![]() Dumas excels in action scenes, swordplay comes alive under with his directions and his descriptions are lively and realistic. However, I never felt that Margot was the main character of this story, I think the author felt more comfortable writing about men, although I suspect he got great enjoyment writing about Catherine and her many poison plots. Political ambition is also a driving force in their marriage. This massacre is the event that draws Margot and Henry of Navarre together in a strong political alliance even though they both look to others for romance. The Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre that occurs in the opening chapters of the book actually happened and is believed to have been instigated by Catherine de Medici, the mother of both the King of France and of Margot, the bride of just a few days to the Protestant King of Navarre. Catholics versus Protestants was an ongoing issue, particularly in France for centuries. His plot was full of schemes, quarrels, revenge and the politics of the day. Dumas doesn’t let actual history get in the way of his story-telling, for him the story always comes first so characters motives and actions are not always in line with the actual facts. Queen Margot, while not as engrossing or as sweeping as The Count of Monte Crisco was still a highly readable and enjoyable historical novel. ![]()
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