What do you think?
Rate this book
Mary Tudor #3
Bloody Mary
Mary's ill-starred reign approaches its final crisis. Despite her personal misgivings she consents to the cruel - and disastrous - policy of burning Protestants at the stake.Cursed with a cold, disappointed husband and a half-sister impatient for the throne, Mary must play out her lonely, tragic role to the finish.
Hardcover
First published September 1, 1975
4 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Hilda Lewis
48 books40 followersHilda Winifred Lewis (née Maizels, 1896-1974) was a British writer.
She wrote a noted children's book, The Ship that Flew (1939) which concerns Norse mythology and time travel. It was republished in the Oxford Children's Modern Classics series in 1998. Her three YA books, including the well-received The Gentle Falcon, are available for Kindle and iBooks.
Several of her historical novels, e.g. I am Mary Tudor (1972), received attention. Most of her work is now out of print. Wife to Charles II and I, Jacqueline are available in The Book People's historical fiction paperback collection. The Witch and the Priest (1956) about the seventeenth century Lincolnshire witch trials is well worth reading, even second hand in the freely available but lurid Dennis Wheatley paperback Library of the Occult format.
She wrote a noted children's book, The Ship that Flew (1939) which concerns Norse mythology and time travel. It was republished in the Oxford Children's Modern Classics series in 1998. Her three YA books, including the well-received The Gentle Falcon, are available for Kindle and iBooks.
Several of her historical novels, e.g. I am Mary Tudor (1972), received attention. Most of her work is now out of print. Wife to Charles II and I, Jacqueline are available in The Book People's historical fiction paperback collection. The Witch and the Priest (1956) about the seventeenth century Lincolnshire witch trials is well worth reading, even second hand in the freely available but lurid Dennis Wheatley paperback Library of the Occult format.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 17, 2016
I'm not generally tempted to read historical fiction but Mary Tudor and her reign, have always interested me. Was she maligned unfairly when compared with her successor and half sister, Elizabeth, who reigned for almost 40 years longer than Mary?
Psychologically damaged in childhood in all probability and embittered by her life's experiences she sought comfort and succour from her Catholic faith. Her life's mission was to restore England to the Roman Catholic fold. Hilda Lewis sees Mary as a tortured soul, basically kind hearted and just pushed by her Church into condemning heretical Christians to a horrible death for the good of their souls and that of the nation. Into this fanatical brand of Christianity were woven threads of superstition, personal and national. A vengeful God might help Mary to motherhood and smile on the interests of England and Spain if more heretics were consigned to the flames.
Hilda Lewis did not convince me. Mary is here portrayed as a pathetic figure a pawn of Rome and her Spanish husband. False pregnancies, a slow and painful death (almost as painful as being burned at the stake) whilst her eager would-be successor waited in the wings; this was a bleak read. Mary's life was shitty alright but Lewis as novelist/apologist rather drained me of sympathy.
Psychologically damaged in childhood in all probability and embittered by her life's experiences she sought comfort and succour from her Catholic faith. Her life's mission was to restore England to the Roman Catholic fold. Hilda Lewis sees Mary as a tortured soul, basically kind hearted and just pushed by her Church into condemning heretical Christians to a horrible death for the good of their souls and that of the nation. Into this fanatical brand of Christianity were woven threads of superstition, personal and national. A vengeful God might help Mary to motherhood and smile on the interests of England and Spain if more heretics were consigned to the flames.
Hilda Lewis did not convince me. Mary is here portrayed as a pathetic figure a pawn of Rome and her Spanish husband. False pregnancies, a slow and painful death (almost as painful as being burned at the stake) whilst her eager would-be successor waited in the wings; this was a bleak read. Mary's life was shitty alright but Lewis as novelist/apologist rather drained me of sympathy.
December 15, 2010
This is the third book in Lewis's trilogy about Mary I. Like the second book (I haven't read the first), the appeal is not in the action (it's very slow-paced) but in Lewis's psychological exploration of Mary's character. Mary comes across as increasingly paranoid and deluded but remains a sympathetic character, brave in the face of increasing isolation and disillusionment.
July 11, 2019
Once I had started the trilogy, I had to finish it really, didn't I.
Been slightly odd reading books that are as nearly old as me. But I love the smell of a 50 year old hardback that hasn't been opened in decades (in the morning). The style of writing - crisp, slightly twee, is to be expected. So to, the first hand recounting of known historical events.
Later years of Mary Tudor. She's burning the protestants but having major doubts. She's suffering from phantom pregnancies, which are really the tumour that will kill her. Her Spanish Husband is superficially loyal but a Continental player. We are at far with France and lose Calais.
Elizabeth looms large - and I move on to find the best historical fiction that plots her life.
Been slightly odd reading books that are as nearly old as me. But I love the smell of a 50 year old hardback that hasn't been opened in decades (in the morning). The style of writing - crisp, slightly twee, is to be expected. So to, the first hand recounting of known historical events.
Later years of Mary Tudor. She's burning the protestants but having major doubts. She's suffering from phantom pregnancies, which are really the tumour that will kill her. Her Spanish Husband is superficially loyal but a Continental player. We are at far with France and lose Calais.
Elizabeth looms large - and I move on to find the best historical fiction that plots her life.
January 9, 2014
This was the least interesting of the trilogy. Mainly because ti was very very repetitive. Mary wants her king home, council and parliament fight back, Mary dislikes her sister, Mary feels bad for letting her church burn everyone...and repeat. This book could have been written in 100 pages. I did enjoy how she ends the series though. The ending made the book worth it.
August 11, 2007
Must be imported from Britain, third of three.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews