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Queen's Confession: A Fictional Autobiography (1968)

Queen's Confession: A Fictional Autobiography (1968)

Book Info

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Genre
Rating
3.89 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
0385082762 (ISBN13: 9780385082761)
Language
English
Publisher
doubleday books

About book Queen's Confession: A Fictional Autobiography (1968)

The Queen's Confession is not like the rest of Victoria Holt's work, I think this title would be better published under her other pen name, Jean Plaidy. I've had my hands on this copy for a long time and I sort of avoided reading it because I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I do love historical fiction, so I was curious as to how Holt would spin Marie Antoinette's story. Confession is written as a first person account autobiography by the Queen herself, as she looks back on her life before her execution. I probably almost stopped reading this novel no less than 10 times, simply because you don't need to be a history buff to know the fate of the French Queen and I felt I was growing attached. I wouldn't claim to be particularly knowledgable about this specific historical figure, but I really feel Holt did her homework and I did find myself googling a lot of information to see if there was some sort of verification of fact to what came through in the novel (the answer is yes!) and the book ended in a good, just perhaps not completely uplifting, place. If you're a fictional history fan and don't need white-knuckled adventure at every turn, you will probably enjoy Queen's Confession.

I read an abridged version of this book when I was a pre-teen, leaving me with a life-long desire to visit Versailles. In the spring of 2013, I was finally able to see Versailles and visit the Petite Trianon; preparing for this trip, I ordered a copy of this book and re-read it. Overall, it is not a terrible book, but it is also not as engaging as I remember it being when I was twelve. The story is, of course, well known, but something is lost hearing Marie A. tell the story herself in her voice. She at points decries her own self-centeredness in a way that wasn't really believable. I suspect that the real MA was probably not very self-aware, and Ms Holt gives a bit too much self-awareness to her character for me to feel as though we were really seeing the history through her eyes.

Do You like book Queen's Confession: A Fictional Autobiography (1968)?

I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised to find that Victoria Holt can write a good historical fiction novel. Usually she sticks in the historical romance! I have only read one other book about Marie Antoniette and reading about the expensive necklace scandel, picking up an orphan to raise, her struggle to consumate her marriage, her expections to get dressed in front of all of her ladies matched in both books. Of course, I am not a researcher who has studied a lot on this subject but I really think she got a bum rap in her plight! She may have been bubble-headed and "flighty." She probably was horrible with finances but she was not taught any differently. I think the people of France were realy unfair to her and any queen at this point in history would have probably ended up beheaded and detested.
—Jodi

The Queen's Confession illuminated the naivete of the young queen Marie Antoinette, and the corrupt, decadent French court where she was placed after her marriage. Marie Antoinette was often seduced by luxurious living and material things, even as she struggled against these temptations. The book shows Marie Antoinette as adolescent and sophomoric, and maybe that is the most accurate portrayal of her youthful character. Both Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI were too immature to understand the complex and dangerous politics of their French court, the deep problems facing their country, or to even realize their impending doom before it was too late. Following the brutality of the French revolution, Marie Antoinette was led to her execution where she faced her death bravely.
—Scott

Another sixth grade memory. Really got me in to European history and the truth (as truthful as we actually receive history) of it all. The fact that it is written in first person really made it real for me, at 12...This book also reminds me of our librarian at school. She recommended this book to me and I remember telling her it was a bit too much. She looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Darling, you read it one word at a time. Look up the words you don't know. And keep reading." She was great. What the heck was her name??
—Tracy Lee

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