Ok, first of all, some info about Catherine de' Medici because Balzac begins by taking issue with her reputation, and I don't know much about her (even though I've visited the Château de Chenonceau from which she ruled, and admired her bedroom.)So, to Wikipedia: Catherine de' Medici (13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was born in Florence, Italy. Her parents, Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, died soon afterwards. She was placed in convents while The Powers That Be decided how best to use her, and in 1533, when she was only 14, she was married off to Henry, second son of King Francis I and Queen Claude of France. She was Queen consort of France as his wife from 1547 to 1559 but Henry excluded Catherine from state affairs and instead was influenced by his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. (Who usurped Catherine's wish to have the chateau and Catherine didn't get it back until after Henry's death). When he died, as Catherine's frail young sons died one-by-one, she exercised great power as regent. So in an age when most women were powerless and dependent, Catherine de' Medici This period was one of constant civil and religious war in France. At first, Catherine compromised and made concessions to the rebelling Protestants, (Huguenots) but later she resorted to repressive measures including the notorious St Bartholomew's Day massacre when 1000s of Hugenots were killed. Historians now think that her ruthlessness was motivated by the need to keep the Valois throne intact when it was at serious risk of decline. She spent a fortune on the arts to enhance the prestige of the throne, but to no avail. Her death meant the end of the Valois dynasty.Ok, now I'm ready to read what Balzac has to say about her...Well, the first section is pretty much facts and figures about Catherine, and Balzac seems to be at pains to rescue her historical reputation. He seems rather liverish about the current post revolutionary state of affairs, describing France as 'a country occupied exclusively with material interests, without patriotism, without conscience' where 'brute force' is used to suppress popular violence and individualism will kill the family. I ended up confused. Balzac says he's out to rescue her reputation, and then he makes a point of showing how she put power ahead of her family, how she was ruthless and cruel. This may have been my fault for not paying proper attention, because I lost interest in it completely and only finished it out of sheer stubborness.
I have been fascinated with Catherine De Medici for years and have read many books that referenced her many "supposed" crimes and misdemeanors. I was hoping for a fresh look at her life and an unbiased view of her motives as a power-broker, politician, wife and mother. I suppose I got a hint of that with this book but it was a struggle! I could barely get through the introduction. It was like reading a very poor translation of a convoluted history lesson. There were lots of very long names (which changed that person was given a new title) and it was difficult to stay focused. Once I got past the introduction, it improved a bit but began with a story about a young man who was caught up in a Calvinist conspiracy. It wasn't until well into the young man's tale that the connection to Catherine de Medici became more clear. Much of the book was about other people who lived at that period of history and how they percieved Catherine's motives. I learned some new things but it was a struggle and not what I would classify as an enjoyable read!
