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drjoannehill 's review for:
The Red Queen
by Philippa Gregory
I am not a historical fiction reader in general. My mum is a big Gregory fan and I borrowed this, The Red Queen, with interest as I knew that this and the companion The White Queen had had significant publicity.
However I found this a rather unsatisfying read, mainly for the quality of the writing. There is no depth of description and little to give readers a rich image of list in the 15th century. Maybe this is because it's written in first person by a very self centred character. In which case, it is successful in sticking readers right in the head of the Red Queen, Margaret! I appreciate that not all protagonists should be likeable, but around 3/4ths through I just lost all sympathy for her cause (previously I'd thought she did have a decent case). The ending is a flop; there is little build up to events, nothing of others' motivations or how events actually come to be; things I would be interested in such as how Henry Tudor actually got people to support him after overthrowing Richard III surrounded by almost complete ambivalence in the country to Henry's cause (I hope that's not a spoiler, being English history and all) are not in this book. It really ends up being the singleminded vengeance that lasts decades of a petty and sour character who just wants to be known as The King's Mother.
I won't be reading The White Queen and may not approach other Gregory books I'd been interested in reading such as The Other Boleyn Girl. There are much better written historical novels out there.
However I found this a rather unsatisfying read, mainly for the quality of the writing. There is no depth of description and little to give readers a rich image of list in the 15th century. Maybe this is because it's written in first person by a very self centred character. In which case, it is successful in sticking readers right in the head of the Red Queen, Margaret! I appreciate that not all protagonists should be likeable, but around 3/4ths through I just lost all sympathy for her cause (previously I'd thought she did have a decent case). The ending is a flop; there is little build up to events, nothing of others' motivations or how events actually come to be; things I would be interested in such as how Henry Tudor actually got people to support him after overthrowing Richard III surrounded by almost complete ambivalence in the country to Henry's cause (I hope that's not a spoiler, being English history and all) are not in this book. It really ends up being the singleminded vengeance that lasts decades of a petty and sour character who just wants to be known as The King's Mother.
I won't be reading The White Queen and may not approach other Gregory books I'd been interested in reading such as The Other Boleyn Girl. There are much better written historical novels out there.