly know better, could fall for such silly games, though they all apparently do.

Shrewsbury, of course, falls head over heels. I believe Gregory's intention was to show his adoration of Mary as proof of Mary's pull, even over the most supposedly faithful of men. Unfortunately, Gregory portrays him as a doddering old man at best, an incompetent idiot at worst, and so Mary's seduction (if only emotional, what with his gout and all) seems foregone instead of a triumph. It's not like he's much of a conquest.

Both these characters should be completely fascinating, but by the end I wanted to behead them both myself.

Bess is rather fabulous. She is the only reason this book gets even one star.

Historically: Walsingham gets all of 3 mentions in the book, and he does nothing in any of those mentions. It's just "Oh, there's Walsingham. He has some spies, I hear." Sir Francis Walsingham was basically the head of the Elizabethan CIA. He had the title of Elizabeth's Spymaster, for God's sake. He worked closely with William Cecil, who had created the intelligence network (and, unlike the Elizabeth films, he never 'triumphed' over Cecil - they were friends. He did eventually succeed to Cecil's post as Secretary of State, but that was after Cecil had retired. Incidentally, it was Elizabeth herself who sometimes barely tolerated him, but he was brilliant and efficient so he stayed in favor) but he was the one doing the dirty work and the hands on managing of operations. He ran the network, bottom-line. Cecil then took the info that Walsingham uncovered and used it, as he was Elizabeth's chief advisor. The reason this matters is that it was Walsingham that foiled the Throckmorton and Babington plots and discovered the plans for the Armada, and it was his spies that uncovered the Ridolfi plot. Ridolfi did not go down because he got drunk and some random merchant (seriously?) managed to hop the fast boat to England and tell Cecil. Walsingham had placed spies in Spain, one who happened to be the English navy's premier shipbuilder by the name of John Hawkins. Hawkins discovered the plot, as was his job, and alerted Elizabeth and Cecil. I feel a little bad for Cecil, being portrayed as some obsessive anti-Catholic weirdo who was always apparently lurking about, trying to find people to torture.

No, that was Walsingham. (I kid! I kid because I love, heh.) He was essentially responsible for Mary's death. He was pretty much devoted to taking out Mary from the beginning of his service to Elizabeth. Cecil was more interested in keeping the peace, as long as Elizabeth stayed queen. Cecil wanted England to be a global power, and he knew that he needed peace in order to build up England's resources and make it a major player. If peace meant killing some annoying Catholics, then he'd do it, but that was really rather incidental. Walsingham, however, really really really disliked the Catholics, and getting Mary killed once and for all and thus 'saving' England from the papists was one of his driving forces. Where Cecil and Walsingham agreed was the England was destined for greatness, and under no cirumstances should she be ruled by a foreigner or a Catholic (who would have ties to foreigners (O HAI THAR SPAIN.)) Anyway, he was an incredibly fascinating guy, and it would be nice if he'd for once be accurately portrayed, instead of he and Cecil always being melded into some bizarre uber-powerful hybrid. I just can't believe he was entirely cut out of Mary, Queen of Scots' story, when the man was basically obsessed with, and ultimately responsible for, her death.

Anyway, this is a crappy book, save your money or go buy a history book because I promise the real deal is way more interesting than this tripe.

The Other Queen: A Novel by Philippa Gregory This outstanding author has done it again: created an historical fiction novel which helps the time in history live in your imagination. I did not particularly like the form she uses, each chapter with a different narrator speaking as he or she experiences the events, because much of the information was redundant. However, I gained great insight and sympathy for Mary Queen of Scots as she was held prisoner by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. All the history I had read before showed Elizabeth in great favor. I came to realize, by reading this novel, how convoluted and cruel royal history is. The many contenders who have been killed through the years, in protection of the monarchy, have probably been only seeking what could have rightfully been theirs, as is Mary in this novel. My heart went out to her in her plight, but her coniving and wiles and connections are full of fascinating and amazing intrigue. The state of womanhood in England during this period of history is shown through several different characters in dramatic ways you won't forget. As all of her faithful followers know, Philippa Gregory is perhaps the BEST writer of historical fiction in our times. Worth a read!

I thought this book would be right my up alley since I love historical fiction and this time period especially. I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, after all, so I had some expectations for this book. Wrong.

The narration is rotated between three characters: Mary, Queen of Scots and her jailers. She hopes to be freed. The wife wants her to go. The husband, however, is conflicted and he slowly falls in love with her.

The chapters are often three pages long or even less- I'm guessing because not a lot happens.

The book goes like this:
*Mary: My cousin, Queen Elizabeth, must free me and return me to my country. Or I will manipulate others into treason!
*Husband: Wow, the Queen of Scots is lovely. She must be helped!
*Wife: I'm going to lose all of the material possessions that I have gathered for myself and my children over a long career of gold-digging due to my husband's stupidity in trusting Mary, Queen of Scots when he is supposed to be loyal to both me and his Queen Elizabeth.

I have never read a book with such redundant sentences and chapters. It was like reading the diaries of three angsty teenagers.

It's an intriguing idea to write about, but perhaps would have made a better novella than a novel. Please save yourself the trouble.

Philippa Gregory is always very hit or miss with me. "Other Boleyn Girl" and "Boleyn Inheritance" were so good it was scary, but I found myself disappointed in "The Constant Princess" and "The Virgin's Lover." I never finished "The Queen's Fool", because I hated it so much. After finishing "The Other Queen," I am not sure if I enjoyed it or not.

The novel itself was rather lackluster. Little happens during the entirety of the book, and so if even a simple argument occured between the characters, I became excited at the very idea that SOMETHING may happen.

While I did identify with each character at some point (and I enjoyed that they each seemed very human, with their own strengths and weaknesses and faults), I overall disliked the three protagonists of the novel. There was A LOT of repitition in both their character traits and overall plot. At many points, the characters seemed like broken records: the 'Other Queen' Mary was always praising herself and belittling others, the middle-aged Bess was always bickering about money, and Bess' husband George was always being foolishly naive (and not in an entertaining way). Indeed, every chapter focused on one of these three character traits... and it got very old very quickly. For example, George's story was about nothing but his love for Queen Mary competiting with his intense loyalty to his wife and country. Yawn.

Gregory's writing style seemed consistent to her other books, but was noticably 'dumbed down.' It lacked the usual creative and intelligent flair of her other books. I wouldn't recommend this book to those who have never read Gregory's work before, just because I would be worried they'd find her writing style dull. I do, however, appreciate Gregory's knowledge for the overall subject, and her way to weave politics (and make politics interesting!) effortlessly into the story.

I rate this book at 2 1/2 stars out of 5. Overall, I'd recommend this to those who love Gregory, or even just enjoy her occasionally. However, if she is very hit or miss with you, you may wish to stay clear of this unfortunatly plotless story.

This book was probably her worst. It pulls a "Breaking Dawn" and instead of exerting the effort of writing in third-person POV so she could do omniscient viewpoint, she writes 3 first person POVs. Unlike in SM's case, the voices of the three characters sound the exact same.

Not only that, but I'm sick of books by Philippa Gregory featuring Tudor contemporaries waxing about the great tragedy that is Elizabeth Tudor's reign. England was doing pretty well during the time this novel covered, especially from the point of view of a Protestant like Shrewsbury whose religion has been given a chance to cover.

She doesn't do Mary Queen of Scots any justice either. Literally within three paragraphs, she repeats, "I am Dowager Queen of France. I am Queen of Scotland. I am rightful Queen of England, not that red-haired [...]. My body is sacred." Then says pretty much the same wording again just a few sentences later. Who edited this thing?

I am so pleased now to see a blossoming of new historical fiction about Renaissance England-- I started reading Philippa Gregory in the first place because of the drought. Now books like "That Brief Gaudy Hour" set this poorly-wrought, Danielle Steele of historical fiction claptrap to shame.

If you want a decent novel that covers THIS EXACT SAME SUBJECT (Mary's imprisonment, Shrewsbury and Bess's relationship), and does it far better, check out, "The Tower and the Dream".

(Contains spoilers. )

I haven't read a lot of books by this writer, but this was just OK. It was the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her stay with Bess and George Talbot, while Queen Elizabeth tried to decide what could be done with her. Told in three voices, the story dragged a little bit, and I was confused, at the end, as to whether George was her jailer for the amount of time he said he was, or if she was in the Queen's custody, since the story seems to indicate she was taken after 3 years of living with the Talbots, not 16.

I think some of my feelings about the book were colored by the fact that I am not a student of Elizabethan history, so it was hard for me to figure out why Mary's French family would have turned on her, and why the Scots didn't want her. This is not well-explained in the book and I wondered about it. It also was terribly slow reading. It has taken me a year to get through this book.

If you enjoy this writer, or enjoy stories about the Tudors, this is a book you might enjoy. I got through it, it wasn't the worst book I read this year, but definitely not the best.

Gregory's tale of the beautiful but treacherous Mary Queen of Scots has all the hallmark scandal and intrigue her fans know and love. The plot isn't as much of a page turner as some of her others (it's hard to make every scene suspenseful when Mary is confined throughout the entire story) - but the characters are some of the most complex yet. The three protagonists take it in turn to tell the tale, and while their alliances with each other shift, none emerges as the hero or villain. You will love and hate each of them before the end, and you will empathize with the honest earl, his practical wife and the desperate captive traitor queen who ruins them both.

This is definitely not the book to read about Mary, Queen of Scots and not the best of Gregory's works! To take the most uneventful years of Mary's life and to tell them from a shifting perspective that doesn't really add much, results in a novel that is as dull as porridge! The novel was repetitive (endless ruminations about Bess' account keeping and fears of loss of her property and about Cecil's spy network, etc.), the characters unappealing (by the end I was tired of Mary, fed up with Shrewsbury, and bored with Bess)and I always felt removed from what was happening. There are better books about Mary Stuart and better books by Philippa Gregory!

I must start off by saying that I can not give a proper review of this book because I could not finish it. As a big fan of Gregory and historical fiction in general, I waited for three months to get this from my local library, only to be completely surprised to find that it was so boring I had to force myself to keep picking it up! I kept waiting for it to get better, I kept waiting for the characters to inspire my affections, but it never happened. So I came here to read the reviews in hopes I would find a reason to keep reading the book and I have not found one. (I try not to read reviews before I read a book because I hate having plot points spoiled.) Since it's due back to the library, I am returning it unfinished. I really expected much better from Gregory with such an exciting character as Mary Queen of Scots as the main subject. Very disappointed.

No excuse (at least in my opinion) was provided as to why Queen Elizabeth would not reimburse for Mary Stuart's imprisonment. A huge gap occurs between the Duke of Norfolk's execution and Queen Mary's. No excuse is given for that either. The ending felt rushed. I never knew if the Shrewsburys got a divorce or not. I didn't get why Phillip of Spain didn't provide the necessary manpower at the beginning of her imprisonment to set her free as was initially planned. Too many unanswered questions for me. Sorry.

Personally, Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres. I knew little of the history of Mary Queen of Scots and while this book served to give the facts of what happened at the time, it also provided an interesting way of doing it... through individual point-of-views of the three main characters.

The story is a bit choppy with the same scenes being voiced by the different main characters. I believe Philippa Gregory did a great job at giving each character their individual voice and it made it more interesting (for me) and kept me engaged in the book.

However, it lacked what normally does annoy me with books on how books jump back and forth in time. This book stayed on course from beginning to end and while there were flash backs in dialogue, it was a forward moving time line.

I loved the book "The Other Boleyn Girl" by the same author. Our book club picked this book based on the popularity of that book with our members. Every night I would pick up this book and think, "if I can just read 10 more pages." It was a struggle. At page 70, ready to give up, I read the author's notes in the back which were far more compelling than the book. I convinced myself the book would get better. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Written in diary form by the three main characters, I never felt like I knew the characters. The constant re-hashing of the events by Bess, Mary, and George was not only repetitious and boring, but left out most of the action and intrigue which I knew the author could write. I kept waiting for something to happen in detail. The best that happened was that I finished the book.

If you've never read anything by Ms. Gregory, pick a different book. If you love everything she writes, you might want to read this book. I will wait until the next book is reviewed by a few hundred people before I consider it.

In 1568, Mary Queen of Scots sought refuge in England. She has trusted Elizabeth I's promise of sanctuary only to find herself imprisoned on Elizabeth's behalf by George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife Bess of Hardwick.

Ms Gregory has taken the familiar story of the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots in England and presented the viewpoints of those obliged by Queen Elizabeth to act as her gaolers. The impact on the Shrewsburys should not be underestimated: keeping Mary Queen of Scots captive was not without its costs (both monetary and political). While Mary herself lived, she was both wittingly and unwittingly a focal point for political and religious intrigue.

In terms of the main characters in the novel, Mary herself comes across as manipulative and naive. Bess of Hardwick is far more interesting than her husband George, while Elizabeth herself is torn between removing the threat to her throne and herself and a reluctance to execute a fellow monarch. Ms Gregory presents an intriguing, if not always exciting, picture of a number of people thrown together by fate. This particular version of the story, focussed as it is on Mary's long period of imprisonment, not likely to bring much joy to those who prefer to see more action or a more sympathetic depiction of Mary. I enjoyed the novel without being fully swept up by it.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

As others have said, the book is long and nothing much happens. We all know how it ends, so it was up to Gregory to tell the story in an engaging and compelling fashion. She failed miserably. Told as a cycle of monologues by the three main characters, they often repeat the exact information. "Caring for the other queen is costing us a fortune. I'm going to lose my lands and all I've worked for. She is so beautiful, who can deny her." If Gregory's editor had any input, the book would have ended up about 50 pages.

Having read all of her other novels, and thoroughly enjoying all of the Tudor series, I was not a fan of this novel or of the Virgin's Lover. The storyline was not particularly gripping, it seemed like every line and fact was repeated and beat other the head so I'm just WAITING for something new to happen. None of the characters were likeable or relatable.
I give it two stars for being well written, but I could not wait for this novel to be over just so I can know what happens and move on.

I have read most of Philippa Gregory's other books and would rate them between very good and great. It's amazing for me to think the same author wrote this one. Ugh. I was excited to receive it as a gift, dove right into it and was stunned. The writing is amateurish, the chapters are short snippets, the dialog is repetitive, and it's even double spaced. If it was condensed, the book might be 150 pages. The story was not very insightful into the life of Mary Queen of Scots, nor the other two main characters. All the characters were selfish and whiney. It completely lacked the color and character development I have enjoyed in her other books.

I'm a huge fan of Philippa Gregory's books, having discovered her when "The Other Boleyn Girl" was still mostly undiscovered! While I waited for "The Other Queen" eagerly, it was with some disappointment that I realized that it, like "The Boleyn Inheritance", was told from several points of view. I don't like her multiple-character perspective novels nearly as much as when they have a single protagonist. I managed to get through the first few chapters, but when she started the "Voila!" thing again that made Mary, Queen of Scots and Catherine Howard (from "The Boleyn Inheritance") sound like exactly the same naive character, I'd had enough. I stopped reading it. Mary came across as impossibly gullible (I can't imagine someone raised to be a queen, who had experienced as much as Mary had, would be quite so without real intelligence and depth) and the other two main characters were not particularly compelling either.

A good friend of mine had a similar opinion and also stopped reading partway through, and considering that I rarely fail to finish a novel, I think that speaks to the rather dull nature of this particular offering. Previous reviewers have said how repetitive the points of view are - rather than seeing rich, well-developed personalities, we see stereotypes repeated over and over from chapter to chapter. One of the appealing aspects of "The Other Boleyn Girl" is that there is depth to Anne and Mary. While Anne IS continuously presented as conniving, she experiences real emotions and Mary Boleyn is innocent, but learns to function in court. There is development in the characters that is completely absent in "The Other Queen," at least in the first hundred or so pages that I made myself read.

I like Gregory's work very much but think she has over-done this period and perhaps needs to pick a different era. We all know she thinks Elizabeth I was manipulative and promiscuous and that anyone who ISN'T Elizabeth I must therefore be good in some way, since she's told us so in multiple novels so far. No need to reiterate; time to move on to new characters, go back to the single-perspective narration, and give us more of the fantastic, rich writing that drew me to her books in the first place!

This book is badly edited, repetitive, and boring. The characters are forever repeating themselves, they dont develop or evolve at all throughout the whole book.The relationships between them are as shallow as a soap opera plot, minus the twists and turns wich are sadly missing from this novel. Nothing ever happens,every chapter is a monologue from a different character repeating things that were already said before. Their is no action in the plot, wich would be fine if the characters were interesting and deep but they all seem to have one thing on their mind throughout the story and all they ever do is talk about that: Bess always talks about her fortune, Mary about her status as a queen and how she deserves better treatment, and George about his honour.Elizabeth is portrayed as a gullible, naive, wishy-washy, spineless queen and not credible at all.
The only reason I gave the book 2 stars is because I liked the portrayal of the relationship between Bosworth and Mary, though it was sadly left undeveloped. The author should have written the book about that - Mary's time in France, her return to Scotland, her escape to England - and not about such a tedious and hard to develop subject such as an imprisonment, because really, how much of the plot can actually be developed when the main character is a prisoner shut away from the world and all the book centers on her monologue and those around her?

A real disappointment. It was painful to force myself to finish this book. chapter after chapter droned on with "I have to be free!" "She's spending my dead husbands fortunes!" and "Oh I'm torn between being faithful to Elizabeth and falling in love with Mary queen of scots- all the while i'm loathing my penny pinching wife!" thats the entire book in three sentences. don't waste your time or money.

I have really enjoyed Philippa Gregory's other books about the Tudors, but this one bored me just about as much as it must have bored Queen Mary to be shut up in a prison. For the whole book. I came into the book knowing that Mary Queen of Scots spent a lot of time as Elizabeth's prisoner. I hoped to read about the interesting part of her life-the assassination attempts, the struggles in Scotland, the relationship with Bothwell. This book dealt with those events handily -in about 3 pages of flashback. Then back to the waiting of a prisoner and the constant droning on about the dismay of her jailers. If you've read all the other Tudor books, you might as well read this one. But for heavens sake don't start with this one, or you may never pick up another Gregory book again, and that would be a pity.

Despite her less than historic treatment of the subject matter, I have enjoyed the other books in this series because of Gregory's ability to give historic characters a realness. While this book is no different in that aspect, it seems like each chapter says the exact same thing as the one before it - Mary constantly yearns for liberty and can't pronounce George's last name, George constantly yearns for Mary, and Bess constantly yearns for money. The story could have been told the same way had each character's chapter contained only one word (liberty, Mary, money) depending on whose chapter it is. Plus they are always racing around from one place to the next. I am only halfway through this book and I am bored with it already - it is a chore to pick it up and read it. What a disappointment.

As a huge Philippa Gregory fan, I am sorry to say that I was slightly disappointed after finishing The Other Queen. Throughout the whole book I felt something was missing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I just felt really detached from all the characters and wasn't on the edge of my seat like I was with all her other novels. I wouldn't say that I wouldn't recommend this book, but don't expect another The Other Boleyn Girl. I had my husband go out and buy this book for me the day it was released because I was so excited. Sorry to say it was a little bit of a letdown.

Mary Queen of Scots had a life as intriguing as that of her cousin Elizabeth. However, Phillipa Gregory chose to highlight the least interesting part of her life (her quasi imprisonment with Bess of Hardwick and George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury). Her two marriages prior to her imprisonment, the birth of her son, (and death of her twins) would have all made much more interesting reading than the back and forth of her flirtations with her so called jailers. These aspects of her life were barely mentioned in the novel. For this reason, this book does not live up to Gregory's extraordinary talents. Having read everything she ever wrote, including two novels published in England and never in the U.S., I would recommend "Wideacre" as her finest.

Mary was a fascinating woman, so it takes a rare talent to turn her story into a boring collection of words. It all became blah, blah, blah after a while. Sometimes I honestly wondered if I had marked the wrong page and was rereading the same pages over again. Nope, there was just that much repetition. A waste of time and money.

I'm a big fan of Philippa Gregory but this book was definitely not one of my favorites and I would certainly not read it again. It seemed to just drag on and on, it was also very repititive, like there was not enough material to make the storyline interesting so she just used the same material over and over again.

I bought this book with some trepidation because though I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl (long before the dreadful film) and its sequel, the others in the series, not so much. But this was written in such concise, compelling prose from the respective points of view of the main characters that I found myself taking the book with me wherever I went, just to be able to read it whenever I had a free moment. It does not disappoint in any way. Characters you can identify with, although all three have separate agendas; historical fiction that is informational in an organic way; a story stranger than fiction but most of it, based on fact; dialog (and internal monologues) that are as if you are a fly on the wall. Brava, Ms. Gregory!

I have read all of Gregory's books and with one major exception, ('Wideacre", the only book I have ever thrown in the trash after reading) I have really enjoyed her books. I was excited because historical fiction seemed to be her best. "The Other Queen" was work to read. Long, choppy, repetitive chapters that went nowhere. And I paid for the full price hard copy! I will trust other reviewers in the future.

I was looking forward to reading this book. I found that I somewhat disliked the format - each chapter being the voice of one of the characters in the book. It came through as a bit dis-jointed to me. I also found that the plot was a bit thinner than Ms. Gergory's usual well constructed plots. I finished the book and did not dislike it, nor am I sorry that I read it, but it was not a particularly compelling read

I've looked forward to Ms. Gregory's book on Mary, Queen of Scots, because she usually makes her characters so alive. When you have Mary for material, I thought the book would be vivid and move quickly. Unfortunately, I don't think the 3 points of view helped at all. I did enjoy the book, but was hoping that she could take Mary and help us see the reason so many people loved and followed her. It just seemed sort of blah to me much of the time.

Ms. Gregory again employs the technique of each chapter spoken from the point of view of one of the characters. This does not work with the material she presents in The Other Queen. Each character essentially says the same thing over and over.

Queen Mary - I am of royal blood, I can not be killed.
I should rule the world.
All men love me.

George - I am honorable.
I am a fool.
I am infatuated with Queen Mary.

Bess - I love my lands and homes.
My husband is a fool.
Did I tell you I love my lands and homes?

This reminds me of seeing a great actor in a horrible big budget movie and feeling he just acted in this one for more money.
I wonder if we are the fools and we are just helping someone who wants more land and homes?

I liked her Bolyn novels so much that I jumped on this one, what a disapointment! If you don't already know Mary's history you will miss half of this book. the references to history are vague, the narrative style is limp. If you want a good book about Mary read Margaret George instead.

I got the impression Ms. Gregory was tired, so many novels in a short period of time, this one seemed forced,,...

While Philippa Gregory is undoubtedly one of the more gifted historian-novelists of our times, this is not her finest work by any measure. As others have indicated, the story itself is less than compelling, and the characters less than fully realized.

I am also beginning to have a real problem with what I see as Gregory's thinly veiled dislike for Elizabeth I. Her portrayals of EI are nearly always less than flattering (as compared,for example, to her oddly sympathetic study of "Bloody" Mary in "The Constant Princess"), and frequently at odds with traditional/historical accounts. I haven't noticed anyone commenting about Gregory's apparent prejudice here, but on other websites, I "talk" to many readers who are somewhat annoyed by it.

Regardless, I still find much of Gregory's work compelling enough to overlook this perceived bias. Unfortunately, "The Other Queen" does not fall into that category.

I had really enjoyed Ms. Gregory's other books, but really a story told from three different people? It was difficult to follow and keep track of when event's were actually taking place and the story line seemed to drag on forever with no real destination. I was really disappointed. I would recommend reviewing the book at your local library before buying it.

In my experience, I haven't come across a great amount of detail concerning the Shrewsbury couple. I found this take interesting and insightful. I wouldn't say i was on the edge of my seat, or that i just couldn't put it down, but it was very well written and enjoyable. Ms. Gregory seems to have an eye for detail, and an ability to bring human nature to the written word.

A very good book. I sat with the book in one hand and working the computer with the other so I could verify some of the historical facts and the book was pretty accurate. It was amazing how a Queen in exile got to have her full court around her and how the Queen of England was so untruthful and how terrifying it was to live in those days with spies all around. I have read other books written by Philippa Gregory and have been impressed with her ability to describe court life.

What is happening? None of Philippa Gregory's other books can match The Other Boleyn Girl. That was a book that I couldn't put down. This book just didn't have any kind of excitement to it. It just dragged on. I was sorely disappointed. My only saving grace is that I got from the library. Don't bother spending your money.

The Other Queen was very interesting for a historical novel. I was kept entertained by the story line throughout. It was an easy read. I would recommend for anyone who likes historical novels from this period of time.

I have always been intrigued by the story of Mary Queen of Scots but very little is written about her imprisonment in England. I loved the way the story was told from the three different points of view. Also the good and bad characteristics of each were portrayed making them come alive once again.

This was a book that I felt obliged to finish only because of the interesting subject matter, which is a shame, as I enjoy Phillipa Gregory, and I love a lengthy book to get my teeth into. The trouble here is that the characters, who are initially interesting, repeat the same inner monologues again and again and again. Rather than moving the story/relationships forward, we hear their world views and beliefs endlessly repeated. I honestly think an abridged version would have been preferable. Where was Phillipa Gregory's editor?

I LOVE Philippa Gregory. I've read almost all of her books. This one was the most boring book of them all. I really had a hard time getting through it. Gregory just doesn't develop the characters very well, and leaves you not really caring for them at all. You can definately skip this one in the series.

"The Other Queen," by Philippa Gregory was a good read. It was enjoyable from the beinning to the nend. I really enjoy Philippa Gregory's books, and "The Other Queen" was no exception. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an entertaining raed about Mary: Queen of Scots.

I have read almost all of Ms. Gregory's books and found this one to be very hard to keep my attention as others have
commented. Some say Queen Mary thinks too much of herself and considers herself divine. A study of history shows
us that at that time and after the Kings of France were considered as divine. This is where Mary was raised and makes
sense that she would believe this. The fault I find with this book is that Mary is shown the way she is. Other books that
were written at the time or near afterwards show Mary in a much better light. It is as if Gregory has some reason to show
her as someone history does not portray her as. I was disappointed with this book and never was with another by the
same author

Despite the mixed reviews here, I decided to give THE OTHER QUEEN a chance and am glad that I did. Having read biographies of Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwicke, I think that Ms. Gregory did an excellent job of giving "voice" to the characters, and even though I knew the final outcome for all, I still found myself hoping that one of the rescue plots would work and sympathizing with Bess as she saw the world she had worked so hard to build crumble in her hands.

A very enjoyable read -- I was actually sad to have it end!

I love it when historical figures are brought to life. The facts are easy to look up: Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in 1542, became queen of Scotland as a baby, and grew up in the French court. She had a legitimate claim to the English throne, where her cousin Queen Elizabeth ruled. Mary was forced to abdicate her crown in Scotland, fled to England, and was held in custody there for many years. At first George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife Bess were charged with the responsibility of confining Queen Mary. In 1587 Mary was beheaded for treason against Queen Elizabeth. These dry truths cry out for a writer of Philippa Gregory's talents to make them come alive.

"The Other Queen" focuses on the first years of Mary's imprisonment in England, begun when she was just 26 years old. The timeframe of the book is from 1568 through 1572, with a final entry in 1587. The book alternates between three narrators: George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury; his wife Bess; and Mary herself. Each of the three writes just a few pages at a time, so you get all three viewpoints in quick succession. It's like reading a diary of the events, written by the three main characters.

It is easy to get caught up in the intrigues and double-crosses, and to care for the characters. The decent George quietly becomes obsessed with the beautiful queen he is forced to hold in custody. Bess hardens her heart as she watches her newly wed husband fall in love with Mary, and spend their fortune on the queen's upkeep. Mary desperately tries to extricate herself from her predicament, all the while keeping up her charming royal demeanor.

It is an eye-opener to be reminded of how women were thought of in those days. Over and over, men and women alike refer to women as lesser beings, unable to think for themselves. George Talbot writes of his wife, Bess: "Sometimes I ask too much of her. She is only a woman and she takes strange fearful fancies. She cannot think clearly like a man, and she has no education and no reading. She is only a woman: everyone knows that women have no steadiness of mind." Over and over this sentiment appears, while both Bess and Queen Mary -- not to mention Queen Elizabeth -- are planning and plotting elaborate schemes. Indeed, the simplest and least cunning person in the book is George Talbot himself.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting history to live and breathe.

Other books by Philippa Gregory include The Boleyn Inheritance,The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl.

Slow, cheesy, with characters whose interior monologues tend to repeat the same few statements over and over again, this book is NOTHING compared to Philippa Gregory's other novels - it's as if this is her roughest of rough drafts. Still, I finished it. It's not a waste, because even a bad Gregory novel is still going to depict some fascinating and vivid historical moments. Just don't expect The Other Boleyn Girl.

I found this book aggravating. The voice of the three main characters seems to blend into one annoying drone. Even though it takes place during a fascinating time of English and Scottish history the Talbots and Mary are wooden characters with not much to say. I hate to buy a book and not finish it, but I had to FORCE myself to complete it. The story-telling is done in a monotonous manner. what could have been an interesting take on Mary and her imprisonment was a poorly written book about one of history's most intriguing rulers.

I did not like this book at all, the book kept switching three different people so you never get attached to any of the characters so I didn't care about any of them...I didn't really want to finish the book. I suggest not reading this sorry philippa gregory

I have loved most of Philippa Gregory's books, but this was just so so for me. It is the first book by this author that I didn't finish. Especially annoying was 'Bess' repeating page after page her worry about losing her treasures, fortunes and homes.

Are you an average, every day reader just like me? Then this is a great bedtime read for you. Take yourself away to another time, some beautiful places, and exotic personalities while being entertained. You may even learn a little something? But, who cares if you don't, this story does what Philippa Gregory does best, tells a good story.

I enjoyed it very much. I try to keep up with her new books. She is my favorite author. I enjoyed learn about the other. Her character proved that that she was all about herself, and didn't have much love for her son, choosing to let her son be raised by anyone else.

This is my first Philippa Gregory novel. For a first timer, this novel is pretty interesting and keeps pretty close to the facts and events of the Elizabethan period. Gregory has a knack of inter-weaving fact with fiction and she takes advantage of little known facts to put her own spin on them. The characters themselves are well developed and give an insight into the minds of some key players in Queen Elizabeth's time. What I did not like about this book is how it came to an end all of a sudden - it was too rushed towards the end and lost its steam. It seemed like she got tired of writing the book and decided to end it abruptly.

Going by other reviews, this may not be the best Philippa Gregory novel, but if this is your first book, it is not a bad choice. Since the store does not allow half stars, I gave this book a 4, but in reality it is 3.5 stars.

Usually I can't put Philippa Gregory's books down (and I've read almost all of them), but this one was much less compelling. It really dragged and it was a genuine effort to get through it. Usually the plots and sub plots are well fleshed out; in this book, it seemed that the planning and layout was very shallow. Not what I have come to expect from this usually excellent author.

I found this book aggravating. The voice of the three main characters seems to blend into one annoying drone. Even though it takes place during a fascinating time of English and Scottish history the Talbots and Mary are wooden characters with not much to say. I hate to buy a book and not finish it, but I had to FORCE myself to complete it. The story-telling is done in a monotonous manner. what could have been an interesting take on Mary and her imprisonment was a poorly written book about one of history's most intriguing rulers.

I did not like this book at all, the book kept switching three different people so you never get attached to any of the characters so I didn't care about any of them...I didn't really want to finish the book. I suggest not reading this sorry philippa gregory

I have loved most of Philippa Gregory's books, but this was just so so for me. It is the first book by this author that I didn't finish. Especially annoying was 'Bess' repeating page after page her worry about losing her treasures, fortunes and homes.

Are you an average, every day reader just like me? Then this is a great bedtime read for you. Take yourself away to another time, some beautiful places, and exotic personalities while being entertained. You may even learn a little something? But, who cares if you don't, this story does what Philippa Gregory does best, tells a good story.

I enjoyed it very much. I try to keep up with her new books. She is my favorite author. I enjoyed learn about the other. Her character proved that that she was all about herself, and didn't have much love for her son, choosing to let her son be raised by anyone else.

This is my first Philippa Gregory novel. For a first timer, this novel is pretty interesting and keeps pretty close to the facts and events of the Elizabethan period. Gregory has a knack of inter-weaving fact with fiction and she takes advantage of little known facts to put her own spin on them. The characters themselves are well developed and give an insight into the minds of some key players in Queen Elizabeth's time. What I did not like about this book is how it came to an end all of a sudden - it was too rushed towards the end and lost its steam. It seemed like she got tired of writing the book and decided to end it abruptly.

Going by other reviews, this may not be the best Philippa Gregory novel, but if this is your first book, it is not a bad choice. Since the store does not allow half stars, I gave this book a 4, but in reality it is 3.5 stars.

Usually I can't put Philippa Gregory's books down (and I've read almost all of them), but this one was much less compelling. It really dragged and it was a genuine effort to get through it. Usually the plots and sub plots are well fleshed out; in this book, it seemed that the planning and layout was very shallow. Not what I have come to expect from this usually excellent author.

Like the others I agree that this wasn't one of PG's best. I expected another page turner. I didn't give any thought about not enjoying this read as I have enjoyed all of PG's books thus far. This book dragged on and had no excitement. Like another review said, all the drama and excitement happened in the previous books. I had to force myself to continue reading this book as opposed to the others, where I couldn't put them down and was finished before I realized I was at the end looking for more.

I LOVE Philippa Gregory's books but this one was less than stellar. I think I understand with the rhythm to help the reader understand what her life was like but I was bored. She seems like such an interesting character yet I never really felt like I knew her like I usually feel like I know Gregory's characters. She definitely needs to do a prequel to this book to explain her back story.

I enjoyed this book. I liked how the story is told by three different people, and three points of view. Bess, a countess who cares for money more than anything else, her husband, George Talbot, who falls in love with The Other Queen (Mary of Scots) and Queen Mary, who is imprisoned by her cousin Elizabeth.
I read other feedback and lots that read other Gregory books found this one to be lacking, however, as my first book, I enjoyed the perspectives, the points of view, and some history of how Queen Elizabeth handled her cousin of Scotland.
I would have loved to have had a little more history intertwined, but this book was just a snapshot of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and Queen Mary's imprisonment.
I can't wait for more.

Set in 1568-72 and a climactic 1581, great forces converge in this powerful novel of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her throne usurped by an ambitious half-brother, Mary is a guest of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, while Mary's claim to the Scottish throne is sorted out. Mary is outraged when Elizabeth does not immediately demand her restoration; but Elizabeth, in collusion with her most trusted Secretary of State, William Cecil, must carefully assess the merits of Mary's case, a woman with a strong royal bloodline that rivals Elizabeth's. A Reformist, Elizabeth is the future, England's coffers greatly enriched by the plundering of churches and monasteries. Stuart, on the other hand, personifies the old ways, the old religion, clinging stubbornly to tradition. Certainly there is a risk in Elizabeth's prescient ambition, Cecil's impressive network of spies marking him the most powerful man in the land, much to the dismay of the nobles who would counsel Elizabeth in his stead. Even after ten years, Elizabeth remains insecure: "I thought we could teach her how to live like a queen with pride, not like a usurper with terror."

Elizabeth prevails upon her loyal northern lord, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his pragmatic wife, Bess, to shelter Mary at their estate, providing the young queen comfort and security. What begins as opportunity for the newlywed Talbot's becomes, many months later, the siege of a marriage, one founded on the acquisition of property. With great precision, Gregory deconstructs the Talbot's. The tension is exquisite, a perfect balance of unresolved issues between husband and wife, Bess acutely sensitive to an impending threat, George, oblivious, assaulted by a passion that undermines his sense of honor. Then there is the other queen, the beauty who sits in their midst like a spider, spinning webs and pronouncing innocence, mocking her hosts: "She can speak three languages but she can tell the truth in none of them." Played out on a smaller stage, the Talbot's dilemma is sharply contrasted with the larger issue: Mary's fate. George defends his honor, Bess distractedly counting her diminishing resources, while Mary studies the horizon for rescuers; meanwhile, manipulating events to her own advantage, "Elizabeth's justice is clamping down on our lands like a harsh winter."

Thus is the great drama of the cousins framed; regardless of her torment over Mary's fate, Elizabeth is a survivor facing painful decisions when her throne is at stake, her attempts to protect Mary as a sister of royal blood nearly toppling the country as it falls to its knees on the cusp of war with northern lords who would restore Mary to Scotland and claim the throne of England for their queen. In an angst-riddled and terrifying preface to a pitched battle with the north, the Shrewsbury's and their guest shuttle from one residence to another, their once-hardy marriage assaulted with each precipitous escape. Gregory owns this material, her pivotal characters tormented by their shattered dreams and frustrated hopes, tied to one another by circumstance, awaiting their fates. The Shrewsbury's are wonderfully nuanced, each by turns infuriating and complex, Mary Stuart soaring through the pages of history to rival even the indomitable Elizabeth. Brave, impulsive and heroic, Gregory's phoenix rises from the ashes of history to claim her rightful place in our hearts. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

I love, love, love this author but The Other Queen was so boring I couldn't get through it. It won't keep me from continuing to read her books though where I am usually very engaged and "lost" in another era.

I loved it just as much as i loved the other tutor novels. Mary is cunning, seductive and a fantastic character. I feel sorry for her but at the same time know she is wrong. Phillippa is really a wonderful writer.

I got through 3/4 of this book before cutting my losses and deciding that my time was better spent having a hot bath or taking a nice walk or doing something that's actually relaxing. Because getting through this novel is hard work. The characters aren't appealing, nor is the writing so outstanding that you want to read on to see new turns of phrases. I can't think of a single thing to recommend this book, actually, although I'm a huge fan of her other work. Such a disappointment.

The premise of the book was good based on queen Mary and her circumstances. It got s little hard to get through at the end because the story was tedious. It want the writing just the history of moving the queen and plotting to rise again

I EAGERLY anticipated the release of this book..and Im sorry to say, it wasnt the bes Ive read by Ms. Gregory. Drug in alot of places and I just COULDNT find myself identifing with Shrewsbury, Mary or Elizabeth.

I started this book four times. On the fourth time, i managed to finish it by setting up "mini" goals to read each day. The diary format just did not work. Unless I remembered who was writing from the chapter notation at the beginning, I could tell no difference between the three characters. Very disappointing.

This is the first time I have read this author. I found the writing a bit bland. She does not introduce the characters very vividly at all (in my opinion). Her writing in general is just not very vivid or descriptive. She may have many interesting sagas going on in her head, but I feel she does a poor job of relating this to her readers. I will not purchase any of her other works.

I enjoyed the comparative views of these fascinating historical characters. I trust Ms. Gregory to do the research and let it lead us through time & drama. She does a great job here though the continuing plots & dashed hopes of Mary can get tedious.

I am a Philippa Gregory fan through and through, having read nearly all of her works. I must say that I am so far a little disappointed with this one. I typically dive right in and can't get enough, and it has taken some work to get me "hooked." Haven't finished yet, but I have faith that she will come through!

Despite knowing how the book must inevitably end, it was a great read!
I was disappointed the read the last chapter, it seemed too soon to end it.
The characters were wonderful and very interesting, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in English history, or historical fiction.

I am a fan of Philippa Gregory but this book is LONG and boring. Not much is happening and pages after page it is the same old. How many chapters you read about Bess and her love for materials and that is all I was told about Bess. Disappointing book.

I am a big fan of Philipa and have read all her books relating to the Tudor dynasty. This book I felt was her worst of this series. I felt like the characters were forgettable, the plot was boring and the end wasn't satisfying.

I have enjoyed all of Philippa Gregory's previous books. I was disappointed that The Other Queen was so boring and bland when compared to her other novels. It's a shame, considering the material with which George had to work.

In short, the style of this book is repetitive and slow and the tone is somewhat whiney. I simply don't know how else to put it. I have read several books by this same author and enjoyed their subject matter as well as the writing style, but this is definitely not her best work. At times, entire pages simply read like filler, the narcissistic rantings of immature and spoiled royals. Even if these lengthy sections were remotely believable as actual dialogue (either internal or spoken), they would still be annoying. There is a reason why persons who are self-absorbed and complain about their problems constantly don't tend to make friends easily- because no one likes to hear them talk. Even if you enjoy this sort of writing, it tends to slow the plot development terribly and makes this book much longer than necessary. I truly hate to simplify this author's 438 pages down to this, but that's how they read. As a woman, I enjoy reading about female characters, but Mary, Queen of Scots is portrayed as a whiney, egotistical simpleton who tends to expound on her own virtues...at length. It gets boring. I actually flipped past whole pages in order to avoid this character's inner thoughts. In general, hard core Philippa Gregory fans will still enjoy this book, but I personally found that I simply couldn't get engrossed in the story because of the writing style.

I am a big fan of Philipa and have read all her books relating to the Tudor dynasty. This book I felt was her worst of this series. I felt like the characters were forgettable, the plot was boring and the end wasn't satisfying.

I have enjoyed all of Philippa Gregory's previous books. I was disappointed that The Other Queen was so boring and bland when compared to her other novels. It's a shame, considering the material with which George had to work.