- Audio CD
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Abridged edition (Nov 16 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 074353980X
- ISBN-13: 978-0743539807
- Product Dimensions: 14.7 x 12.7 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Gregory captivates again with this expertly crafted historical about the beautiful young Virgin Queen, portrayed as a narcissistic, neurotic home-wrecker. As in her previous novels about Tudor England (The Queen's Fool, etc.), Gregory amasses a wealth of colorful period detail to depict the shaky first days of Elizabeth I's reign. The year is 1558, an especially dangerous time for the nation: no bishop will coronate Henry VIII's Protestant daughter, the treasury is bankrupt, the army is unpaid and demoralized. Meanwhile, the French are occupying Scotland and threatening to install "that woman"—Mary, Queen of Scots—on the throne. Ignoring the matrimonial advice of pragmatic Secretary of State William Cecil, the 25-year-old Elizabeth persists in stringing along Europe's most eligible bachelors, including King Philip of Spain and the Hapsburg archduke Ferdinand. It's no secret why: she's fallen for her "dark, saturnine" master of horse, Sir Robert Dudley, whose traitorous family history and marriage to the privately Catholic Amy make him an unsuitable consort. Gregory deftly depicts this love triangle as both larger than life and all too familiar; all three characters are sympathetic without being likable, particularly the arch-mistress Elizabeth, who pouts, throws tantrums, connives and betrays with queenly impunity. After a while the plot stagnates, as the lovers flaunt their emotions in the face of repetitious arguments from Amy, Cecil and various other scandalized members of the court. But readers addicted to Gregory's intelligent, well-researched tales of intrigue and romance will be enthralled, right down to the teasingly tragic ending.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
The story of Queen Elizabeth I and her court has been told countlessly in historical fiction. This third novel in a popular series following the machinations and passions of the Tudor court presents lively characters, political intrigue, and soaring emotions swirling around the early years of Elizabeth's reign. Lifelong friend Robert Dudley and Elizabeth share an ardent love affair, but the married Robert is already tainted with a traitor's brush. In addition, his wife, the devoted Amy, will never relinquish him. In tandem with her illicit liaison, Elizabeth conspires with William Cecil, her most trusted counselor, to secure the wealth of her court and country by building a secret cache of gold. The coin of the realm's new value will financially ruin Dudley. Readers already know how history unfolds but will quickly turn pages to the story's end. Elizabeth's manipulations, Dudley's allegiance, and Cecil's political plotting come together in an engaging story. The first two novels in the series were book-club favorites, and expect this one to follow suit--and expect further entries in this rousing series. Kaite Mediatore
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
IN HIS DREAM he saw once again the rough floorboards of the empty room, the sandstone mantelpiece over the big fireplace with their names carved into it, and the leaded window, set high in the stone wall. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
IN HIS DREAM he saw once again the rough floorboards of the empty room, the sandstone mantelpiece over the big fireplace with their names carved into it, and the leaded window, set high in the stone wall. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well Written but Watered Down,
By
This review is from: The Virgin's Lover (Audio CD)
This is the third Philippa Gregory novel that I have read. While I found it entertaining, it seemed watered down. I see Elizabeth I as a strong, larger than life character. It seems that Gregory sees her as a weak female who couldn't make decisions for herself. She was portrayed more as a men's puppet than a queen in her own right. I much preferred Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Virgin's Lover,
By
This review is from: Virgin's Lover (Paperback)
This is perhaps the most boring book I have ever read! Such a drastic difference from the other book that I read by this author "The Other Boleyn Girl".
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Notorious Love Affair,
By
This review is from: Virgin's Lover (Paperback)
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 resources to protect her position and only a few trusted counselors (William Cecil and Robert Dudley) helping her rule the country. Cecil is a devoted man who believes England should remain in the hands of the Protestant Queen. The ambitious Dudley is constantly looking for court favors and is a childhood friend hopelessly in love with her. This poses a critical impediment, Robert Dudley is married to Amy Robsart an unassuming woman waiting patiently for his return. Elizabeth and Dudley's romance fills the court full of intrigues, whispers, gossip and treachery while the country is on the brink of war. Problems are compounded when Amy is found dead sending Elizabeth and Robert into a struggle for survival. This romantic historically based fiction depicts the notorious love affairs of royalty. Ms Gregory brings her main characters and events to life by covering an abundance of period details with a wonderful blend of fantasy and fact. Robert is painted as a ruthless and manipulative man with the ultimate goal of obtaining power. Elizabeth is an emotional and indecisive sovereign torn between country and love, Amy an outcast is an innocent and a resolute individual languishing with a broken heart for her husband's return. This cross between a love story and a murder mystery presents a rich tapestry of a country torn apart by religious wrangling, poverty and one that is titillated with royal scandals. It is history brought to live in a very entertaining way.
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