Excellent and illuminating.

I really enjoyed this incredibly detailed history of Marie Antoinette’s life, which dispels many of the myths surrounding her. It is wonderfully written by Antonia Fraser who succeeds in keeping one’s interest throughout.

I thought that Eleanor Bron did a magnificent job in narrating such a long book. I was a little concerned about some of the reviews I had read before purchasing the book about poor French pronunciation but nothing stood out for me, which may something about my knowledge of the language.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Spoiler alert: A life of two halves

A very informative, interesting, thought-provoking, and moving account of someone crushed by one of the great events of political history.
She led a charmed life, then a cursed one.
Then, seemingly, every imaginable cruelty was inflicted upon her.
Of course, hers was not the only tragedy at this time, and many of the revolutionaries were also victims of their own revolution. However, her story goes from one extreme to the other.
Unfortunately, she still seems to be (deliberately) misunderstood today. Additionally, then as now they had fake news, the difference is that trolling was not done online.
Plus ca change ...
Of course, the book is sympathetic to her, but there can be little doubt that she was the victim of appalling injustice, and there is surely no longer the need to take sides. You can broadly support the revolution and gasp at the stupidity, cruelty, and criminality that came with it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In Depth

This is wonderfully in-depth look at one of the most famous royals in Europe. It challenges all the well known and mostly untrue myths about Marie and shows her to be a shy often unloved and unfortunate character. Really enjoyed this. RIP Marie Antionette.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent biography of the infamous Queen.

Beautifully read engaging biography of the eponymous Queen of France, Antonia does her justice.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Superb work by Ms Fraser

A balanced biography of profound historical value for those that can appreciate the gravitas of unlocking the veracity of tumultuous past events!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Foot notes please.

Some translations and explanation Would be appreciated. Unlike the printed version it’s difficult to constantly pause and research the French quotes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Monumental biography

A lot of research and collating of information has gone into this comprehensive account of the life this ill-fated queen. It's an engrossing story particularly the second half of the book when her life is so inextricably part of the French Revolution. In many ways it's a sad story of a young girl destined from birth to be a pawn in international relations with little choice in her life. Her demonization whipped up in the minds of the public by scurrilous pamphlets promulgating rumours and lies reminds one that falsehoods 'going viral' is not just a feature of modern society and social media. The French court of Louis 16th in many ways contributed to their own demise by outrageous extravagance and cronyism: behaviour rather air-brushed out of the biography by the author. While It was understandable why ordinary French people wanted to be rid of the Monarchy it's regrettable that it led to such savagery and so many deaths. There's no doubt that Marie Antoinette became a scapegoat and, for all her faults, didn't deserve the humiliating way she was treated at the end nor the travesty of her 'trial' . The latter a dark stain on the reputation of the leaders of the revolution.
I thought Eleanor Bron an excellent narrator of this long recording.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fantastic!

For someone who is deeply passionate about real stories from the past, true historical characters and real "drama" this was a delight, I remember first being faced with this book when doing a project for my history class back in school, truth be told it was difficult to get through the whole thing due to the fact that my English wasn't as good back then and all the French names confused my pace of read, but it was very refreshing to reattempt my read via the audio channel, the actress did a fantastic job at pronouncing all of the names and keeping up a pleasant steady pace while sounding clear and informative.

I believe that Antonia Fraser's fame speaks for itself when it comes to historic proficiency so I have no doubt that her account of the life of Marie Antoinette was as accurate as can be given the evidence still prevailing today, I read somewhere that Antonia tries to push her own defensive opinion about the queen of France but I found that while yes, Antonia's position definitely hinges on moral redemption of the queen's character it was not at all unjustified and the evidence presented is not told with an agenda of influencing or changing anyone's opinion. The biography is told matter-of-factly in supported on primary and secondary historical evidence and put together into a dramatic storyline of the rise and fall of Marie Antoinette, the final analysis at the end provides a great deal of context for lingering questions of the consequence of these events on history which was incredibly informative.

Thank you Antonia, I Shall look out for more books from you :)

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Spectacular.

What made the experience of listening to Marie Antoinette the most enjoyable?

Eleanor Bron brought to life Antonia Fraser's writing. Beautifully and sympathetically written casting a very different light on Marie-Antoinette's life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Marie-Antoinette.

She was so very sweet, yet remarkably modern.

Which character – as performed by Eleanor Bron – was your favourite?

Marie-Antoinette, but it's hard to fault any of Ms. Bron's characterisations.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I found the story incredibly moving and enlightening.

Any additional comments?

I learned so much information from having listened to this that my entire opinion of the reign of their Majesties has been altered. An incredible book, exquisitely researched and lovingly written and narrated. 10/10

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

Detailed account of a tragic queen

Well written, researched and narrated account. The author is definitely a fan of the Queen and rightly so. The focus is tightly on the Queen and the detail
Of her life. I would have liked to know more about what was going on in France that brought about the revolution

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!