Rating: 
Summary: These Were Great!!!!!!
Review: After seeing the painting by J.L. David, "The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine", I wanted to learn more about the woman who was kneeling at the foot of the altar--Josephine. I was looking for something that would be enjoyable to read and would give me information. These 3 books were perfect! They were not hard to read at all, because I'm 13 years old and I undertstood them(of course, you can't exactly go by my judgement; I read Hamlet and understood it). I liked how they were written in a diary format. It's like you are reading Josephine's inner thoughts. Even though they are fiction, they are packed with historical facts. If you want to know more about this amazing woman, enjoy history, or just want a good read, these are the books for you!!
Rating:
Summary: These Were Great!!!!!!
Review: After seeing the painting by J.L. David, "The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine", I wanted to learn more about the woman who was kneeling at the foot of the altar--Josephine. I was looking for something that would be enjoyable to read and would give me information. These 3 books were perfect! They were not hard to read at all, because I'm 13 years old and I undertstood them(of course, you can't exactly go by my judgement; I read Hamlet and understood it). I liked how they were written in a diary format. It's like you are reading Josephine's inner thoughts. Even though they are fiction, they are packed with historical facts. If you want to know more about this amazing woman, enjoy history, or just want a good read, these are the books for you!!
Rating:
Summary: Truly Enjoyable Read!!
Review: An absolutely extraordinary account of the Bonapartes and the French Revolution. No one of these three books is complete without the other two. So good I read all three in less than a month in my "spare" time. Five stars is NOT an exageration. Intelligently written, captivating, box-set.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary Story
Review: An absolutely extraordinary account of the Bonapartes and the French Revolution. No one of these three books is complete without the other two. So good I read all three in less than a month in my "spare" time. Five stars is NOT an exageration. Intelligently written, captivating, box-set.
Rating:
Summary: These Were Great!!!!!!
Review: As other reviewers point out, this trilogy is exceedingly readable. In my opinion, Gulland deserves more than the usual accolades for this accomplishment. The style in which she writes is very difficult to use successfully. Because the entire text is in the format of Rose/Josephine's journal entries, Gulland limits the tools that she can use to tell the story of her heroine. First, everything is necessarily written in first person. The only time the reader gets a glimpse of the points of view of other characters is through the conversations that Josephine reports. Additionally, everything is strictly in time order - no flash back or foreshadowing. Finally, Gulland does not permit herself to use omniscience in the form of a character or narrator. We must be fully satisfied by hearing about Josephine's life in Josephine's words. What a feat!Within the confines set for herself, Gulland creates a wonderful work of fiction and of history. The characters are big and real and riveting. The pain felt today and the tension felt about the future are palpable. The many facets of each individual are described in glorious detail. The story line is terrifying because it is one woman's harrowing life, and it is one nation's journey through unspeakable trial. I was left wondering if Josephine had been in another time, in safer environs, would her beauty have shown so brightly? She is clearly a pearl before and amongst the swine of her era and situation. I definitely want to read more about her! Other nice touches provided by Gulland include family trees for Rose/Josephine and Napoleone's families, a glossary of characters and a historical time line of events. These details help the reader to stay grounded in the reality of history. My only, very small, criticism is that the language and context seem very modern. Perhaps there are striking similarities between now and then, but it seemed a bit jarring when I began reading the first novel. I highly recommend these books to anyone who is interested in the lives of women whether or not you are a true history buff. They also provide a great primer of the French Revolution.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best works of historical fiction ....
Review: As other reviewers point out, this trilogy is exceedingly readable. In my opinion, Gulland deserves more than the usual accolades for this accomplishment. The style in which she writes is very difficult to use successfully. Because the entire text is in the format of Rose/Josephine's journal entries, Gulland limits the tools that she can use to tell the story of her heroine. First, everything is necessarily written in first person. The only time the reader gets a glimpse of the points of view of other characters is through the conversations that Josephine reports. Additionally, everything is strictly in time order - no flash back or foreshadowing. Finally, Gulland does not permit herself to use omniscience in the form of a character or narrator. We must be fully satisfied by hearing about Josephine's life in Josephine's words. What a feat! Within the confines set for herself, Gulland creates a wonderful work of fiction and of history. The characters are big and real and riveting. The pain felt today and the tension felt about the future are palpable. The many facets of each individual are described in glorious detail. The story line is terrifying because it is one woman's harrowing life, and it is one nation's journey through unspeakable trial. I was left wondering if Josephine had been in another time, in safer environs, would her beauty have shown so brightly? She is clearly a pearl before and amongst the swine of her era and situation. I definitely want to read more about her! Other nice touches provided by Gulland include family trees for Rose/Josephine and Napoleone's families, a glossary of characters and a historical time line of events. These details help the reader to stay grounded in the reality of history. My only, very small, criticism is that the language and context seem very modern. Perhaps there are striking similarities between now and then, but it seemed a bit jarring when I began reading the first novel. I highly recommend these books to anyone who is interested in the lives of women whether or not you are a true history buff. They also provide a great primer of the French Revolution.
Rating:
Summary: Save money, buy the entire trilogy at once!
Review: I didn't expect to be so overcome by this gem of histroical fiction! It is a perfect introduction to Josephine and if you don't already have much knowledge of the time, to the Napoleonic Era in general. The family geneaologies, the multitude of battles/governments/revolutions/political alliances from this period are complex, but these books make it all easily understood and the narative works so smoothly you won't even notice how much you are learning. I was speaking with a friend while just finishing the third and final book of this series, and was shocked by how much I could tell him about the period, having known nearly nothing prior (I think he was shocked too!) Great fun. Highly, highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Truly Enjoyable Read!!
Review: I was (happily) surprised when, after reading the first few pages, I was hooked into this book. Ms. Gulland does a fine job of intertwining fact & fiction to create a compulsively readable story. The characters are clearly & fully drawn without sacrificing important historical facts. As a French Revolution buff, I was hesitant to see what liberties the author had taken with the "real story," so I was pleased to see that this fictional journal could almost pass for the real thing. I look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: Truly Enjoyable Read!!
Review: I was (happily) surprised when, after reading the first few pages, I was hooked into this book. Ms. Gulland does a fine job of intertwining fact & fiction to create a compulsively readable story. The characters are clearly & fully drawn without sacrificing important historical facts. As a French Revolution buff, I was hesitant to see what liberties the author had taken with the "real story," so I was pleased to see that this fictional journal could almost pass for the real thing. I look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: Enter the facinating world of pre/post revolutionary France
Review: Pre and post-revolutionary France are brought to life through the eyes of Josephine Bonaparte. Sandra Galland has presented the reader with a series of three books that span the life of Josephine from her youth through adulthood. The unlikely rise to Empress of France for the daughter of a middle class landowner in Martinique is brought to life through the literary devise of a fictional diary. By the use of this literary devise Sandra Galland has created a series of books that are virtually impossible to put down. History comes to life in a most compelling fashion because it is described through the eyes of a woman experiencing the events as they unfold. The books refrains from offering any deep analysis or criticism of the events with the exception of Josephine decrying the impact on daily life of dictums brought forward by the Revolutionary councils. Whilst my knowledge of the French Revolution was scant prior to reading the books. The author managed to pique my interest to such an extent that I spent the entire summer reading non-fiction books on the topic of the French Revolution. I venture to suggest that anyone who has a mild interest in history will be kept spell bound by Sandra Galland's magnificent collection.
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