Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Becoming Marie Antoinette

Summary:
"This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette. Why must it be me? I wondered. When I am so clearly inadequate to my destiny?
Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.
Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everythingabout herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.
Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike."

This was one of those books that just doesn't fit my normal review format. I am going to start of with why I choose this book. Which if anyone knows knows me and has read my blogs before, I LOVE history. And I have a mild obsession for Marie Antoinette. Which makes me want to read as many books on her, but leaves the problem that I have read and researched a lot on her and the Bourbons. So, it is hard to find books that tell the story in a new manner and makes it still intriguing to me. This book is just documents seven years of her life from 12 to 18. Her road to becoming married to Louis Auguste and her first 3 years at the French Court. I liked this, but at times I was bored, cause I am used to her whole life being condensed into one book, not dragged out into three. But I liked it cause I was learning minor details that weren't always known.  I liked the Grey wrote the characters well, but didn't try to shape them too much, that they turn into fictional characters and not historical figures.  If you are a history lover, then you will enjoy this book, but if you aren't really.. you can skip it.

2 comments:

  1. I do love history, but I've never really been particularly interested in MA.

    Sorry you were bored with this one. I hope you find one that ignites your passion again.

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  2. I've read some mixed reviews about this one, but it's still a book I'd love to pick up

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