The Queen's confession: A fictional autobiography

Rating:
Summary: Vive La Reine!
Review: I am already a huge Victoria Holt fan, and this book made me THE BIGGEST Victoria Holt fan!! It is just wonderful, full of romance and suspense and dispells lots of the myths and lies about the doomed Queen, making a fascinating portrait of a young girl forced into an exalted position. Victoria Holt's legendary attention to detail makes this a book that will educate you as well as thoroughly entertain you. Get the Kleenex out for the last chapter! Sad, yes, but this book is completely satisfying, not to be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent fiction based on fact
Review: Keeping in mind that this is a work of fiction, it is still an excellent story about Marie Antoinette and the events that led up to the French Revolution. While the ill-fated queen is the protagonist of the tale, the author does not attempt to excuse but merely to explain the foolish and often callous behavior that placed her in history as one of the most hated women of all time. During earlier chapters we get a tantalizing glimpse into the decadent courts of Louis XIV and XV. Then we watch as Louis XVI ascends the throne, far too young and with no idea how to be a king, but determined to please everyone, including his pretty young wife. The ultimate collapse of the monarchy is mourned by the queen even as she admits her own part in it and recalls steps taken or not taken that might have averted it.

The author does not pretend that everything in the story is true; conversations that might have taken place, suspected rendezvous, and dramatic license regarding people about whom little is really known have been added for flavor. But the historical framework of the story is unfailingly accurate, with an excellent bibliography. I would not recommend this to be the first or only book you read about Marie Antoinette, but after studying some completely factual works, sit back and enjoy being drawn into the story with some vivid speculation as to how some things might have happened.

Rating:
Summary: LET THEM EAT CAKE...
Review: Victoria Holt was one of my favorite authors when I was younger. A master storyteller, she would consistently weave a story that would have the reader turning the pages. This work of historical fiction is one of her best. Riveting from beginning to end, this fictional autobiographical account of the life of Marie Antoinette is superb. Written in the first person, with little dialogue, it is the rumination of a life that was to end tragically. Pampered, spoiled, and fun loving, the beautiful Maria Antonia of Austria metamorphosed into Marie Antoinette of France upon her marriage to the Dauphin, who would eventually become King of France, the ineffectual, but benign, Louis XVI.

This is her story, grounded in historical fact and set within the framework of history. This work of fiction about the life of Marie Antoinette, as seen through her own eyes, is fascinating, as it captures the flavor of those uncertain times and the events that led to the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy in France. It is a reflection on how Marie Antoinette's own behavior influenced the fate of France. Indulging in the excesses of the day, she initially gave little thought as to how her actions might affect the people of France or the monarchy. By the time she realized that her actions and excesses had wide spread political ramifications, it was too late, and the fate of her and her husband was sealed. No amount of personal regret could change it.

This book will be enjoyed by those who enjoy good, well written historical fiction. It is little wonder that this book spent two months on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is simply historical fiction at its best.