Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95  ·  rating details  ·  5,346 ratings  ·  162 reviews
Author of Marie Antoinette

She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head.

Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart, scandalizing her world with a foolish passion...more
Paperback, 614 pages
Published September 1st 1993 by Delta (first published 1969)
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Community Reviews

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Bap
I hesitate recommending this book because the writing is often dull and the author has an annoying habit of placing latin and french quotes without a translation. But in the end I do recommend this book because the story of Mary Queen of Scots tragic life is compelling. Twice a Queen, first of France than of Scotland. Mary was almost six foot tall in an age when five feet for woman was average. Beautiful, athletic, pampered, intelligent, naive and a magnet for misfortune. Her first husband died...more
Erik Graff
Dec 06, 2012 Erik Graff rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Mary fans
Recommended to Erik by: no one
Shelves: biography
This tome represents an impressive amount of research--too much if one expects a quick and easy read. While the portrayal is sympathetic, the picture which emerges of Queen Mary is not very positive. She was, as might be expected, spoiled, selfish and adolescent, certainly not one who might have been competent as an autocrat unless shepherded by ministers. As it was, she was poorly guided, both by her supposed allies and by her own unregulated desires. I was reminded of the late Princess of Wale...more
Helen (Helena/Nell)
I won’t hiver-haver here: this is a wonderful book. From about page twenty onwards (it took a little while to get me into the swing of things) I was riveted. I arrived at page 691, on my third day of reading at 1.30 a.m., having been unable to put the volume down for the final three or four hours. As I lay in bed at the end of each day of reading, my mind returned to this astonishing woman, who was a Queen in the sixteenth century, and acquired mythic status. Which she deserved—which indeed she...more
Mel
There are no words to describe how much I love this book! I don't know how many times I've read it but each time I do it leaves me with a new feeling. Although a historical study, the book reads like a good novel. The writing is compassionate, thought-provoking as well as chillingly gritty. Antonia Fraser has written a complete account of Mary Stuart, a character analyses that was sadly lacking until she first tackled the subject forty-one years ago. What she writes is the story of a woman who i...more
Ruth Ann
Antonia Fraser is one of my favorite authors. This book about the fabled Mary Queen of Scots is a real heartbreaker--like that poor Other Boleyn Girl a generation earlier, Mary Queen of Scots was used and then abused by the people who were supposed to support and protect her.

Unlike Mary Boleyn, she did not have the smarts to survive the intrigues of nobility. Time after time, she chose the wrong man to champion her, took the low road, and antagonized people who could have helped her.

After I rea...more
Maia B.
Once again, I have dithered for minutes over what rating to give this book. Four, for its excellent research, bright writing, and obvious love of history? Or two, for its sometimes slow pace, untranslated French and Latin, and positively biased viewpoint on Mary herself?

So I settled on three, as so often before. That said, it may deserve more than that. It really is written very well; Antonia Fraser is not only a marvelous historian, she's a great writer. She writes easily and cleverly; the dry...more
Rhonda Hankins
any historical novel by antonia fraser is going to be good. i suppose the story of mary queen of scots & that of marie antoinette are so compelling as to tie for my favorite.

i always wonder what might have happened if mary queen of scots's french dauphin had not been so sickly. if he had been a strong, long-lived king, would they have joined forces with catholic spain and invaded england? in that event, would scones, the victoria & albert museum, and the plays of shakepeare be just invis...more
Lynne-marie
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Brett
This sprawling, fascinating book is the most appealing & exhaustive look at the famous (or infamous) Mary Queen of Scots that I have read. It shows why Lady Antonia Fraser is truly a past master at the art of making history into something so richly gripping that fiction just can't touch it. I feel that it will appeal to people who are either serious history junkies or people who are just interested in reading more about this tragic offshoot of the Tudor dynasty, destroyed by her own family b...more
Susu
Hamburg - Frankfurt - Hamburg - enough time to get a serious headstart - then one whole day lounging in cafés and beside the Alster... Mary Stuart is depicted in great detail and the author tries to give enough detail and background to support her view on Mary Stuart´s life. In her view the woman can´t go wrong and if she does there always seems to be good reason - that gives the impression as if the author has tweaked the whole thing a little in her favor. Whatever - very readable biography.
Bev Hankins
Jul 12, 2012 Bev Hankins marked it as did-not-finish

I'm only about 1/8 of the way through this, and I must say that so far it is boring me silly. I'm reading it for my Birth Year Challenge and the biggest questions in my mind is "Why did Antonia Fraser have to publish this in 1969?" and "What made me put it on my challenge TBR list?" Actually, I can answer that last one...I've always been fascinated by the history of the British Isles and I'd heard about this book long ago and far away. When it popped up on a list of books for my birth year, I th...more
Slayermel
Aug 05, 2010 Slayermel rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys detailed facts over just pure story telling
Well I have finally finished this book; it only took me 28 days (that was pure sarcasm by the way).

Let’s start off with all the positives about this book.

Antonia Fraser loves detail and it comes through, she really does her research and that definitely impressed me. I learned things about Mary Queen of Scots that I probably would have never thought to look up, but was nice to know, the subtleties which really bring a character from history to life. Not to mention I enjoyed learning of all the h...more
Jennifer
I have to admit that before reading this, I mainly knew Mary Queen of Scots from the film Elizabeth, where she was presented in a minor part as a sensual French Catholic traitor prolonging a bloody war with England.
In actuality, her story is almost more fascinating than that of Elizabeth, her cousin: Mary serves as Queen of France until her husband the King dies, when they're both barely 20. She returns to Scotland as Queen. But Scotland is still very medieval, plus it's protestant and she's Cat...more
Silver
I do not read a lot of non-fiction, becasue often times I find the way non-fiction books read, tends to be tedious and dry and feel a bot text book like, but I am interested in history and I do try and expand out my reading experiences.

I have to say that I thought Fraser did a wonderful job with this book, it read almost like a novel for me, something that rarely happens with non-fiction. It was such a captivating and engaging story from start to finish. I was a bit daunted at the prospect of r...more
Jane Davis
This on of the few books from my teaching days that I have kept. Antonia Fraser gives a very through and detailed account of Mary Stewart from her earliest day the her death. Fraser draws conclusions on the reasons for the murder of Mary's secretary, the death of her second husband and her disastorous third marriage. She also goes into Mary's relationship with Elizabeth of England and Philip of Spain. Dry as dust? To the layman, yes. To we odd ones, no.
Liz
This was a cool glimpse into the life of a young, elegant, charming, but sickly queen thrust into a turbulent life. The Scottish nobles of the time were the most corrupt bunch of scoundrels you can imagine; loyalty was impossible to obtain, murder was barely given a second thought. The book was long and sometimes the more tedious details (I don't care how many dresses she had or what material they were made from) slowed me down. But some juicy or morbid bit is always just around the bend, like h...more
Kelly
Mar 06, 2009 Kelly marked it as to-read
Shelves: history-british
I want to read this because I want to answer the question, 'Why is everyone so fascinated by this damn woman??'. I've never liked her. I've always thought she was stupid, petty, petulant and self-indulgent. I pity her, but I've never respected her in the least. She seems to have some rabid fans. I'm curious as to why. Perhaps Fraser, whose voice I really like in her stories of Henry VIII's wives, will be able to explain it to me.
Jamie Godsafe
This was the first book I read by Antonia Fraser and I love the way that she brings Mary to life. This could so easily have been a dry academic snorefest but despite the meticulous research Antonia gives you a feel for the humanity of the woman living in a fraught political atmosphere.
Once you get past the initial dryness you will find that there are layers of complexity to Antonia's writing which reveal her passion for her subject.
Claire
So, so good - Antonia Fraser's writing is marvelous and sophisticated. She chronicles Mary Stuart's life with compassion yet clear-sightedness. As much as I liked Mary by the end of the book, I was convinced that her impetuous, trusting, whole-hearted nature was just not right to rule a country like Scotland. As a side note, I must say that Fraser's descriptions of contemporary Scotland were especially intriguing. All in all, a totally satisfactory and enjoyable read.
Dr. Jim
I've always been intrigued with Mary's story, and with historian Fraser's writing in this book and others. Fraser captures Mary's story with great accuracy and feeling. The ponderous historical facts get lost in the very human story of her life from the time she was a girl until she was executed as queen of Scotland. Clearly, a main focus is the relationship with her cousin Elizabeth I of England who is her eventual executioner.
Charlotte Liebel
Jul 08, 2011 Charlotte Liebel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: British History
Magnificent. Detailed historical drama of Mary Queen of Scots. Gripping story of a brave woman who had to endure an end sentence in death and who, ultimately, lived in squalid surroundings. The last few pages were dear and touching ~ particularly disheartening and tragic.

I loved reading this book. The writing was so vivid as to become aware and to share the joys and tragedies of Mary Queen of Scots.

~Charlotte Liebel
Wayne
Nov 06, 2008 Wayne marked it as to-read Recommends it for: History Passionates
Recommended to Wayne by: marie antoinette..also a head loser!!!
Did she or didn't she??....assist in the gruesome murder of her husband,the spoilt obnoxious Lord Darnley?
She certainly married one of his murderers!!

I read "The Crime of Mary Stuart" by George Malcolm Thomson,who delves into the Casket Letters, and thought Mary looked pretty much incriminated by available evidence and in ONLY 180 pages!!!

Because of George's book, I've had Antonia's book sitting on my shelf for years, reluctant to read what I perceived to be a too softly softly approach.NOW I'm...more
Benjamin Lettuce Treuhaft
It's great to see that religious wars aren't just for Bush and Obama. They raged in the 16th century too. Mary was a Catholic in times, described in sometimes ridiculous detail in this wonderfully written book, where heretics like her could be decapitated faster than a Shiite at a Sunni rally.

Fraser mounts a convincing defense of Mary more like an advocate than an historian. I liked it.
Lysbeth
Fraser is clearly writing in order to rehabilitate Mary Stuart's tarnished reputation, and while I was willing to swallow much of her scrubbing of the queen's life in Scotland, Fraser stretches credulity once the queen is imprisoned in England. It's pretty obvious that the author is contemptuous of Elizabeth I (which I find reprehensible) which blinds her to Stuart's failings.
Donna Parker
Don't know if I should say spoilers on this one, but Mary dies. There, I said it. I quite like Antonia Fraser, her storytelling is always spot-on and she was married to Harold Pinter, wasn't she, so that's kind of well, cool and irrelevant, which then leads us back to the book. I like history, doesn't always teach us something, but at least it's always there.
Kate F
A book about one of the most divisive and controversial figures of British history. She spent many years as a closely guarded 'guest' of Elizabeth the first, one of, if not the greatest of England's monarchs. How much her ultimate fate was a result of her flawed character I will leave you to decide but in Antonia Fraser's biography you have a great start - enjoy!
Elizabeth
I'm sure I would have found this fascinating, had I not been overconfident of my abilities at 2 am. I tried to read this while feeding a newborn, it didn't work. The fault is entirely my own ... for what I was able to comprehend, it was extraordinarily well written and researched. Maybe someday when my sanity has returned, I'll read it again.
Helenmschilling
Who knew that Mary, Queen of Scots started her life as the beautiful and vivacious Queen of France? After her husband, King of France died, she could have stayed in France, well loved by the people and well provided for. But she didn't, she went to Scotland and that was when her troubles and bad choices in husbands began. Fascinating.
Salvatore
The writing at times can be dull and too long winded or without enough citations, but it is a fascinating story - that of Mary. Such an unfortunate, unlikely life as told by Frasier who perhaps is too sympathetic to her subject and refuses to blemish this Queen. Still, the beheading sequence was impressive and wild. This book certainly portrays Mary as she wanted to be seen at her execution, as a martyr for humanity.
Tej
This could have been written with all of the drama and suspense of a novel. Unfortunately, it was written as if the author assumed the reader already knew the story. Alas, I knew almost nothing about Mary Stuart when I started this. There were so many unfamiliar names and events that I really had a hard time keeping it straight. Admittedly, that's more my fault than the author's. I can't deny it was a good learning experience. Perhaps I'll read it again and enjoy it more when it's not so foreign...more
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Mary Queen of Scots (Paperback)

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Lady Antonia Fraser (Pinter), CBE, is a British author of history and novels, best known as Antonia Fraser for writing biographies and detective fiction, and the second wife of Harold Pinter, the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature.

Series:
* Jemima Shore
More about Antonia Fraser...
Marie Antoinette: The Journey The Wives of Henry VIII Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King The Warrior Queens The Weaker Vessel

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“Darnley, who, like Banquo's ghost, seemed to play a much more effective part in Scottish politics once he was dead than when he was alive.” 1 person liked it
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