The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette

I must confess I really knew very little about Marie Antoinette before reading this, so cannot verify the historical accuracy, though that is addressed in the author's note. This historical novel paints her as a tragic, strong and well-intentioned but often maligned woman, saddled with an indecisive king. Written as a series of diary entries from the time when she is a young girl at home in Austria until her last moments before execution. The story runs the range from frivolous pursuits to bloody massacres, so read be prepared! I'm definitely interested in reading more French history.

An enjoyable, if fluffy, account of Marie Antoinette's life if she had kept a diary. But why wasn't this fictional ever discovered in all the searches and seizings of her property? Oh well, guess that's why it's "historical entertainment". Oh, and be warned, there's a fairly high gore factor.

I loved this book and, not surprisingly, it was far better than the TV movie that was based upon it. Marie's voice was clear, emotional, strong and vibrant. You could see her child-like qualities, how she evolved and grew with age and experience and understand her perspective on the times. Too bad her husband, the King, was such a dolt and didn't take her warnings and council seriously or she might of lived to see her grandchildren.

This book is an invented journal written by Marie Antoinette, the queen of France who was sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution in 1793. The book starts out with her childhood as Austrian Archduchess Maria Antonia -- her royal family, the death of her sister and her ultimate betrothal to Louis XVI. Once Marie Antoinette arrives in France and is crowned queen, you see through her eyes the daily bombardment of rules, luxury and excess. Louis is simple, unwilling to make decisions, and weak. She becomes fond of Louis, becoming his friend and confidant throughout their marriage. Marie Antoinette also an affair and falls in love with Swedish nobleman Axel Fersen.

Various events and happenings, fictional and real, are woven show more together to give a glimpse at what Marie Antoinette's life could have been like. She had four children, only two survived. She was unilaterally hated by the French people for her excess and lavish lifestyle. She was made a scapegoat for a way of life, and was ultimately executed for being who she was.

The book was interesting, well paced and generally on track. Too many outlandish tales could have lead this book astray, but Carolly Erickson managed to keep the tall tales to a minimum. The book is definitely sympathetic to Marie Antoinette. She was not the villain she was made out to be by the peasantry of France. She was a victim of circumstance – she was condemned because she was born to royalty. She was neither a saint nor evil.

I enjoyed this book. It made me want to learn more about her as a person, though the fictionalized areas of the book were frustrating at times. show less

24/06/07-25/06/07
Carolly Erickson has, as she states, created an ‘historical entertainment’ … ‘tempered by decades of research into the late eighteenth century, a rich slice of historical turf which I have spent so many years exploring, blade by blade’.

Her experience as a writer and historian are brilliantly brought together in this novel about the tragic queen of France. Peopled by a rich tapestry of historical characters Marie-Antoinette tells her own story in simple diary form from the perspective of the 13 year-old Austrian Archduchess living in the midst of her beloved family in 1769 to her imprisonment in the Conciergerie in Paris a short twenty-four years later.

Marie-Antoinette has more often than not been portrayed as show more an exquisite butterfly flitting through a magical court far divorced from the real world - her ‘then let them eat cake’ when told of the starving Parisians unable to afford the escalating cost of bread has so oft been cited as to have become a standard quote to describe the mentality of folks detached from reality. But here Marie-Antoinette is shown in her true colours – a loyal, strong, and caring wife, parent and lover and a compassionate queen to her adopted country.

In a France fast becoming bankrupt the court continues its glittering social round with the royal family at its centre and Marie-Antoinette as the hated and vilified Austrian at the hub. We share the heartbreak of her naïve early years in France as her hopes for an heir are dashed again and again; we identify with the trauma of at last giving birth – to a girl – and empathise with her efforts to find a cure for her tiny, sick boy as she watches him slowly die. Over the years the necessity of supporting Louis, her lumbering, inept and vacillating husband, see her developing into a gutsy and resourceful woman. Cast from the sumptuous luxury of court life into the terror of revolutionary France she continues as the rock on which her suffering family depend.

I will not spoil the end of the story for those unfamiliar with Marie-Antoinette’s final days but just advise you not to read the back pages or cover of the paperback. For those who know I promise that you will not be able to put down this exceptional book until the final page is turned. show less

Yet another fictionalized version of the life and times of one of France's most famous Queens. I am addicted to historical fiction such as this, and the detailing of her personal trials was very appealing to me. Also, diary format novels tend to be easier to read, although they usually lack depth. Erickson's vision of Marie is sympathetic, yet alludes to her naive personality traits - this is done very well, giving her very human-like qualities and a conscience, while at the same time addressing her self-righteous faults. The dialogue is well written (something I have trouble with myself) and the entire book is a good example of showing mounting despair and the culmination of events, as well as time progression. That said, the dates show more were strangely off (not historically, but mathematically ... for example, she said that something happened two years before, but according to the dates in the book, it was less than a year) and the entries about Marie being in love are tedious and trite. The author skipped over important events. If they are even covered, they lack detail and description. In fact, the entire tome uses repetitious images and doesn't have much visual imagery. Of course, the journal entries could just be a personificaition of the author's purpose - that is, to show a vapid, almost shallow girl mature into a woman of strength and pride - by using ideas over and over to show childishness. In the end, though, this was most definitely a page turner: gripping, sometimes shocking (see page 316), and emotionally filling. The pages of the brutality of the French Revolution were particularly eye opening for me. I found myself wanting more, Erickson's portrayal of Marie being both fascinating and quite beautiful in its own simplistic way. show less

a good attempt at bringing this character to life in a sympathetic way. it is a bit of a sad read, because of course you know how it will end. the journal-entry format works well since this story has to be told by the first-person viewpoint, which unavoidably comes off as one-sided and a bit flat. recommended to those who like their historical fiction on the lightweight side.