The Queen's Lover by Francine du Plessix Gray

I love the way you say "pimy"... sounds so sweet...

pimprenelle a écrit:

I love the way you say "pimy"... sounds so sweet...

Does it? How lovely, pimy!

It does.

Ce roman historique bénéficie d'une nouvelle couverture. Une réédition?





A “spellbinding” and “deeply intelligent” historical novel about Marie Antoinette on the eve of the French Revolution (The Washington Post )

Through the untold love story between Marie Antoinette and Swedish aristocrat Axel von Fersen, acclaimed author Francine du Plessix Gray weaves history with romance in a captivating novel that also offers a fresh vision of the French Revolution.

Paris, 1774. The dashing nobleman meets nineteen-year-old Marie Antoinette at a masquerade ball. As their relationship deepens at Versailles, Fersen discovers the court’s secrets, even the startling erotic details of Marie Antoinette’s marriage. But this intimacy is disrupted when he leaves to join the American Revolution. When he returns in 1783, he finds France on the brink of disintegration. After the Revolution of 1789, the royal family is moved to the Tuileries and suffers increasingly harsh captivity. After a failed attempt to liberate them, Fersen goes home to Sweden where he soon meets his own tragic end: his fate is symbolic of the violent pace with which of the eighteenth century’s events transformed European culture.

Je vous poste aussi ce commentaire de lecture, par Cheryl:  

Historical fiction has always been an interest of mine so I was very pleased to find du Plessix Gray’s book about Marie Antionette’s supposed lover, the aristocrat, Count Alex von Fersen. This version of the love story tells the romance from the viewpoints of Alex von Fersen and his sister. Although the book is listed as historical fiction, it reads more like a memoir. The idea of learning more about this little known relationship was enough to draw me in.
The Swedish aristocrat was thought to have met the 19 year old Marie Antoinette at a masquerade ball in Paris in 1779, when she was already the wife of the reclusive dauphin, who would later become King Louis XIV. This romance would span the length of the French revolution although the lovers did not see each other very much due to their life’s circumstances.
As the couples’ relationship deepened, Fersen became a companion and confidante to the family. He is said to have been privy to the most intimate details of the King Louis and Marie Antoinette’s relationship. When the French Revolution began he took up arms and got involved in the fight. Fersen even planned a failed attempt to help the royal family escape when their need for flight became evident which led to further imprisonment.
Once Marie Antionette fell to the guillotine von Fersen fled to his homeland of Sweden where he lived out his lonely days. There has been speculation among writers and critics as to whether this relationship was ever as deep or involved as this author has speculated. Critics have proposed that it has been everything from a one night fling to a love story for all time. In any event, it was a somewhat interesting lovestory, with a history lesson. While some of the descriptions of intimate scenes had too much information, the history was a bit hard to follow at times. If you are a Dumas fan you may not need to read this one.

http://ashleyfarley.net/cheryls-column-the-queens-lover/

C'est incroyable comme Fersen inspire, dans les pays d'expression anglophone!

C'est un thème très porteur.

madame antoine

... et rapporteur!