Désirée

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Summary: A sweeping historical about Nappy!
Review: As a girl, I had a crush on Napoleon (I know, it is a strange confession). As a teenager, I nurtured those tender feelings by watching Armand Assante play the Emperor in Napoleon and Josephine. And, as a woman, I devoured books about Napoleon's life. How is it then, that I did not hear about DESIREE until I was well into my thirties?

Knowing I sometimes enjoy historical romance novels, my mother recommended Desiree to me. Now that I have read Annemarie Selinko's masterpiece, I would categorize it more as a sweeping historical novel than a romance. True, there are some tender scenes between Napoleon and Desiree (I melted when he sent her the sable to keep her warm), but it is hardly a romance.

The first person narration was a bit annoying at times - and the writer clearly shifted POV several times per chapter, but still, it is well written and amazingly well researched (only a few errors that I could spot, one of which being the mention of inbreeding being the cause of medical problems. This was something that wasn't fully realized or appreciated until the reign of Queen Victoria with her hemophilia passing genes).
Read this book if you enjoy sweeping historicals, especially those set in the Napoleonic time period.

I must confess though, I much preferred Sandra Gulland's novels about Josephine B. They give the reader a good taste of Napoleon, with a far more accurate take on the players of the time. (Selinko, for instance, paints a picture of Napoleon's mother as being hard-working and ever-so-loving, even though that is in contradiction to recent note-worthy biographies about the Bounapartes).

In the end, this book was a great read. I really had a hard time putting it down, despite my few misgivings.

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Summary: Desiree, a Historical Fiction Novel of a Young French Girl
Review: Desiree is a historical fiction novel that winds the reader through the life of a young french woman growing up during the Revolution. She tries to grow up so quickly and engages herself to a young general named Napoleon Bonaparte, a poor Corsican, while she is the daughter of a wealthy cloth merchant. I loved getting a look at the hypocrisy of Napoleon's reign as Emperor. I also enjoyed the personal look at his family. To see these historical people as real people was exhilerating.

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Summary: Desiree
Review: Desiree is a historical novel. The author wonderfully combined history, romance and fiction. All the elements worked very well together. Desiree's personality is descibed vividly in a subtle way. Although she's a historical figure, I can still associate her with modern women today. That's part of the reason this book is very fun to read. It is also a classic, and it is worth reading over and over. I first read it in Chinese because this book in English was out of print. The story was so good that I invested a good amount of time to track and bought the edition published in 1953. (It's worth it!!)

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Summary: A great book; One of my favorites.
Review: I am an avid reader. I first read this book in high school; it caught my eye because the name of the title is my own. I checked it out and started reading and couldn't put it down. I loved "watching" the Napoleonic empire rise and fall and "see" Desiree fall in and out of love with him, then fall in love again with Jean-Baptiste. It is an epic romance of all times and I loved it. My mother saw me reading it one day and asked me what the book was about. When I told her, she laughed and said she had heard of Desiree Clary Bernadotte when she was in high school and fallen in love with the name and the person; that's why I was named after her!

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Summary: A great romp through the Napoleonic Court
Review: I first read this book as a teenager in one of my mother's Reader's Digest Condensed Books. It was the catalyst for my interest in Napoleon and the French Empire. I now have a library full of titles regarding those two topics. The book is very well written, Ms. Selinko is able to have Desiree grow from adolescence to middle age without losing the intrinsic parts of her character. There is a lot of fictional license here, but it is still an entertaining, well written, well researched account of life at the French court. It makes historical figures come alive and you can sympathize with their personal struggles. All in all, a old fashioned good time.

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Summary: Desiree
Review: I read Desiree for the first time when I was in sixth grade. My grandfather sent over some old books, and I leafed through them and found Desiree. It tells the story of a silk merchant's daughter who falls in love with future emperor of France Napoleone Buonaparte ( aka Napoleon Bonaparte )As you read, you find out that even though she went through many trials in her life, she triumphed over them all and became one of the most remembered women in history.

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Summary: unforgettable
Review: I read this book years ago and it made such a lasting impression that I am ordering it for my son's lady love who is a highschool english teacher and an avid reader. This was one book that I hated to see the last page come about. Enjoy!!

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Summary: History made enjoyable...
Review: I'm 42 years old. I'm originally from Caracas, Venezuela. I read this book when I was 14 years. It is a Spanish version that belonged to my grandmother. It was printed in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1954. I have read it maybe 20 more times. It's my favorite book, and Desiree has been my favorite character ever. Recently I went to Paris and thought that maybe there it would be easier to find a copy, but nobody seemed to know what I was talking about. That's is why I'm hoping that Amazon can get a copy for me, I want to give it to my sister. It can be in Spanish, English or French. I have read all the reviews and I think everybody feels the same about this wonderful book.The copy I have is one of my most beloved treasures.

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Summary: A greatly loved and truly amazing book, we love Desiree
Review: My mother gave me her beaten up copy of Desiree. I did not havehigh expectations of it. However, once I finished it it became one ofmy most favorite books. Desiree Clary conveys her feelings in a realistic way. Her family and friends are a joy to read about. My mother and I wonder about what the true state of the Bernadotte's marrige was...For any other 13 year olds like myself out there, after reading this you'll know a chunk of French history-besides REALLY enjoying yourself.

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Summary: Family Love Affair
Review: The original book was my mother's and luckily I ended up with her copy. I am now looking for copies for my 3 sisters since they are always trying to borrow mine. I'm afraid I won't get my book back if I lend it to one of them. All 4 of us read this book as teenagers and all 4 of us loved it. The story of Desiree Clary and Napoleon ignited a love of history in all of us and turned us into avid readers. While the ending is not as detailed as the rest of the book if you're like us you will be researching to find out what happens in Desiree's life and family after the end of the book. This is a great book for getting your teen interested in reading.