The Confessions of Catherine de Medici Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Catherine de Medici and our BookBrowse Review of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. C. W. Gortner presents a sympathetic picture of Catherine de Medici, a figure much maligned in history. His goal is to flesh her out as a complex and multifaceted human being—one who faced difficult choices and did the best she could under the circumstances. Does he succeed? Is Catherine a reliable narrator of her own life?
2. Some historians believe that France would have fallen into revolution two hundred years earlier than it did had Catherine not been in power. In what ways was she instrumental in preserving the stability of her country? Do you consider her methods ruthless or pragmatic?
3. Talk about Catherine's early life. What does it show about her personality? How does she feel about being offered as a bride to a prince she has never met? Discuss the role throughout history of highborn women used as pawns in games of power. Can you think of others?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Ballantine Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.