The Red Queen

A Novel

De: Philippa Gregory

Narrado por: Bianca Amato

Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin, Henry VI, fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret is when she discovers that her mother is sending her to a loveless marriage in remote Wales.

Listen to An interview with Bianca Amato, narrator of The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.©2010 Philippa Gregory Limited. All rights reserved. (P)2010 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Nobody does the Tudors better than Gregory ( The Other Boleyn Girl), so it should come as no surprise that her latest—the War of the Roses as seen through the eyes of Henry VII's mother —is confident, colorful, convincing, and full of conflict, betrayal, and political maneuvering....[L]ike Margaret Beaufort, Gregory puts her many imitators to shame by dint of unequalled energy, focus, and unwavering execution." ( Publishers Weekly)

You Gotta Read It...Resign Yourself

What did you love best about The Red Queen?

It's hard to say. It wasn't a book I loved. It was -- on one hand -- KIND OF interesting to read the story from Margaret Beaufort's perspective, but on the other, it isn't a particularly sympathetic one. Because it's part of a series, you really should read it, but it's not the best of them so far.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Check it off the list. Since you know how it ends, there was no real climax.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Bianca Amato does a great job of reading a rather unimpressive book. Great affect, great interpretation...just not fantastic material.

If you could take any character from The Red Queen out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Elizabeth Woodville!! HA HA!! Sorry, but the white queen SO outshines the red one...

Any additional comments?

I love Philippa Gregory! But I have to admit that this wasn't one of her better books. I have to agree with other reviewers I read (before purchasing the book) that the events have been recounted in her other books and the perspective of Margaret Beaufort is singular (her divine duty and/or right) and uninteresting. And yet, I still assert that you have to read it as part of her Cousins War series! But don't let the worst of the reviews dissuade you...you can't NOT read it!

Good Book

I am absolutely enjoying this series! It has even increased my interested in English history!

off with her head....please....

I love ms. gregory's books...that said, the woman in this book grated my nerves so bad....I really think she was a nutcase...she was whiny and miserable her whole life....and not for one minute do I think God was telling her to do the things she thinks he was telling her to do....

If you didn't already despise Margaret Beaufort...

I liked this overall, but I wonder if Margaret Beaufort could have been portrayed in a more positive light. Did she really lack the self-awareness that Gregory portrays in the story? Also, I would have liked the storyline to go into Henry's reign. I'm sceptical that history actually went down this way, although it's a creative version of the story and entertaining. It's not quite as good as the Lady of the Rivers or the White Queen.

LOVED IT!

This was a surprise to me. Some of the wording used in this made me gasp, think and than, agree. Well written & not wanting to leave the car before the end of the chapter. Thank God for the decrease in sex related themes.

I recommend this book

I enjoyed this book after reading the White Queen because it presented a lot of the same information from a different person's point of view. It really helped solidify a lot of historical events, and gave me a greater understanding of English life in the 1400's. I love Philippa Gregory's books because she is a true historian, and she makes learning fun!

In a lot of reviews, people are saying "She's an unsympathetic queen." First, although she was the mother of King Henry VII and the matriarch of the Tudor line, she really wasn't ever a queen, even if she thought she was. Second, I felt very sympathetic to her plight. She was a young girl who wanted to be a nun. But instead, she was forced into marriage to an older man who raped her every night until she got pregnant. She had a pretty terrible start to life. How can you not be sympathetic to that?

That said, I wouldn't have wanted to have anything to do with her. She was an arrogant, unpleasant, conniving, entitled woman with a judgemental, unpleasant attitude toward everyone else.

I highly recommend this book.

Insufferable but Fascinating

Would you try another book from Philippa Gregory and/or Bianca Amato?

Yes, her painting of life in the era is impeccable. She probably stays true to who Margaret was, but she was not someone I'd have as a friend or even a acquaintance. I think if you were to count the number of times she said that she was "called by God" or something to that effect, it would be several times per chapter.

That said, it was a fascinating listen, replete with the drama of the age and I didn't find myself wanting to walk away from the book. I was just annoyed with Margaret - a lot - during the entire book.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was good. No spoilers - her son, Henry Tudor becomes Henry VII which is an historic fact.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the battles, which were told and narrated from another point of view.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

As long as Margaret didn't say she was "called by God" constantly.

Philippa Gregory!!! Amazing historical fiction

Bianca Amato is amazing. Such good narration. Philippa Gregory is a master. I don't know how she did it but she made me love a book with a completely antagonistic, unlikeable protagonist. The red queen (Margaret, mother of Henry the VIIth) is a total psychotic. Evil and disconnected from reality. Yet, Philippa Gregory is such a master story teller that you can't put the book down even if you hate the protagonist from beginning to end. How does she do it??? This is my least favorite of the series but still deserves a 5 star because it is a Tour the Force!

2nd time and I love it even more

Margaret Tudor is so very flawed, but I find myself with powerful understanding and empathetic admiration.

repetitive

Probably could have been a novella. The man reading Henry Tudor as a French man was really annoying considering he was English and raised in England? Why would he give him a French accent? Good thing those sentences were short and very few. If I took a shot every time she said "will of God" I'd be dead lol. glad to move on to the next novel in the series.