Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles

She lived life on her own terms

To write about a ruler who had such a tumultuous life is one thing, but to take all of the historical information of Queen Mary's life, combine it with all the historical information of all the countries involved with her and weave all of it into a novel written from her point of view is quite an undertaking. I feel this novel did great justice to the time period, the history and most of all to Mary and all of those who had contact with her. This novel is beautifully written and flows so well. Right from the beginning, at Mary's birth you can almost feel that the die has been cast against her. Time and again, she makes errors in judgement that nearly cost her her life and narrowly she escapes with it. The story makes you feel her high-spirited rash side and how she was not one to really think and consider things before making a decision. Even when she realizes she will not be able to escape her own doom, she decides to defy all and make herself a martyr for the Catholic faith. This novel shows her as a truly brave and free-spirited woman who probably would have come to a bad end no matter what choices she made. This is a must read for any one who enjoys historical novels.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Historical Fiction At It's Best

Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles is an amazing book! Do not be put off by how long the book is. It is an amazingly quick read because of the amazing storytelling of Margaret George. She truly has the gift of bringing her characters into life and her knowledge of the times is amazing. You can tell the extent of the research that was required to write this book. George does an amazing job of making history fun and even more interesting to learn. If only school books could tell history the way Margaret George does, then maybe we'd all be better off ?

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

What a good story

It didn't take me long to read this book. To me it was very good. So good that I found myself cursing Elizabeth for what she did to Mary, getting mad at the choices Mary made, and crying at the end. I would totally recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about Queen Mary. I'm still mad at Elizabeth! Lol but it was a great read I couldn't put down.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Queen of Scotts/ An awsome piece of work.

Margaret delivers another exciting piece of historical fiction in which, she shows that the Queen of Scott live a very unfortunate life due to innocent bad decision making and being a woman in a patriotic society. This is a must read book and a page turning. Margaret gives such vivid details, that it transforms you into the time period.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Queen that could have been

This is a really wonderful book that is a novel but adheres closely to historical fact. Margaret George has taken fragments and scraps of evidence and woven them into a word tapestry that allows you to visualize the scenes. It reveals the treachery and deceit this young woman had to deal with in trying to establish a viable and working kingdom. It dramatically reveals the price for allowing violent religious acts to infringe on areas belonging to the state and people. For example, the individual right to practice the belief of their choice without persecution. It also reveals what happens when a government becomes almost totally factionalized and those factions change sides from day to day. One knows not who to trust. It also clearly shows when she lost support of others, to include the good Queen Elizabeth, most of the clan leaders, and even her French family support. Cecil, in my opinion, committed Regicide by beheading Queen Mary when he had duped her to get the warrant signed. I do not believe Elizabeth ever intended for it to go that far. It must be remembered that Queen Mary came to England seeking help because she had been unlawfully deposed in her own country and believed she would be received by her sister Queen as a supplicant which she shoud have been by law. She was not. She was treated like a common criminal by being quartered in certain forts by Cecil and was never free again. If there is a Hell, Cecil should be right in the middle of it. Read this book. It is very easy to read and you will not want to put it down. It is a book that you read more than once.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fascinating story!

I had a hard time putting this book down. It is hard to believe that these things actually took place. The author adds a good story line as to what may have actually happened beyond the factual events. After reading this book, it made me want to research anything I could on Mary Queen of Scots.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Mary, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Most people have a passing familiarity with Mary Queen of Scots, but it is Margaret George¿s eloquently written book that gives us a clearer and more fascinating picture of the much romanticized and controversial Queen. From her birth amidst Scottish tragic events, we are taken on an unforgettable journey with Mary as she sets out for France as the intended bride of the Dauphin, only to return to Scotland years later as the anointed Queen of a grief stricken country. Scotland in the 1560s was a place rife with religious wars and civil disputes Mary finds herself embroiled deep in political scandals and surrounded by untrustworthy nobles who only pray for her destruction. The book also tells us of Mary¿s doomed marriage to Lord Darnley, the father of her son, James VI of Scotland ( who would later rule both Scotland and England), and touched on the possibility that she finally found true love with Lord Bothwell, despite the attacks on their union. The last years of her life has Mary imprisoned in England while her supposed `saviour¿ Elizabeth dwells grumpily on what to do with her. Mary¿s enemies triumphs when the ill-fated Queen is implicated in the Babington Plot to murder Queen Elizabeth and the latter finally signs a warrant of execution. On 8 February 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots, resplendent in a ruby red gown, was led to the scaffold. After two attempts, the executioner held up the severed head of Mary for all to see- marking the end of a sad and tumultuous life belonging to a woman who could have been Queen of Europe¿s three powerful countries ¿ France, Scotland and England. This book was a perfect blend of fiction and historical prose. We are able to enjoy Mary from the cradle to the grave as the writer spins a delicate tale while depicting Mary as an infinitely flawed yet endearing young woman. Mary, Queen of Scots, has impelled questions for centuries : ` Was she victim or villain?¿ Author Margaret George has successfully weaved her into a complex character that neither confirms nor rebuts her as a villain or victim, but rather of a flighty woman who ruled with her heart, only to lose her head over it. A gripping and tragic story told with enthusiasm and attention to detail. As to its heavyweight size, historical freaks will certainly be too engrossed in the novel to be daunted by its 900 page volume. Readers will find themselves immersed in the most enlightening history lesson.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

By far the best!

This book still makes me cry, and I read it a few years back...just jumping back on the bandwagon is definitely making me want to pull it back off the shelf...doing that now!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing!!

At first I was a little intimidated by the length of the novel but once I started reading, there was no putting it down. I loved this book!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

MAJOR PAGE TURNER

Best book ever! Very insightful. brings you right into the life and times of Mary.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Lost Interest

This started out really good and kept me entertained until Mary loses her title. It started to d r a g then I started to feel bored just thinking about picking it up again. I love this type of fiction but it has to keep my interest...maybe in the future I will try to finish it.

Highly Recommended

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles is a very interesting and well-written book and I would definitely recommend it. The best part of reading it on my Nook is that I can enlarge the font which helps eliminate my previous eye strain!

filth and debauchery

This novel now rests as ashes in my fireplace, unfinished.

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

mary, queen of scots

Good biography but too long and too detailed on unimportant side details....childhood, fashions, scenery, but important battles were conducted in a few parahraphs and deaths of some key figures in one sentence ! Over 1100 pages was just too much.

A disappointment

Having read Margaret George's spectacular, Autobiography of Henry VIII, I looked forward to Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles. It lacks the depth of Henry VIII; the writing is superficial.

A Long Book Doesn't Deliver a Good Story

My complaint about this novel is the unnecessary sexual details that Margaret George deluges into the character of Lord Darnley. For the other faults of this novel, namely that it is plotless the first three-hundred pages, and her characters are inconsistent with themselves to become unbelievable. The sexual grossness of Darnley makes the book unentertaining, gross, and unattractive. I feel gipped out of a good story and my hard earned money.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellently Written

Margaret George did an amazing job writing this! Mary was so believable. I felt like I was actually her at times, and could feel her emotions. Definitely a great read!

MARGARET GEORGE IS AMAZING

margaret george captures the romantic, wily, tragic queen perfectly. i'm pleased that she was neither made to resemble a 100% innocent martyr NOR a heartless, overambitious villain, as tends to be done in many other accounts. margaret george is a wonderful writer. She does write a lot of dialogue. in between all the talking, however, she alternately paints lovely emotional landscapes, feelings of terror and paranoia, swashbuckling adventure, frustrating politics, and beautiful descriptions of the land. THIS STORY HAS IT ALL!!! She is a gifted story teller.

A nose wrinkler!

Nothing against George, I think she is a wonderful writer, and wrote this book very well. However, Mary's life was nothing to write about in my opinion. The book was very boring, her life bland. Going into the book, I thought well of Mary, and held her aloft in my mind, as I would any royal person in the past I was familiar with. But now, reading her story, I can't believe she has managed to actually have a story. She was weak, didn't do anything for herself, or her people to better the country. The only reason people seem to write about her is because her country was wrongly taken away from her. That's fine. Many a ruler has had problems, lost their country, etc. But to merit an 800 plus page story about just that fact? No. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I want my twenty bucks back! :'

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Must admit I was impressed

What a story. Who knew. A friend recommended it and I had reservations about reading some huge book about a queen. Wow. Glad I read it. It has everything in it that a fictional writer could cook up.(seriously..I had to google parts to make sure she wasn't making things up). I really enjoyed the story and history lesson. Could be shortend just a tiny bit, but other than that it was great!!