Bloody Mary: The Life Of Mary Tudor (2015) - Plot & Excerpts
Mary started as a delicate little girl who overcame many hurdles and became Ruler of England. Carolly Erickson brilliantly illustrates Mary’s life in Bloody Mary.The life of Mary, daughter to King Henry and Katherine of Argon, was filled with backstabbing, power hungry people and danger around every corner. Throughout her “charmed” childhood Mary was taught to be a “slave” to men. Her tutor, Vives, taught her that all women are inferior to men and that women are “inherently the devils instrument, and not Christ’s”. Mary also saw her dad mistreating her mom while they were going through a “divorce”. When Mary became Ruler she was trying to fix England’s debt, while fighting off many illnesses.Bloody Mary is a very factual book written about the life of Mary. Although the book tells a lot about Mary’s life fairly, the title does not. I think the title shows the authors opinion and doesn’t reflect positively on Mary. Although the book was filled with mostly facts, there are some opinions scattered here and there in the book. A quote showing the authors opinion, “For Mary the tortuous years of royal divorce were a time of shocks, disillusionment and anguish”. The author didn’t know exactly what Mary was thinking or feelings at the time, didn’t have proof and wasn’t there. Another example, “Charles, who was anything but continent and was by this time, considering marrying someone else…” This shows the authors opinions on Charles, because he only saw Mary as a diplomatic alliance and not as a bride.Carolly Erickson is known for her nonfiction books about famous historical figures. I think she did a very good job on Bloody Mary. Carolly Erickson tells Mary’s story in third person. The book is sorted into parts and chapters. There are five parts, one for each period of Mary’s life. The chapters begin with a little poem, written in Old English. These poems relate to the chapters written about that time in Mary’s life. The book was very detailed and sometimes droned on and on about facts. It gave descriptions about the wars that went on, but mostly focused on the social aspect of royal life, specifically Mary’s.“The Lady Mary is proclaimed Queen!” Through all the adversity Mary was exposed to, she still became the First Female Ruler of England”
This may not represent current research, but is still a highly well-written and easily readable biography of Mary Tudor, ill-fated Catholic queen of England. A very tragic story of a child growing up in the shadow of Henry VIII. She overcomes great odds in her accession to the throne of England, but all her hopes are terribly disappointed and she dies within five years. Mary is far more complex than the ironically chosen title, "Bloody Mary," would seem to suggest. Over 300 Protestants burned as heretics during her reign, but how did it come to that? Was she truly to blame?Of course, there's a great deal more to her life than this episode. The Mary emerging in these pages is a very human, gifted, tragically flawed individual whose great vision and hopes seem almost fated for disappointment. Her greatest sin? Perhpas it was falling in love with Philip II of Spain, rather than seeking a less fulfilling but more politically effective marriage. Or maybe it was in defiantly remaining a faithful Catholic, and desiring to correct the abberations and innovations creeping in since her father's divorce from her mother. A fascinating study that reveals just how complicated moral virtue, fate, freedom, chance, historical/cultural environment can all be in shaping who we are and where we end up.
What do You think about Bloody Mary: The Life Of Mary Tudor (2015)?
A superb biography of Mary Tudor. The book forgoes lambasting her for the religious turmoil that besieged her reign and delves into the more human qualities which define her character. I came away feeling that perhaps she has been much maligned by other depictions of her life. This grandchild of colossal rulers, descended from Isabella & Ferdinand, as well as Henry the VII who firmly reclaimed the throne of England from the Yorkists on the field of battle, comported herself in a manner befitting her illustrious heritage. It was her steadfast determination and iron will that enabled her to be the first female crowned monarch of England. This biography gives insights into the many tribulations that refined and strengthened her character. I would highly recommend it as a more fairly balanced study of Mary Tudor. I chose the audiobook version to enjoy while traveling and was pleased to find it well narrated.
—Lisa Shields
Ho tanta invidia per le anime belle che sono seriamente convinte che Maria sia stata l'unica sovrana 'sanguinaria' della Storia, ma pure solo dell'Inghilterra o della sua famiglia, tanto per restringere il cerchio. Ho invidia di quell'ingenuità d'animo, di quello sguardo vergine sul mondo, della capacità di farsi conquistare dallo slogan e di accettare le verità impacchettate e servite col fiocco. La vita di Maria Tudor, figlia di Enrico VIII e di quella gran donna che fu la sua prima moglie, è una delle cose più tristi, miserabili e miserevoli che si possano leggere. Se avete compassione, vi verrà voglia di cancellare col pennarello tutti i "Bloody" e i "Sanguinaria" che troverete in giro, e di denunciare chiunque abbia chiamato "Bloody Mary" il drink color sangue. Se non avete compassione, da schifosi che siete, ne riderete. In ogni caso, magari, ma dico magari, capirete che a inquadrare la cosa storicamente, il rogo dei protestanti non era niente di diverso da quello che facevano tutti i re e principi e signorotti con un minimo di potere. Cambiava solo, come direbbe Renzi (a proposito di slogan), la squadra in cui giocavano. Maria era ormai sul versante sbagliato della Storia. Chissà com'è che Tommaso Moro è Santo e lei è la Sanguinaria.
—L'aura
A clear and concise fictional novel. It goes into Mary's personality in depth, you forget it is actually fiction, based on facts from her correspondences and from people around her.She was a pious woman,who had strong religious convictions, which she needed ,to stand up to her father, during the years of her bastardy. She was also well educated for a woman of that time. Her father insisted she learn Latin and Greek. She was the first female to ascend to the throne of England. She was not deficit in her lineage ,as she was the grand-daughter of Queen Isabella of SpainMary suffered tremendously from Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn. She was denied clothing and proper nutrition, in order to break her will. Eventually she did come to the throne and she brought about the return of Catholicism to England, but it was not with out a bloodletting.She was instrumental in allowing persecutions against those who did not recognize the Church. Therefore the name Bloody Mary. She died leaving no heirs making way for her half sister, Elizabeth to ascend to the throne of England.There has been theories that maybe she was poisoned,but nothing was ever proven.
—Carol
