Antonia Fraser Criticism
Lady Antonia Fraser, born into the "Literary Longfords" in 1932, has carved a distinguished career as an English biographer, historian, and novelist. Renowned for her compelling storytelling and meticulous attention to historical detail, Fraser's works have enjoyed wide appeal among both general audiences and academic circles. Her narrative flair and substantial factual accuracy have been lauded by critics such as Reed Browning, positioning her as a unique voice in historical biography.
Fraser's early interest in history, cultivated at Oxford, led to a prolific career initiated by her acclaimed biography Mary Queen of Scots (1969). This work was celebrated for its nuanced portrayal of Mary and revitalized the genre of historical biography by incorporating politics and gender analysis—a method she maintained in subsequent works like Cromwell Our Chief of Men and The Wives of Henry VIII. Critics such as Connolly Cole acknowledge her skill in depicting the intricacies of historical women.
In her focus on women's history, Fraser explores the social conditions of historical women through works like The Weaker Vessel and Boadicea's Chariot: The Warrior Queens. Her biographies of the wives of Henry VIII further highlight her dedication to bringing women's roles in history to light. While Blair Worden praises her scholarly diligence, others note a reliance on existing research rather than pioneering discoveries.
Beyond her historical biographies, Fraser has made her mark in crime fiction with the Jemima Shore series, where her character, a liberated television investigator, navigates vibrant narratives rich in character depth. This aspect of her work is celebrated by critics such as Anne Tolstoi Wallach and P. D. James for its lively storytelling.
The critical reception of Fraser's oeuvre underscores her ability to animate historical narratives with scholarly rigor. Although some, like Lawrence Stone, question the depth of her interpretations, her work continues to blend narrative passion with historical insight, enhancing both popular and academic perspectives on the past.
Fraser's commitment to historical biography and crime fiction alike demonstrates her versatility and her skill in reviving historical figures from academic obscurity with vivid detail. As noted by V. G. Kiernan and A. S. Byatt, her works like Mary Queen of Scots manage to correct myths and capture historical essences with sensitivity and wit, making her a significant figure in modern historical literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Fraser, Antonia (Pakenham)
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Exquisite Princess
(summary)
In the following essay, V. G. Kiernan praises Antonia Fraser's biography of Mary, Queen of Scots for its meticulous documentation, realistic portrayal, and insightful narrative, effectively capturing the tragic aspects of Mary's life while maintaining a sensitive and occasionally witty style.
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Daughter of Debate
(summary)
In the following essay, A. S. Byatt argues that Antonia Fraser's biography of Mary Queen of Scots artfully corrects myths and portrays Mary as a complex figure caught between political chaos and personal adversity, contrasting her with Elizabeth I while evoking the dark themes of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
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Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
(summary)
In the following essay, Roy Strong argues that Antonia Fraser's biography of Mary Queen of Scots presents her not as a cunning or saintly figure, but as a tragically inept and intellectually limited woman, whose political blunders and lack of insight led to her downfall.
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The Real Mary Was a Woman
(summary)
In the following essay, C. V. Wedgwood evaluates Antonia Fraser's biography of Mary Queen of Scots, commending Fraser for her compassionate portrayal of Mary as a woman while criticizing the work for its superficial treatment of the complex political and religious upheavals that defined Mary's reign.
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Everybody's Cromwell
(summary)
In the following essay, Keith Thomas critiques Antonia Fraser's biography of Oliver Cromwell, arguing that it lacks penetrating analysis and fails to provide an original contribution due to its overwhelming emphasis on detail over critical interpretation of Cromwell's psychological and historical significance.
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Cromwell—Still Elusive
(summary)
In the following essay, G. R. Elton critiques Antonia Fraser's biography of Oliver Cromwell, arguing that despite its detailed historical context, the work suffers from poor organization and lacks psychological insight, ultimately failing to illuminate Cromwell's complex personality or the true nature of his historical impact.
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Cromwell; The Lord Protector
(summary)
In the following essay, C. V. Wedgwood commends Antonia Fraser for her insightful biography of Oliver Cromwell, highlighting her successful depiction of his complex personality and inner religious struggles, as well as her exploration of his public career and family life.
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Rugged Outcast
(summary)
In the following essay, Blair Worden critiques Antonia Fraser's biography of Oliver Cromwell for its engaging narrative and thorough research but argues that it falls short in capturing Cromwell's greatness, focusing instead on making him palatable as a "nice man," and lacking depth in its portrayal of his political impact.
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Fraser's Cromwell
(summary)
In the following essay, David Underdown evaluates Antonia Fraser's biography of Oliver Cromwell, noting its thorough research and narrative while discussing its exploration of Cromwell's dual nature and political paradoxes, concluding that despite its achievements, it does not fully integrate Cromwell's personal and political personas.
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King James VI of Scotland, I of England
(summary)
In the following essay, C. G. Thayer praises Antonia Fraser's "King James VI of Scotland, I of England" for its insightful reassessment of King James, arguing that Fraser presents him as a far better monarch than traditionally viewed, emphasizing his decency and rational foreign policy despite his self-indulgent nature.
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Great Position
(summary)
In the following essay, Shirley Strum Kenny critiques Antonia Fraser's portrayal of King James VI and I, arguing that Fraser's attempt to garner sympathy for the king falters due to his political inadequacies and the brevity of her biographical essay, which fails to provide a comprehensive portrait.
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Alden Whitman
(summary)
In the following essay, Alden Whitman critiques Lady Antonia Fraser's portrayal of King James VI and I as lacking in political depth, though acknowledging her effort to sympathetically address his character and clear misconceptions about his reign.
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Whirligig
(summary)
In the following essay, Susannah Clapp critiques Antonia Fraser's novel Quiet as a Nun as a thriller that, while engaging through its protagonist Jemima Shore's cool demeanor and the novel's relatable villains, lacks the vigorous action and excitement that could enhance its overall impact.
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Daniel Coogan
(summary)
In the following essay, Daniel Coogan critiques Antonia Fraser's Quiet As a Nun for its superficial treatment of potentially thrilling elements, a protagonist lacking Fraser's charm, and a predictable mystery resolution, while acknowledging the novel's engaging characterization vignettes and personal absorption despite its overall disappointing impact.
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An Oddly Modern Figure
(summary)
In the following essay, Peter Stansky critiques Antonia Fraser's biography of Charles II as a comprehensive and sympathetic portrayal, though he argues it tends to overly favor positive interpretations of the monarch's actions and character.
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Un-Kinglike King
(summary)
In the following essay, J. H. Plumb praises Antonia Fraser's "Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration" for its deep and convincing portrayal of Charles II, arguing that it surpasses her previous works in narrative strength and character insight, despite some misjudgments of political complexities.
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Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration
(summary)
In the following essay, W. D. Blackmon critiques Antonia Fraser's Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration for its attempt to redeem Charles II's reputation through a mixture of thorough research and elaborate prose, ultimately suggesting that the book mirrors the King's virtues and flaws.
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'A Curious Career for a Woman'?
(summary)
In the following essay, Patricia Craig and Mary Cadogan explore Antonia Fraser's detective novels featuring Jemima Shore, highlighting the blend of realism and fantasy, and examining how Fraser updates the Gothic mystery genre through her protagonist's ordinary yet intriguing character amidst bizarre circumstances.
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Thrillers
(summary)
In the following essay, Harriet Waugh critiques Antonia Fraser's detective novel Cool Repentance for its intriguing setup and eccentric setting, ultimately finding the initial murder plot engaging but expressing disappointment in the later narrative developments and psychological plausibility.
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Breaking Silence
(summary)
In the following essay, Lois Potter discusses Antonia Fraser's The Weaker Vessel, focusing on its celebration of women's roles during the seventeenth century, its thematic and chronological structure, and its argument regarding the importance of education, the fluctuating status of women through historical cycles, and the post-war reimposition of traditional roles.
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Sexual Whiggery
(summary)
In the following essay, Blair Worden critiques Antonia Fraser’s The Weaker Vessel for its lack of coherence and argumentative depth while acknowledging its vivid depiction of 17th-century women, noting the book's failure to fully engage with contemporary research and its over-reliance on outdated sources.
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Exquisite Princess
(summary)
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Fraser, Lady Antonia
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A Discordant Queen
(summary)
In the following review, Kenyon presents an informed account of the history of Mary Queen of Scots and the political environment of the time, while commenting on Fraser's Mary Queen of Scots and comparing it to the work of other historians.
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James Made Even Stronger
(summary)
In the following review, Yoder comments on Fraser's portrayal of her subject in King James: VI of Scotland, I of England. Yoder finds that Fraser presents James as an abler king than commonly portrayed, but notes that her approach renders him a stranger figure than he was.
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Chronicles of the Monarchy
(summary)
In the following review, Fulford outlines the contents of The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England, a work edited by Fraser. The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England is a businesslike and readable account of our kings and queens from William I to Elizabeth II. The authors are not, as the Victorians used to say, 'viewy', and they spare their readers too much of those personal stories by which kings and queens are particularly afflicted. Antonia Fraser opens with a spirited defence of royal biography which, she trenchantly argues, gives us a theory of history. Certainly no one would dispute her emphasis on the popularity of royal biography, and she even calls in aid that industrious spinster Agnes Strickland, who seems to be the first serious royal biographer to cause offence at Windsor. Her life of Queen Victoria in 1840 was fiercely annotated by the Queen.
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Nunnery Whodunnery
(summary)
In the following review of Quiet as a Nun, James comments on Fraser's handling of the elements of crime fiction.
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Antonia Fraser: The Lady as a Writer
(summary)
The following essay provides a portrait of Fraser's personal life as background to her work.
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Women at Large
(summary)
In the following review, Quilligan contemplates the ideas on women and society that arise from Fraser's Weaker Vessel.
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Only Women
(summary)
In the following review, historian Stone objects to several features of Fraser's Weaker Vessel and praises others.
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The Name of Frailty
(summary)
In the following review, Browning scrutinizes The Weaker Vessel and comments on its strengths and failings. The Weaker Vessel teems with entertaining stories: Ann Fanshaw braves the turbulent seas; Joan Flower dons the identity of a witch; Mary Ward fights for educational reform; Lady Eleanor Davies scans the future; Jane Whorwood plots to spring Charles I; Joan Dant becomes the queen of pedlars. Whatever else may be said of these women, they were not weak. And that is the burden of Lady Antonia Fraser's examination of the lot of English womankind from the final years of Elizabeth I to the reign of Queen Anne: despite the attention given to Saint Peter's dictum about women being 'the weaker vessel,' women were in fact strong—in spirit, in resourcefulness, in resolve, in devotion, in enterprise, and even at times in physical prowess.
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The Bad Old Days
(summary)
In the following review, Woods compares The Weaker Vessel with another work on the cultural history of women.
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Lady Antonia Fraser
(summary)
In the following interview, Lady Antonia Fraser with Rosemary Herbert explores Fraser's multifaceted writing career, detailing her evolution from historical writing to crime fiction, her influences and family background, and her dedication to authors' rights and civil liberties, while emphasizing her ability to maintain distinct identities in both history and mystery genres.
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Manifestations of a Myth
(summary)
In the following review of Boadicea's Chariot: The Warrior Queens, Beard assesses Fraser's version of Boadicea's story in relation to several other available accounts.
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Women at Arms
(summary)
In the following review, Bliven examines the characteristics of the historical figures outlined by Fraser in The Warrior Queens and comments on their significance.
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A History of Women at the Helm
(summary)
In the following review of The Warrior Queens, Tirrell objects to some of the methods and assumptions in Fraser's study.
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Not Quite Your Usual Historian
(summary)
In the following essay Angelo presents details of Fraser's life and records comments on Fraser's crime fiction and historical work.
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All the Best Houses Have Ghosts
(summary)
In the following review of The Cavalier Case, Wallach considers Fraser's contribution to crime fiction.
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Return of the Monarch
(summary)
In the following review, Worden comments on Fraser's previous work and examines the style and content of The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
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My Fair Lady
(summary)
In the following interview, Samson and Fraser discuss Fraser's approach to writing The Wives of Henry VIII, highlighting her passion for research, her aim to humanize Henry VIII's wives beyond simplistic stereotypes, and her insights into both historical and contemporary perceptions of royalty.
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Betrothals and Beheadings
(summary)
In the following review of The Wives of Henry VIII, Cole examines the intricate individual stories that make up the work.
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The Wives of Henry VIII
(summary)
In the following review, Goreau considers Fraser's perspective on Henry VIII and his wives.
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A Good Crumb
(summary)
In the following review, Ives assesses the strengths and failings of Fraser's approach to writing history as evidenced in The Wives of Henry VIII.
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Playing Modern Detective In the Gunpowder Plot
(summary)
In the following review, Gussow investigates Fraser's ideas on the research she conducted for Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot.
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A Discordant Queen
(summary)
- Further Reading