Friday, April 5, 2013

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

The Other Queen  (2008)
Philippa Gregory

After reading The Other Boleyn Girl, I supposed I had read Philippa Gregory's best work and that her other novels would seem weak by comparison. I am therefore delighted to find The Other Queen to be such a superbly entertaining book.

The engrossing story is set during the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots during the reign of Elizabeth I. Mary is the "other queen" of the title, with a legitimate claim to the thrones of Scotland and England.

Three characters take turns narrating the story, so the perspective is always changing as the plot moves forward. As a literary device, it sounds a bit awkward perhaps, but I thought Gregory managed the three voices exceedingly well. The narrators are Bess of Hardwick, her newlywed fourth husband George the Earl of Shrewsbury, and their captive guest Mary the Scots Queen.

Philippa Gregory is very good at characterization. She writes reasonable dialogue, but it's not really convincing as period dialogue. The court's machinations and intrigue are palpable; other more mundane historical details are sparse.

The Other Queen (2008)
Philippa Gregory
Image added April 10, 2013

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6 comments:

  1. I've read several of Gregory's books and found them enjoyable. Sounds like The Other Queen is another one I need to add to my TBR list.

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    1. I really thought Gregory handled the book's complex narrative structure very well. I hope you enjoy it.

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  2. I enjoyed this one too - although I don't remember that particular cover... Thanks for linking in with BYL. Cheers

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    1. You're right, Carole. I got the newfangled cover from Amazon, but I think I prefer the older one.

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  3. I enjoy Philippa Gregory's books...thanks for the review.

    Stopping by from Carole's Books You Loved April Edition. I am in the list as #21.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Entry

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    1. You're welcome, Elizabeth. Let me take this opportunity to recommend your blog Silver's Reviews to any and all book lovers.

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