Eleanor F. Jourdain

Make of it what you will!,, 20 November 2015

This review is from: The Ghosts of Trianon: The Complete "An Adventure" (Paperback)
I had heard of this story many years ago, so was interested to read it for myself.
It's the account of two academic and respected English ladies, who, in 1901, visited Versailles. As they made their way to the Trianon, a series of peculiar things happened to them: people in the clothing of Marie Antoinette's era; buildings where none are now standing (but where, show more according to the research they later undertook, there once were cottages...) One of the ladies paid further visits and on one occasion again had a strange experience - hearing an orchestra when none was playing that day; and again seeing bridges and woods that didn't correspond to the current lay-out.

The book gives the ladies' two individual accounts of 1901. Then they each wrote an amplified version of the event, and Miss Jourdain described her second visit.They also discussed the research they had done which seemed to corroborate their conclusion that they were in some sort of ghostly scenario.
I have to say I was absolutely fascinated by this first part of the book. It is then followed by an examination of the facts, and numerous writers who have provided a rational explanation for what the ladies saw. Unfortunately the rational arguments are persuasive (but I did find this bit of the book repeated itself at times and was rather dull in places.)
My advice: read the ladies' thrilling account and stop there! show less

I'm not sure I can say I "liked" this, but it's a fascinating document of a supposed haunting and a subsequent attempt to scientifically prove that it occurred. It also had a huge impact on Shirley Jackson.

Two British female academics recount their experiences of a time shift during an initial visit to Versailles in August 1901, and a follow-up visit by one of them the next January. Moberley saw Marie Antoinette sketching on the Trianon lawn. Jourdain saw two women passing a jug outside the door of a stone cottage, and both Moberley and Jourdaine saw several male staff members of Marie-Antoinette's entourage.