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Mary Queen of Scotland & The Isles

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 6,016 ratings · 361 reviews

She was a child crowned a queen....
A sinner hailed as a saint....
A lover denounced as a whore...
A woman murdered for her dreams...

Margaret George’s Mary Queen of Scotland & the Isles brings to life the fascinating story of Mary, who became the Queen of Scots when she was only six days old. Raised in the glittering French court, returning to Scotland to rule as a Cathol...more

Paperback, 870 pages

Published April 15th 1997 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published 1992)

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Jun 12, 2012 Shana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: medieval-europe-hf-musts, shanas-all-time-faves

I was 17 years old, with an honor's student workload. For some reason I decided to take on an 870 page epic. Even for someone who likes to read, any Margaret George book takes real commitment. For most people, that commitment becomes effortless and will last a lifetime.

Something happened when I first read this novel. I was lost in it. I devoured it. It's haunted me ever since. I read it again every few years, and visit it like an old friend. The characters are dynamic, genuine, and tortured (som...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hadn't known too much about the details of Mary, Queen of Scots' life, so this book was really enjoyable and informative. I found myself advocating for Mary, then becoming frustrated with her decision making as she moved toward what I knew was going to be her demise. I was pleased to learn that, of the 200 characters in the book, all of them were real figures in history, so it seems Margaret George is a top notch historical writer. I also enjoyed hearing her (Margaret George) brief analysis o...more

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May 04, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to confess that I’ve never been all that sympathetic to Mary Queen of Scots because I just can’t get over the reckless decisions she made in her life. Margaret George didn’t totally change my opinion of her in this historical fiction novel, but she did manage to make her seem a bit more likable to me, which proves what a good writer she is.

Mary Stuart had the misfortune to be born a high-spirited, intelligent woman destined to be the queen of a lawless, violent Scotland that had just turn...more I have to confess that I’ve never been all that sympathetic to Mary Queen of Scots because I just can’t get over the reckless decisions she made in her life. Margaret George didn’t totally change my opinion of her in this historical fiction novel, but she did manage to make her seem a bit more likable to me, which proves what a good writer she is.

Mary Stuart had the misfortune to be born a high-spirited, intelligent woman destined to be the queen of a lawless, violent Scotland that had just turned against Catholicism, was questioning the whole “divine right of kings” on which hereditary monarchy is based, and had a strong prejudice against women rulers. Her pampered upbringing in France certainly did nothing to prepare her for this situation, and she was very ill-treated by the brutal Scottish lords there, including her own half-brother and her second husband Darnley. None of this was her doing, so one can certainly sympathize with her -- up to this point. Margaret George does a good job in this book of presenting Mary’s background and the constant difficulties she faced during her reign in Scotland.

However, Mary herself made her situation even worse through her own monumentally bad judgment and political naivety -- marrying Bothwell even though he was implicated in Darnley’s murder, which cost her the love of her subjects; fleeing to England when she was deposed from the Scottish throne, even though she should have known she was seen as a rival to Queen Elizabeth’s throne; and later on becoming involved in conspiracies in England that pretty much forced Elizabeth to have her executed.

Yes, her 20-year detention in England was illegal but she could have avoided it in the first place by exercising a little caution and fleeing to France instead, where she had family and resources to help her. She also might have found more of a welcome in England if she had swallowed her ambition earlier and ratified the Treaty of Edinburgh, in which she would have given up her right of succession to the English throne during Elizabeth’s lifetime. I think Elizabeth would have most likely named Mary her successor when the time came if Mary hadn’t been so insistent on having her status recognized immediately, although what kind of ruler she might have made is debatable. In the end, Mary Queen of Scots lost her throne while Queen Elizabeth kept hers because, unlike Elizabeth, she ruled by following her heart rather than her head.

George writes this book from the third-person viewpoint instead of first-person as she did in her two previous efforts (“The Autobiography of Henry VIII” and “The Memoirs of Cleopatra”). This gives her the advantage of going into the minds of other characters, but sometimes the story does not feel as immediate as it did in those two books.

Also, while I like a good sex scene in my reading as much as anyone, I have a hard time reading any that involve elements of violence or in which one partner is being taken advantage of, and there are a couple of scenes in this book that fall into those categories. Did we really need a description of (spoiler alert!) nasty old Scottish preacher John Knox having sex with his teen-age wife? Or Darnley homosexually raping Rizzio? (This scene is most likely purely imaginary on George's part and was probably included to demonstrate how depraved Darnley was becoming -- but I could have done without it.)

Ultimately, George did succeed in making me feel a bit more sympathetic to Mary’s situation than I normally do. She has Mary acknowledging and regretting her faults and impulsive decisions, coming to terms with them, and meeting her death with grace and dignity, which helped me to feel more compassion for her.

So three stars to Margaret George for the good effort, although in the end I still can't say I like Mary.

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Sep 26, 2012 Undine rated it 3 of 5 stars

The life of Mary Queen of Scots is perhaps history's greatest soap opera. It is impossible to make her story dull, although, when reading this novel, I sometimes had the feeling that George was trying her hardest to disprove that fact. True, Mary was a prisoner for twenty years, but did George have to spend what felt like twenty years describing it?

I wish the author had spent less time on the latter half of Mary's life, and more on her years in Scotland, particularly where her relationship with...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Lily Bart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Margaret George has rescued Mary from the history books and brought her to life as a vibrant, compelling, and astonishingly modern heroine. This Mary talks and thinks like a modern woman, yet her actions are absolutely true to the spirit of the times and the known facts about her life.

Sometimes the language is a bit too modern, as when Mary describes her gorgeous husband Lord Darnley as "looking good enough to eat" during their wedding feast. And the sex scenes leave absolutely nothing to the i...more Margaret George has rescued Mary from the history books and brought her to life as a vibrant, compelling, and astonishingly modern heroine. This Mary talks and thinks like a modern woman, yet her actions are absolutely true to the spirit of the times and the known facts about her life.

Sometimes the language is a bit too modern, as when Mary describes her gorgeous husband Lord Darnley as "looking good enough to eat" during their wedding feast. And the sex scenes leave absolutely nothing to the imagination! Even after Darnley begins to drink too much and make trouble, Mary makes excuses for him, crying in secret and confiding to the reader, "even when I knew the truth -- to my shame and against my will -- I still wanted him. In truth I burned for him." Mary may never have said this, but her actions make it clear how hard it was for her to break with the cruel but very handsome Darnley.

George reveals every detail of Mary's daily life, right down to the perfume she used and her lazy mornings in bed. It's very revealing when Bothwell -- Mary's next husband after Darnley -- comes into her room unannounced one morning and tells her she needs to "get off your backside and rule, lass. The people need a queen, not a sleeping statue!" Mary thinks she is through with love, but Bothwell insists on marrying her to protect her from the plots and treachery of the other nobles -- the ones who murdered Lord Darnley. Much to her own surprise, Mary goes from fearing Bothwell to enjoying his company, sharing his bed willingly and even crying in his arms when he is forced to leave her at the end. "Rough he was, plain talking and without grace -- but true to me, always. And in his own way, tender."

Some reviewers complain that George spends too much time on the sad years of Mary's life -- when she was a prisoner in England, locked up at the command of her "dearest friend" Elizabeth. But the details of her captivity are interesting, and even glamorous -- secret visits from spies, messages written in code. The only good thing to say about Queen Elizabeth is that she never put Mary in a dungeon. Mary describes it as "the most luxurious time of my life -- and the hardest to bear." Given her comfortable apartments, you can see why she sleeps till noon on days when there's really nothing to do. You can also see why she mentions "the mineral baths, the soothing waters that helped me forget" since she really needed relaxation.

Mary was quite modern in some ways. She believed in mineral baths, and also massage, as being good for her health. She loved exercise in the open air, and she mentions several times that "after an open air gallop on horseback, very exhilarating, and a good long dunking in the water, the firm hands of my maids would readily coax the soreness from my muscles. Indeed I often forgot my worries entirely, and slept like a babe."

The final section is not that dull, really. Just more quiet. And Elizabeth, to her credit, seems to have wanted Mary to be as comfortable and well looked after as any prisoner could be. Until she decided to have her executed, that is.

But in the end, what really makes this book so exciting and vibrant is Mary -- passionate, loving, full of warmth and always willing to believe in people. She should have had a much happier life than she did! (less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Elle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great read! Perfect for the beach, as it was easy to dip in and out of. As an historical fiction junkie, it was super. The story, which I was not very familiar with, was fascinating. Filled with intrigue, betrayal, and the politics of the day, I remained interested most of the time, only losing interest occasionally in scenes filled with intense battle descriptions or the like. Mary had a life marked by much sadness and disappointment, but throughout it all, she kept a sense of almost...more

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Jun 28, 2010 Fence rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read George’s Memoirs of Cleopatra a year or two ago, and really enjoyed it, so when I spotted this in the bargain basement I figured I may as well purchase. Still it has taken me an age to actually manage to read it. Mainly because it is quite a large book, and a difficult size for carrying around. Still, when HistoricalFavorites was started up I decided this was the push I needed.

All in all it was an interesting read, but not a great one. The problem with writing a book based on the life of...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Mikel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction-history, biographies

There are only a few things that keep this book from having four stars. Mostly, I think it may have been a little too descriptive of Darnley's extra-marital affairs especially the part with Riccio. Which I haven't found historical backing for (not saying there isn't, I'm just saying that I've never seen it). I'd have preferred if the author had left that part out.

Otherwise I thought it was well researched and well balanced. The author kind of takes the middle road in whether Mary had anything t...more

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Oct 14, 2010 meg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Another book of historical goodness! This was the second book I read by George. It was a little daunting to go from the long Autobiography of Henry VIII to another long tale of Queen Mary, but I was eager and excited nonetheless. I really enjoy George's ability to take historical facts and mold them together with fiction to create an account of a life that might be both interesting to history buffs or boring to someone not that interested in history.

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Aug 19, 2011 Linda Lee Graham rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’ve always been fascinated with history, and books like this only reinforce the fascination. This novel follows Mary from her childhood to her death--with plenty of love, politics,treachery, and court intrigue in between. I thought Ms. George's characterization of Mary was flawless; I could sympathize and understand the difficult choices she was forced to make, while at the same time I had the urge to shout 'don't do that!'.

Of course the author improvised to flesh out the known facts surroundin...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading and viewing several biographical accounts of Queen Elizabeth I, I became intrigued by the life of Mary Queen of Scots who usually figured as a minor actor in the Virgin Queen's story. In this 870 page tome, Mary is the central figure with Elizabeth the minor, yet incredibly powerful, character who ultimately determines Mary's fate.

Well-researched and well-written, Margaret George depicts in full but not exhausting detail the lifestyle, political and religious climates of not only S...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well..... I finally finished it. Whew! 870 pages worth. And, you know... I really got immersed in it. There is a family tree at the beginning as well as a couple of maps of England and Scotland with significant castles and cities noted. I consulted them A LOT as I made my way through Mary's life. The author spares no details - when Mary goes outside or looks out her window or eats a meal, we hear about the flower petals and the birdsong and the scents on the breeze and the texture of the clouds...more Well..... I finally finished it. Whew! 870 pages worth. And, you know... I really got immersed in it. There is a family tree at the beginning as well as a couple of maps of England and Scotland with significant castles and cities noted. I consulted them A LOT as I made my way through Mary's life. The author spares no details - when Mary goes outside or looks out her window or eats a meal, we hear about the flower petals and the birdsong and the scents on the breeze and the texture of the clouds and the different dishes presented at breakfast, dinner and supper and the images on the tapestries and the gleam of the jewelry and the wood grain and the ceiling decorations and so on. The descriptions are beautiful and do help to transport you to another time and culture. And did I mention that it is 870 pages long? So, there were times I admit I felt some tedium. After all, it takes 650 pages to get Mary to 25 years of age. My favorite thing to do while reading this book was to Google the individual castles (and there are a lot of them) that Mary lived in (or hid in or was held prisoner in) as well as the individual people (a surprising number of which have portraits) and often I could go to Google maps and walk the streets of Edinburgh on street view and see things like where her nemesis John Knox lived on the Royal Mile, just up the street from Holyrood Castle, and just down the hill from Edinburgh Castle. Google maps will also allow you to be a tourist if you place the little person icon on the map and blue dots appear, that means someone has taken pix on the ground and uploaded them - it's fantastic! You can visually walk up to the castle, go through the gates, peer closer at the ramparts, the view from the castle walls, and so on. Also, I found Google sites that give you visual tours inside some of the castles so you can see her bedroom and so on. Very cool. Back to the book... I'm sad it's over. It was like a friend. I learned a heck of a lot and it was beautifully written. Just loooooonnnnggg. (less)

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Oct 02, 2009 Tara Chevrestt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, women-that-really-existed-fiction, scotland

Margaret George does a tremendous job bringing to life the times and characters and the drama surrounding the legendary Mary, Queen of Scots. I finally have a lot of questions answered regarding this woman's mysterious history. I like the way this book tells of her entire life, not just her captivity in England in which all she does in other novels is write letters and whine. BUT, once I reached page 500, I had enough, and no offense to Margaret George, I simply cannot stand Mary, Queen of Scots...more

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Jan 17, 2009 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

If only history courses in school were taught via historical novels.. It's so much easier to remember a period in history when you can become emotionally involved with the characters! I very much enjoyed reading this (long, but definitely a page turner) book, though it lacked a depth that many good novels have. I suppose some depth must be sacrificed in order to stick to the facts as much as possible. I never quite figured out how I felt about Mary, which is part of the point since her true char...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Renaissance buffs, Protestants and Catholics

Shelves: queens-and-kings, book-club

Another engrossing book from George that makes me want to revisit all the touristy castles in France I saw when I was younger and bored and unaware of the fascinating characters who lived there. The next time I travel overseas, I will make a point to see if she's written about the country!

It's interesting to see how Mary changes over the course of her life, from a young, clueless, indulgent twentysomething to a pious and reflective old soul. As someone branded a jezebel, Mary is given fair treat...more

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May 20, 2013 Isabel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: novel, historical-fiction

Aww, man. I wanted to like this book. I just couldn't.

Mary was a drag. I couldn't really relate to her. We got an occasional glimpse into her feelings, but it was always very external. While it's told largely from her perspective (though not in first person), she still feels distant as a human being. We're told she's beautiful. We're told she's athletic. We're told she's a devout Catholic, and that part was pretty solid. Not only did the author establish her religion, but she made it a part of h...more Aww, man. I wanted to like this book. I just couldn't.

Mary was a drag. I couldn't really relate to her. We got an occasional glimpse into her feelings, but it was always very external. While it's told largely from her perspective (though not in first person), she still feels distant as a human being. We're told she's beautiful. We're told she's athletic. We're told she's a devout Catholic, and that part was pretty solid. Not only did the author establish her religion, but she made it a part of her character. It was something that drove her thoughts and feelings and something that shaped what she did in the story. The beauty and athleticism, not so much. And yet there would be scenes where people would remark how beautiful she was, so we were reminded of it, but that was about it.

On the plus side, I knew nothing about Mary, so it was shocking to find out what a soap opera her life was. Married three times. Second husband, Darnley, was just horrible. Third husband was terribly amorous, but their time together was tragically brief...

I just couldn't get over how UN-regal Mary was compared to Elizabeth. Or even the Guises. She was rarely treated like a demi-god. She was openly disrespected. While I understand that Mary wasn't a big one for punishment, the people around her didn't correct the misbehaviors, either. What kind of a castle has such lax security that the Queen's favorite can be murdered at her dinner table? Walgreens has better security than that and you don't generally find royalty there...

This whole house arrest thing was odd. I guess that proved Elizabeth's power since at a whim Mary's situation could be very comfortable or miserable--though she usually had her furniture shipped to her, her people surrounding her and her dogs (?).

Riccio's character was interesting. I agree with the reviewer who wrote that his abuse at Darnley's hands was shocking and out of place (over the top). That bit read more like George RR Martin than the rest of Margaret George's book. And yet, despite this horrific occurance, there are no ripples of effect. A sentence or two will pop in about how bad the Lords were because they allowed this act to take place. Mary has nightmares for a little while. She misses his music at one point, too. But wouldn't you think having the blood of your good friend shed on you, in your home would reverberate more? Haunt you, perhaps? We hear more about her childhood marriage than that. Guess it had more of an impact on her?

This story definitely puts life into the religious wars of the time and sets the stage for the eventual end of the monarchy.

Yeah, I dunno. I'm having a tough time even writing this review. There was nothing in this story that made me FEEL anything about any of the characters. It was like a history lesson told with paper dolls. Riccio had potential and I was so hoping for him to get his revenge, but his story was squashed and my interest in the the book disappeared with it.

Only in the end when Mary had her Christlike execution did she start to really come to life as a character. But maybe that was the point? Just wish it hadn't taken 800+ pages to get there...(less)

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Nov 21, 2009 Jilly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent writing, historical fiction at its best. This is tragic history of a Queen forced into exile to England. Her own cousin, Queen of England,
Elizabeth I, imprisons her for many years.

The book begins with Mary as a young child, destined to be Queen of Scotland, her rise to Queen of France-widowed young, remarries to please England's Queen by marrying into the Tudor family relation.Becomes
Queen of Scotland, betrayed by the Protestant realm. She finds herself married to a immature, alcohol...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an excellent dramatization of the biography of Mary Stuart. As with all dramatizations it can not discuss controversy, but chooses a single path, but the characterizations of Mary and Elizabeth are believable, and the story hangs together. Bothwell gets a bit whitewashed, but hey ho, there has to be a hero, particularly for somebody who was so short of judgment, and gets so few breaks! Knox and the frozen chosen do not come out of it with any humanity.
I actually read the Audio version re...more

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May 08, 2013 Stephanie added it

Imagine what it would be like to be crowned a Queen when you are only 8 days old, your cousin is the most powerful monarch in the world and you are next in line to succeed her. Sounds great right? This was the reality for Mary Stuart – better known today as Mary, Queen of Scots.

Mary Queen of Scotland & the Isles, by Margaret George, is a story based on Mary’s life from her birth in 1542 until her death in 1587. Although the book is technically fiction, it is deeply rooted in historical fa...more Imagine what it would be like to be crowned a Queen when you are only 8 days old, your cousin is the most powerful monarch in the world and you are next in line to succeed her. Sounds great right? This was the reality for Mary Stuart – better known today as Mary, Queen of Scots.

Mary Queen of Scotland & the Isles, by Margaret George, is a story based on Mary’s life from her birth in 1542 until her death in 1587. Although the book is technically fiction, it is deeply rooted in historical fact. The lives of the Stuart monarchs, just like Tudor predecessors, are often more dramatic and juicy than today’s daytime soap-operas. For clarification on the family lineage, see the images at the bottom of the post for the family tree.

Mary’s father was King James V of Scotland, and her mother was Marie de Guise – one of the most powerful families in France during the 16th Century. Mary’s grandmother, Margaret Tudor, was Henry VIII’s sister which set Mary in line for the English throne since none of Henry’s own children had provided an heir to the throne. After England raided Scotland in 1548, the young Mary Stuart was forced to flee for France where she was raised alongside her betrothed, the Dauphin Francois, according to the Catholic tradition. Her upbringing was under close watch by the de Guise family. In 1561, she returned to Scotland which had become a Protestant country under the leadership of John Knox. Will Mary be able to re-claim her status as Queen of Scotland and the Isles?

Europe was wrought by religious strife in the 16th Century as the battle between Catholicism and Protestantism caused bloodshed and political discord. Throughout her life Mary would be hailed as a saint, denounced as a whore, and ultimately accused of murdering her second husband, Lord Darnley (Henry Stuart), in order to marry her lover the Earl of Bothwell (James Hepburn). She was only twenty-five years old when she was forced to flee her home in Scotland, hoping to find sanctuary in Elizabeth Tudor’s England. Instead of refuge, Mary found herself accused of being embroiled in conspiracy until she was ultimately beheaded in 1587.

The novel examines these turbulent times through the perspective of Mary Stuart, as if you have a way to read what she thought and how she felt throughout her life. Why did she get married three times? Was it difficult for her to leave her baby James, the future King of England and Scotland, to be raised by Protestants? Did she participate in the plot to murder her baby’s father, Lord Darnley? What was it like to be a Catholic monarch during a time when almost her entire country was devoted to Protestantism? How did it feel to know that her own cousin had ordered her imprisonment, and ultimately, her execution?

Raised among the most privileged people in the French court, then returned to Scotland to rule as a Catholic monarch in a strongly Protestant country, then executed after almost 20 years of imprisonment in Queen Elizabeth’s England, Queen Mary Stuart lived a life like no other, and Margaret George intertwines the facts into a stunning work of historical fiction.
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Oct 16, 2011 Ashley W rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I'm really only halfway done the book, but a lot of the characters in this novel are very unlikeable. Mary is depicted as being vapid, shallow, and selfish, only caring about her country when it suits her. Darnley is a weak, jealous, butthole who can't think for himself and what he does to David Riccio in the novel is more than despicable. It is downright evil. The only person I really like is Mary Fleming, but she and the other Marys, despite being Mary Stuart's BFFs, are barely in the book so...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Tracie added it

Shelves: biographies, historical-figures

I think the author's afterword sums up this powerful story. "...a coherent picture begins to emerge, of a woman who is warm-hearted, loyal, brave, generous, and spirited, but also unable to read character, volatile, impulsive, and better at quick action than sustained strategy. She was clever, but not intellectually brilliant, had marked artistic and poetic talent, and evidently had a great deal of charm and ability to fit into any setting, whether opulent as in France, or simple, as in a mercha...more

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Jun 27, 2009 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book was well written and even though I wanted to put it down several times because of the depressing story, I didn't want to put it down because of bad writing even though it was 800+ pages long. There was much poetic license taken (which I suppose would be true of any true story that's not autobiography and probably even then too). Sometimes I was a little skeptical of what the author was writing that the characters were thinking or feeling, not so much because it seemed out of their chara...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Kelly A. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1500s, historical-fiction, some-i-own, since-may-2010, england

*Be prepared for a slightly biased review. I've hated Mary Stuart ever since The Other Queen (which I didn't like anyways). I've never warmed to her even though I've surprisingly read a lot about her. Why then did I choose to read a 900 page about her life? ......I don't know.*

If you haven't read The Autobiography of Henry VIII, you need to. Right now. Seriously, it's one of the best books I've ever read, and unfortunately, those were the expectations in which I started this book with. Mary Quee...more *Be prepared for a slightly biased review. I've hated Mary Stuart ever since The Other Queen (which I didn't like anyways). I've never warmed to her even though I've surprisingly read a lot about her. Why then did I choose to read a 900 page about her life? ......I don't know.*

If you haven't read The Autobiography of Henry VIII, you need to. Right now. Seriously, it's one of the best books I've ever read, and unfortunately, those were the expectations in which I started this book with. Mary Queen of Scot and the Isles is a monster of a story relaying the life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, Queen Regent of France, and self-proclaimed Queen of England. The book covers her entire life and then some, from before her birth until after her death (which was horrifying to read about).

Mary literally reached her peak by 22 years old. She became queen of Scotland when she was only a few days old and was Queen of France by 16. She was a beloved by all and destined for greatness. She was at her prime when she was 20 and married Henry Darnley and gave birth to James, the future King of both Scotland and England. There were several problems though. Her husband was a prick, and she was Catholic, and worst of all, a woman. Her gender played such a role in her downfall, yet it was interesting at the same time to read about Elizabeth, another female monarch who managed to use her gender effectively and wisely. After Mary was pushed off her own throne, she spent 20 years either in exile, captivity, or on the run. After a botched assassination attempt on Elizabeth, Mary was blamed and sentenced to death.

As a former psych major, I read into a lot of details in this book. A major theme is her country's perspective of their Queen. Like I said before, she was beloved by everyone as a child and teenager, but mainly because she lived in France and the nobles could run the country the way they wished. After a few bad decisions in her 20s, almost all of her allies turn against her. She is outed as a murderess, whore, and heretic. Towards the end of her life, she has almost no friends left. Her son is taught to hate her and she can find no sympathy anywhere. In fact, after her death, anything she ever touched is burned.

As for Mary herself....she barely had a voice, even though this is her story. Was she a misunderstood martyr or a spoiled, whining princess? I don't think Margaret George even knows the answer to that. My feelings are this: Mary Stuart did not deserve her throne, she botched a great opportunity for Scotland's future and can't accept that. Therefore, I don't like her. I still keep reading books about her though, just to find one where she isn't so annoying.

So...do I recommend it? Maybe. If you already like Mary, or want to learn more about her, definitely go for it. It's plenty detailed and very historically accurate. This book isn't for the faint of heart though! When I say it's big, I mean it. It's a monster. I find finishing a huge book to be rewarding though.

Overall, 3.5 stars, mostly out of loyalty to Ms. George.(less)

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Jul 06, 2012 Maxen rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great read. I didn't know anything about Mary Queen of Scots before reading this, but learned a lot and had a fine time reading it. George is a master at writing in a style that is neither pretentious nor "overly modern" if that makes sense. She creates the queen as someone who is not afraid to be herself, even as others tell her otherwise and even though it is what leads to her demise. She is persecuted for unfair reasons and the reader feels great empathy towards her. I will warn you that at...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read this years and years ago, so I can't give too many details about why I loved it. I can say I was completely engrossed and the characterization and explanation of character and politics has stuck with me since. Whenever I read anything about British royal history (particularly when I'm teaching Shakespeare and the Elizabethan period), characters and motivations and scenes from this book play in my mind. I read it just after I graduated from high school, haven't picked it up since, and still...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a herculean task! Eight hundred and sixty some-odd pages, most were good, some were thrilling, and others were skimmed through because of the tedium of it. The story of Mary Queen of Scots is an adventure in idyllic beginnings, disastrous homecomings, bad decisions, and an inspiring death. Maragret George did well in her research. Through most of the book, I was well transported to 16th century Scotland, England and France. With only a few glitches, as when Lord Bothwell took a swig off a '...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Tyra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George. I thought it was beautifully written and researched. It is a tragic tale about a woman who, basically, made poor choices in men and character. She was also headstrong and often didn’t listen to reason, even when it meant her safety. One of her enemies, Paulet, said, “…to the end that she has lived in her own little world all her life” and I am want to agree with him. I often found myself yelling, “Wake up, woman, a...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Chelseabelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-tudors

I'm giving this a 4, not because I didn't love it, and not because I thought it wasn't written well.. but because it is so extensive that it took me a while to read. This is not a book that will keep you up nights and will give you a ride to the finish. The pacing does not speed up when it gets exciting, but stays even throughout, which feels a little frustrating when you're reading a book over 800 pages.

That being said, this is, apparently, THE best researched fictional novel of Mary Queen of...more I'm giving this a 4, not because I didn't love it, and not because I thought it wasn't written well.. but because it is so extensive that it took me a while to read. This is not a book that will keep you up nights and will give you a ride to the finish. The pacing does not speed up when it gets exciting, but stays even throughout, which feels a little frustrating when you're reading a book over 800 pages.

That being said, this is, apparently, THE best researched fictional novel of Mary Queen of Scots in existence. It is held in high esteem along with the most accurate of BIOGRAPHIES, even. In her notes at the end, George makes sure to point out the hand-full of liberties and plot-jumps she had to make due to a lack of existing evidence, which seem tiny in comparison to the breadth of the book. Not only is this book well-researched, it is balanced. I still cannot decide whether or not I LIKE Mary. She is displayed as the evidence would suggest she lived, and although for the story's sake she is over-romanticized at times, her faults are never glossed over.

I did enjoy the first two thirds of the book, and I think Lord Bothwell is an amazing character, worthy of his own epic biography, but the book didn't really strike a chord with my nerd-soul until the last section, "A Queen in Exile." I love Historical Fiction in the Tudor era mainly for the religious changes that happened, and seeing the Protestant Virgin Queen stand up to the Jezebel of Scotland was by far more satisfying than murder and sex in the earlier part of the book.

Overall, if you're interested in Scottish History, this is a MUST. If you're interested in Tudor era history, this is a wonderful peripheral view of Elizabeth. If you're looking for a book about Catholics versus Protestants, John Knox satisfies that itch. I would warn anyone who's not used to reading Biographies that this book feels without a center at times, as the character lists change so drastically throughout. The end does justify the means though, and you will find the connective thread again in the last 200 pages.(less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

I find it really hard to rate this book. There's nothing actually wrong with it, but I just really disliked the main character. I thought she was a complete idiot who basically just sucked at politics and life in general, and I therefore had no sympathy for her. Some readers, the more emotional type, might feel for her situation and enjoy her lively character. I, on the other hand, being of a more rational sort, was driven insane by her impulsivity, her foolishness, and her total blindness to wh...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Troy Terwilliger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

There will come a time in life, alone and struggling to maintain, when you have no other choice besides escape. Marie Stuart, the french name of Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles, was an adventurous, affectionate, intelligent and - most of all - civilized woman, or so we thought. In Margaret George's illustriously acute and wonderfully written, absolutely historical, autobiography of the magical Mary Stewart, she creates a frightening, dramatic, furious and poisonously romantic world for us...more

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About Margaret George

Margaret George is a rolling stone who has lived in many places, beginning her traveling at the age of four when her father joined the U.S. diplomatic service and was posted to a consulate in Taiwan. The family traveled on a freighter named after Ulysses' son Telemachus that took thirty days to reach Taiwan, where they spent two years. Following that they lived in Tel Aviv (right after the 1948 wa...more Margaret George is a rolling stone who has lived in many places, beginning her traveling at the age of four when her father joined the U.S. diplomatic service and was posted to a consulate in Taiwan. The family traveled on a freighter named after Ulysses' son Telemachus that took thirty days to reach Taiwan, where they spent two years. Following that they lived in Tel Aviv (right after the 1948 war, when it was relatively quiet), Bonn and Berlin (during the spy-and-Cold-War days) before returning--at the height of Elvis-mania--to Washington DC, where Margaret went to high school. Margaret's first piece of published writing, at the age of thirteen, was a letter to TIME Magazine defending Elvis against his detractors. (Margaret has since been to Graceland.)

But it was earlier in Israel that Margaret, an avid reader, began writing novels to amuse herself when she ran out of books to read. Interestingly, the subject of these was not what lay around her in the Middle East, but the American west, which she had never set foot in. (Now that she lives in the American Midwest she writes about the Middle East!) Clearly writing in her case followed Emily Dickinson's observation "There is no frigate like a book" and she used it to go to faraway places. Now she has added another dimension to that travel by specializing in visiting times remote from herself.

Neither of these horse sagas got published, but the ten-year-old author received an encouraging note from an editor at Grosset & Dunlap, telling her she had a budding talent but should work on her spelling.

It was also in Israel that Margaret started keeping land tortoises as pets, an interest which she still follows today. She had a great affinity for animals and nature and that led her to a double major at Tufts University in English literature and biology. Following that she received an MA in ecology from Stanford University--one of the earliest departments to offer such a concentration. Today she is active in environmental and animal conservation groups.

Combining her interests led her to a position as a science writer at the National Cancer Institute (National Institutes of Health) in Bethesda, Maryland for four years.

Her marriage at the end of that time meant moving, first to St. Louis, then to Uppsala, Sweden, and then to Madison, Wisconsin, where she and her husband Paul have lived for more than twenty years now. They have one grown daughter who lives in California and is in graduate school.

Through all this Margaret continued to write, albeit slowly and always on only one project at a time. She wrote what she refers to as her 'Ayn Rand/adventure novel' in college and her 'Sex and the City' novel in Washington DC. It was in St. Louis that she suddenly got the idea of writing a 'psycho-biography' of Henry VIII. She had never seen such a thing done but became convinced the king was a victim of bad PR and she should rescue his good name. Her background in science meant that only after thoroughly researching the literature and scholarship on Henry VIII would she embark on the novel itself. She sought the guidance of a Tudor historian at Washington University for a reading list, and proceeded from there.

It was actually fourteen years between her initial idea and the publication of The Autobiography of Henry VIII. The book made an impression for several reasons: first, because no one had ever written a novel sympathetic to the king before; second, because it covered his entire life from before birth until after his death, making it almost a thousand pages long, and third, because it was so fact-filled.

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“The cure for a broken heart is simple, my lady. A hot bath and a good night's sleep.” — 21 people liked it

“I had a desire to see something besides my own shores, if only to be content to return to them someday. If I wish to live in my native land and love her, it should not be out of ignorance.” — 17 people liked it

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