The Marriage Game

Author Weir writes about royalty in such a way that we not only understand their times and conflicts but also see into their hearts. Here, listeners follow the life of Elizabeth I from her accession to the throne to her death. Narrator Julia Franklin dramatically portrays the manipulative, capricious, and awkwardly vulnerable Elizabeth, reflecting Weir's vision of her vanity, lusts, superstitions, and fear of pregnancy. We hear loud tirades, the soft tones of lovers, regal proclamations, and, most often, the sorrowful voice of a lonely woman. Weir's view of the woman who may have been England's greatest monarch is made all the more credible by Franklin's impassioned reading. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine