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The Virgin's Lover (The Tudor #5)

by Philippa Gregory

3.57 · rating details · 17,813 ratings · 1,247 reviews

From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool comes a stunning portrait of the first perilous years of Elizabeth I's reign.
As a new queen, Elizabeth faces two great dangers: the French invasion of Scotland, which threatens to put Mary Queen of Scots on her throne, and her passion for the convicted traitor Robert Dudley.
But Dudley is already marr...more

Paperback, 441 pages

Published August 30th 2005 by Touchstone (first published January 1st 2004)

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The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

Best Books About Tudor England

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Sep 10, 2011

Shaya rated it

Shelves: historical-fiction, school-reading

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was on my summer reading list. I read many of the other reviews. I don't understand why this was one of the books for us to read. It sounds like one of the author's other books would have made a much better choice. I thougth it was pretty awful. The book should have been 200 pages, not 430.

I don't quite understand how this book is appropriate. There are at least five pretty detailed sex scenes, and two detailed murders. I didn't mind the sex scenes, but for a school that uses t...moreThis was on my summer reading list. I read many of the other reviews. I don't understand why this was one of the books for us to read. It sounds like one of the author's other books would have made a much better choice. I thougth it was pretty awful. The book should have been 200 pages, not 430.

I don't quite understand how this book is appropriate. There are at least five pretty detailed sex scenes, and two detailed murders. I didn't mind the sex scenes, but for a school that uses the term "co-ed nudity" when referring to the fact that wearing sexual references on clothing is against school policy, I was surprised.

There was one fifty page stretch, perhaps more, when absolutely nothing happened. It could have easily been summarized in five pages.

The overall writing was a bit dreary to get through. Not that many page turning parts. It did feel like it was rushed and not edited well. I would guess a good editor would have cut significant parts to make it shorter and bearable. There were also several grammar and spelling mistakes that I caught, that annoyed me.

I only had sympathy for two characters and only actually liked one of the characters. Amy's story, Dudley's wife, is told with honesty and I fet sympathy for her. Elizabeth and Dudley are horrible, making quick decisions based on emotion with no thought to their greater responsibility. I have always thought fondly of Elizabeth and her political grace in that period, but this book did not portray her in a postive light. I also felt sympathy for Cecil who was just trying to do his duty. He did get snubbed at one point, but came back. He was good at his job even if his morals are questionable.

I did see an underlying current of lines that I liked. Dark understatements, usually in the form of thoughts, that sum up an event well. If her other work has more of that I would be more inclined to try her again with one of the other books people enjoyed more.

I did like the ending. The fact that Amy was dead made it less interesting for me to read but I slogged up to that point. The cleverness of Gregory's writing shows through with Dudley's realization of the huge mistake he made: trading one good women who loved him and stood with him when he lost his prosperity and honor in the court, for the queen's quick love and the possible postion of being a king. In the end he's left a ruined man, with neither a loving wife nor a crown. At that point he finally realizes the worth of Amy. "A little bit late, I might add."(less)

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Jun 19, 2008

Debs rated it

Recommended to Debs by: Judy

Shelves: 2008, historical-fiction, borrowed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First Instinct Review:
Elizabeth: Waaaaa! I can't rule England without you!
Robert: Come my Sweet! I shall pet you and stroke you and rule you and call you George.
Elizabeth: Ooo, Lord Robert!
Me: Shut the hell up!

With A Little More Thought:
The verdict after reading The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Queen's Fool and The Constant Princess is that this one is definitely the worst.

I hated the way Elizabeth was portrayed. Yes, f...more

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Jul 28, 2008

Kendra Kettelhut rated it

Again, my love for this author grows. I have watched the movie Elizabeth a long time ago, and really remembered none of it....but following the history from each book, and building on all the events in these stories, I have gained such a wealth of knowledge, and appreciation for this period of history.

Since my knowledge of Elizabeth and her reign of power is very limited (pretty much nonexistant) I found her love affair with Dudley very intriguing; especially after following The Quee...moreAgain, my love for this author grows. I have watched the movie Elizabeth a long time ago, and really remembered none of it....but following the history from each book, and building on all the events in these stories, I have gained such a wealth of knowledge, and appreciation for this period of history.

Since my knowledge of Elizabeth and her reign of power is very limited (pretty much nonexistant) I found her love affair with Dudley very intriguing; especially after following The Queen's Fool and learning a bit of background of his early relations to the monarch and Elizabeth herself. I felt this story developed futher into the details of his character. In The Queen's Fool he is almost a likeable character, and although he still has parts of him that draw you in throughout The Virgin's Lover, Phillipa Gregory develops the story and the characters in such a way that you understand the reasoning and logic behind most all of their actions, including the actions he ambitiously takes as well as those painful actions taken against him. Although Dudley's motives are usually self serving, the author does a brilliant job of humanizing each and every character so you can see the whole story as well as how each indiviual character may see it through their eyes. You are made to feel such an expanse of emotion from utimate heartbreaking pity for the character Amy Dudley, to such an appreciation for the cunning strength and intellect that William Cecil uses in order to keep the balance of the kingdom in check, and ultimately sustained. Again, I would like to continue to develop my knowledge and research this amazing woman that reigned for so many years, Queen Elizabeth. This book gives such an insight into this woman that held and reigned in an empire solidly for so many years. One fact I have dicovered more clear than anything in my expolartion of these 5 novels is that the position of King or Queen is not one of comfort or joy for long, in fact I may go as far to say it is not an enviable position at all.

I was sad to close that book, although I hear she has another coming out this fall about Mary Queen of Scots....and a few other books that are definitely on my list of MUST READS....until the next book ends, happy reading!(less)

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Sep 10, 2011

Ryan rated it

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Mar 25, 2008

Cherie rated it

· review of another edition

It's 1558, and Elizabeth, daughter to King Henry VIII and 2nd wife Anne Boleyn, has just been crowned Queen of England. After the brief but strict reign of her Catholic half-sister Mary, what is England to expect from the Protestant Princess who wants to abolish the Catholic ways? In a country full of turmoil, Sir Robert Dudley, longtime friend of Elizabeth since their days growing up at court together, seeks to better his position and maneuver himself into a position of power at Elizabeth's ...moreIt's 1558, and Elizabeth, daughter to King Henry VIII and 2nd wife Anne Boleyn, has just been crowned Queen of England. After the brief but strict reign of her Catholic half-sister Mary, what is England to expect from the Protestant Princess who wants to abolish the Catholic ways? In a country full of turmoil, Sir Robert Dudley, longtime friend of Elizabeth since their days growing up at court together, seeks to better his position and maneuver himself into a position of power at Elizabeth's side.

But what of his wife: the forgotten Amy Dudley who doesn't come to court but instead remains back home in the country, forever waiting for her husband to put aside his ambitions and return home to her, for the love of a good woman. Unfortunately, the only love Dudley's seeking is the Queen's. But to what lengths will he go to achieve his means?

This was another great read in the Tudor series! Though the work itself is considered fiction, the author bases the stories themselves on fact. Of course, we cannot truly know everything that went through the minds of Elizabeth, Robert, William Cecil, and the others as not as much was recorded in the way of diaries and actual day-to-day events. But despite that, Ms. Gregory is able to take the facts from numerous sources and build a very real feeling story that draws you right in and makes you feel as if you were right there in the Renaissance period, experiencing everything firsthand along with the rest of the court. It's as if she's reconstructed history right before your very eyes!

I was never much for History in school; it was always one of my worst subjects and I could never garner enough interest to retain the facts that were constantly drilled into my head. However, the way these stories are composed by Ms. Gregory, I enjoy them so much that I actually find myself easily retaining all the information I so easily forgot before, even long after I finished the book. My high school history professor would be so proud! LOL(less)

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Jun 13, 2007

Sammy rated it

Shelves: b-the-good

Philippa Gregory is still unable to catch up to the success of The Other Boleyn Girl. Her past two books have just not been quite up to par with her first one. While I still enjoyed the The Virgin's Lover I was far from impressed because I know what Philippa Gregory has the capability of doing.

The writing was still beautiful, as always, but the story line (though taken from history and elaborated upon) was lacking. This time the story was not told from one person's perspective, but s...more

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Apr 19, 2008

Hanley rated it

This book taught me something about myself: I have to have someone to root for in fiction. I was disgusted by the three main characters: Elizabeth for her selfish, destructive weakness, Robert Dudley for his selfish, destructive ambition, and Lady Amy Dudley for her stupid, pathetic devotion. Even William Cecil, who clearly fought every day for what he thought was best for his country, was ultimately a smarmy man. Why would I want to read about people who revolt me? Especially when it's a fictio...more

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Jul 27, 2008

Phillipylorna rated it

I really liked this historical novel. It was a little bit depressing because a man falls in love with the queen and he is already married. I felt bad for his wife who is desperately in love with him. She knows of his infidelities and is heart sick over it. Her husband works closely with Elizabeth the new queen of England and falls in love with her. He is actually more in love with the power and longs to be the new king but because he is married he can not marry Elizabeth. He wants a divorc...more

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Feb 01, 2008

Jackie rated it

Shelves: fiction, 2008reads

I've always heard good things about Gregory's books. This was my 1st one and I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. It was not a bad story, per se, but not the great story that I was expecting.

I was disappointed in the way Queen Elizabeth was portrayed. Gregory shows Elizabeth as an almost weak-willed, indecisive woman ruled by her love of a person she knows she can not not have. She can not make a firm decision about war with France. She's left scandal about her and Dudley to r...more

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Jul 22, 2007

Yvette rated it

· review of another edition

I had high hopes for this novel, after the lovely experience I'd had with Phillipa Gregory's The Queen's Fool.

I love just about anything to do with Queen Elizabeth I, and a historical novel of her romance with Robert Dudley was intriguing, to say the least. However...

The novel was weak at best. Oh, the writing is not bad, although the number of typos and grammatical errors really threw me for a loop--how can a work of this calibre fail so miserably in basic grammar and ...more

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Aug 30, 2010

Robin rated it

Shelves: england, historical-fiction, tudor

I love Gregory's books and was looking forward to this one because I love to read about Elizabeth I, but I was a bit disappointed in the way she is portrayed in this version. She comes across as a weak woman who is letting herself be bullied by the ambitious man she is in love with. While I don't know that much about Robert Dudley, this book makes him seem very selfish and determined to do anything to be King of England. I also switch between hating his first wife, Amy, and feeling sorry for her...more

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Sep 14, 2011

Ginny rated it

Great fast paced read.

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Feb 12, 2009

Toni Osborne rated it

This novel addresses another fascinating aspect of the Tudor Court drama. The Elizabethan enigma left us with an unsolved crime of passion that shocked a nation through history.

At the time of Queen Mary's death, the young princess had yet to act in a significant role on the great stage of England. The plotting of other legitimate heirs and powerful bishops who fear the return of Protestant rigors and Henry's rules leave Elizabeth beset by treachery on all sides. Left with few resourc...more

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Dec 13, 2008

Christina rated it

Shelves: 2008-reads

Philippa Gregory is unable to reach the success of The Other Boleyn Girl with The Virgin’s Lover. While I still enjoyed the The Virgin’s Lover I was far from impressed because I know what Gregory is capable of producing.

The writing was still beautiful, as always, but the story line, though taken from history and elaborated upon, was lacking. This time the story was not told from one person’s perspective, but several. I think it gave the story less dimension because you found yourself u...more

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Jan 09, 2012

Aubrey Coletti added it

This is one of the worst books I've ever read from one of my favorite authors.

Now, that that is out of my system, let me begin: I am a big Gregory fan: "The Other Boleyn Girl" is one of my favorite novels. However, when a writer abandons filling in what we don't know, for downright changing the facts, they are no longer writing historical fiction, but fantasy: and that is what this book is. The problem? Gregory's attempt at maligning Elizabeth the First's character.

...moreThis is one of the worst books I've ever read from one of my favorite authors.

Now, that that is out of my system, let me begin: I am a big Gregory fan: "The Other Boleyn Girl" is one of my favorite novels. However, when a writer abandons filling in what we don't know, for downright changing the facts, they are no longer writing historical fiction, but fantasy: and that is what this book is. The problem? Gregory's attempt at maligning Elizabeth the First's character.

Now, I knew she had a strong love of Queen Mary from "The Queen's Fool", where she attempted to paint Mary as a decisive, loving, and good queen who just fell upon hard times and was a victim of circumstance, instead of the inferior ruler, even if loving woman, that history shows us she is. However, he description of Elizabeth, while it viewed her as conniving and a bit of a whore (also very unlikely considering her mother's death) also acknowledged her strength, as an intelligent, decisive woman with a will to survive and lead, one who would, in the words of her character Hannah Green "fight like a bated cat" rather than give up and weep.

But with Elizabeth front and center, Gregory cannot contain her venom, and changes her OWN portrayal of Elizabeth so roundly that one would think it was written by a different person altogether! No doubt the Virgin Queen had her flaws: history shows us she was vain, ruthless at times, and had a serious temper. However, history, every POSSIBLE historical source, shows us she was also intelligent, wise, strong-willed, and took a full hand in ruling her country. Indeed, a great point is made in how many times she shot her councillors down to do what she had determined was right: and it turned out best for her country. But Gregory attempts to paint her as a weak-willed ninny, who was foolish and lazy caring only for love, and who could barely rule herself, let alone a country. This is, quite simply, not true, and for a historical fiction writer to ignore historical fact, when she had so closely followed it before, suggests a deep seated anger and resentment, the source of which I cannot fathom.

This hatred, or disdain, IS indeed the problem with The Virgin's Lover: Gregory doesn't like ANYONE she is writing about. Lord Dudley is a selfish conniving bastard. His wife Amy is infuriatingly annoying and simpering, and the picture of a stereotypical raving woman: you start off with a wealth of sympathy to give her by virtue of her situation, that of a woman in love with a cheating man she cannot leave, but by God if she doesn't throw it all out the window and try her very best to make you want to strangle her by her bodice laces. And Elizabeth is, of course, to Gregory, the devil in a woman's shape.

If Gregory doesn't like her characters, why should we? Her skill at painting the details of the past and bringing the reader into the days of Renaissance England are utterly wasted on characters who are completely unlikable, and on a story which reads like a 1500's Catholic smear pamphlet against Elizabeth and not a novel.It is just plain boring, and a waste of your time. Her desperate attempts to do all she can to convince people Queen Elizabeth wasn't a competent ruler against all historical fact simply make for a downright bad book. If you want a good look at Queen Elizabeth the First pick up ANY historical book on her life: her life is interesting enough without fiction. If you want an exciting, engrossing look into Tudor/Elizabethan and now War of the Roses era England try ANY of Gregory's other novels.

Gregory is a fine author when she is writing about characters against whom she does not have a severe vendetta. No one wants to read a book with no one to root for. Ignore this pile of venom, and pick up "The Other Boleyn Girl."

(less)

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Oct 28, 2011

Kylie rated it

Pretty good read.
I love the Queen Elizabeth I, and this was the first novel I read about her. (I have read some biographies; I'm always reading about her mother).
This was an interesting story, really. It portrays the love triangle (?) between Elizabeth, the swashbuckling Robert Dudley, and his 'inconvenient' wife, Amy Robsart.
It's a sweet little love affair; they want to wed so much, but for the good of her kingdom, Elizabeth has to marry for policy/diplomacy what with their war ...more

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Sep 10, 2011

Apple rated it

I have a love/hate relationship with this author. Her books are always either a Hit or Mess for me and this book was definitely under the Miss list.

After reading the Other Boleyn Girl and the way PG portrays Anne Boleyn as an evil, unsympathetic, absolute harpy to everyone around her I was sure she had this hatred for Anne Boleyn and is clearly biased against her.

... On the contrary she clearly had a huge amount of respect and likeness for Katherine of Argon and her daug...more

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Sep 03, 2011

Carol Rogers rated it

· review of another edition

I enjoyed this book immensely, but found the length of the book its one drawback. I feel that the story would not have been compromised in the slightest by reducing the 438 pages. I don't usually worry about the length of the book, but this time I felt that the plot was drawn out over too many pages.

That being said, I found that the writing was good and have had to remind myself of the historical facts to find out where history ends and fiction begins. This is truly the way historica...more

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Jun 29, 2011

Maria rated it

More foreign-policy oriented than her other books I'd read (Other Boleyn Girl, Boleyn Inheritance), which mostly dealt with the intrigue and insular dynamics of courtly life. It was somewhat tedious to keep track of all the different heads of state - kings, queens, princes, princesses, nobles, lines of succession, and the various agendas of all the aforementioned. The "claim to the throne" agendas & potential successors were always a part of the other books, but it seemed intensified 1...more

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Mar 20, 2011

Sierra rated it

The sequel to The Queen’s Fool, it was equally appealing but great because it was the sequel and picked right up where the Queen’s Fool left off. Luckily, it was published just as I finished reading the Queen’s Fool, which was nice since I discovered the Queen's Fool by chance.

This story doesn’t feature Hannah and her first person narrative, instead it focuses on Elizabeth as she comes into being a queen and her trials and challenges doing so. Her lover (as in the title) is Robert Dud...more

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Mar 04, 2011

Aaron rated it

Philippa Gregory continues her focus on the Tudor dynasty with another great read. This time, the focus is on the love triangle that has formed between the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth, her friend and lover Robert Dudley, and his wife Amy.

Elizabeth has been doing a good job of getting a handle on being the ruler of her small island nation. This is in spite of the religious disparities among her people. This is highlighted when the Pope offers a dispensation for anyone who might want to prot...morePhilippa Gregory continues her focus on the Tudor dynasty with another great read. This time, the focus is on the love triangle that has formed between the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth, her friend and lover Robert Dudley, and his wife Amy.

Elizabeth has been doing a good job of getting a handle on being the ruler of her small island nation. This is in spite of the religious disparities among her people. This is highlighted when the Pope offers a dispensation for anyone who might want to protect the true faith by assassinating her. The result is a country where she is having trouble finding a bishop who will actually crown her in an official coronation.

If that were the least of her problems, Elizabeth would be struggling, but she is also confronted with a country with a high level of debt, a French monarch in Scotland (Queen Mary Guise) who would love to spread her own kingdom by taking the throne of England, and an army that is demoralized by a lack of pay while they fend of a potential civil war and a possible invasion out of the north.

With the help of William Cecil, her closest court adviser, Elizabeth navigates through this time of difficulty, which also includes a political need to find a husband. Elizabeth, who is less than thrilled, with the various options because she has no intention of ceding power to a husband when she can lead just as well. The potential husbands include King Philip of Spain (her sister's widower), a pair of archdukes from Austria, a prince from Sweden, and even the unlikely choice of her beloved Dudley.

Throughout the book, Elizabeth deftly handles the various challenges, proving to be one of England's most able monarchs. At the same time, Elizabeth does not always come across as being the noble monarch that history has seemed to portray her as. There is definitely evidence of a queen with more human failings, such as selfishness, jealously and even a willingness to connive to get her man.

This becomes most evidence in the presentation of the love triangle. All three characters are presented with a certain level of sympathy. There is no question that there are feelings involved among the two couples. Amy is definitely dedicated to her beloved husband Robert, but their relationship is scarred by his need to achieve this family's previous high ranking in the kingdom, particularly since he might have a chance of ruling himself if he was to marry Elizabeth. Elizabeth also cares a great deal for Robert, and makes some moves that would be surprising to increase the chances of their being able to be together.

As usual, Gregory has done a wonderful job of capturing the feel of the period with her writing and research. She carefully describes the mystery with which the book concludes so the readers will know what is really known about it and why she made certain choices in presenting it in that manner. The mystery itself is made more complex by the flawed, likable, yet human people that are involved.

Surprisingly, court intrigue is not highlighted quite on the same level as in the previous books in the series. That is likely because the conflicts are really not totally from within the court, but from outside influences or within Elizabeth's love life. The one exception is the really interesting dynamic that occurs as Cecil and Dudley vie for political superiority in her court. Neither is really fond of the other, and they both seem to know that the other is a threat to their own place in the queen's favor.

This is definitely a must-read for fan's of Gregory's works, though, I think it could be read without having access to the earlier books. Their is one section at the beginning of the book in which Amy interacts with Hannah Green, the protagonist from the previous book in the series, but it is done in a way that no previous knowledge of the character is needed to understand what is going on.

I have quickly grown addicted to Gregory and this series!(less)

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Sep 13, 2010

Katie rated it

Shelves: boring, historical-fiction

I may be speaking out of turn here, having never published a book,* but I imagine a "best practice" fiction writers may want to follow is to develop characters that readers can't get enough of. Some writers have figured this out on their own, and as such, Atticus Finch isn't a Southern stereotype with nothing to say, Anna Karenina isn't as sparklessly dull as a Siberian winter, and (to throw our reviewed author a bone here) Henry VIII in The Other Boleyn Girl** isn't a kind-hearted, ju...more

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Aug 27, 2010

Jenny rated it

Shelves: no-longer-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 04, 2010

Ali rated it

I enjoy historical fiction, and especially love the Tudor period. I do approach Philippa Gregory novels with a degree of caution, as I know they are not that accurate historically. Although she writes a fast paced, pager turner of a novel which is hard to put down - I have read the other Tudor books - and The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's fool are the best. I have to admit to rather enjoying this book - although I did have some serious issues with it.

Some of the characters are wr...moreI enjoy historical fiction, and especially love the Tudor period. I do approach Philippa Gregory novels with a degree of caution, as I know they are not that accurate historically. Although she writes a fast paced, pager turner of a novel which is hard to put down - I have read the other Tudor books - and The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's fool are the best. I have to admit to rather enjoying this book - although I did have some serious issues with it.

Some of the characters are written in such a way as they are unrecognisable as the historical figures we've all grown up with. True this novel is set during the first 2 years of Elizabeth I reign - when she would have been a younger less sure monrach prehaps, but instead of the iron willed woman who ruled England alone at a time when such a thing was unthinkable - we have a scared, sully, flirty girl, who is ruled by Robert Dudley and who finally admits to William Cecil that she can't say no to him. In fact their whole relationship seemed totally over the top, ridiculous in parts. Amy Dudley is a weak silly girl too - and maybe the real Amy Dudley was a cowed subservient wife buried in the country - it fits with the world view of women at this time. Robert Dudley is portrayed as a vain self important man, ambitious beyond reason, controlling and conniving - and he probably was all these things in life - but here Philippa Gregory insists that his feelings for Elizabeth are more romantic than that. I find it hard to credit, that at a time when romance counted for nothing where noble marriage was concerned. a man like Robert Dudley would have even been aware of his true feelings, let alone allowed himself to be led by them. The one character who I thought was portrayed well was Sir William Cecil - he came across like a bit of common sense in world gone mad. The death of Amy Dudley is still an unsolved mystery - and the premise put forward in The Virgin's lover is just one interesting ( and slightly far fetched) solution to it.(less)

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Feb 15, 2010

DeEtte rated it

Sub-par is the word I'd use to describe this book. Not terrible, but not good either. The worst thing about this book, by far, is the horrible title! What was Philippa thinking? There are about a hundred different titles she could have used to write a book about Queen Elizabeth's love life. I felt like I had to hide the cover when I went out into public so people didn't think I was reading a trashy romance novel. I digress...the book. It basically blew every assumption I've ever had about...more

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Nov 25, 2009

Elizabeth Fitzgerald rated it

Shelves: bookcrossing

The Virgin's Lover is a historical novel that focuses on the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It tells the tale of the young queen, her lover Robert Dudley, and his wife Amy. Despite being married, Robert Dudley seeks to court the queen and thus gain the crown for himself.

I noticed that there was a significant discrepancy between the writing around the story and the story itself with regards to the focus of the tale. The author's note seemed a strange note to end on becau...moreThe Virgin's Lover is a historical novel that focuses on the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It tells the tale of the young queen, her lover Robert Dudley, and his wife Amy. Despite being married, Robert Dudley seeks to court the queen and thus gain the crown for himself.

I noticed that there was a significant discrepancy between the writing around the story and the story itself with regards to the focus of the tale. The author's note seemed a strange note to end on because it left me with the impression that the book should have been some great mystery or at any rate that it was in some way Amy's story. This was backed up by the blurb and the fact that the opening chapter was written with a focus on Amy. However, Amy herself gets very little stage time and the title gives a better indication of the focus of the story--Robert Dudley. Perhaps this could have been made clearer from the beginning.

I was pleased to see that Gregory got rid of the irritating first person perspective she used in The Queen's Fool, however there was plenty else to irritate me in its place. The opening paragraph was particularly annoying and all the more so for being repeated in the next chapter--the metaphor seemed forced the first time and the repetition did it little favour.

The characters were, again, thoroughly unlikeable people, with the possible exception of Cecil. The female characters in particular were incredibly weak. Elizabeth's situation did remind me of an abusive relationship at one point, but overall her vacillation and her arrogance did very little to endear her.

Though Amy wasn't quite the raving lunatic she was at times in The Queen's Fool she is nevertheless deluded to the point of absolute stupidity. She manages to redeem herself a little after the first 250 pages (during which she still gets very little stage time), but slides back again with the way she grasps onto anything that even remotely resembles hope. I felt like shaking her and telling her to have some self respect.

The book does have a few things to recommend it, however. It gets points from me for sharing continuity with The Queen's Fool. It also illustrates very clearly what it means to be pariah in the closing stages of Amy's story when not even her family will shelter her and the doctor refuses to treat her. A sad highlight indeed.

Overall, I'm left to conclude that Gregory's work is not really for me.(less)

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Jul 06, 2009

CB rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Still on a Tudor kick.

As I mentioned in my review of The Queen's Fool, Gregory is a hit or miss author with me. And this book is a definite miss.

It's a fascinating true life saga: Elizabeth Tudor sits on an insecure throne, unmarried, still in her twenties and thus ripe for a state marriage. But she loves Robert Dudley, a friend from childhood. Dudley, however,is the grandson, son and brother of men beheaded for treason during the reign of previous Tudor monarchs. T...moreStill on a Tudor kick.

As I mentioned in my review of The Queen's Fool, Gregory is a hit or miss author with me. And this book is a definite miss.

It's a fascinating true life saga: Elizabeth Tudor sits on an insecure throne, unmarried, still in her twenties and thus ripe for a state marriage. But she loves Robert Dudley, a friend from childhood. Dudley, however,is the grandson, son and brother of men beheaded for treason during the reign of previous Tudor monarchs. The Dudleys have a bad habit of overreaching their status, and Robert Dudley's courtship of the Queen is viewed as more of the same. Even more scandalous, Dudley is already married, to his childhood sweetheart Amy Robsart, a sweet, unsophisticated girl far more happy among the country gentry than she ever would be at court. A more mismatched couple would be hard to find. The plot thickens even more when Amy is found dead of a broken neck just as the rumors around Elizabeth and Dudley are at their height. Four hundred years later, people still wonder if Amy was killed, committed suicide or died in an accident. This is history at its fiction-beating finest, and fertile ground for storytelling.

Yet somehow, it falls flat in Gregory's version. Part of the reason is Gregory's reluctance to get deep into her characters' heads. We are told quite a bit about how Elizabeth, Dudley, Amy and Elizabeth's chief adviser William Cecil feel, but we are rarely shown. There's a remove between the reader and the characters, and it keeps the reader out of the story. I was never fully absorbed into the book, never swept into Elizabethan England.

In addition, the characters just aren't that likable. Gregory wrote a fascinating Elizabeth in The Queen's Fool, a capricious but highly intelligent and cunning young woman who knew how to use her power and was an expert manipulator. Here, Elizabeth is the one manipulated. She is weak, scared, vacillating. Cecil and Dudley play her expertly and she lets them, even when she knows she is being played. In Gregory's defense, the book takes place during Elizabeth's first two years on the throne, when she is still learning how to be Queen. But the historical Elizabeth had already endured imprisonment in the Tower, and was a survivor of her brother's and sister's courts. She wasn't exactly a political neophyte. Not to mention that even today, the age of twenty-seven is a bit old to be acting like a horny teenager controlled by hormones while at work.

Dudley doesn't fare much better - he actually turns stupid toward the end of the book. Perhaps he's just the victim of his male chauvinist times when he point blank tells Elizabeth,"I will be your King and master." Yet he was so much smarter at manipulating Elizabeth earlier in their relationship, plus he had seen much of his family executed for similar ploys to rule England, so I was surprised to see him so blatantly (and foolishly) show his hand. Again, Dudley was far more intriguing a character in The Queen's Fool, and I miss the smart rogue who constantly intrigued.

Amy is depicted as bipolar (although obviously not named as such), and while one feels sympathy for the abandoned wife, she's a bit of wet, obtuse blanket which makes empathy harder to come by.

The pacing is also deadly slow in the first half of the book, although it picks up once France threatens to invade via Scotland. The political machinations are interesting, and the book did remind me of how unsettled the young Queen Elizabeth was on the throne and how many enemies she and England faced. But the book's promise far outweighs what it actually delivers. Pity that.
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May 21, 2009

Patty added it

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Apr 20, 2009

Jennifer rated it

Yes, another Phillipa Gregory historical novel about the Tudors. I will read every one because I LOVE THEM. But this one only gets 3 stars. Why? Was it a good read? Sure. Did I learn new things about the Tudor period? Of course. My problem is this: for an author who loves this period (and you would assume Elizabeth herself) as much as Phillipa does, why is Elizabeth given such a passive, scared, stupid role in this outing? Elizabeth was probably the most highly-educated woman of her generation. ...more

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Jan 31, 2012

Kate rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this because I've heard a lot about Philippa Gregory and she seems to be the go-to for historical fiction, and also because I love Elizabeth I. Regardless of that History Boys quote; "Queen Elizabeth [...] Less remarkable for her abilities than the fact that, unlike so many of her sisters, she got a chance to exercise them", she was still a kick-ass woman at a time when that was unheard of.

So, this book... This is meant to be the great love story - or at least, to me i...more

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Philippa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel The Other Boleyn Girl, which was made into a TV drama and a major film. Published in 2009, the bestselling The White Queen, the story of Elizabeth Woodville, ushered in a new series involving The Cousins’ War (now known as The War of the Roses) and a new era for the acc...more

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