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Marie Antoinette The Journey Antonia Fraser Books

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Marie Antoinette The Journey Antonia Fraser Books

I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this book. Ms. Fraser does an excellent job telling the story of this misrepresented and tragic Queen. She was truly a political pawn throughout her life as most young women of her rank were for hundreds of years. Although I knew her doomed fate, I learned so much more that took place between the storming of the Bastille and march on Versailles to the untimely death of Louis and Marie Antionette. If you enjoy historical accounts of royalty (how they lived, loved, suffered, etc) with political intrigue, then I highly recommend this book.


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Marie Antoinette The Journey Antonia Fraser Books Reviews

is a phrase that is used often. But it's true about this book. Antonia Fraser is a very skilled writer who takes you on your own journey, besides the subtitle journey of Marie Antoinette herself. This is a look inside Versailles in the 18th century, a look at the daily life of its inhabitants, the extreme care taken with court etiquette, the intrigues and backbiting as well as the stunningly rich life of the King (Louis XVI) and his wife Marie Antoinette.

What struck me forcibly is that she was nothing like the character who supposedly said "Let them eat cake". That saying went back way before Marie Antoinette was even born. She was in fact a very sensitive, sensible, caring, compassionate woman, especially for the time in which she lived and the high position she found herself in.

You'll see that from the very beginning, a young girl from Austria (Marie Antoinette) was not entirely welcome in the French court. As well, you'll be taken on a tour of the place and times as if you were actually in the rooms witnessing what others witnessed in fact.

Very highly recommended.
NANCY MITFORD's bio on Lady Pompadour, Scurr's biography on Robespierre, and Moran's historical fictional piece on Madame Taussaud did not leave me spell bound by their protagonists. Though Hibbert's "A History of the French Revolution" incited my interest from the start on these key players, Fraser made me fall in love with "the Austrian." Despite the fact that my politics may have sided with the sans collettes at the time, the cruelty and inhumanity dispensed on Antoinette and her family is truly tragic, in light that Louis XVI was such a mild-mannered king, though indecisive, and his Queen an extremely compassionate, motherly figure, though in major need of a PR specialist. Argh, if only they had those in the 18th century. Alas,this is the best historical biography I have read in a long time, right up there with Alison Weir. The names do get complicated to keep track of, and sometimes I was surprised at the lack of gruesome anecdotes (I.e. how exactly did Louis Charles suffer when in captivity at the Temple?). But perhaps Fraser felt these gory details too gratuitous for her fine analytical work, or maybe history just lacks the evidence for the full story. After all, Fraser's research seems quite extensive. She also debunks a plethora of myths out there, that still abound about this period in modern lit.
I think anyone who is interested in the French Revolution and has opinions (pro or con) should read this book. The arc and the pathos of her life are interesting but understanding what was going on in the palace while the revolution was raging right outside and, eventually, inside the palace doors gives a whole other dimension to the brutality of the revolution. Well written, fascinating, riveting.
Very good book, haven't finished it yet. This book is less of a story and more of a history lesson. As in, the author walks you through the details of Marie Antionette's life and events, and explains the political aspects, social, economic, ect. throughout are sections of glossy pages with pictures of actual paintings of Marie Antionette and others, as well as personal items of hers. An enjoyable read for a royals history buff! )
Brilliantly researched history that avoids the myths and hyperbole to create an in depth portrait of a woman who was very much a woman and a symbol, and ultimately scapegoat, for the times she lived in and the royal society that bred her; while showing the humanity and growth from a young and somewhat trivial and silly fun loving teen to a deeply dignified and religious widow.
Very readable and worth the effort to learn more about this woman, this time in history and what it says about the human heart that endures still.
I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this book. Ms. Fraser does an excellent job telling the story of this misrepresented and tragic Queen. She was truly a political pawn throughout her life as most young women of her rank were for hundreds of years. Although I knew her doomed fate, I learned so much more that took place between the storming of the Bastille and march on Versailles to the untimely death of Louis and Marie Antionette. If you enjoy historical accounts of royalty (how they lived, loved, suffered, etc) with political intrigue, then I highly recommend this book.