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    The Other Queen: A Novel
    The Other Queen: A Novel
    The Other Queen: A Novel
    Audiobook16 hours

    The Other Queen: A Novel

    Written by Philippa Gregory

    Narrated by Richard Armitage, Alex Kingston and Madeleine Leslay

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    From #1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory—a dazzling new novel about the intriguing, romantic, and maddening Mary, Queen of Scots.

    Fleeing violent rebellions in Scotland, Mary looks to Queen Elizabeth of England for sanctuary. Though promised protection, Mary, perceived as a serious threat to the English crown, is soon imprisoned by her former friend as a “guest” in the house of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The newly married couple welcomes the condemned queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court.

    To their horror, they grow to realize that the task will bankrupt their estate and lose them what little favor they’ve managed to gain as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. And Mary is not as hopeless as she appears, manipulating the earl and spinning her own web of treachery and deceit, as she sharpens her weapons to reclaim her Scottish throne—and to take over Queen Elizabeth’s of England.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 25, 2019
    ISBN9781508292814
    Author

    Philippa Gregory

    Philippa Gregory is an internationally renowned author of historical novels. She holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from the University of Edinburgh. Works that have been adapted for television include A Respectable Trade, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool. The Other Boleyn Girl is now a major film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Eric Bana. Philippa Gregory lives in the North of England with her family.

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    Reviews for The Other Queen

    3.5/5

    773 ratings61 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I really wanted to love this book, as I so thoroughly enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl. But this story was SO boring and repetitive.I got really tired of hearing about how Mary was regal and untouchable, and George was honorable, and Bess brought herself up from nothing and loved nothing more than her houses and land. Over and over, the same things. Yawn.The plot was boring. Nothing ever really happened. A lot of planning, but no results. Back and forth from house to house. I didn't feel a need to keep reading - it was far from compelling. I realize this story is based on real events, so maybe this just wasn't the best subject for Ms. Gregory to write a novel about. I forced myself to keep reading, but found my mind drifting off several times, because I wasn't engaged in the story.A disappointing read.
    • 2/5
      I have always regarded Jean Plaidy as the 'queen' of historical novels but Philippa Gregory is a close contender. Her books revolving mainly around the Tudor period which is my favourite period in history. What she does do tell the story but it will revolve around other people who you may not so much about, ( The Other Boleyn Girl: Mary Boleyn, The Boleyn Inheritance: Jane Rochford, The Virgin's Lover: Amy Dudley ) so in this case it is Bess of Hardwicke and her husband George Talbot.Mary is one of the tragic queens, along with Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and later Jane Grey. Both Anne and Mary were beheaded to save the children being disinherited.I love to read historical novels especially about the Tudor period because they are bought to life and are full of glitz and glamour and make me feel that I want to be there. But in reality to live in Tudors times was not safe. If you were in favour you could blossom but as soon as you were not it was off with your head. There ways of torture were awful and people were know to agree to anything. People wispered when the spoke incase they were heard and then were accused of commiting treason and rules were changed to suit a situation. I was really looking forward to this novel as it was about The Other Queen, Mary Queen of Scots, and I have to say I was really disappointed with it. I felt the book dragged on and was very longwinded and repeatative. I find that either her books are very good ( The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Lover, The Boleyn Inheritance ) or they can be dreadful ( The Constant Princess, The Queen's Fool ). It won't put me off more of her books and I would recommend The Wise Woman again set in tudor times and with a little bit of witchcraft.
    • 5/5
      This story of Mary, Queen of Scots, totally kept my interest. Mary became the Queen of Scotland as an infant, but due to unrest is sent to France where she marries the young Francis who dies leaving her a widow at 18. The rest of her life is turmoil. She has claims to the throne of France, Scotland, and England as she is the granddaughter of Henry VIII's sister. Mary is pretty, charming, and speaks several languages. She is also conniving and self-important. This is also the time of great struggle between the Reformers and the Catholic Church. Mary, is Catholic and wants to rule as a Catholic. Elizabeth I maintains a more balanced rule favoring the Reformers. The religious struggles are a vital part of the story.Much of "The Other Queen" centers on Mary's captivity in England where she is held at the Castle of the Earl of Shrewsburg, George Talbot, and his strong wife, Bess of Harwick. The story is told in alternate chapters by Mary, Bess, and George. Bess was raised as a commoner, but through marriages and shrewdness, eventually becomes the wife of an Earl. She is business smart, a trait not valued by her husband George. Their marriage, however, is a happy one until Mary comes in the picture. Forced to maintain Queen Mary in the style she is accustomed to, the riches of the Earl's house are slowly depleted. Bess, ever the wise one, understands the significance of this in their future. I grew to have much respect for Bess; in fact, she could be the "other queen." She is smart and practical at a time when it wasn't proper for women to be either smart or practical. Bess and George eventually divorce and Mary is eventually beheaded by her cousin, Elizabeth I.Very readable and believable.
    • 3/5
      Of all "The Tudor Court" books, my favorites are the 2nd-4th. The 5th one, "The Virgin Queen," was the worst for the fact that it is so contradictory to the previous books in its portrayal of Queen Elizabeth & her relationship with Robert Dudley. At the end of, "The Queen's Fool (#4)," Dudley is shown as Elizabeth's favorite, with the possibility of already being her lover, & as she's been plotting with him for the throne for a while. Then the beginning of the next book (#5), he's trying to get her attention for the first time, she doesn't know about his plots to put her on the throne, & her character in general is weak compared to the previous books, as well as the last.
    • 2/5
      The two stars is because it’s not good for Phillips Gregory. To be fair, it’s a good enough book and certainly helped me understand her captivity and a very interesting account of the seriousness of the Northern rebellion.
    • 3/5
      The Other Queen is a very very long book. The book is a historical fictional story of Mary Queen of Scots who was ordered to be "imprisoned" by Queen Elizabeth at George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury's castles. She was to be treated like a queen and told that all expenses that the Earl incurred would be repaid by Queen Elizabeth. Unfortunately, the "imprisonment" cost the Earl all of his money because she never repaid him. The book just dragged on and on. One finds oneself hoping that all of the characters in the story die already so that the story would end. In all honesty the author's summary of the book at the end was quite interesting more so than the book itself. That being said, the author clearly researched the book. There is a beginning and an end. The rating here of three stars is a solid score.
    • 3/5
      After seeing MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS the movie last week...(2 weeks ago?) I have been fascinated with Mary. This book fed that desire for more, but I found it a little redundant. Yes, Bess was worried about her wealth, George about his honor, and Mary needs to be FREE. A little dull for me, but I'm not sure what I was hoping for. Like GONE WITH THE WIND, no matter how many times I've seen it, I want it to end differently.
    • 3/5
      Of all "The Tudor Court" books, my favorites are the 2nd-4th. The 5th one, "The Virgin Queen," was the worst for the fact that it is so contradictory to the previous books in its portrayal of Queen Elizabeth & her relationship with Robert Dudley. At the end of, "The Queen's Fool (#4)," Dudley is shown as Elizabeth's favorite, with the possibility of already being her lover, & as she's been plotting with him for the throne for a while. Then the beginning of the next book (#5), he's trying to get her attention for the first time, she doesn't know about his plots to put her on the throne, & her character in general is weak compared to the previous books, as well as the last.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the story behind this novel. It was very well-written and interesting. I really enjoyed Bess's character. She was definitely my favorite. My only complaint was that Mary, Queen of Scots seemed very whiny in the audio version. That might have been intentional, but it did get annoying in parts.
    • 1/5
      I quit reading this fanciful farce after page 11.... To be honest, I am so totally put off by the so called innocence of Mary Stuart, whom according to most all historical accounts was selfish, self-serving, man chasing, murderous, plotting and a poor ruler.... Not to mention the fact, that she continued to try and over throw Elizabeth I even when held captive in England!

    • 4/5
      This novel is based on the true life story of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.Mary looks to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth of England, for sanctuary after fleeing the violent rebellions in Scotland. Though she is promised protection, Mary is perceived as a serious threat to the English crown, and finds herself imprisoned as a "guest" in the house of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsberry, and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. The newly married couple welcome the condemned queen into their home, hoping that serving as her hosts and jailers will be of an advantage to them in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court.But to their horror, they soon realize that the task will bankrupt their estate and lose them what little favor they were able to gain with Elizabeth, as Mary manipulates the earl and spins her web of treachery and deceit to reclaim her Scottish throne, and to take over Queen Elizabeth's England.This was a very enjoyable read, though with three narrators for the story (Mary, George, and Bess), often the same events were gone over three times, which slowed the story down at times. I think this story could have been a few chapters shorter without the reader feeling anything was missing from the story.Bess was just as interesting to read about as Mary; she was a very successful businesswoman in her own right, which was very impressive as at that time, women had very few legal rights.
    • 4/5
      Philippa Gregory has a way of getting me more interested in history than I've ever been before. This book takes place at the time of the rule of Queen Elizabeth I. This is the story of how she and her adviser kept Mary, Queen of Scots from her rightful reign.
    • 5/5
      I still have to say that I disliked Elizabeth in this book. I do understand why she was the way she was because her cousin Mary Queen of Scots was a plotter and a schemer. I used to feel sorry for Mary, but no longer. I did feel bad for Bess in this book. She didn't deserve to be stuck with Mary. George however had the perfect punishment at the end.
    • 3/5
      When you can retell such a well-known story in a way that grabs the reader from start to finish, you are an amazing storyteller. Well done, Philippa Gregory.
    • 3/5
      I've read the rest of Gregory's Tudor series, which are excellent, but found myself struggling with this one. The story of Mary Queen of Scots and her battle to claim the thrown, was drawn out and not on par with the other books in the series.
    • 3/5
      It's always interesting to read other points of view about a topic. As a Tudor fan, I'm already familiar with what history says about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, who also believed herself to be true heir to the thrones of England and France. This was a tough situation for Elizabeth since Mary was also her cousin and a queen's body was sacrosanct and could not be touched or killed.Yet Mary's presence in England fomented much rebellion among the Catholics who resented Elizabeth both for her father's dismantling of the Church and for the sketchy lineage that brought Elizabeth to the throne. Many believed Mary had the truer lineage. In the end, Mary's uncanny ability to be obtuse and arrogant made her a prisoner in England for 18.5 years, until she was executed in 1587 for plotting to assassinate the Queen of England.The Other Queen is told through the eyes of George, Earl of Shrewsberry, his wife Bess, Countess of Shrewsberry, and Queen Mary. The earl and countess were Mary's guards for 15 years.While this story is fascinating, the real hero of the story, at least to my mind, is Bess Hardwick who literally rose from nothing to be one of the richest women in England at a time when women were not allowed to own anything. It was a time when women married, all property and assets in their name became their husband's property. Not jointly owned, not overseen, but taken away and given to the husband.Bess was a business woman who believed true power and security came from owning property and making it work for her. She knew to the penny what things cost, what was coming in and what was going out. A rarity of the time, she knew how to read and kept her books strictly.The Earl, on the other hand, had come from nobility for generations and had no idea how to work with money. He seemed to believe it came from the air, and that his stewards took care of things which kept him in rich living.Keeping Mary as a prisoner nearly bankrupted the Hardwicks. But Bess got the best of the Earl with her common sense and reached an agreement which allowed his debts to her be paid with his land and property put in her name, becoming a landed woman again Though they remained married, the upkeep of Mary broke their marriage, and the agreement between Bess and George was just short of a divorce agreement. They lived in their separate houses for the rest of the marriage.Bess turned her finances around and made favorable matches for her children; adding to her, and theirs, wealth. Her Earl was no match for her. His prejudice against her background and upbringing blinded him to her cunning and practicality. While they loved each other deeply at the beginning of their marriage, their different approaches to life were put to the test by Mary's presence.I very much enjoyed reading Bess Hardwick's part in this drama, and now have another strong woman to read up on.
    • 3/5
      Three narrators tell this story in the first person: Mary queen of scots, George Talbot or duke of Shrewsbury and Bess Talbot or Countess of Shrewsbury. After another uprising against Queen Mary by the Scottish lords, she escapes to England and becomes the prisoner of Elizabeth. However, she is not imprisoned in the Tower of London but in the various homes of the Shrewsbury's over a period of several years. The characters are tedious and predictable leaving the reader with little interest in the outcome, even though we know the ending.
    • 5/5
      This novel covers the captive years of Mary, Queen of Scots, who trusted Queen Elizabeth's promise of sanctuary when she fled from rebels in Scotland and then found herself imprisoned as the "guest" of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The newly married couple welcomes the doomed queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court. To their horror, they find that the task will bankrupt them, and as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Elizabeth, their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treachery and treason, or if the great spymaster William Cecil links them to the growing conspiracy to free Mary from her illegal imprisonment, they will all face the headsman.The novel concludes with Bess effectively ‘divorcing’ the Earl and regaining all her land that she brought to the marriage as settlement. The Earl spends the next 16 (?) years living withQueen Mary as a prisoner. Always a gentleman, he never acts on his love for her, and is distraught when Queen Elizabeth eventually orders her beheading for treason and she is killed.Interestingly written. Each short chapter is written in the first person of different characters. The reader gets an insight into the thoughts of Bess, the Earl and Queen Mary.
    • 2/5
      I've only read one other book by Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl) and I love it. So I had high expectations for this one...it didn't meet them. I was really bored with the way the story was told...I feel like the POV was missing from people on the other side of the story. It's possible that she tells Elizabeth's side in a different book, but something could have been included here. Even if it was Cecil's account. It just felt like something was missing.
    • 3/5
      Having just left Sarum and the individual narratives that made up that historical framework I was a bit let-down when I saw that this was similar in style. I personally am not a big fan of the changing viewpoint from the perspective of the three main characters: Mary, Bess and George.The one character that I did find somewhat interesting was Bess - rare to find such a seemingly strong person in charge of their own finances during that time period. There was redundancy about how one woman was more beautiful than the other that got to be a bit much. Read it, now moving on..
    • 4/5
      The Other Queen is a fictional account of the Bloody Queen Mary and her imprisonment. I am not that familiar with England history but have grown a fascination over the past few years. My son tells me to watch the show the Tudors.Queen Elizabeth is Queen Mary's cousin and has imprisoned Mary. Talbot and his wife Bess are in charge of keeping the Queen Mary safe so that she can be placed back as the Queen of Scotland. The story goes on from different points of view. One minute you are reading from the view of Queen Mary, then George Talbot and onto Bess. At first this was confusing but let you see what the other characters were thinking and doing at the same time.
    • 4/5
      Gregory this time presents Mary, Queen of Scots, in a work that follows the monarch's long imprisonment in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his spying wife, Bess. I didn't know a lot about Mary so I found this fictionalized tale more interesting than some of the author's other title. I have to admit getting mixed up as to who is who in the British monarchy, and who lived when and fought with who but really enjoyed this tale.
    • 5/5
      I think this is one of Gregory's best books. I really like the format (moving from one to the other, of each of the three main character's, and showing their view of the same scenario.)
    • 4/5
      Blessed with exceptional beauty, a brilliant mind, and magnificent red hair, the six-foot Mary is striking and unforgettable. She is also Catholic - and a legitimate heir to the thrones of France, Ireland, Scotland, and England. When Mary seeks refuge in her cousin Elizabeth's realm, the English queen arrests her and holds her captive under the watchful eye of Elizabeth's shrewd accomplice Bess Hardwick, recently married to the powerful Earl of Shrewsbury. But what marriage can withstand Mary's bewitching charm or treason's haunting allure?
    • 2/5
      It was boring and uneventful. The pacing was tooooooo slow. I don't even know who's the lead character. I thought it was Mary but it was more Bess. I don't get to connect with any of the characters. All I can say is that they were all fools at that time. One good thing I got from the stoy is the moral lesson : "Patience is a virtue."  
    • 3/5
      Not Ms. Gregory's strongest book that I've read. Not a real likable character in the novel.
    • 2/5
      I loved The Other Boleyn Girl, but I just couldn't finish this one. I thought the subject was boring (exactly why should I care about this queen's short life?) and the writing just wasn't as good. I'll give Gregory another try some other time, but I won't pick this one up again.
    • 4/5
      The heartfelt drama of this story kept me longing to take long car rides so I could continue to listen to it. It follows the Earl of Shrewsbury, his wife Bess of Hardwick, and Queen Mary of Scots and they are thrown together in an impossibly hard situation. Mary is of course a "guest" in England, there by the good graces of her cousin Elizabeth--who could of course always choose to behead her instead. The Earl and his wife Bess are "asked" to host Mary--a task that ends us bankrupting them and destroying their marriage. For the Earl can't help but be captivated by Mary, and Bess can't help but be devastated by this and by the fact that the fortune she brought into the marriage is quickly drained away by the exorbitant expense of keeping a Queen. Each takes turns telling their story--which in the audio version I listened to is expertly narrated--and the author does an excellent job of making this historical characters real people with hopes, dreams, and emotions that capture the heart. I heartily enjoyed it and it made me want to explore the "real story" further--always a plus with historical fiction. Historical fiction fans will love it of course, but also anyone who enjoys getting into the minds of the characters and stories with lots of human drama.
    • 2/5
      I wanted to like this book, I really did. I enjoyed Gregory's other books on the Tudors, and I was eager to read another installment of her novelizations based on her extensive knowledge of European monarchies. I can honestly say that I'm not sure what put me off - the writing seemed more abrupt somehow, and it may have been part of trying to write the character, but I found it choppy and difficult to immerse myself in the story. Further, I admit, I really had no use for Mary as she was depicted here (I say that because obviously I have no idea what I'd have thought of her in person). I tend to be drawn to characters far more than plot - if I don't care about a character, then I don't much care what happens to them - and frankly, I didn't care what happened to her because she was such a whiney, self important little chit. To some degree, this may well have been Gregory's intention - to develop an image of an immature, selfish woman, and if so, she succeeded, at least for me. Unfortunately, disliking the character made hanging in for the plot (with its obvious ending) not worth my time.
    • 1/5
      It amazes me that such an interesting period in history can be made so boring! This novel dragged. The characters repeated themselves endlessly. Even the action scenes lacked action. And the historical inaccuracies, although minor, were very annoying. I only continued the book in the hope that it would improve, and once it became obvious that it wouldn't improve, I only finished the book because I had already invested so much time in it.In short, if you're thinking about picking this book up, read something else. If you're interested in Mary, Queen of Scots, read Alison Weir's book