What readers think of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, plus links to write your own review.

I loved this book. It is well written, well researched historical fiction at its best. Catherine de Medici is one of history's most fascinating, misunderstood and maligned women, a contemporary of Mary of Scotland and Elizabeth of England. She has intrigued me since I was a student in high school studying French language and history and heard the story of the rivalry between her and Dianne de Poitiers for the attentions of Henry II - their separate gardens at Chenanceau, the magical chateau with a gallery that spans river Cher. This book covers her childhood in Florence; her marriage to the dauphin of France (a man who thought her beneath him); her obsession with Nostradamus; and her fight to save France from civil war and invasion resulting from religious conflicts. Three of her sons served as kings of France - the last of the Valois. If you love historical fiction and find the 16t Century intriguing - read this book!

Catherine is such an interesting character and despite what is known of her, there is also much speculation and guesswork regarding her motives and methods. I thoroughly enjoyed the way that the author presented Catherine as a young girl eager to fulfill her expected role, a mother and politically savvy monarch.

The opposing sides of her nature and actions are all present in the story and make it difficult to decide whether to love, despise or sympathize with her. I think that I ended up with somewhat mixed feelings about Catherine. She knew that as the daughter of noblemen, her life was not her own, but after the death of her husband she became a power to be reckoned with as she did everything she could to secure the throne for her children. Whether what was necessary was right or moral may not have always been what determined her actions, but perhaps her ultimate motivation was right. She was clearly a complex woman in a complex time.

I was very impressed with the character, the story and the writing. I’m looking forward to reading The Last Queen and am eagerly awaiting Gortner’s next book.

C W Gortner has written a spellbinding novel about the French Court in the 1500’s. Catherine diMedici is the storyteller but every character is vividly portrayed and developed. The author states that “Catherine lived a complex life in a complex age.” He has written a book that turns this complexity into a tale of love, politics and treachery. It is a book that you can’t put down and when you finish it you wish you had the sequel in hand.

Great read! Very easy to get into and a story you don't want to put down. I haven't read much about this period so it was truly interesting. Catherine was a strong woman and was more involved in the history of this country than you think a woman of her time would be. I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction.

I love the author's first person approach to this story. I've been exposed to material about that time period involving England, but not France before this book. I loved the information I was given about this time period in France. It makes me that much more eager to plan my trip to France next year. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Historical Fiction. This is a nice blend of fact and fiction.

Yes, I actually took a 2 day vacation with these 400 pages of non-stop page turning. Though familiar with the Medicis in Italy, this book follows them into France and I'm no student of French history. No matter - the history is passed out like a dessert tray in between meaty courses of Catherine. I can't promise you'll like her; she has many sides, but they're all fascinating, and you'll thoroughly enjoy her company.

I loved this book. I've told everyone to watch for it. It is very readable and grabbed me from the first page, and went very fast as it is so well written. Catherine de Medici became very real to me. I became her champion at times and her foe at others. An excellent book.

I fully enjoyed this book of historical fiction about the life of Catherine de Medici. I have not read any books about her prior to this but it has piqued my interest in both France and Italy. I read a lot of historical fiction about England and this book compares favorably to the authors I have read before. I think anyone interested in this period of French history would enjoy the book, especially because of the first person narrative which makes it more interesting to me. I will be looking for other books by this author as I liked the style of writing.