Elizabeth I: A Novel [Hardcover]

Margaret George (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 5, 2011

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 Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel- bedecked woman who pinched pennies. England's greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. But what was she really like?

In this novel, her flame-haired, lookalike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth's rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth's throne, Lettice had been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country, and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family and each vying to convince the reader of her own private vision of the truth about Elizabeth's character. Their gripping drama is acted out at the height of the flowering of the Elizabethan age. Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake-all of them swirl through these pages as they swirled through the court and on the high seas.

This is a magnificent, stay-up-all-night page-turner that is George's finest and most compelling novel and one that is sure to please readers of Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory, and Hilary Mantel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Personal and political conflicts among such larger-than-life historical figures as Francis Bacon, Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, and Will Shakespeare intertwine in George's meticulously envisioned portrait of Elizabeth I during the last 25 years of her reign. Unlike most contemporary depictions of the Virgin Queen, this one is actually a virgin; she's married to England, whose interests she pursues with shrewdness, courage, and wisdom borne of surviving the deaths of her family. Readers see the queen through her own eyes and those of her cousin, Lettice Knollys, wife of Elizabethan heartthrob Robert Dudley, aka the earl of Leicester. Elizabeth's antithesis, thrice-married and much-bedded Lettice, is driven by passion and self-interest, easily evidenced by the story's beginnings: it's 1588, and Elizabeth meets the threat of the Spanish Armada head-on while Lettice calculates how her son might benefit. Like her heroine, George (The Autobiography of Henry VIII) possesses an eye for beauty and a knack for detail, creating a vibrant story that, for nearly 700 pages, enables readers to experience firsthand Elizabeth's decisions, triumphs, and losses. Rather than turn Elizabeth I into a romantic heroine, George painstakingly reveals a monarch who defined an era. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Having already tackled Henry VIII (The Autobiography of Henry VIII, 1986) and Mary, Queen of Scots (Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, 1992), George now turns to Elizabeth I. Narrating her own story, Elizabeth is in late middle age, still formidable, but having hot flashes and keeping notes as a memory aid. Robert Dudley, the love of her life, dies early on, and one by one she loses most of her other trusted councillors as well. Dudley�s ambitious and wayward stepson Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex, arrives at court and becomes her last great favorite. As she did in The Autobiography of Henry VIII, George adds an extra dimension by providing a second narrator; here it is Devereaux�s mother (and Dudley�s widow), Lettice Knollys. Banished from court because of an irregular marriage, Knollys conducts an adventurous sex life (one of her lovers is Will Shakespeare) and schemes to push Devereaux into power and restore the family fortunes. George�s mastery of period detail and her sure navigation through the rocky shoals of Elizabethan politics mean this lengthy novel never flags. --Mary Ellen Quinn

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1St Edition edition (April 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780670022533
• ISBN-13: 978-0670022533
• ASIN: 0670022535
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret George specializes in epic fictional biographies of historical figures, taking pains to make them as factually accurate as possible without compromising the drama. Her THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY VIII will have its 25th anniversary this September, and continues to be popular. ABC-TV based its 1999 Emmy-nominated "Cleopatra" miniseries on her THE MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA. All of her books have been bestsellers, with twenty-one foreign translations.

Margaret's father was in the Foreign Service and so she lived overseas for her early life, in such different places as tropical Taiwan, desert Israel, and cold war Berlin, all of which were great training for a novelist to be. She started writing 'books' about the same time as she could write at all, mainly for her own entertainment. It was a diversion she never outgrew. Her published works are: THE AUTOBIOGAPHY OF HENRY VIII, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTLAND AND THE ISLES, THE MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA, MARY CALLED MAGDALENE, HELEN OF TROY, ELIZABETH I, and an illustrated children's book, LUCILLE LOST.

Margaret lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and Washington DC, and has a sextagenarian tortoise as a pet.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh Perspective on the Later Years of Elizabeth I April 5, 2011

By Holly Weiss VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Article first published as Book Review: Elizabeth I by Margaret George on Blogcritics.

Be awed by the presence of Elizabeth Tudor, the woman behind the sovereign, as you explore the humanity of the indomitable Virgin Queen of England through the pages of Elizabeth I. Margaret George's meticulously researched first person account of the last thirty years of the queen's life is an enthralling breath of fresh air. Biographies of Elizabeth I abound. George gives the Tudor-loving world a unique novel, written in both in Elizabeth's voice and also that of her childhood nemesis, Lettice Knollys.

What was Queen Elizabeth I really like? The novel opens in 1588 when Elizabeth Tudor faces her greatest challenge, the Spanish Armada. Written with a consistently regal tone, the book gives us a mirror into the humanity of Elizabeth, the woman. Yet, the author masterfully incorporates the thoughts, actions and attitudes illuminating the greatness of The Virgin Queen who ruled England for forty-five years. Glimpses into the brilliance and machinations of Shakespeare, Francis Bacon and Sir Walter Raleigh abound. Skillfully woven into the book are both the human and regal facets of the queen who "ruled as much from the heart as from the head."

We see the regent's success and love for her people. Queen Elizabeth's ability to stand for long periods of time seems a metaphor for her triumph as regent. She manages uprisings in Ireland and continued assaults from Spain. She masterfully chooses advisors for her privy council perfectly suited to their jobs. In a nation beset with famine, the queen imbues calm. In an attempt to keep the plague under control, Elizabeth closes theaters and concerts and sends provisions to survivors. We view her humbly conduct an intimate ceremony of kissing and washing the feet of her subjects on Maundy Thursday (modeled after Jesus Christ doing the same for his disciples) while giving each twenty shillings and gifts of food.

No sovereign rules without frustrations. Queen Elizabeth's include controlling the sulking, deceitful Earl of Essex, stepson of her beloved Leicester. She sees her navy successfully avert an attack from the Spanish Armada, only to learn that no needed booty was seized. She juggles insufficient resources to provide food for the needy after three years of failed harvests. To provide her beloved kingdom with funds, she must decide which jewels to pawn. As she approaches the age of seventy, she persists in dodging the matter of her successor, not out of a lack of responsibility but because she wanted to settle it in her own way. Other problems continue: Ireland, Spain, stiff-necked Puritans, and prejudiced Catholics. She watches her most trusted advisors in the Privy Council die off one by one.

The novel brilliantly sheds light on Elizabeth's humanity without losing any reverence for her scepter. Called a stingy penny-pincher, the queen wore elaborate gowns and owned the finest collection of jewels in Europe. Why? Perception is reality. Her brave show encouraged the nation she pulled out of poverty. Particularly touching scenes depict her feeding broth and reading the Bible to beloved advisors Walsingham and Burghley on their deathbeds. She gallops on horseback across the fields to be alone and endures hot flashes. Not wanting a reminder of her age, she forbids any celebration of her sixtieth birthday. Her favorite pastime--translating philosophy from the Latin.

Queen Elizabeth's voice is bracketed with that of her cousin, Lettice Knollys, traditionally seen as an ambitious, oft-married hussy and social climber. We see the human side of Lettice as she grieves her son's deaths and grimly accepts the dwindling of her attractiveness due to aging. Her character provides an interesting perception of the queen. She calls Elizabeth cantankerous and meddlesome, but calmly advises her son Essex on subtle ways to regain the regent's favor.

The beautiful book cover is dominated by red roses, symbols of the Tudor dynasty. The cover design features a portrait of Elizabeth, resplendent in the pearls that symbolize royalty. The characteristic elaborate "Z" from her signature is worked into the book's title, Elizabeth I .A shaded image of a young courtier, perhaps that of Robert of Devereux, Earl of Essex, appears to defer to the queen or to intrude into her thoughts.

At age ten, while living in Israel, author Margaret George ran out of books to read and began writing novels to amuse herself. Now, a premier historical novelist, known for her intense and impeccable research, she writes England's most famous queen during the last years of her reign to life. One need only read the Afterword to her book with numerous citations to sources consulted to respect George's dedication to research. Most interesting is her humble thanks to the queen in her Acknowledgements. "...the spirit of Elizabeth...hovered over the book as it was taking shape and whispered her guidance."
A listing of the cast of characters with descriptions of their relationship to the queen would be a helpful addition to this novel. The writing is meticulous, if not at times, a bit too detailed.

No author, to this reviewer's knowledge, has attempted a work of fiction that gives us such a microscope into the humanity of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I.

I thank Goodreads.com and Penguin Group USA provided the advance review copy. The opinions expressed are unbiased and wholly those of the reviewer.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Three cheers for her majesty, a prince and better than a king." April 5, 2011

By Luan Gaines HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Margaret George delivers her fictionalized account of Elizabeth Tudor's waning years with the same clarity and attention to historical detail as her nonfiction Autobiography of Henry VIII, her novel grounded in fact, a character study that fleshes out the Virgin Queen in all her splendor and her vanity. Beginning with Philip of Spain's imminent threat by sea in 1588 ("The great size of the Armada, meant to ensure a safe passage, can be its very undoing."), a pivotal battle in Elizabeth's long reign, to the queen's infamous relationship with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, the queen in middle age is as formidable as in her youth, painfully conscious of the price of ruling England on her own. George beautifully illustrates the tender, if often fractious commitment between Elizabeth and Leicester, the queen literally bereft when Dudley dies, then Francis Walsingham, old friends and counselors falling away from the ship of state, claimed one by one by mortality.

It is no surprise, then, when Elizabeth is increasingly enchanted by the volatile Essex. And though popular fiction makes much of the passion between Elizabeth and Essex, George reveals the deeper and more ambitious tensions of a young man without vision and an excess of pride, Dudley's devotion sadly lacking in an arrogant earl who fancies himself Elizabeth's equal: "Essex was eager to gallop off to glory, but he had no destination." Lettice Knollys, Elizabeth's cousin and Essex's mother, provides the Devereux perspective. A woman long given to enjoying the amour of younger men, especially since Leicester's death- a marriage that earns Elizabeth's enduring enmity- Lettice wallows in her own self-obsession, nurturing her son's hopes and providing a breeding ground for his ultimate betrayal. While the story of Elizabeth and Essex is familiar, George brings to it a depth that reveals Elizabeth's internal conflicts, Lettice's dangerous games and Devereux's intemperate ambitions: "It is within my grasp, all I want. Why should I stop now?"

The cast of characters is fully realized, Francis Walsingham, William Cecil, the charming rogue and foil to Essex's machinations, Sir Walter Raleigh, the rapier wit of William Shakespeare and the loyalty of Francis Bacon, who begins with Essex but offers his services entirely to the queen. The real story centers on an ageing Elizabeth and the opportunistic Essex, a man whose instincts deliver him into the queen's orbit, but whose ambitions destroy: "The queen will never be safe as long as I live." The anguish of loneliness may dominate Elizabeth's private thoughts, but never usurp her dedication to England. Fickle, foolish perhaps, but Elizabeth Tudor is a stellar character in the history of England. Facing a painful contretemps with a young man who will not ask for mercy, Elizabeth, while tormented by duty, will never place her personal needs before those of her country: "I do not wish to live longer than my life can serve my people." As anticipated, George once again contributes an essential volume to an impressive body of work, the world of the 16th century England brimming with the hubris and magnificence of Elizabeth's Tudor court. Luan Gaines/2011.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A very long, detailed audiobook August 23, 2011

By M. Jacobsen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I chose to listen to the unabridged audiobook of this newest Margaret George historical fiction novel about the latter half of the reign of Elizabeth I and it was, perhaps, not the best choice. Although the narrator did a fine job, the novel is so buried in every conceivable historical detail that it bogs down the story. If one was reading the actual novel, it would have been possible to better "skim" when needed (such as the 20 minute descriptions of some obscure courtiers funeral, of which there are many). By the time the mundane details are laid out, one forgets where we actually were in the storyline.

But there are some very, very good things about this novel, chief amongst them the alternating first person POVs between Elizabeth I and her romantic rival and cousin, Lettice Knollys. Lettice, of course, married Elizabeth's favorite courtier, Robert Dudley and was mother to Robert Devereux, who Elizabeth would later have executed for treason.

The entire novel focuses on Elizabeth's later years, during which Robert Devereux rose in her favor and then later sunk into rebellion. These moments of the novel are the most compelling, along with the fictional relationship between Lettice and Shakespeare himself.

I do recommend the novel (especially for you Elizabeth fans out there!), but I recommend in the paper version. I think you'll get much more enjoyment out of it than with the audio version.