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There are currently 17 member reviews
for The Queen's Lover
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Therese X. (Calera, AL)
Queen's Lover revealed as lackluster swain
The Palace of Versailles in 1774 is the first meeting place of the tall, elegant Swede, Count Axel von Fersen and the saucy yet childlike Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XV of France. Mutual attraction soon blossomed into a lifelong love affair, according to von Fersen's extensive memoir written toward the end of his life and published posthumously by his adoring sister, Sophie. With a phenomenal memory, the Count records his upbringing in Sweden, then his many visits to France as the adoring swain of Marie Antoinette. A temporary absence in 1778 to fight with the American Revolution separated the two lovers, and The Count records the facts in his usual linear manner. Revolution would figure ironically in his own life. America, then France and most horribly on his return to Sweden. His carefully written adventures and amorous devotion to the Queen should have made for an exciting historical novel, yet from the beginning the memoir reads like an ongoing history lesson with occasional details of intimacy interspersed. Even the imagined dialogue disappointed, often having a modern flavor with one anachronistic remark that pushes the reader right out of the time period. The one animated description was the revelation that the glorious outside splendor of Versailles was belied by the smells and vermin that permeated life on the inside. Unpleasant but vividly presented. Yet, what could have been a vibrant historical novel by this prominent and well-known writer is often a tedious retelling rather than showing, due partially perhaps to the staid memoir itself. Despite admirable research, the book itself falls short of an engaging historical romance novel.
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Esther L. (Newtown, Pa)
Disappointment
I have to start this review by saying that I am an avid reader not a writer. This is my first review for Book Browse.
Although written as historical fiction The Queen's Lover by Francine Du Plessix Gray reads like a rather dull history text book. Every so often gratuitous sexual descriptions are added to the narrative in a failed attempt to add life to the story.
French is continually used but with no English translation. Frustration and boredom are not a good combination.
The story is about the love affair between Swedish aristocrat Axel Von Fersen and Marie Antoinette.The affair begins in friendship and devotion to the future King and Queen.
I always finish any book that I start to read but was sorely tempted to stop this one soon after Marie Antoinette meets the guillotine.
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Laurie F. (Brookline, MA)
Lot's of talk - no action
I tried to give this book a chance plugging through the first 70 plus pages. Though there is a fair effort to develop the characters, timelines are disjointed and relationships between people and time periods messy. Not my cup of tea!
