Review: The Other Queen by Phillippa Gregory
Dark Tale of the History of the Queen of Scots Makes Readers Shiver
Nov 3, 2008
In some of her other novels, Gregory has explored much of the Tudor dynasty, often writing the characters through first person narrative. While this novel is much the same, the reader is also treated to multiple other first person perspectives, including that of Queen Mary's "captor", George Talbot, The Earl of Shrewsbury.
History
What Gregory manages once again is to capture the true history and seamlessly intertwine it with fiction, creating a tale of sorrow and complexity. Queen Elizabeth and her spy, William Cecil, are not portrayed kindly, but historically there is much in fact that could be questioned regarding their actions. Gregory uses actual places that are still in existence today and describes them perfectly, showing her absolute knowledge of the places of which she is writing. Reading The Other Queen and then visiting the places she speaks of makes those areas come alive. Indeed, the battles portrayed in order to restore the Queen of Scots to her throne are painted picture perfect in regards to the locations.
Love
One theme Gregory tackles in this book is that of love and its many faces. George Talbot is honest, loyal and kind. But his heart is torn between three women; his Queen, the Queen of Scots, and his own wife. By the end of the tale, the reader sees what love has done to him, and pities him for it. If there is one character in this book that is truly noble, it is him.
His wife, however, is far more complex. Like most of Gregory's female characters, she is strong, stubborn and intelligent. Coming from poverty means she is obsessive with money, but Gregory does such a skillfful job in writing her, that the reader can, to a point, sympathize with Bess of Hardwick as she slowly watches her husband decline, her wealth dissipate, and her life spiral out of control, all because of the Queen under her roof. Love, for Bess, is fleeting, whereas money is always logical and useful.
Love for Queen Mary means getting her positon and being adored for the fact that she is a queen, no matter how she gets there or what she must do. She seems to feel little real emotion for anyone except her previous captor and rapist, which is often both disturbing and confusing.
Honor
Queen Mary is a haughty, spoiled character, but the reader cannot help but admire her spunk and determination. She has been dethroned by her own people, and then captured by her cousin the Queen. She never understands why Elizabeth does not support her, as they are both women, both queens, and both under constant scrutiny and threat. Elizabeth sees Mary as the threat, however, and although Mary is not one in the beginning of her imprisonment, she certainly becomes one by the end. She believes throughout her imprisonment, though, that one queen would never undermine another. Her sense of honor is deep, and it is part of what makes the reader care for her. This gender issue is one that often appears in Gregory's novels.
George Talbot, too, has a deep sense of honor, which is what ultimately tears him apart. He loves Mary and does whatever he can for her and still keep his honor and commitment to his own queen. Mary plays on his sense of honor, using him for her own gains even as she feels sympathy for him.
Politics
As is the case in all of Gregory's historical fiction, politics are at the crux of every problem. Queen Elizabeth listens to her spys and senses a threat in the Scottish Queen, and does everything in her power to find her guilty of treason even as she seems occasionally reluctant to do so. But Queen Mary is a master politician as well, proven by the civil war that nearly breaks out in order to set her free. She conspires and denies, she lies and desires. It is fascinating to watch as the two Queens set their wills against one another. Mary loses, but does it with grace and class, going to her beheading in a cardinal red gown to prove her Catholic faith.
George Talbot remains the Queen's man, even as he sobs at Mary's execution. Bess leaves him and takes her money with her, never to depend on another man again, as she has become a business woman in her own right.
All of this because of the battle of two queens. Gregory is a master at combining vivid history with vivid fiction.
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