Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
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Book Reviews of Marie Antoinette: The Journey
Book Review: Majestic and thorough
Summary: 5 Stars
Antonia Fraser's "Marie Antoinette" was the basis for Sofia Coppola's 2006 film of the same name. The filmmakers could not have used better source material.
Even if you're not one for history or non-fiction, this book is one that many people would find interesting. Well-researched and oh so readable, Fraser's history of the doomed Queen of France reads like a novel. Fraser is no dry historian, her language is beautiful and you'll find a wealth of information on every page. As a bonus for those of us who like illustrated pages, there are not just one or two inserts but several illustrated pages scattered throughout the book that illuminate everything from the Hameau (the Model Village - 75% of which still stands) at the Petit Trianon to the infamous diamond necklace.
One of the blurbs on the book cover says that Fraser makes the court of Versailles come alive; indeed she does. A great work of history and research, "Marie Antoinette" immerses us into a whole different world and makes the historical figures human, flaws and all. Highly recommended.
Book Review: Another chef-d'oeuvre from Antonia Fraser
Summary: 5 Stars
This biography is a vivid example of how life is not black and white but purely gray.... Marie Antoinette is there, first as a spoiled child, poorly educated, cherished by her family only for the prospect of creating alliance for the country they run... Only marriage and children are expected from her... Then at 14, leaves for France, she even barely speaks French, finds herself in the middle of a culture she does not belong to... She is not smart enough to manage the relations... She finds herself immerged in pleasure and fun... And then comes the Revolution of which she really does not understand anything at all... You pity her for her stupidity, for her lack of insight, for her being so naive as well.... She is not a saint as pictured by royalist, she is not the "l'autrichienne" as revolutionists depict her... She is just a human being not readied for her role, not equipped with intelligence, wit nor wisdom required by her position in the history... Antonia Fraser did an excellent job to bring her back to life as she was, protected from the prejudices of history...Book Review: Marie Antoinette: The Journey
Summary: 5 Stars
Having French ancestry I have been drawn to all things Francais for most of my life. When the movie version came out several years ago I enjoyed it immensely and was intriqued by the new portrayal of its main character and her family. After purchasing a DVD copy of the film there was an interivew of Antonia Frazer that was so enjoyable I ordered the book. You feel very connected to the human strengths and weaknesses of these characters. What was in their less than capable hands to change and what was swept along by the corruption of a court system based in greed and a tortured system of inescapable tradition. Certainly you feel more sympathic for the monarch and his queen after reading this novel. They were children that were manipulated for their status from the moment of their births and their lives prove that prejudice works both ways. If all of Miss Frazer's facts and hypothesis are to be given credence Marie Antoinette was one of the biggest scapegoats in history and also one of its finiest heroines at a personal level of her devotion and love of family.Book Review: well researched, well written, well done!
Summary: 5 Stars
Frazier has done a fabulous job of researching the subject and presenting her life. I especially appreciate how carefully the author noted areas about which we could be quite sure the events were as stated given the extent of the documentation available, and areas where we are left to presume or intuit as the information was scant. She was also very clear in her translations, always leaving the French word for those of us dedicated enough to care to interpret the phrase ourselves. The coverage is well balanced over Marie Antoinette's life, from her childhood to her heartbreaking end, and even in the context of one person's life, I was pleasantly surprised at the rich background the author was able to include on the brutal history of the French Revolution. I noticed a few others found the book boring, long etc. I would caution any potential readers that this is a history as well as a biography and the tone of the book reflects that--if you aren't a history buff that thoroughly enjoys plowing through rich supporting detail this may not be the book for you.Book Review: History as readable as a novel.
Summary: 5 Stars
Fraser's biography is now considered one of the more complete contemporary works on Marie Antoinette's life, and beyond that is a fascinating peek into the end of imperial French life.
We all know the story as well as if it were a Greek tragedy; the beautiful young princess who desired too much, the lascivious old king who left "le deluge" to wash over his descendants, and the harrowing end for the last heir to the thrown in a Gothic prison. Fraser, however, brings all these scenes that make up the story Marie Antoinette and her part in the French Revolution to new life. The narrative flows like a novel while her prose remains slightly detached, ultimately allowing the reader to judge the queen's guilt for himself.
I know some readers find Fraser too sympathetic to Marie Antoinette considering all the transgressions, but I challenge anyone not to be moved by Marie Antoinette's love for her children and loyalty to her family.