Rating: 
Summary: Captivating read, great research
Review: Couldn't disagree with the first reviewer more: Athenais stands out for the detail & authority of the research as well as the *lack* of silly revisionism that often plagues historical bios. Athenais isn't held up as a heroine; the book is more about the dissection of a fascinating personage (good, bad, murky) and the context of the times she lived in. It's a rare read -- goes down easy but not in the least bit superficial, an amazing effort (not to mention a first book!)... A copy was given to me & i've already bought two more for bibliophile relatives...
Rating: 
Summary: A first-time effort that reads like a first-time effort
Review: Given the remarkable material a historian is given to work with, it is difficult to write a bad biography of anyone connected with the reign of Louis XIV, but Ms. Hilton decided to give it her best shot. I am not surprised to discover that this book was written by a twenty-six year old, because the author's genuine potential as a writer and researcher are greatly flawed by an irritatingly shallow assessment of her subject. Hilton is so enamored of La Montespan's beauty and glamour that she blithely glosses over the Royal Mistress' many and disturbing character flaws (a probable bent towards Satanism being only the most famous of them,) gives her a quite unwarranted importance in the development of her lover's reign, and denigrates all her female rivals (notably Madame de Maintenon) in a way that comes off as positively childish.
(Who was it that said, "It's always tempting to impute/Unlikely virtues to the cute"?)
Hilton is at the beginning of her career, however, and I do think she may well have better work ahead of her as she matures. While this is certainly a promising debut, I have the suspicion she'll be a little embarrassed by this book in twenty years or so. I hope that is the case, anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating look at life at court
Review: Having enjoyed the recently published "Versailles," the fictionalized autobiography of Marie-Antoinnette, a friend gave me this for Christmas. But this is a very different book--a very well-researched, scholarly work on the court of Louis XIV. The character of La Montespan is interesting enough, although a little hard to understand fully due to the lack of primary source material--i.e., her letters. Rather, I found this book fascinating for its details of court life. Being the King's mistress was not always easy--it was a confined life, yet one was constantly on public display and the subject of constant intrigue. One always had to preserve the fiction of beauty, youth, and passion. Pregnancy, although frequent, was hidden; after a birth the barely recovered mistress is compelled to appear before the court that very evening in full court dress. Children are whisked away and kept out of sight. Accompanying the King into battle was also part of one's duties, and this meant long, cold, rigorous rides in open carriages without interruption for anything, including meals and the call of nature. The court was ultimately a device for the King to retain a tight grip on power--physical presence was an absolute requirement for access to the privileges of aristocratic rank--for the King to say "I haven't seen him" was a fatal blow. Requiring attendance at all times was a way of keeping unruly nobles under control and within sight. Living at court didn't mean living in luxury--one fought for a clean corner to sleep, causing aristocrats to spend huge sums builing homes near Versailles, not to mention he spending on the necessities to keep up appearances--clothes, jewels, carriages. It is hard to get a grip on what these people were really thinking as they led this unbelievably artificial and uncomfortable life. In an interesting footnote the author explains why surviving letters are often unreliable--they were often written for public or posterity or the King's spies consumption. Read this book for a fascinating glimpse of the era. As other reviewers note, it is uneven in spots, and you can get lost in the tangled relationships, the titles of the aristocracy, and the endless plots. If you're willing to breeze through some of the endless detail, it's a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Athenais c'est mauvais
Review: I found this book to be spectacularly unfulfilling. It had neither the depth to be considered as a scholarly work nor the level of characterization for a fictionalized history. The main character remains, throughout the work unknown and undeveloped. Most of the information presented appears to be a fairly standard summation of previous works which is not assisted by the author's tendency to jump erratically from period to period with little regard for continuity. In summary, not a book which could be recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: The Publisher should have known better!
Review: I have been studying the Bourbon dynasty for many years, and am very familiar with the subject. Having just re-read Frances Mossiker's fabulous "Affair of the Poisons", I was intrigued when I spotted "Athenais" at a local bookstore. Over the course of 40 minutes I didn't read the whole thing, but certainly glanced over most of it, especially the sections dealing with the Poisons incident. I was shocked to see that she had lifted whole passages from Mossiker, with the barest attemp at re-phrasing! I found Mossiker in the bibliography, but nowhere was she footnoted in the entire chapter! Disgusted, I looked at the "Author"'s credentials too see who this lazy person was - a writer for VOGUE! What the F***? The publisher couldn't even get the lingerie on the cover right! Why was the cover model in a VICTORIAN nightie? I sincerely hope this book is not representative of the state of scholarship on this subject. I give it one star for having given employment to the guys at the presses.
Rating:
Summary: The Publisher should have known better!
Review: I have been studying the Bourbon dynasty for many years, and am very familiar with the subject. Having just re-read Frances Mossiker's fabulous "Affair of the Poisons", I was intrigued when I spotted "Athenais" at a local bookstore. Over the course of 40 minutes I didn't read the whole thing, but certainly glanced over most of it, especially the sections dealing with the Poisons incident. I was shocked to see that she had lifted whole passages from Mossiker, with the barest attemp at re-phrasing! I found Mossiker in the bibliography, but nowhere was she footnoted in the entire chapter! Disgusted, I looked at the "Author"'s credentials too see who this lazy person was - a writer for VOGUE! What the F***? The publisher couldn't even get the lingerie on the cover right! Why was the cover model in a VICTORIAN nightie? I sincerely hope this book is not representative of the state of scholarship on this subject. I give it one star for having given employment to the guys at the presses.
Rating:
Summary: The Publisher should have known better!
Review: I have been studying the Bourbon dynasty for many years, and am very familiar with the subject. Having just re-read Frances Mossiker's fabulous "Affair of the Poisons", I was intrigued when I spotted "Athenais" at a local bookstore. Over the course of 40 minutes I didn't read the whole thing, but certainly glanced over most of it, especially the sections dealing with the Poisons incident. I was shocked to see that she had lifted whole passages from Mossiker, with the barest attemp at re-phrasing! I found Mossiker in the bibliography, but nowhere was she footnoted in the entire chapter! Disgusted, I looked at the "Author"'s credentials too see who this lazy person was - a writer for VOGUE! What the F***? The publisher couldn't even get the lingerie on the cover right! Why was the cover model in a VICTORIAN nightie? I sincerely hope this book is not representative of the state of scholarship on this subject. I give it one star for having given employment to the guys at the presses.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly written
Review: I purchased this book some time ago and after several attempts to "get through it" chalked it up as a sunk cost: Publishers Weekly's review on this web site is generous. However, they do answer the question for me having read it some time ago -- why was that book so impossible to read? The first couple of chapters lead the reader to believe that the book is well-written and interesting. The truth is that Lisa Hilton's writing style is extremely erratic and well, the exact opposite of a 'page turner'. Indeed, I had looked at the excerpt before buying and I'll admit that the opening got me then and again just now as I gave it a quick glance before stringing together this review.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting at times, but lacking in depth
Review: I was severly disappointed with this book. Maybe if the author had named the book "An Overview of the Early Years of Court During the Reign of Louis XIV" I would not have been so let down. The author spends relatively little time focusing on Athenais and too much time on the other court players. I came away not having learned anything new about this intriguing woman. Further, the impression I got is that the author did little new, in-depth research and just spewed out well-known facts, dates, and names. While it is not a terrible book, if you have any prior knowledge of the reign of Louis XIV, then I would not recommend this book as it is only a reiterration of commonly known facts.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting at times, but lacking in depth
Review: I was severly disappointed with this book. Maybe if the author had named the book "An Overview of the Early Years of Court During the Reign of Louis XIV" I would not have been so let down. The author spends relatively little time focusing on Athenais and too much time on the other court players. I came away not having learned anything new about this intriguing woman. Further, the impression I got is that the author did little new, in-depth research and just spewed out well-known facts, dates, and names. While it is not a terrible book, if you have any prior knowledge of the reign of Louis XIV, then I would not recommend this book as it is only a reiterration of commonly known facts.
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