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Elizabeth I

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 2,162 ratings · 347 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Margaret George captures history's most enthralling queen-as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart.

One of today's premier historical novelists, Margaret George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma-the Virgin Queen who had many suitors, the victor of the A...more

Hardcover, 671 pages

Published April 5th 2011 by Viking Adult (first published March 1st 2011)

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Aug 23, 2012 E Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Whenever I read a historical novel I wonder how much is based on real incidents and
how much is pure imagination. I was glad the author covered this in an afterwards. I
especially suspected the unchaperoned trip with the Earl of Essex was very improbable,
and the author confirms this.
This book covers the Queen in the last decades of her reign. She oversees the wonderful
triumph over the Spanish Armada and basks in the adoration that follows. She can be a
loving and generous friend and benefactor,...more

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Jul 07, 2012 LeAnn rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History lovers

As much as I enjoyed the descriptive writing -- boy, can Margaret George make me experience the reality of living as an Elizabethan -- and the deft handling of a middle-aged woman's viewpoint, I struggled to finish this novel. I even struggled as I read it to identify what, exactly, my issues were with it. Was I just not in the mood for a novel that stretched more than 600 pages? Have I gotten so used to reading my guilty-pleasure reads that I can no longer tolerate the slower pace and richer la...more As much as I enjoyed the descriptive writing -- boy, can Margaret George make me experience the reality of living as an Elizabethan -- and the deft handling of a middle-aged woman's viewpoint, I struggled to finish this novel. I even struggled as I read it to identify what, exactly, my issues were with it. Was I just not in the mood for a novel that stretched more than 600 pages? Have I gotten so used to reading my guilty-pleasure reads that I can no longer tolerate the slower pace and richer language of less-formulaic fiction? In all honesty, I made it halfway through Elizabeth I before whatever magic glue pulls a reader through a book ran out. Given that I know how it ends, I had little motivation to keep reading. Perhaps for the less-knowledgeable reader, not knowing how Elizabeth's relationship with the Earl of Essex develops is enough to maintain suspense. But, from a purely dramatic standpoint, it is a tepid suspense even so.

In the end, I'm perplexed about what George could have done differently to keep my attention from wandering. After all, the broad strokes of her narrative were already defined for her and likely well known. Even her use of Elizabeth's cousin (and Essex's mother) Lettice, added little drama and seemed designed to mitigate the limitations of a first-person narrator (Elizabeth). Yet Lettice is really only a commentator on the action rather than an actor. Elizabeth herself, although a queen who must have had a very busy life ruling her kingdom, comes across as having little to do or think about save Essex and, occasionally and as an afterthought, the vile Spanish. There is very little about the continued religious fragmentation of English society beyond Elizabeth's mention that she has done her best to hold her beloved country together.

George opens the novel dramatically with the Pope's blessing of papal bulls condemning her, the Spanish Armada setting sail, and Elizabeth anxiously awaiting the fate of England and herself. After that, the action dwindles, and almost all of it is "off stage" because neither Elizabeth or Lettice are able to see or experience most of Essex's adventures and plans. Essex is a cipher, known only through the biased prism of each woman's eyes. Both women come across as highly intelligent and mostly reasonable (if biased toward one another), but I was left frustrated with my inability to decide for myself about Essex's character and motivations.

As with most historical novels that I read, I've developed a strong desire to learn the actual details of Elizabeth's life and reign. Even the small amount that I've uncovered makes me yearn to read a novel of her early years, the ones after her infamous mother, Jane Boleyn, is beheaded and she is shuffled away from court where she is a sad reminder of Henry's desperate and divisive attempt to beget a male heir. I want to read about her romance with Robert Dudley, her terror at being sent to the Tower (her mother's last home) by her eldest half-sister Bloody Mary, who had every reason to dislike and distrust her, and her choices about her advisers, the men who empowered her to rule. I want to read all the drama and conflict inherent in the tumultuous early decades of her reign, including her clever handling of all her suitors and her house arrest of her cousin and rival, Mary Queen of Scots. I think that that story would provide a nice counterbalance to George's reflective, almost elegiac, story. (less)

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Karen LeAnn, if you would like to read a fictional version of Elizabeth's early life, try Margaret Erwin's trilogy: Young Bess; Elizabeth, Captive Princess;...more
Apr 08, 2013 09:07am

LeAnn Karen wrote: "LeAnn, if you would like to read a fictional version of Elizabeth's early life, try Margaret Erwin's trilogy: Young Bess; Elizabeth, Cap...more
Apr 08, 2013 09:39am

May 01, 2012 Grace Elliot rated it 3 of 5 stars

Let me preface this review by saying I'm a huge fan of Margaret George. It was reading her book about Mary Queen of Scots that first kindled my interest in history. Ms George is a towering literary talent and I re-read The Autobiography of Henry VIII every year. So why then did I fell an overwhelming sense of release when I finished 'Elizabeth I'?
This book was a slog to read with little or no of the Ms George magic. It struck me she has lost her way as a writer and become totally absorbed by th...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-plus-narration, a-plus-writing, audible-version, genre-historical-fiction, setting-uk, theme-legal, theme-medical, theme-military, theme-religion, theme-social, war-other

I didn’t find this book at all boring as others have but then it might be that much of the information about the Tudor era is new to me. Perhaps some scenes could have been cut but I thought they all added to the story. Plus, I thought Kate Reading gave an excellent performance

This story made me think of an odd kind of organic chemistry where two (and more) compounds come together, share electrons, separate, combine with others and then come together again,,, the two main compounds being Queen...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Jodi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book tremendously! Am not one who likes Queen Elizabeth I messed with so when I received this book as an anniversary present from my husband I was a bit skeptical. No need, so thoroughly steeped in history as to be acceptable to even the most proficient in the Tudor era. George does let you know at the end what is historiography and what is fiction (which as a former-history teacher I appreciate—can be so hard to dispel the history students pick up in Disney cartoons or Hollywood mo...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Felice rated it 2 of 5 stars

Historical fiction novelist Margaret George has never shied away from retelling a well known story. Her subjects have included: Henry the VIII, Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, Helen of Troy and now Elizabeth I. It takes a lot of nerve and a passionate love of the subject to tackle the life of a figure we could all know enough about to write a 200 word bio. Add to that the explosion of novels about the Tudors in the last few years and George's audaciousness is multiplied by a thousand.

There are t...more Historical fiction novelist Margaret George has never shied away from retelling a well known story. Her subjects have included: Henry the VIII, Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, Helen of Troy and now Elizabeth I. It takes a lot of nerve and a passionate love of the subject to tackle the life of a figure we could all know enough about to write a 200 word bio. Add to that the explosion of novels about the Tudors in the last few years and George's audaciousness is multiplied by a thousand.

There are two big, nice surprises in Elizabeth I. The first is that the book does not start with Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's birth or even her ascension to the throne. The novel begins when Elizabeth is 55 and the Spanish Armada is about to attack. She has already been Queen for almost thirty years and would remain Queen for only another fourteen years. According to most historians by this time the great successes of her reign were past. The second surprise is Lettice Knollys. Lettice was a cousin of Elizabeth's and one of her romantic and political rivals. In 1578 Lettice married for the second time, after having been married to the Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth's great favorite Robert Dudley. In her anger and jealousy Elizabeth banished Lettice from court.

George alternates the novels' chapters between Elizabeth and Lettice. These two women were very much alike. They were both ambitious, brilliant, gravely concerned about the future of their houses and powerful. Despite that those traits, shared blood (Lettice was the grandniece of Anne Bolyen)and agendas because of Lettice's marriage to Elizabeth's supposed lover and her son's efforts to power grab at court they were doomed to be enemies. That's not to say that George has written just a historical frenemy novel. The different narrators bring different perspectives to the detailed political and social events occurring during Elizabeth's reign that George covers.

Despite Margaret George's inspired decision to juxtapose Elizabeth and Lettice and to not tell Elizabeth's life story in a linear fashion, the novel never comes alive. It's quite disappointing. In Elizabeth I, George goes to g-r-e-a-t pains to write a relentlessly fact-filled opus. Unlike George's previous novels covering roughly the same period and family The Autobiography of Henry the VIII With Notes By His Fool Will Somers and Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, Elizabeth I is essentially a humorless, play-by-play imagining of the sovereign's daily planner over her lifetime. George didn't leave a drop of her research out of this book and the reader pays the price.
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Mar 22, 2011 Francine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, sagas, royal

I count myself as one of the people lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Margaret George’s new novel Elizabeth I. I can honestly say that having read every one of Ms. George’s novels I had every expectation to thoroughly enjoy it and I was not disappointed. The author researches her subjects for months, even years, and writes a very factual novel but in a fascinating way. She writes in a story format so as to entertain while imparting a wonderful piece of historical data that doesn’t leave...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Janie Sims rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth I was an iconic figure in English history, although there are very little actual personal papers on her that let us delve into her own thoughts. Margaret George did a fine job of breathing character into her volume of historical fiction. This book switches perspective to Lettice Knollys, who was Elizabeth's cousin and rival. Lettice is also the mother to Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex and much of the book centers on his relationship with Elizabeth. Margaret covers the Spanish Arma...more

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May 25, 2011 Jackleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jackleen by: Diana Gabaldon

Margaret George covered new territory in a very popular genre. This book concerns an older Elizabeth and is more reflective in nature. That being said, it does move along at a brisk pace. This is helped to a great extent by the story being told alternately by Elizabeth herself and her rival and hated cousin, Lettice. The two cousins are polar opposites in personality,lifestyle and world view; and, each provides a different, yet equally accurate, view to the events portrayed in the novel. Much of...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Rosemary Prawdzik rated it 3 of 5 stars

I eagerly set about reading this tome - the premise of learning about Elizabeth's life from Elizabeth's point of view - was captivating for me. However, I was much dismayed to find the beginning of the book was in the middle of Elizabeth's reign - in 1588 with the threat of the first Spanish Armada.

What could have been in MG's mind to begin the book in such a fashion? Had she planned flashbacks? If nothing else, curiosity kept me reading ... and reading ... and reading, bouncing between episodes...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, britannia, sexy-tudors

In response to an article in The Economist that said how Hilary Mantel was like the first writer who wrote a a novel about the Tudors that was not a bodice ripper, Margaret George was like, "uh, what? Hello? I write historical fiction that are not bodice rippers. Have done so for more than 2 decades. um, not that there's anything wrong with bodice rippers."

My favorite Kate Beaton comic ever is quite relevant to this topic.

Anyway. It was interesting to read a novel about Elizabeth I on the later...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel covers the last part of Elizabeth's life, from the Spanish Armada in 1588 until her death. The most exhaustively covered event is her infatuation with and then difficulty with the Earl of Essex.

It's interesting how differently different novelists view the same character. Philippa Gregory portrays her as a wanton shamelessly carrying on with Robert Dudley in "The Virgin's Lover" - definitely anything but a "virgin" queen. Alison Weir in "The Lady Elizabeth" imagines her as a young teen...more This novel covers the last part of Elizabeth's life, from the Spanish Armada in 1588 until her death. The most exhaustively covered event is her infatuation with and then difficulty with the Earl of Essex.

It's interesting how differently different novelists view the same character. Philippa Gregory portrays her as a wanton shamelessly carrying on with Robert Dudley in "The Virgin's Lover" - definitely anything but a "virgin" queen. Alison Weir in "The Lady Elizabeth" imagines her as a young teenager seduced by Tom Seymour and having to decamp to a remote manor to hide her pregnancy. She miscarries. Later she carries on with Robert Dudley, but doesn't marry him. Both Ms. Weir and Ms. Gregory attribute this to the suspicion that he had his wife murdered to marry Elizabeth and that he would expect to act the king. In a book by Robin Maxwell that I haven't read she has a secret child out of wedlock.

Ms. George portrays Elizabeth as literally deserving the title of virgin queen. Although she loves Dudley she never gives herself to him, but furiously banishes him and her cousin Lettice to the country after their marriage. She travels with Essex (of course with a large group of retainers) and has a room next to his at a castle. Nothing of a sexual nature happens although she is tempted and he is ambitious. I can believe this due to the age difference and her pride. As Elizabeth is depicted by Ms. George, this is believable since she only allows flattering portraits of herself displayed and she would know that her 63-year-old body would not be terribly exciting to a man that much younger than herself (at least 30 years). As a woman of that age myself I can easily buy into this interpretation.

Speculation about Elizabeth's sex life or lack of it aside, the book is very interesting and well written and the title character believable as are the other characters in the book. Since it is very long (as are Ms. George's other fictionalized biographies) this would have to be the case.

I listened to the audiobook. For the most part the reader does a good job at differentiating the characters except that I had a hard time distinguishing Elizabeth from Lettice at times. It is told in the first person by both of these characters.(less)

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May 31, 2011 C.W. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Margaret George has cemented her reputation as a grand dame of historical fiction, creating epic novels about history's most legendary characters, from Henry VIII to Mary of Scotland to Helen of Troy. In her latest novel, ELIZABETH I, she tackles perhaps the most legendary and elusive figure of all - the Virgin Queen herself.

Elizabeth Tudor is famous as much for what she said and did as for what she did not. She remains so fascinating precisely because we know so little about her personally, eve...more Margaret George has cemented her reputation as a grand dame of historical fiction, creating epic novels about history's most legendary characters, from Henry VIII to Mary of Scotland to Helen of Troy. In her latest novel, ELIZABETH I, she tackles perhaps the most legendary and elusive figure of all - the Virgin Queen herself.

Elizabeth Tudor is famous as much for what she said and did as for what she did not. She remains so fascinating precisely because we know so little about her personally, even as her reign is replete with some of English history’s most well-publicized events. She was a study in contrasts, and Ms George uses these contradictions to full advantage in her meticulously researched portrayal of an aging Elizabeth and her world.

Beginning with the first Armada (there were several, as the novel points out) and spanning the last fifteen years of Elizabeth's eventful life, the queen comes across as a steely and astute observer of her own strengths and foibles, as well as those around her, even as she's drawn in the wake of her beloved Leicester's death into the magnetic, ultimately tragic thrall of handsome, unstable Essex. Threaded throughout the narrative - in which, of course, the queen dominates - are those who knew her, such as Leicester's widow and the mother of Essex, the irrepressible Lettice Knollys. Lettice has battled against Elizabeth and lost; despite physical commonalties, there doesn’t seem to be anything remotely alike in these two disparate women. Yet as both become pawns of Essex’s erratic behavior, parallels begin to emerge, and it is the weaving of these which bring a touching end to the book. For while Elizabeth is the ballast of the story, her keen common sense, majestic prerogative, and deep personal sacrifices permeating the very fabric of her being, Lettice is the sail that draws their shared story onto its shoals— fraught with emotion, captive of her flagrant past, Lettice does not recognize what looms before her until it is too late.

Other memorable characters such as Elizabeth’s trusted Lord Burghley and his canny son, Robert; her intimate ladies; and a surprising appearance by the Bard himself, as well as myriad of courtiers who made Elizabeth's palaces glitter, round out this heady look at Gloriana and the flesh-and-blood woman underneath her immortal façade.
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Feb 15, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, what a read! I love a good historical fiction novel and get excited every time I discover a new author that focuses on the Tudor's. I have read all of Phillipa Gregory's books and many of Alison Weir's and was excited to come across this book at the library out of nowhere...I wasn't even looking for it and it just seemed to catch my attention from the shelf, which is always fun. The book focuses on Elizabeth's later years, which many of the other books I have read on her tend to stay away f...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of Margaret George's historical fiction, nearly all of which features female leads. I was very excited to find "Elizabeth I" on the shelf - how could I go wrong? I am pleased to report that George's latest creation is flawlessly written and elegantly composed. She managed to avoid the strange lack of irony that made "Mary Called Magdalene" such a bizarre experience, and the sheer, shocking boredom of "Helen of Troy." I do have to say, however, that "Elizabeth I" was surprisingly bl...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Gaile rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 16th-century

Although this is a thick book, it doesn't cover the entire life of Elizabeth I. It opens in 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada. I thought there was only one armada! I didn't know others were sent in the following years and the wind always blew them back. I didn't know there were wars in Ireland or between Spain and Ireland, Elizabeth felt they were causing her kingdom to slide into bankruptcy. Poor crops four years in a row did not help.
The main problem was she had no real military leader. Bec...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Jaclyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth I is the story of two red-haired women at the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century. One is Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and monarch during what would come to be known as a golden age for Great Britain. Elizabeth's story begins in 1588 with the first Spanish Armada. Throughout the book, her reign is plagued by threats both internal and external - scheming courtiers, Irish rebels, and the ever-present Spanish menace over all. The othe...more Elizabeth I is the story of two red-haired women at the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century. One is Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and monarch during what would come to be known as a golden age for Great Britain. Elizabeth's story begins in 1588 with the first Spanish Armada. Throughout the book, her reign is plagued by threats both internal and external - scheming courtiers, Irish rebels, and the ever-present Spanish menace over all. The other woman is Elizabeth's "lookalike cousin" and rival Lettice Knollys. Lettice, having made no vow to remain a virgin, had seduced and married Elizabeth's romantic interest, Robert Dudley. For that crime she was banished from court - although Dudley was eventually forgiven - and spent nearly the rest of her life plotting to get back in the Queen's good graces. Lettice's best hope for regaining her family's power and influence lies with her son Robert, Earl of Essex, who becomes one of Elizabeth's favorite courtiers. But Essex is a deeply flawed man - entitled, petulant, and ultimately dangerous - and Elizabeth's consistent overlooking of his flaws will ultimately threaten her crown.

I had never read any Margaret George before, because I thought that she was fluffy. (I was lumping her in with Philippa Gregory and assuming that George wrote historical fiction in the style of The Other Boleyn Girl.) Clearly, I was wrong. Elizabeth I was absorbing and engaging, meticulously researched, and extremely well-written. Not fluffy at all! (Not that there's anything wrong with fluff; it can be just what the doctor ordered at times. I just don't like fluff in my historical fiction for some reason. Chalk it up to personal preference.) The characters become real - Elizabeth, for instance, is maddening in her insistence upon giving Essex chance after chance to live up to his potential, refusing to believe that this "wayward child" cannot be molded into a man. Even after he directly threatens her person, Elizabeth refuses to believe that the courtier she loves like a son could be a threat to her. Her gradual dawning realization that Essex is a danger to the realm is almost painful to watch, and the moment when she finally gives up her hopes for him is poignant. Lettice, meanwhile, is even more conflicted over Essex. She sees the dangerous games he is playing, even as he tries to hide them from her, but she cannot turn her back on her son.

I loved every word of this honking big tome. In Elizabeth I, Margaret George proves that there is such a thing as a fastidiously detailed page-turner in the historical fiction genre. I'm a convert and will be reading everything she has written before this and everything she writes from now on. Highly recommended.(less)

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Apr 25, 2013 Tamara Epps rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been cross-posted at Captivated by Books

It is only recently that I have started becoming interested in reading historical fiction. I have always liked history; not the remembering of names and dates, but discovering how people lived, and historical fiction is a doorway for my mind. Unfortunately this novel, in some ways, felt like reading a textbook with plenty of names that seemed almost familiar and dates of battles, although most of this information was portrayed through dialo...more This review has been cross-posted at Captivated by Books

It is only recently that I have started becoming interested in reading historical fiction. I have always liked history; not the remembering of names and dates, but discovering how people lived, and historical fiction is a doorway for my mind. Unfortunately this novel, in some ways, felt like reading a textbook with plenty of names that seemed almost familiar and dates of battles, although most of this information was portrayed through dialogue which made it easier to follow. Nethertheless, in my opinion, the detail to facts was almost clinical throughout most of the book, which made the book a lot less pleasurable to read.

The book is told in split first person. Personally I found the ‘Lettice’ character much easier to understand and follow, and therefore more relatable to. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was too much like reading facts with no life behind them. I realise this is probably due in large part to the fact that no one really knows how Elizabeth felt about anything, but it did make reading from her point of view almost nothing more than a series of events, and I found it impossible to empathise with her. However, the book starts with a few scenes to set the time, and I didn’t realise that Elizabeth wasn’t the only perspective the book would be told from until quite late in as the novel isn’t evenly spread between the two.

The research that has gone into the book, however, has to be mentioned. At 662 pages it is far from a short read, and every page is filled with the details of the women’s lives, as well as the many key men in their lives, which I can only imagine must have taken years to research.

Personally this wasn’t my favourite historical read ever, but I did feel I was learning (seriously, my history knowledge is truly appalling), and feel this book has a unique perspective in not only using first person, but telling it from two points of view. Of course, due to the nature of the book, there isn’t really a plot to follow and I think that may have made reading a little arduous for me at times; however I wanted to read more for the majority of it. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and isn’t afraid to dedicate a decent block of time to reading it (it took me 2 weeks to read).

Overall Rating: 3.5/5(less)

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Mar 21, 2011 Shirley Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-5-star-reads

This book portrays Elizabeth I from 1588 (when she was in her 50's and just before the legendary Spanish Armada debacle) until her death in March of 1603. It is a truly wonderful book written from the viewpoint of Elizabeth I with some insertions from the viewpoint of her cousin Lettice Knolleys who is almost a mirror-image of Elizabeth (although younger by 10 years). Elizabeth I was "Virgin Queen". Her cousin was married three times and the mother of three living children). Letitia married Eliz...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Though titled "Elizabeth I" and certainly revolving around the Tudor queen, this novel alternates point of view between Elizabeth and her cousin Lettice Knollys, covering the years 1588 (the famous Spanish Armada) until Elizabeth's death, with an epilogue devoted to Lettice, who outlived Elizabeth by 30 years. Descended from Mary Boleyn, Lettice was the mother of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, from her first marriage, but it was her second marriage, to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Eliza...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Robert Hill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Margaret George paints a very compassionate and patient picture of Elizabeth. I enjoyed the beginning of the book dealing with the Spanish Armada of 1588. I also enjoyed the contrasting views George presents in the character of Elizabeth's cousin Lettice. The book is constructed around the alternating views of Elizabeth and Lettice. The perspectives of both women were set in opposition to each other. They do reconcile themselves near the end of the book prior to their deaths. I also enjoyed the...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, women

I love Margaret George's works. I guess I am a history dweeb. Not everyone will enjoy her new "Elizabeth I" as the plot covers so many years and the intrigues against the crown are ongoing every minute of every day.

I liked the way George brought in some Shakespeare, taking a chance at naming the "dark lady" of the sonnets and the love triangle Shakespeare brings out in the sonnets.

Besides war and court politics, there are beautiful passages of English springs and summers, moments of admiring jew...more

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May 03, 2011 Heavensent1 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth I: A Novel is a part fictional, part historical epic detailing one of England's favourite Monarch's.

With much skill, Margaret George, explains the life of Queen Elizabeth during the final 20 years of her reign and her life. Told from two different viewpoints, Elizabeth herself and Elizabeth's younger look-a-like cousin, Lettice Knollys, the story explains to the reader how Elizabeth could have been. Few accounts of her personal life are remembered or recorded and much is left to the im...more Elizabeth I: A Novel is a part fictional, part historical epic detailing one of England's favourite Monarch's.

With much skill, Margaret George, explains the life of Queen Elizabeth during the final 20 years of her reign and her life. Told from two different viewpoints, Elizabeth herself and Elizabeth's younger look-a-like cousin, Lettice Knollys, the story explains to the reader how Elizabeth could have been. Few accounts of her personal life are remembered or recorded and much is left to the imagination of the reader however, we are shown a side of Elizabeth that allows us to view her insights, her character and those around her who helped shaped one of Britains's greatest royal persona's.

Portraying her as the virginal queen who is wedded to her subjects, we are given an in depth look at Elizabeth's inner turmoils concerning, her age, her fight with Spain and Ireland and those in her court who would wish to usurp her as well as those who remain steadfast and loyal to her cause.

We learn of her friendships to such historical people as Robert Dudley, John Dee, Grace O'Malley, Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, Francis Bacon, William Shakespeare and the people that she loved and adored. We watch as she determines to remain ageless while noticing those around her since childhood are dying. We feel her struggle to remain true to her faith, her people and the code she has set for herself. As well, we learn of Elizabeth's humanity, the inner thoughts that only oneself knows, and the actions that propelled her to do the things she did in the last remaining years of her life.

I quite enjoyed Elizabeth I, when I first received it, I was thinking, another book about Elizabeth the first, blah blah blah. I was surprized to see the human soul of Elizabeth unfold upon the pages. From Margaret George's point of view, she was a dynamite of a lady, witty, sharp and determined. The inner thoughts of Elizabeth and about Elizabeth was refreshing and I felt she really captured Elizabeth's essence almost perfectly. However, I was disappointed that more of Elizabeth's character flaws weren't incorporated into the story, such as her tantrums and her flip flopping of ideas and strategies, for that is something about Elizabeth that is renowned, there were hints of it throughout the story, but for the most part, Elizabeth is shown in a positvie, human and yes, virginal light.

I really came to dislike Robert Deveraux, the queen's pet and favourite and felt sorry for her cousin, Lettice, whose only fault that I could see was that she married Elizabeth's "love", Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. I would recommend this for any historical buffs, especially royal ones, you won't be disappointed in seeing the inner machinations of who the person whom Elizabeth may have become. It's a long read, sometimes a bit dry in places, but for the most part you will see a side of Elizabeth that must be shared.(less)

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Feb 25, 2012 Sharrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy historical fiction and I just happened upon this book at the library. I hadn't read any reviews and didn't have any specific expectations - just knew that I liked the genre and this particular time in English history. What surprised me was that while it did somewhat follow a timeline; it didn't go from childhood or from when Elizabeth first became queen but had more of a feel of interior dialogue. Of course there were historical references throughout and the author's perspective only on...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, first-reads

I received the ARC of this book from a good reads contest. Having finished reading this a couple of days ago I have been thinking about what to say in my review.

There are so many stories of Elizabeth's life but they are most always told from the point of view of outsiders watching her actions and judging her character and abilities as a leader. This story is being told from the point of view of Elizabeth herself, which is a very interesting perspective.

George is doing a fantastic job thus far...more

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May 03, 2011 H. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

Once I embraced Elizabeth I (partway through) as a review in history, something that helped solidify and animate facts I've collected from various NF sources throughout the years, it blossomed as an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

It does start out rather dryly; it takes George a bit too long to gain solid footing after her sudden landing into the middle of Elizabeth I's reign. The dual narrative of Lettice Knollys is confusing and Elizabeth is surprisingly unengaging in personality.

After a few hu...more Once I embraced Elizabeth I (partway through) as a review in history, something that helped solidify and animate facts I've collected from various NF sources throughout the years, it blossomed as an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

It does start out rather dryly; it takes George a bit too long to gain solid footing after her sudden landing into the middle of Elizabeth I's reign. The dual narrative of Lettice Knollys is confusing and Elizabeth is surprisingly unengaging in personality.

After a few hundred pages of these characters being slowly and carefully woven around the solid track of history, this subtle approach becomes appreciable. These women and their relationships with the various important figures are complicated and not so simply likable. Growing quietly accustomed to Elizabeth's idiosyncrasies and choices allows the little nuances that changed history to make a lot more sense (this or that may not be what she was thinking at the time but, by George's inferences, the little gaps in the equation are filled in and I know my British history a little better). In the end, she is understandable and even sympathetic as a truly alien creature (Queen and ruler above all others, including us readers). She believes in herself even when cruel or righteous or volatile, but usually (and, by George!) manages to be humane and/or sensible despite having to be a world apart in body and mind.

The initially clumsy inserts of Knollys narrative become a vital and effective literary device. Between the two, an artful critique is threaded in and second-guessing the motivations and underlying messiness is a part of the reading process. This tactic gives more than a nod to the fact that (this) history is far more complex, subjective, and only squinted-at through the mist of time. Additionally, between the two narratives, the other supporting characters become fully multi-dimensional--superficial glamor, humble everyday manner, dark sides and controversial bits are all solidly molded together. This is truly impressive, and I suspect it's what has made George a best-selling author of age-old stories with a million other tellers.

Unfortunately George does not transcend the facts. Elizabeth often seems petty and the male lead, the tortured Robert Devereax, even pettier. Though she repeats descriptions of his legendary charm like a mantra, it is impossible to comprehend how a strong, adult ruling woman would crush on this human tantrum. As there are no windows into the minds of the men in this history, it is even more difficult to believe the heroes and thinkers of the time would esteem him. This is a failure, because the story hinges on events surrounding the machinations and ambitions of the 16th century Icarus.

Entertaining for the last 500 pages, and bringing to life a complicated grab-bag of events and figures I've never before managed to order firmly in my knowledge, this is an invaluable review. I plan on using George's other works as a similar tool, refreshing and cementing what I've read in the typical NF fashion.(less)

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Jun 18, 2011 Angela Christianson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-about-england

Warning: this is a very LONG book! I listened to it on CD and it was 25 discs! But I was enthralled most of the time. This is a very scholarly novel about the latter years of Elizabeth I's reign. See her Afterword for evidence of her scholarly research.

The characters are fully developed and I learned much about Elizabethean history that I didn't already know. Several major characters appear such as Will Shakespeare (Dr. Brady - I spelled Shakespeare correctly, didn't I!).

This isn't a quick rea...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Indie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, english-setting, historical-fiction, william-shakesphere, would-like-to-eventually-reread, personal-rating-4-stars, a-e, would-like-to-own

The Golden Time for England. Elizabeth Tudor is queen, after replacing her half sister, Mary Tudor's short region. She is favoured and admired by her people. She fights for her throne and to regain her country's fortune.

Lettice Knoylls. An important figure still. Cousin to the Queen and mother to Robert Devereux, the second earl of Essex, she fights to place a position for her family.

Both have been intwined since birth. One the Queen of England and another a Countess of Liecester and Essex. They...more

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May 08, 2011 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finally finished this lengthy novel about Elizabeth's latter years- a time frame I am not that familiar with. I really enjoyed this author's Autobiography of Henry VIII which I read years ago, but none of her other novels have matched it for readability and this one just lacked something. The point of view goes back and forth between Elizabeth and her cousin and rival, Lettice Knollys and I felt I had a better grasp on Lettice than Elizabeth. The relationship between Elizabeth and Essex(Lettice'...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely a slow start to the book. I was wondering how the book would be handled since there have been so many novels about Elizabeth I already. The author took a different approach to her subject by covering her later life, the part of her history that's rarely if ever covered. But the beginning of the book was definitely hard to get into as I tried to place myself and try to get a feel for what the overall theme of this part of her life would be. Once i figured out what that would be, it did...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 Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

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Quotes from Elizabeth I

“Perhaps life is like an hour glass, with dear ones the sand that slips from the upper glass--the earth--into the second--eternity.” — 9 people liked it

“I was ever the realist, sometimes to my sorrow. But seldom to my regret.” — 5 people liked it

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