Elizabeth I

A Novel

By: Margaret George

Narrated by: Kate Reading

New York Times best-selling 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, 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. 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 listener of her own private vision of the truth about Elizabeth's character. Their gripping drama is acted out at the height Elizabethan age's flowering. Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake - all of them swirl through this novel as they swirled through the court and on the high seas.

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

©2011 Margaret George (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

“Deeply engaging, it sets a new benchmark for the genre.” (New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir)

“A rare unfusty take on the Virgin Queen.” (Vogue)

Fascinating Listen

I had never read about Elizabeth's later life, so found this story fascinating for that reason alone. Margaret George also tells a great story. The characters really come to life, and I found myself caring about so many of them. The narrator was excellent. I have just downloaded Margaret George's book, The Autobiography of Henry VIII, which sounds as good if not better.

Not boring to me

I didn???t find this book at all boring as others have but then it might be that much of the information about the Tudor era is new to me. Perhaps some scenes could have been cut but I thought they all added to the story. Plus, I thought Kate Reading gave an excellent performance

This story made me think of an odd kind of organic chemistry where two (and more) compounds come together, share electrons, separate, combine with others and then come together again,,, the two main compounds being Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Lettice and the story of how their lives orbited about and entwined with each other.

Perhaps the lack of instant explosive reactions made the story too slow for some but I thought it was a good picture of a time without electronics, digital gadgets and other forms of instant communication. It could take weeks to learn of a battle's outcome and waiting for the answer to a letter must have seemed like forever. The fact that religion and superstition were on the same plane as pseudo-science could only muddy the already murky waters of understanding.

One thing that resonated strongly for me was the Crown's concern with money ??? ???There is no money??? ???We don???t have the money??? The Queen was constantly concerned with finances and Parliament allowed that having a frugal and non-married monarch was a good deal financially. Still she would have to be very creative to get money approved for projects.

WOW A government that had to live within its means! What a concept! I guess borrowing the country into oblivion is a recent concept!

Very Enjoyable!

Hundreds of novels have been written about Elizabeth I, so one wonders, what could be written about her life that hasn't been covered before? Margaret George takes as her subject a less familiar period of Elizabeth's life, the last 15 years or so, from the approach of the Spanish Armada to her death in 1603. It's a daring decision, since what we generally think of as the most exciting events in her reign--her imprisonment by her half-sister Mary, her dalliance Thomas Seymour, her ascendance to the throne, the string of foreign suitors and her 'affair' with Robert Dudley, the arrest of her cousin Mary of Scotland, etc.--have already occurred. So what could there be in the life of an aging queen that is worthy of another massive tome?

Plenty--especially if you are a reader who is more interested in characters than action. And George starts us off with plenty of action as the English troops prepare to meet the Armada. We're introduced to some of the major players of the period: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the leader of Elizabeth's troops; her spymaster Frances Walsingham (incongruously clad in armor); Sir Walter Raleigh; Secretary Burleigh; Leicester's stepson, the Earl of Essex;--the list goes on.

But characters drive this novel. By focusing on an aging queen with aging advisors who are often in conflict with the younger members of the council, George finds a reason to explore relationships, the changes wrought by maturity and experience, and a growing generation gap that affects both court and country. The effect is enhanced by dividing the novel between two narrators, Elizabeth and her cousin Lettice Knollys. The ten years younger, more beautiful, and thrice-married Lettice is the granddaughter of Mary Boleyn, sister of the queen's doomed mother. A third Boleyn cousin, Catherine Knollys, enters the picture as one of Elizabeth's foremost ladies in waiting. It is Catherine who observes near the end of the book that together they represent the three paths of womanhood: one a life-long virgin, one thrice widowed, and one happily married to the same man since her youth.

While Elizabeth and Lettice would seem to be polar opposites (and Lettice had incurred the queen's lifelong enmity for seducing away and marrying Leicester), George's narrative subtly reveals the similarities between them as well. For one thing, both have learned the value of patience; for another, both reflect on the mistakes and lessons of the past and on the process of aging. Whatever else she may be, Lettice is also a devoted mother; and George depicts Elizabeth as a mother much devoted to her "children," the people of England, as well as to her many godchildren. In the case of Elizabeth, George attempts to dig below the myths and give us a closer look at the woman behind the face paint and the crown. The double narratives remind us of how difficult it was to be a woman in those days, especially for a woman who had to remind the world that she was a prince as well.

Now, don't get the impression that this book is all thought and no action. After all, we are talking about a period that encompassed the invasion of the Armada and the continued threat from Spain, the Lopez 'plot,' the Irish wars, the Essex rebellion, the problem of the succession, and more. And for good measure, George imagines a dalliance between Lettice and that upstart playwright William Shakespeare. (Both women comment on his work and ponder its relevance--and John Donne makes two appearances as well.) In short, George gives us a brimming picture of life, both public and private, in late Elizabethan England.

Fabulous!

Where does Elizabeth I rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a great example of how a book that is historical in nature can be enjoyed while listening to it.

What did you like best about this story?

The history of the subject. You could smell the body odors from how it was written. One tends to forget running water wasn't available always.

What about Kate Reading’s performance did you like?

This book was well spoken, enjoyed and understood.

If you could take any character from Elizabeth I out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Catherine, the Queen's cousin. Would like to hear her side.

Any additional comments?

long story, and worth the time. I learned from this book.

Excellent!! More like history than fiction!

If you could sum up Elizabeth I in three words, what would they be?

compelling, must read!

What other book might you compare Elizabeth I to and why?

Any of Philipa Gregory books only I liked this one better! Reason: similar genre

What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

excellent reading skills and accurate depiction, helping the listener to visualize the story.

Any additional comments?

This book included information about the Boleyn family, historical figures, and cultural facts that help the reader understand Elizabeth I 's family and time period in a creative novel.

No action, no plot

I have enjoyed previous books by this author. I agree with other reviews, this is mostly a recitation of events from Elizabeth 1's perspective, little depth in characters. I listened to the entire book, hours and hours.

Boring - Was it the writer or the reader or both?

I have enjoyed other Margaret George books I have read - Henry VIII, Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scot and Helen of Troy. I have a lot of interest in Elizabeth I. I have always found her one of the most intriguing women in history. I had absolutely no interest in Helen of Troy. So why did I enjoy the Helen novel and not the Elizabeth novel? That is a question I am asking myself. Typically the joy of a long book is that you get to know the characters so deeply. The author mentions at the end that Elizabeth's contemporaries felt they never knew what Elizabeth was thinking and I felt the same about the author. I couldn't feel for Elizabeth because I didn't know her. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters. It felt hollow. There were some very interesting facts that I was unaware of about both people and events. Had the book been shortened in half I could have still found those out and known just as much about the characters. What didn't help is I found the reader unbelievable. If George was confused about Elizabeth's character Reading seemed lost. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book better if I had read it myself. If Margaret George writes another book I will buy. Even the best writers have a book that just isn't as good as the others and the author had set herself a high level to meet. I don't think I will try the reader again though, unless it is for something fluffy.

A new look at this Grande Tudor Monarch.

Having devoured two books by the same author, those being The Autobiography of Henry VIII and Mary Queen of Scotts I could not get into Elizabeth I fast enough.

Initially I listened to the first nine hours and I became so frustrated with the mispronounced names, the 'effected' voice inflection and "how the heck did we get to her 50th birthday so fast?" that I was ready to return this to audible.com.

However the magic happened at hour nine so I decided to go back to the beginning again. I realized that this was a concentration on two decades of her life. A very important two decades at that. Ms. George has, by her own admission in the Afterward added a little for dramatic purposes but only to illustrate a point which she does beautifully.

I fell in love with the characters and understood this Queen more than I ever have before. I had never really questioned how she had felt about her Mother or her Father for killing the woman that gave her life.

If you enjoy English history and would like to know more about Queen Elizabeth I's forgotten years you will not be disappointed.

A Triumph!

I found this story to be a triumph in an Elizabeth novel. While being historically factual as it can be it was still interesting! And it was a story not a history book. I highly recommend it if you have an interest in Queen Elizabeth. I also would recommend The Marriage Game. It is a good book that I think is a good one to read before this one.

I’m stingy with stars but…!!!

What a joy to listen to the years of Gloriana that are so often overlooked. I loved everything. I’m a narrator snob and this narrator did not bother me in the least though other reviewers did not like her. It’s simply a beautiful work of very historical fiction.