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Marie Antoinette #2
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow
A captivating novel of rich spectacle and royal scandal, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow spans fifteen years in the fateful reign of Marie Antoinette, France’s most legendary and notorious queen .
Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty.
From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.
Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty.
From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2012
187 people are currently reading
2971 people want to read
About the author
Juliet Grey
5 books339 followersJuliet Grey has extensively researched European royal history and is a particular devotee of Marie Antoinette. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and Washington DC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
May 6, 2013
Where I got the book: purchased from author. Signed.
I was pretty enthusiastic about the first book in this series, Becoming Marie Antoinette , so I'm kind of sorry to report I didn't like this one nearly as much. Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow covers the story of Marie Antoinette from the first days of Louis XVI's reign to the beginning of the French Revolution, so from 1774 to 1789.
Except that it didn't stick to just Marie Antoinette. I think my problem with Days by contrast to Becoming is that the latter was a fairly intimate portrait of Marie Antoinette's life and how she coped with marrying into a strange country, while Days has the more ambitious aim of extending the reader's understanding to the political events of the day. The author evidently did a huge amount of research for this book and succumbed to the temptation of using it.
Yes, yes, it's the HF author's dilemma: you're damned if you do use your research and if you don't, some readers are going to say you didn't do it. There's an extremely fine line to walk with respect to supplying just enough flavor of what's going on to keep the reader anchored in history, but not overdoing it. In Becoming it was the imagined interpersonal dynamics I enjoyed the most: I'm not sure whether the interspersed letters were real or imagined, but I thought they added enough weight to the story as it was. I wanted more of the same, and didn't get enough of it.
I'm the sort of HF reader who would rather dig into a history book than a novel to get at the facts. What I look for in historical fiction is the imagined interior and exterior world of the character. I want to be there; I want the setting to be as accurate as possible but I don't need to read too much about it; I want to feel what the character must have felt. The stuff that history books generally leave out. In Becoming Grey satisfied this requirement, whereas in Days I felt as if Marie Antoinette was sitting there telling me "this happened, and then this happened," and I just want to ask her: but how did you FEEL?
For example, in her author's note Grey suggests that Marie Antoinette's pleasure-seeking behavior during the early days of the monarchy (her excessive gambling and expenditure on clothes and décor) was due to the fact that her deepest needs, a true marriage and children, were not being fulfilled. That's a reasonable suggestion. But the story concentrates on the externals: how much was wagered, what was lost, what was purchased, and so on. It's nicely put together as a fictional account: dialogue and setting are well done, but I can't help feeling that we're seeing the surface of the story rather than the depth.
Another problem that developed as I read into the novel was that the point of view, which at the beginning is firmly in Marie Antoinette's head (as it was, if I remember rightly, all through Becoming) starts shifting around, first jumping out just for a while into someone else's head and then, by the end of the book, resembling more and more that of an omniscient narrator. For example:
Beneath the gilded medieval vaulting a crush of perspiring and over-perfumed spectators sat brocaded elbow to elbow on the benches in the two galleries of the Palais de Justice's Grand Chambre. Even the worst seats were being sold for astronomical sums, and on any day a lucky man might make his fortune by retailing his privilege to sit on an unforgiving bench for nine hours to a soul even more desperate for sensationalism. The preliminary investigation had been conducted in secret, with the lawyers' fictionalized trial briefs the only way for the public to learn what was transpiring behind the walls of the Palais de Justice.
Do you hear the voice of Marie Antoinette here, or that of the author?
I hope I've done a reasonable job describing what I think went wrong. Of course every reader's requirements from fiction are different, and if I'd approached this book as a standalone I might have reacted differently. But the first book created an expectation in me for the second that wasn't really met.
I was pretty enthusiastic about the first book in this series, Becoming Marie Antoinette , so I'm kind of sorry to report I didn't like this one nearly as much. Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow covers the story of Marie Antoinette from the first days of Louis XVI's reign to the beginning of the French Revolution, so from 1774 to 1789.
Except that it didn't stick to just Marie Antoinette. I think my problem with Days by contrast to Becoming is that the latter was a fairly intimate portrait of Marie Antoinette's life and how she coped with marrying into a strange country, while Days has the more ambitious aim of extending the reader's understanding to the political events of the day. The author evidently did a huge amount of research for this book and succumbed to the temptation of using it.
Yes, yes, it's the HF author's dilemma: you're damned if you do use your research and if you don't, some readers are going to say you didn't do it. There's an extremely fine line to walk with respect to supplying just enough flavor of what's going on to keep the reader anchored in history, but not overdoing it. In Becoming it was the imagined interpersonal dynamics I enjoyed the most: I'm not sure whether the interspersed letters were real or imagined, but I thought they added enough weight to the story as it was. I wanted more of the same, and didn't get enough of it.
I'm the sort of HF reader who would rather dig into a history book than a novel to get at the facts. What I look for in historical fiction is the imagined interior and exterior world of the character. I want to be there; I want the setting to be as accurate as possible but I don't need to read too much about it; I want to feel what the character must have felt. The stuff that history books generally leave out. In Becoming Grey satisfied this requirement, whereas in Days I felt as if Marie Antoinette was sitting there telling me "this happened, and then this happened," and I just want to ask her: but how did you FEEL?
For example, in her author's note Grey suggests that Marie Antoinette's pleasure-seeking behavior during the early days of the monarchy (her excessive gambling and expenditure on clothes and décor) was due to the fact that her deepest needs, a true marriage and children, were not being fulfilled. That's a reasonable suggestion. But the story concentrates on the externals: how much was wagered, what was lost, what was purchased, and so on. It's nicely put together as a fictional account: dialogue and setting are well done, but I can't help feeling that we're seeing the surface of the story rather than the depth.
Another problem that developed as I read into the novel was that the point of view, which at the beginning is firmly in Marie Antoinette's head (as it was, if I remember rightly, all through Becoming) starts shifting around, first jumping out just for a while into someone else's head and then, by the end of the book, resembling more and more that of an omniscient narrator. For example:
Beneath the gilded medieval vaulting a crush of perspiring and over-perfumed spectators sat brocaded elbow to elbow on the benches in the two galleries of the Palais de Justice's Grand Chambre. Even the worst seats were being sold for astronomical sums, and on any day a lucky man might make his fortune by retailing his privilege to sit on an unforgiving bench for nine hours to a soul even more desperate for sensationalism. The preliminary investigation had been conducted in secret, with the lawyers' fictionalized trial briefs the only way for the public to learn what was transpiring behind the walls of the Palais de Justice.
Do you hear the voice of Marie Antoinette here, or that of the author?
I hope I've done a reasonable job describing what I think went wrong. Of course every reader's requirements from fiction are different, and if I'd approached this book as a standalone I might have reacted differently. But the first book created an expectation in me for the second that wasn't really met.
October 8, 2012
DAYS OF SPLENDOR, DAYS OF SORROW tells the story of Marie Antoinette’s time as Queen of France. In this novel, Marie Antoinette works hard to advise her husband as wisely as she can, reaching for the reigns of power, only to have Louis slap her hands away. She comes from Austria, where her mother co-rules an empire with her eldest brother, Emperor Joseph, and Marie Antoinette thinks that she should have at least an advisory role with her husband the king. But she is not in Austria. The Queens of France have no power of their own, and only one role, to bear a son for the kingdom.
Forced out of the corridors of power, Marie Antoinette begins her reign over a court of pleasure-seekers, throwing masques, gambling all night, decorating palaces and performing in private plays. The worst of her detractors attack her for her spending, even as the debts of foreign wars mount. But in spite of their mistakes, Louis and Marie Antoinette care for their people. They are kept out of touch with what is going on in the countryside, divided from their populace by factions at court, by their enemies, by their own mistakes.
Caught up in a whirlpool she can not control, Marie Antoinette watches as Revolutionary ideas take hold, not knowing where it will lead.
This is a beautiful novel that opened the gilded gates of Versailles for me. More importantly, it opened the gates of Marie Antoinette’s soul. This novel lifts the mask of the queen so that we may catch a glimpse of who this woman was, her foibles and flaws and well as her kindness, her softhearted compassion, and her devotion to her children. Juliet Grey has crafted a fine novel which reveals a living, breathing woman of flesh and blood who speaks from the page and tells us who she was. There is more to the human soul than we can often see, and there is more to Marie Antoinette than is often spoken of. Juliet Grey lifts the veil, and shows us all that lies behind it. A vibrant novel that illustrates the blindness of politics and tradition, which comes to feel like the inevitability of fate.
Forced out of the corridors of power, Marie Antoinette begins her reign over a court of pleasure-seekers, throwing masques, gambling all night, decorating palaces and performing in private plays. The worst of her detractors attack her for her spending, even as the debts of foreign wars mount. But in spite of their mistakes, Louis and Marie Antoinette care for their people. They are kept out of touch with what is going on in the countryside, divided from their populace by factions at court, by their enemies, by their own mistakes.
Caught up in a whirlpool she can not control, Marie Antoinette watches as Revolutionary ideas take hold, not knowing where it will lead.
This is a beautiful novel that opened the gilded gates of Versailles for me. More importantly, it opened the gates of Marie Antoinette’s soul. This novel lifts the mask of the queen so that we may catch a glimpse of who this woman was, her foibles and flaws and well as her kindness, her softhearted compassion, and her devotion to her children. Juliet Grey has crafted a fine novel which reveals a living, breathing woman of flesh and blood who speaks from the page and tells us who she was. There is more to the human soul than we can often see, and there is more to Marie Antoinette than is often spoken of. Juliet Grey lifts the veil, and shows us all that lies behind it. A vibrant novel that illustrates the blindness of politics and tradition, which comes to feel like the inevitability of fate.
April 23, 2015
Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!
Don't miss the interview and GIVEAWAY going on at my blog!
Another solidly impressive journey into the life of Marie Antoinette, Grey again proves, with her second novel in a planned trilogy, that she is a skilled writer, able to evoke time, place, and characters with equal vivacity. Beginning two weeks after the first novel, Becoming Marie Antoinette, ended, Grey immediately relaunches herself and the reader into an opulent, turbulent world with her title character more prominent than ever in French society. In this detailed, rich novel, full of eye-popping descriptions of everything from le Petite Trianon to the poufs that adorn Marie's head, both the narrative and the letters from the Queen to her family at home in Austria all serve to form a comprehensive picture of life in Louis XIV's France. Formerly the Dauphine, transitioning now into the role of the Queen of France, Marie finds herself with prestige, but little actual power. Iconic, but politically impotent, bereft of the love and attention she desperately craves, Grey provides ample reasons (that actually work!) for the reasons behind the monarch's spendthrift ways. Much like the evolution she underwent in the first book, this well-rendered version of Marie Antoinette is far from stagnant, but makes choices, for good or ill, that will drastically affect the people and country she governs.
The Marie so carefully cultivated by the author is much more than the villianess that most of history remembers her as. Spoiled, yes. A glutton for fine things? Yes. But evil, intent on harming the common folk and abusing them? No. The vivid woman shown here in Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is a more mature, more intelligent version of the girl she used to be and Grey takes care to paint her protagonist as realistically as possible. For all that Queen Marie is remembered and vilified as a one-sided caricature of vice, selfishness, and greed, Grey shows a multitude of other facets of her personality. Kind, lonely, funny, maternal, the author is deft in her portrayal in all the facets of this fascinating woman from the good to the bad. Her Marie Antoinette is always not wholly sympathetic ("For what is money, with happiness at stake?"), but she is often understandable in her opinions and attitudes. With her well-meaning but often oblivious husband Louis balancing an already-taxed treasury with the wants, demands, and rights of the people he rules by divine right, Marie and her coterie of noble ladies find themselves skewered by cartoonists, and resented for the life of grand palaces and sumptuous gowns they use once and discard, despite the Queen's good intentions.
Louis plays a larger role in the second novel than he did in the first; the King is much more directly involved with the plotline of this novel than the previous. More peripheral in the introduction of the series, here in part two, now, married and reigning as King, this Louis indulges his wife's flights of fancy, and spending as a concession to make up for the lack of intimacy and input he offers her in their private life. With the Queens of France traditionally have prestige but no real governing power, Louis is very Gallic and rigid in his role, a devoted adherent to the traditions his wife so dislikes. Louis is a good foil for his spendthrift femme; often shown trying to reign in the out-of-control treasury, his royal brother's profligate attitudes about women and coin, to little or no avail. He is not developed as Marie, but he is shown in realistic views - and Grey even tries to rectify his reasons for a lack of a royal heir (for seven years after marriage!) with a possible, plausible medical condition. His (unknown?) rival for Marie's affections in the Swedish Count of Axel von Fersen adds even more intensity and tension to a novel thick with conflict. Though there is a love-triangle of sorts in Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, Juliet Grey is able to pull it off with aplomb, without making it halt the plot's momentum or the characters involved tiresome. Each man appeals to a different side of the complicated Queen, and though she may be more her father's daughter than she thought to be, Marie's attractions to both came off as authentic - as did her actions.
For the most part, I thought that first-person POV was an excellent choice to showcase the plot and varied characters of this story. It allows for a closer view of Marie and how she works internally, and reading Marie's well-intentioned inner monologue helps to firmly create the three-dimensional version of the character. It is easy for feel for the entitled Queen, even as she haplessly carries herself and her friends toward a grisly end. With factions all around her vying for favor (Polignac vs. Lamballe, etc) even among her dearest friends, Marie Antoinette is a commodity, a property, to be used and controlled for position, power, and money. Her narration helps humanize her and separate this version from the historical, as even her own family-in-law undermines her with the people. The only places the narrative stumbled for me were the thankfully rare occasions that abruptly jumped to third-person narration - like Emperor Joseph's meeting with du Barry, or Jeanne de Lamotte's cunning deception of the Grand Almoner, Rohan. A nice flow, and even pacing across long periods of time, coincide with the well-chosen point-of-view, and all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable, eminently readable historical fiction novel.
Juliet Grey ably paints a vivid, frenzied look at Marie's troubled, occasionally vapid existence of self-interest and whim. Between the constraint of etiquette steeped in outlandish traditions and little privacy that she found so oppressive, and Marie's subsequent alienation of certain powerful nobles, and with the French-monarchy-supported American Revolution giving the French people new ideas, wants and seeding deep doubts about the right of divine rule, the foreshadowing is subtly woven into the novel and reminds readers of the royal family's ultimate fate while still leaving them wanting more. A fully realized scenario of the French country and economy as it stood in Louis XIV's reign, the atmosphere of Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow grows ever bleaker and more ominous with her chapter. It's a hard to put down book, but one that is easy to involve yourself with the goings-on even as that fateful day in October looms ever closer.
Juliet Grey delivers a solid, engrossing, completely entertaining sequel. One that is filled with fleshed-out versions of the historical personages known so well, even into the modern age. Not mere stereotypes or villains, but real, plausible renderings of people who have left a mark on history. What Becoming Marie Antoinette started, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow ably continues - a tradition of well-written, thoroughly detailed, engrossing historical fiction novels centered on one of the most interesting times and people in history. I personally cannot wait to see how this talented author will chose to recreate the last years of Marie Antoinette's life, and the fall of the Bourbon dynasty to the French Revolution with the trilogy's conclusion, The Last October Sky.
Don't miss the interview and GIVEAWAY going on at my blog!
Another solidly impressive journey into the life of Marie Antoinette, Grey again proves, with her second novel in a planned trilogy, that she is a skilled writer, able to evoke time, place, and characters with equal vivacity. Beginning two weeks after the first novel, Becoming Marie Antoinette, ended, Grey immediately relaunches herself and the reader into an opulent, turbulent world with her title character more prominent than ever in French society. In this detailed, rich novel, full of eye-popping descriptions of everything from le Petite Trianon to the poufs that adorn Marie's head, both the narrative and the letters from the Queen to her family at home in Austria all serve to form a comprehensive picture of life in Louis XIV's France. Formerly the Dauphine, transitioning now into the role of the Queen of France, Marie finds herself with prestige, but little actual power. Iconic, but politically impotent, bereft of the love and attention she desperately craves, Grey provides ample reasons (that actually work!) for the reasons behind the monarch's spendthrift ways. Much like the evolution she underwent in the first book, this well-rendered version of Marie Antoinette is far from stagnant, but makes choices, for good or ill, that will drastically affect the people and country she governs.
The Marie so carefully cultivated by the author is much more than the villianess that most of history remembers her as. Spoiled, yes. A glutton for fine things? Yes. But evil, intent on harming the common folk and abusing them? No. The vivid woman shown here in Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is a more mature, more intelligent version of the girl she used to be and Grey takes care to paint her protagonist as realistically as possible. For all that Queen Marie is remembered and vilified as a one-sided caricature of vice, selfishness, and greed, Grey shows a multitude of other facets of her personality. Kind, lonely, funny, maternal, the author is deft in her portrayal in all the facets of this fascinating woman from the good to the bad. Her Marie Antoinette is always not wholly sympathetic ("For what is money, with happiness at stake?"), but she is often understandable in her opinions and attitudes. With her well-meaning but often oblivious husband Louis balancing an already-taxed treasury with the wants, demands, and rights of the people he rules by divine right, Marie and her coterie of noble ladies find themselves skewered by cartoonists, and resented for the life of grand palaces and sumptuous gowns they use once and discard, despite the Queen's good intentions.
Louis plays a larger role in the second novel than he did in the first; the King is much more directly involved with the plotline of this novel than the previous. More peripheral in the introduction of the series, here in part two, now, married and reigning as King, this Louis indulges his wife's flights of fancy, and spending as a concession to make up for the lack of intimacy and input he offers her in their private life. With the Queens of France traditionally have prestige but no real governing power, Louis is very Gallic and rigid in his role, a devoted adherent to the traditions his wife so dislikes. Louis is a good foil for his spendthrift femme; often shown trying to reign in the out-of-control treasury, his royal brother's profligate attitudes about women and coin, to little or no avail. He is not developed as Marie, but he is shown in realistic views - and Grey even tries to rectify his reasons for a lack of a royal heir (for seven years after marriage!) with a possible, plausible medical condition. His (unknown?) rival for Marie's affections in the Swedish Count of Axel von Fersen adds even more intensity and tension to a novel thick with conflict. Though there is a love-triangle of sorts in Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, Juliet Grey is able to pull it off with aplomb, without making it halt the plot's momentum or the characters involved tiresome. Each man appeals to a different side of the complicated Queen, and though she may be more her father's daughter than she thought to be, Marie's attractions to both came off as authentic - as did her actions.
For the most part, I thought that first-person POV was an excellent choice to showcase the plot and varied characters of this story. It allows for a closer view of Marie and how she works internally, and reading Marie's well-intentioned inner monologue helps to firmly create the three-dimensional version of the character. It is easy for feel for the entitled Queen, even as she haplessly carries herself and her friends toward a grisly end. With factions all around her vying for favor (Polignac vs. Lamballe, etc) even among her dearest friends, Marie Antoinette is a commodity, a property, to be used and controlled for position, power, and money. Her narration helps humanize her and separate this version from the historical, as even her own family-in-law undermines her with the people. The only places the narrative stumbled for me were the thankfully rare occasions that abruptly jumped to third-person narration - like Emperor Joseph's meeting with du Barry, or Jeanne de Lamotte's cunning deception of the Grand Almoner, Rohan. A nice flow, and even pacing across long periods of time, coincide with the well-chosen point-of-view, and all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable, eminently readable historical fiction novel.
Juliet Grey ably paints a vivid, frenzied look at Marie's troubled, occasionally vapid existence of self-interest and whim. Between the constraint of etiquette steeped in outlandish traditions and little privacy that she found so oppressive, and Marie's subsequent alienation of certain powerful nobles, and with the French-monarchy-supported American Revolution giving the French people new ideas, wants and seeding deep doubts about the right of divine rule, the foreshadowing is subtly woven into the novel and reminds readers of the royal family's ultimate fate while still leaving them wanting more. A fully realized scenario of the French country and economy as it stood in Louis XIV's reign, the atmosphere of Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow grows ever bleaker and more ominous with her chapter. It's a hard to put down book, but one that is easy to involve yourself with the goings-on even as that fateful day in October looms ever closer.
Juliet Grey delivers a solid, engrossing, completely entertaining sequel. One that is filled with fleshed-out versions of the historical personages known so well, even into the modern age. Not mere stereotypes or villains, but real, plausible renderings of people who have left a mark on history. What Becoming Marie Antoinette started, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow ably continues - a tradition of well-written, thoroughly detailed, engrossing historical fiction novels centered on one of the most interesting times and people in history. I personally cannot wait to see how this talented author will chose to recreate the last years of Marie Antoinette's life, and the fall of the Bourbon dynasty to the French Revolution with the trilogy's conclusion, The Last October Sky.
June 25, 2012
This second book of Juliet Grey’s Marie Antoinette trilogy exceeded- by far, all my expectations. In the author’s first book, Becoming Marie Antoinette, we read about Antonia and how she, at a very young age becomes Queen of France- a most delightful read from beginning to end - So much so that I named it my favourite read of 2011. So how was Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, going to compare, or better yet; give me more to get excited about?
Detailed to perfection at what is now customary Juliet Grey style, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, does not disappoint. Marie Antoinette blossoms into her own woman going through many peeling and riveting stages.
Her life is initially filled with the border-line obsession of finally consummating her marriage for the ultimate goal of bearing an heir to the French throne. Infinitely troubled by this freakish circumstance for several unbearable years, (ultimately due to the couple’s ingenuousness and failure to seek proper medical intervention), Marie Antoinette desperately needed a diversion.
Young and carefree, but nonetheless suffocating behind those palace walls, Marie Antoinette chose to keep a close-knit entourage to help alleviate her sadness. She enjoyed her late card games, her fashion, her theatre and her beloved Petit Trianon, where she could be herself. Her every move at court though, was hence discriminated.
Finally, through motherhood and an heir to the throne –Marie Antoinette thought she had finally achieved happiness and won the love of her people...hmmm. Louis and Marie Antoinette shared a unique bond, but apparently another highly regarded male friend, Axel von Fersen, also held a special place in Marie Antoinette’s heart…
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is Marie Antoinettes’ rise to womanhood through splendor, carefree times, love, friendship, motherhood but along with that followed: worries, hurt, tragedies, defamation, betrayals, remorse, and as well, a rise to maturity.
I think what I love most about this novel is precisely the way Marie Antoinette is portrayed. Juliet Grey does not create an untouchable, pure Marie Antoinette-nor does she follow those who have much maligned her in history. In this novel, Marie Antoinette encompasses the roles of queen, wife, mother, lover and friend in their purest form; told as is, without pretension.
My favourite part of the book was definitely the necklace affair. So much has been written on this topic already, yet in this novel it is told in even greater depth- almost like a minute by minute retelling of the facts- the story flowing with flawless elements and way more information than I have ever read before. Incredibly interesting!
Every little detail in this book is delectable, and I savoured it thoroughly. Written in good taste, nothing is amiss, and everything is possible. A work of fiction, yet written with such precise historical details, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is much more than just another Marie Antoinette story! I can't wait for the next and final book of this amazing trilogy. Excellent!
Detailed to perfection at what is now customary Juliet Grey style, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, does not disappoint. Marie Antoinette blossoms into her own woman going through many peeling and riveting stages.
Her life is initially filled with the border-line obsession of finally consummating her marriage for the ultimate goal of bearing an heir to the French throne. Infinitely troubled by this freakish circumstance for several unbearable years, (ultimately due to the couple’s ingenuousness and failure to seek proper medical intervention), Marie Antoinette desperately needed a diversion.
Young and carefree, but nonetheless suffocating behind those palace walls, Marie Antoinette chose to keep a close-knit entourage to help alleviate her sadness. She enjoyed her late card games, her fashion, her theatre and her beloved Petit Trianon, where she could be herself. Her every move at court though, was hence discriminated.
Finally, through motherhood and an heir to the throne –Marie Antoinette thought she had finally achieved happiness and won the love of her people...hmmm. Louis and Marie Antoinette shared a unique bond, but apparently another highly regarded male friend, Axel von Fersen, also held a special place in Marie Antoinette’s heart…
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is Marie Antoinettes’ rise to womanhood through splendor, carefree times, love, friendship, motherhood but along with that followed: worries, hurt, tragedies, defamation, betrayals, remorse, and as well, a rise to maturity.
I think what I love most about this novel is precisely the way Marie Antoinette is portrayed. Juliet Grey does not create an untouchable, pure Marie Antoinette-nor does she follow those who have much maligned her in history. In this novel, Marie Antoinette encompasses the roles of queen, wife, mother, lover and friend in their purest form; told as is, without pretension.
My favourite part of the book was definitely the necklace affair. So much has been written on this topic already, yet in this novel it is told in even greater depth- almost like a minute by minute retelling of the facts- the story flowing with flawless elements and way more information than I have ever read before. Incredibly interesting!
Every little detail in this book is delectable, and I savoured it thoroughly. Written in good taste, nothing is amiss, and everything is possible. A work of fiction, yet written with such precise historical details, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is much more than just another Marie Antoinette story! I can't wait for the next and final book of this amazing trilogy. Excellent!
May 21, 2012
Back when I studied Modern European history in school (and yes it was quite a while ago) I was fascinated by anything having to do with the French Revolution. Grey's first book "Becoming Marie Antoinette enlightened me on many things I never knew about this Queen of France, namely the extent of the many things she had to change physically and behaviorally, to be accepted as the Dauphin;s future wife. Loved that book and love this one. Once again Grey, with meticulous research, shows the reader the inner workings and political mistakes that will lead to the downfall of the House of Bourbon. She gives a wonderfully human face to the besieged King and Queen, who never could seem to get it quite right. Once again I learned things I hadn't known in this well written and provocative book, covering the middle years of this Queen's short life as well as her sorrows and joys. Loved that Grey includes an extensive biography and an afterword that tells readers what was factual and what was not. Wonderful book for lovers of historical fiction and anyone as fascinated with this time period as I am. Can't wait for the last part of this trilogy although of course we know the sad ending of this royal family.
August 2, 2012
I would give it 3.5 stars. The beginning and the end were very interesting and made for easy reading. However most of the middle portion was a little too far fetched and exaggerated. Marie Antionette was quite annoying during the marjority of her reign. However, she really showed maturity once she bore her first child.
September 4, 2017
Between 3 and 4 stars.
Greys writing style is nice, but Marie Antoinette isn't a very likeable person. very self-absorbed and she seems very stupid tbh.
of course I knew were this was heading but I found myself hoping that Antoinette would suddenly change, become more level-headed and somehow evade her faith.
I really want to read some non-fiction about the French Revolution now
Greys writing style is nice, but Marie Antoinette isn't a very likeable person. very self-absorbed and she seems very stupid tbh.
of course I knew were this was heading but I found myself hoping that Antoinette would suddenly change, become more level-headed and somehow evade her faith.
I really want to read some non-fiction about the French Revolution now
October 16, 2024
Second in a three book series of novels about Marie Antoinette. I read the first before my last Paris trip that covers her birth to the day she becomes queen. This picks up right where it left off and ends with the revolution starting. I liked this one a lot more. I learned a lot about her and obviously it was so much fun to literally read this at Versailles.
January 2, 2021
I am enjoying Juliet Grey’s second novel just as thoroughly as her first. Her style of writing draws you into Marie Antoinette’s world, making one feel you truly know the characters. Her combination of historical storytelling and romance makes for irresistible reading.
January 24, 2013
I read this book because I thoroughly enjoyed its prequel, "Becoming Marie Antoinette." THAT book offered great insight into the thoughts of a young girl whose life was not her own -- whose birthright belonged to the state, and who had to completely make herself over to meet ridiculous standards set by the country and rulers to which she would devote herself. Reading about 18th century orthodontists made me thank my lucky stars for modern medicine.
THAT book was revealing and interesting.
THIS book however was, in short, a trudge. Never the sharpest knife in Marie Therese of Austria's drawer of children, Marie Antoinette found herself irrelevant and bored in France. Confined to a taxing code of court etiquette, she found little to do except decorate herself and the environment around her. When the country's finances fell apart and she and her husband, Louis XVI, were confronted with the need to change, she was completely incapable of doing so. She lacked the mental and emotional resources to think outside her little box.
This book ends with the storming of the Bastille -- which means the royal family's attempt to flee the country and Marie Antoinette's trial and execution have been saved for the third book. Which I cannot read. Watching one of the original dumb blondes grapple with the life-and-death consequences of royal action -- inaction, really -- is more than I can bear.
THAT book was revealing and interesting.
THIS book however was, in short, a trudge. Never the sharpest knife in Marie Therese of Austria's drawer of children, Marie Antoinette found herself irrelevant and bored in France. Confined to a taxing code of court etiquette, she found little to do except decorate herself and the environment around her. When the country's finances fell apart and she and her husband, Louis XVI, were confronted with the need to change, she was completely incapable of doing so. She lacked the mental and emotional resources to think outside her little box.
This book ends with the storming of the Bastille -- which means the royal family's attempt to flee the country and Marie Antoinette's trial and execution have been saved for the third book. Which I cannot read. Watching one of the original dumb blondes grapple with the life-and-death consequences of royal action -- inaction, really -- is more than I can bear.
June 26, 2012
I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could...
I have done extensive reading on Marie Antointette (though it was several years ago) and found her such an enticing person to read about. I "bonded" somehow with her persona in the books I previously read. I recently had the good fortune to visit Versailles, and so my obsession with her has reawakened. When I saw this new book about her, I was so excited to read it! (I found out later that it is bk#2 of the trilogy). I think because of the quality of the books I have read previously, I knew her life story quite well. This book detailed it correctly, but for me wasn't presented in such a way as to excite me or give me anything new. I hate to say it, but I was a bit bored by the book. For someone who has never read about her, this is a good choice. But for me I found it lacking somewhat. I would recommend to Marie Antoinette "first timers." I would also recommend "Queen's Confession" by Victoria Holt. It might be hard to find a copy of but it's worth the trouble.
I have done extensive reading on Marie Antointette (though it was several years ago) and found her such an enticing person to read about. I "bonded" somehow with her persona in the books I previously read. I recently had the good fortune to visit Versailles, and so my obsession with her has reawakened. When I saw this new book about her, I was so excited to read it! (I found out later that it is bk#2 of the trilogy). I think because of the quality of the books I have read previously, I knew her life story quite well. This book detailed it correctly, but for me wasn't presented in such a way as to excite me or give me anything new. I hate to say it, but I was a bit bored by the book. For someone who has never read about her, this is a good choice. But for me I found it lacking somewhat. I would recommend to Marie Antoinette "first timers." I would also recommend "Queen's Confession" by Victoria Holt. It might be hard to find a copy of but it's worth the trouble.
November 14, 2017
This is the sequel to “Becoming Marie Antoinette.” As the story continues, Louis XV dies and a large funeral is held. Then Louis XVI becomes King and Marie Antoinette is Queen. The King gives Marie a little Chalet on the palace grounds that Louis XV built for Madame du Barry, his mistress. Marie spends a small fortune redecorating it. Still her marriage to Louis XVI has not been consummated. The doctors say a circumcision would alleviate the King’s problem, but he is afraid.
Duke Fersen of Sweden comes, and a relationship develops between him and Marie. (The relationship did happen but Grey admits to taking some historical license with it for the sake of the story).
For many reasons, France is experiencing financial problems. The King tries to cut expenses, meanwhile Marie believes that her subjects expect her to put on a good face. She spends money lavishly on jeweled gowns and the tall hairdos she has made popular. Her mother warns her to be more careful, but she doesn’t listen. She loves to throw expensive parties and play cards all night. Though she is being excoriated in the press for her excesses, she maintains she can’t cut back – it would show the wrong example to the people. Bread riots in Paris move to the palace at Versailles.
The King agrees to help the American Revolution in spite of France’s financial crises. On August 22, 1777 the marriage is finally consummated after Louis XVI has the operation. Marie’s brother, King of the Roman Empire, warns her to change her frivolous ways, but she ignores the advice. Finally, she gets pregnant and vows to change her extravagant lifestyle.
Count Fersen has been away. He returns and tells Marie he is going to America to fight in the revolution. Their relationship, though not physical, deepens. In Dec 1778 Marie has baby girl and learns the people of France do not like her. She refuses to sleep with the King because she doesn’t want to get pregnant again. Meanwhile, she comes to realize she is in love with count Fersen.
She agrees to have another child, but she has a miscarriage. She finally delivers a son in 1781. Because her hair is thinning, probably from the strain of her tall hairdos, she has her hair cut short and creates a new fashion in Paris. Her son is weak and sickly.
Marie is pulled into a scandal when a woman named Jeanne claims she is a close friend of the queen and barrows a fortune in the queen’s name. Pamphleteers smear Marie’s name and sentiment toward her drops more. Marie’s son dies in her arms. There is little sympathy from the people.
Conditions in France deteriorate as Louis XVI shows himself to be indecisive and inept. An attempt to placate the people with a meeting of the three estates, (royals, nobles, people) gets out of hand. As matters worsen, the King does nothing. The Bastille is taken, and the revolution begins.
On the surface, Marie looks spoiled and self-absorbed. However, Grey examines her with care and empathy. Judging by the contents of Marie’s letters and the things going on around her, I think Grey has created a fairly accurate picture of a girl forced to grow up fast and put in circumstances an experienced adult would have problems dealing with. Those early years set patterns Marie was not able see or deal with.
The details leading up to the revolution and the what-ifs were thought provoking. Louis XVI was good for America but for France, he was the wrong man. At times, he wanted to do good, but he didn’t have the strength or the ability to do the right things.
Duke Fersen of Sweden comes, and a relationship develops between him and Marie. (The relationship did happen but Grey admits to taking some historical license with it for the sake of the story).
For many reasons, France is experiencing financial problems. The King tries to cut expenses, meanwhile Marie believes that her subjects expect her to put on a good face. She spends money lavishly on jeweled gowns and the tall hairdos she has made popular. Her mother warns her to be more careful, but she doesn’t listen. She loves to throw expensive parties and play cards all night. Though she is being excoriated in the press for her excesses, she maintains she can’t cut back – it would show the wrong example to the people. Bread riots in Paris move to the palace at Versailles.
The King agrees to help the American Revolution in spite of France’s financial crises. On August 22, 1777 the marriage is finally consummated after Louis XVI has the operation. Marie’s brother, King of the Roman Empire, warns her to change her frivolous ways, but she ignores the advice. Finally, she gets pregnant and vows to change her extravagant lifestyle.
Count Fersen has been away. He returns and tells Marie he is going to America to fight in the revolution. Their relationship, though not physical, deepens. In Dec 1778 Marie has baby girl and learns the people of France do not like her. She refuses to sleep with the King because she doesn’t want to get pregnant again. Meanwhile, she comes to realize she is in love with count Fersen.
She agrees to have another child, but she has a miscarriage. She finally delivers a son in 1781. Because her hair is thinning, probably from the strain of her tall hairdos, she has her hair cut short and creates a new fashion in Paris. Her son is weak and sickly.
Marie is pulled into a scandal when a woman named Jeanne claims she is a close friend of the queen and barrows a fortune in the queen’s name. Pamphleteers smear Marie’s name and sentiment toward her drops more. Marie’s son dies in her arms. There is little sympathy from the people.
Conditions in France deteriorate as Louis XVI shows himself to be indecisive and inept. An attempt to placate the people with a meeting of the three estates, (royals, nobles, people) gets out of hand. As matters worsen, the King does nothing. The Bastille is taken, and the revolution begins.
On the surface, Marie looks spoiled and self-absorbed. However, Grey examines her with care and empathy. Judging by the contents of Marie’s letters and the things going on around her, I think Grey has created a fairly accurate picture of a girl forced to grow up fast and put in circumstances an experienced adult would have problems dealing with. Those early years set patterns Marie was not able see or deal with.
The details leading up to the revolution and the what-ifs were thought provoking. Louis XVI was good for America but for France, he was the wrong man. At times, he wanted to do good, but he didn’t have the strength or the ability to do the right things.
June 6, 2022
The author is excellent with painting a picture in your mind, though at times the verbiage could be a bit excessive. The majority of the book is in first person, but she switches to third person at some points during the novel and it feels like a strange transition. This could be from the kindle version not providing sufficient page breaks.
Meticulously researched for a fiction piece. The author does an excellent job depicting the vices and virtues as she sees them of Marie Antoinette. Even though history tells the story, it ends on a cliff hanger and leaves you wanting more.
A little bonus, I’ve learned some French in the process of reading the first two books of the trilogy.
Meticulously researched for a fiction piece. The author does an excellent job depicting the vices and virtues as she sees them of Marie Antoinette. Even though history tells the story, it ends on a cliff hanger and leaves you wanting more.
A little bonus, I’ve learned some French in the process of reading the first two books of the trilogy.
September 4, 2017
This is probably the most detailed historical fiction series on Marie Antoinette I've come across. For some readers it might seem a bit dry at times - this second installment takes place in the years between Marie and Louis XVI's marriage and the Revolution, so it mostly depicts lifestyle and excess and exactly how Marie came to be loathed by her people for being a spendthrift - not a lot of action at times but plenty of description. I love that sort of thing and this is one of my favorite time periods in history to learn about, so it worked well for me.
April 14, 2019
This book was as terrible as the front cover.
October 28, 2019
Sokkal erősebb könyv, mint az első, sokkal érettebb és megrázóbb. A franciát és az értelmetlen gicces jeleneteket végre mellőzi, és sokkal racionálisabb képet ad a korszakról, mint az előző könyvben, ironikus módon így mégis erősebb hatást gyakorol az érzelmekre, mint az első kötet. Örülök, hogy nem hagytam abba az első kötet után a történet olvasását.
June 23, 2012
I was a little worried about this one. Not only are "middle" books in a trilogy always a little tough, but it seemed like keeping the "middle" of Marie Antoinette's life could be even more difficult. I mean, you can't get to the Revolution until the third book, and the first book introduced readers to the heroine and her struggles -so what is there to talk about in the "middle" book?
It turns out there's a lot.
In Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, Marie Antoinette's tale continues, taking up not long after the end of Becoming Marie Antoinette when the ill-fated queen and her husband ascend to the French throne. But all is not right in the French court. Between Marie's inability to have children (and her husband's disinterest in making babies) and the many political intrigues surrounding her, she becomes engrossed in an extravagant world of gambling, elaborate gowns and jewels, and all of lives wildest pleasures -no matter what the cost to the royal treasury. As the propaganda against Marie Antoinette mounts, she must deal with her feelings for another man and the infamous Affair of the Necklace.
I thoroughly enjoyed author Juliet Grey's refreshing take on Marie Antoinette in Becoming Marie Antoinette, and she did not disappoint in the sequel. Grey does an incredible job of portraying the infamous French Queen as more of a victim of her time and place than the horrible and unfeeling "let-them-eat-cake" queen that history seems to remember her as. Grey has done an incredible amount of historical research, and it shines through in every luscious detail. The world of 18th century France comes alive, complete with plenty of historical accuracy. (I especially enjoyed the discussion of France's involvement in the American Revolution, Marie Antoinette's thoughts on the "colonies" and Benjamin Franklin, and how, almost ironically, the country's involvement in that war helped lead the the French Revolution.)
Grey's style rivals that of many other, most established historical fiction authors out there. I seemed to float almost effortlessly from sentence to sentence, and the transitions between Marie's point of view and the letters between Marie, her family and others were not confusing at all -I really liked hearing the voice of other characters through the letters. It helped give additional perspective on Antoinette herself.
For fans of well-written biographical historical fiction (there is some juicy romance, but it's not the centerpiece of the novel), devotees of the French queen -or readers who love a good scandal -Days is an excellent follow up to Becoming and hints at more excellent work from this talented author. I cannot wait for The Last October Sky, the final book in Grey's Marie Antoinette trilogy, due out next year.
It turns out there's a lot.
In Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, Marie Antoinette's tale continues, taking up not long after the end of Becoming Marie Antoinette when the ill-fated queen and her husband ascend to the French throne. But all is not right in the French court. Between Marie's inability to have children (and her husband's disinterest in making babies) and the many political intrigues surrounding her, she becomes engrossed in an extravagant world of gambling, elaborate gowns and jewels, and all of lives wildest pleasures -no matter what the cost to the royal treasury. As the propaganda against Marie Antoinette mounts, she must deal with her feelings for another man and the infamous Affair of the Necklace.
I thoroughly enjoyed author Juliet Grey's refreshing take on Marie Antoinette in Becoming Marie Antoinette, and she did not disappoint in the sequel. Grey does an incredible job of portraying the infamous French Queen as more of a victim of her time and place than the horrible and unfeeling "let-them-eat-cake" queen that history seems to remember her as. Grey has done an incredible amount of historical research, and it shines through in every luscious detail. The world of 18th century France comes alive, complete with plenty of historical accuracy. (I especially enjoyed the discussion of France's involvement in the American Revolution, Marie Antoinette's thoughts on the "colonies" and Benjamin Franklin, and how, almost ironically, the country's involvement in that war helped lead the the French Revolution.)
Grey's style rivals that of many other, most established historical fiction authors out there. I seemed to float almost effortlessly from sentence to sentence, and the transitions between Marie's point of view and the letters between Marie, her family and others were not confusing at all -I really liked hearing the voice of other characters through the letters. It helped give additional perspective on Antoinette herself.
For fans of well-written biographical historical fiction (there is some juicy romance, but it's not the centerpiece of the novel), devotees of the French queen -or readers who love a good scandal -Days is an excellent follow up to Becoming and hints at more excellent work from this talented author. I cannot wait for The Last October Sky, the final book in Grey's Marie Antoinette trilogy, due out next year.
September 15, 2012
Juliet Grey, along with Amanda Elyot, is a pen name belonging to the lovely and talented Leslie Carroll—one of my favorite historical novelists. Having read seven of her books thus far, fiction and non-fiction, I much enjoy her smart writing style and her ability to write a perfectly balanced and intriguing story. All for Love, a fictional biography on the 18th century actress, Mary Robinson, remains one of my favorites, while this new trilogy on Marie Antoinette has been added to the list.
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is the middle book of a trilogy based on the life of Marie Antoinette. While the first installment, Becoming Marie Antoinette, explores the early life and four-year period during which she was dauphine, Days of Splendor delves into the many events and misunderstandings that led to the Queen’s undoing and the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette’s distaste for strict etiquette and lack of privacy, her snubbing of the old regime and seclusion at Petite Trianon created ripples among the nobility, which trickled down to commoners, maligning the Queen undeservedly.
While she waited (quite patiently) for her husband to undergo the surgery necessary for the couple to consummate their marriage, she had no outlet other than decorating her apartments, creating magnificent dresses and coiffures and hosting card parties and masked dances–as her husband barred her from all state matters. While she yearned for children and a more rustic existence, she gained many enemies to add to those who simply held her contemptible for being Austrian. By the time the heir was born, eleven years after her political marriage, her reputation was tarnished beyond repair, and the Revolution–sparked by the Americans–was quickly materializing.
This middle volume of the trilogy goes into the year 1789, just after the storming of the Bastille. The heartbreaking and bloody final years of the life of Marie Antoinette will be chronicled in Juliet Grey’s final novel, titled The Last October Sky, due to publish in 2013. This reader is very excited for the finale, though it is sure to be a heart rending story, knowing the Queen’s horrific fate.
After you devour Juliet Grey’s first two novels, other suggested reading is The Queen’s Confession by Victoria Holt, a fictional biography of the life of Marie Antoinette, The Queen of Diamonds by Jean Plaidy, which chronicles the theft ring behind the stolen necklace that helped bring scandal to the monarchy, Annette Vallon by James Tipton, the French Revolution through the eyes of the lower classes, and Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran, the famous waxmaker during her early years as she lived through the Terror.
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is the middle book of a trilogy based on the life of Marie Antoinette. While the first installment, Becoming Marie Antoinette, explores the early life and four-year period during which she was dauphine, Days of Splendor delves into the many events and misunderstandings that led to the Queen’s undoing and the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette’s distaste for strict etiquette and lack of privacy, her snubbing of the old regime and seclusion at Petite Trianon created ripples among the nobility, which trickled down to commoners, maligning the Queen undeservedly.
While she waited (quite patiently) for her husband to undergo the surgery necessary for the couple to consummate their marriage, she had no outlet other than decorating her apartments, creating magnificent dresses and coiffures and hosting card parties and masked dances–as her husband barred her from all state matters. While she yearned for children and a more rustic existence, she gained many enemies to add to those who simply held her contemptible for being Austrian. By the time the heir was born, eleven years after her political marriage, her reputation was tarnished beyond repair, and the Revolution–sparked by the Americans–was quickly materializing.
This middle volume of the trilogy goes into the year 1789, just after the storming of the Bastille. The heartbreaking and bloody final years of the life of Marie Antoinette will be chronicled in Juliet Grey’s final novel, titled The Last October Sky, due to publish in 2013. This reader is very excited for the finale, though it is sure to be a heart rending story, knowing the Queen’s horrific fate.
After you devour Juliet Grey’s first two novels, other suggested reading is The Queen’s Confession by Victoria Holt, a fictional biography of the life of Marie Antoinette, The Queen of Diamonds by Jean Plaidy, which chronicles the theft ring behind the stolen necklace that helped bring scandal to the monarchy, Annette Vallon by James Tipton, the French Revolution through the eyes of the lower classes, and Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran, the famous waxmaker during her early years as she lived through the Terror.
October 26, 2012
Juliet Grey continues the saga of Marie Antoinette in her second volume. Covering the years between her ascent to the throne and the beginning of the French Revolution. Spanning fifteen years, readers explore the French Court through the eyes of its infamous queen. Grey focuses the full life of Marie Antoinette, from her everyday life to the momentous events that shaped the Queen and the Court.
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow really captures the spirit of Marie Antoinette. The author does a great job in creating a feeling of kindrenship between the reader and Marie Antoinette. I enjoyed her spunky nature and passive aggressive rebellion. I loved watching the Queen develop from a shy girl to a Queen with feelings, heartbreak and love for her husband and adopted country. As the years become harder and harder on the pretty Queen, I find my heart breaking for her as she recklessly spends enormous sums on gambling, clothes and presents to soothe her fears and heartbreak. Once Marie's greatest dreams of having children are fulfilled, I was amazed at what a great mother she was.
Grey recreates the French Court with ease, accurately portraying the Queen, King and it's players. Staying true to history, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow stays true to history, including with accurate detail actual historical events and conversations. This really makes Grey's Marie shine. I have always felt that Marie was unfairly blamed for causing the Revolution with her reckless spending, but Grey gives the reader the whole picture, showing the lack of competence in the Government, and Marie's lack of influence over policy and politics. The book also accurately shows the French Aristocracy's views on unlimited money, power and play.
Readers should start with the first book in the trilogy, Becoming Marie Antoinette. This will allow the reader to seamlessly transition into Archduchess to Dauphin. I am anxiously awaiting the 2013 release of the final book, The Last October Sky. Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is an amazing read on the misaligned Queen.
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow really captures the spirit of Marie Antoinette. The author does a great job in creating a feeling of kindrenship between the reader and Marie Antoinette. I enjoyed her spunky nature and passive aggressive rebellion. I loved watching the Queen develop from a shy girl to a Queen with feelings, heartbreak and love for her husband and adopted country. As the years become harder and harder on the pretty Queen, I find my heart breaking for her as she recklessly spends enormous sums on gambling, clothes and presents to soothe her fears and heartbreak. Once Marie's greatest dreams of having children are fulfilled, I was amazed at what a great mother she was.
Grey recreates the French Court with ease, accurately portraying the Queen, King and it's players. Staying true to history, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow stays true to history, including with accurate detail actual historical events and conversations. This really makes Grey's Marie shine. I have always felt that Marie was unfairly blamed for causing the Revolution with her reckless spending, but Grey gives the reader the whole picture, showing the lack of competence in the Government, and Marie's lack of influence over policy and politics. The book also accurately shows the French Aristocracy's views on unlimited money, power and play.
Readers should start with the first book in the trilogy, Becoming Marie Antoinette. This will allow the reader to seamlessly transition into Archduchess to Dauphin. I am anxiously awaiting the 2013 release of the final book, The Last October Sky. Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow is an amazing read on the misaligned Queen.
November 27, 2012
This was a well researched and engaging story. This is a work of fiction, so the author can explore possible actions and thoughts through her characters that the real person might or might not have done or thought. What makes this an excellent work of historical fiction is the care that the author takes to be sure that the actions and thoughts of the characters are entirely consistent with the factual record, as well as with the likely motivations he/she was likely to feel.
Throughout the entire book the reader feels the bleakness of knowing how it will all end. The author puts this ever-present tension to good use as she exhibits for us many different scenarios in which the main characters made decisions without seeing how these actions were going to add up to Revolution. Since we have the benefit of hindsight as we observe these same actions, the author lays stepping stones of drought, riots, rivalry, debt, etc. that when viewed from the 21st century create a vision of the path to Revolution that the royal family did not perceive from their vantage point.
My only complaint would be the minor historical inaccuracies that were purposely placed by the author in order to better fit the storyline. I would rather have a historical fact omitted than changed.
Throughout the entire book the reader feels the bleakness of knowing how it will all end. The author puts this ever-present tension to good use as she exhibits for us many different scenarios in which the main characters made decisions without seeing how these actions were going to add up to Revolution. Since we have the benefit of hindsight as we observe these same actions, the author lays stepping stones of drought, riots, rivalry, debt, etc. that when viewed from the 21st century create a vision of the path to Revolution that the royal family did not perceive from their vantage point.
My only complaint would be the minor historical inaccuracies that were purposely placed by the author in order to better fit the storyline. I would rather have a historical fact omitted than changed.
April 19, 2015
This is the second novel in Grey’s Marie Antoinette trilogy, which follows the Queen of France from the beginning of her reign through the dark days of the French Revolution. (The third and final novel, The Last October Sky, is due out in September 2013.) I found this novel to not quite be as fluid as the first. I don’t hold the author entirely at fault for this because I’m in the process of writing my own novel at this period of French history and untangling the truth from the spiderweb is incredibly difficult. I found her research to be thorough, however, just like the first novel. Anything that had to be leant a poetic license carefully blended into the story and I couldn’t find anything that truly struck me as false. Again, some of the language drifted precariously close to modern voices, but the author managed to pull herself back into the period before it distracted me too much from the story. Villainous people in their own time (as viewed by their people) are likable while still quite flawed and realistic in the novels. It is their flaws that bring them down from mythology. I will definitely read the third novel.
August 17, 2012
It seems to me that the world around 1800 was ready for a change and it truly didn't matter who was on the throne. Combine some long-rooted animosity against Austria and a weak monarch and you have a recipe for revolution. It occurs to me that Marie Antoinette really suffered from a lack of a decent PR department!
The book was very interesting, I like the view that Marie Antoinette was not the heinous person history alludes that she was. I had no idea about her frustrations about not being a mother at an early age.
The pacing was a bit uneven, at times I felt as though the plot was plodding and other times moved at a brisk clip. I imagine part of the problem is that this book is a bridge between the introduction and the final ending which we all know occurs and I found myself biding my time until the revolution begins.
Looking forward to The Last October Sky.
The book was very interesting, I like the view that Marie Antoinette was not the heinous person history alludes that she was. I had no idea about her frustrations about not being a mother at an early age.
The pacing was a bit uneven, at times I felt as though the plot was plodding and other times moved at a brisk clip. I imagine part of the problem is that this book is a bridge between the introduction and the final ending which we all know occurs and I found myself biding my time until the revolution begins.
Looking forward to The Last October Sky.
December 22, 2012
The second book in this series is much better than the first one. I enjoyed it more. Marie Antoinette comes into her own and finally has her children. She also meets Axel Von Fersen. It ends on the eve of the French Revolution and we have to wait for the next book to come out which isn't yet out.
Knowing the inevitable end, I am not sure I want to read the next book. I never thought Marie Antoinette was responsible for the revolution. This book just convicts me even more. If only her husband had not prevaricated so much!!! The only thing I wish she had done when the other members of the royal family left en mass for a safer place is that she had sent her children with them. It is one thing to share danger with your husband but it is another to put your children in danger too.
Knowing the inevitable end, I am not sure I want to read the next book. I never thought Marie Antoinette was responsible for the revolution. This book just convicts me even more. If only her husband had not prevaricated so much!!! The only thing I wish she had done when the other members of the royal family left en mass for a safer place is that she had sent her children with them. It is one thing to share danger with your husband but it is another to put your children in danger too.
July 6, 2020
Overall, this book was a good read. I particularly loved the end of the story where it began to pick up with the French Revolution. However, some of the middle plot line felt long and drawn on. Certain aspects of Marie's life tend to captivate me more than others, so the more domestic-type challenges and general public backlash didn't quite grab my attention. However, I do plan to go on to finish this series.
August 18, 2012
"I imagined I heard a slow, steady drumbeat wherever I went." -- the character of Marie Antoinette in Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow as things begin to deteriorate. What. A fabulous. Line.
June 10, 2012
I didn't like this one as much as the first novel in the trilogy, but then I didn't feel as sympathetic towards Marie Antoinette as I did in the first novel. In the early part of her life (the first novel), she was not left with many choice, but in this part of her life (second novel) she is making choices that lead her to become that tragic figure we know so well.
February 22, 2014
This has to be one of the more boring historical fictions I have read and I am not sure if I want to read the third book or not. Juliet Grey's use of the French language where it is not needed is frustrating and entirely unnecessar, luckily I can read and understand basic French if I couldn't I would be really frustrated with this series.
August 27, 2013
Although written in the first person, Marie Antoinette still comes across as hedonistic and self-centered. Interesting concept. You get the feeling she almost begs for her own demise.
April 5, 2024
Quando ero una balda giovine ero sempre così infervorata quando si parlava della Rivoluzione Francese, pensando che fosse stato un periodo storico bellissimo, lo sbocciare di una giustizia terrena, un modo di vivere più equo per tutti.
In parte la penso ancora così, ma più leggo biografie o romanzi sulla figura di Maria Antonietta, più mi rendo conto che in fondo i due monarchi erano due piccoli pasticcioni, ritrovatisi a dover gestire molte cose più grandi di loro stessi, frustrati dal non riuscire a farlo. Un po' succubi della precedente gestione, i cui effetti però non erano ancora così lampanti da dare l'idea di una situazione così grave. Umanamente, mi spiace quindi che questi due cristi abbiano dovuto subire una barbarie, anche se penso che le conseguenze furono tutte dovute più all'esasperazione generale della situazione che alla vera e propria malevolenza, per lo meno da parte del Terzo Stato, mentre continuo a disprezzare quei nobili che pur di aver più potere oltraggiarono gli altri potenti fingendo di approvare le idee democratiche (però, sia mai pagare le tasse!).
E quando anche questi due monarchi erano cresciuti, un po' meglio preparati e disposti a fare il bene della Francia, ormai il popolo era talmente arrabbiato e afflitto che successe quel che è successo.
Quanto a questo romanzo, per me l'autrice ha fatto davvero un ottimo lavoro, scrivendo in maniera semplice e scorrevole, senza tralasciare nulla pur concedendosi qualche piccola libertà (giustamente) da romanzo. Romanzi così rischiano di essere o troppo mielosi o troppo pesanti, troppo da manuale di storia. Questo, invece, ha un perfetto bilanciamento tra le cose, per cui per me è super promosso.
Comincia con un utilissimo recap iniziale, intelligentemente scritto per chi si approccia al secondo libro dopo un po' di tempo dal primo e magari non ricorda dove si è arrivati o cosa era successo, sapientemente inglobato alla narrazione storica.
Il prologo è molto accattivante, scritto molto bene e che riprende un momento fondamentale che sarà chiaro solo più avanti, nonché, immagino, nel terzo e ultimo capitolo della saga, che sarà incentrato sulla Rivoluzione vera e propria.
Il romanzo racconta tanti fatti storici e piccole curiosità interessanti che io stessa non conoscevo, pur avendo già letto romanzi e saggi a riguardo. Lo stile rimane fluido e scorrevole: non ho mai sentito momenti di stanchezza o pesantezza. Si capisce che l'autrice ha studiato benissimo le biografie, facendo un ottimo lavoro di riassunto e di collegamento tra le varie fonti, contemporanee e non.
Il periodo storico, del resto, mi ha sempre affascinata: oserei dire che è il mio preferito, così come questa relazione in fondo così particolare tra Luigi XVI e Maria Antonietta, che da un lato mi affascina, ma da un punto di vista razionale non ho mai sopportato -- consolarsi per una vita sessuale frustrante a scapito di tutto un popolo? Andiamo, su... Posso capire fino a un certo punto, forse anche perché non sono mai stata una appassionata di vestiti, acconciature e queste cose materiali.
Io forse avrei mandato la Francia in fallimento per dei libri!
Scherzi a parte, certamente il problema è troppo complesso per essere riassunto in una recensione come questa, ma, pur con la possibilità di accettare vari punti di vista, per me il romanzo vale assolutamente la pena di essere letto.
In parte la penso ancora così, ma più leggo biografie o romanzi sulla figura di Maria Antonietta, più mi rendo conto che in fondo i due monarchi erano due piccoli pasticcioni, ritrovatisi a dover gestire molte cose più grandi di loro stessi, frustrati dal non riuscire a farlo. Un po' succubi della precedente gestione, i cui effetti però non erano ancora così lampanti da dare l'idea di una situazione così grave. Umanamente, mi spiace quindi che questi due cristi abbiano dovuto subire una barbarie, anche se penso che le conseguenze furono tutte dovute più all'esasperazione generale della situazione che alla vera e propria malevolenza, per lo meno da parte del Terzo Stato, mentre continuo a disprezzare quei nobili che pur di aver più potere oltraggiarono gli altri potenti fingendo di approvare le idee democratiche (però, sia mai pagare le tasse!).
E quando anche questi due monarchi erano cresciuti, un po' meglio preparati e disposti a fare il bene della Francia, ormai il popolo era talmente arrabbiato e afflitto che successe quel che è successo.
Quanto a questo romanzo, per me l'autrice ha fatto davvero un ottimo lavoro, scrivendo in maniera semplice e scorrevole, senza tralasciare nulla pur concedendosi qualche piccola libertà (giustamente) da romanzo. Romanzi così rischiano di essere o troppo mielosi o troppo pesanti, troppo da manuale di storia. Questo, invece, ha un perfetto bilanciamento tra le cose, per cui per me è super promosso.
Comincia con un utilissimo recap iniziale, intelligentemente scritto per chi si approccia al secondo libro dopo un po' di tempo dal primo e magari non ricorda dove si è arrivati o cosa era successo, sapientemente inglobato alla narrazione storica.
Il prologo è molto accattivante, scritto molto bene e che riprende un momento fondamentale che sarà chiaro solo più avanti, nonché, immagino, nel terzo e ultimo capitolo della saga, che sarà incentrato sulla Rivoluzione vera e propria.
Il romanzo racconta tanti fatti storici e piccole curiosità interessanti che io stessa non conoscevo, pur avendo già letto romanzi e saggi a riguardo. Lo stile rimane fluido e scorrevole: non ho mai sentito momenti di stanchezza o pesantezza. Si capisce che l'autrice ha studiato benissimo le biografie, facendo un ottimo lavoro di riassunto e di collegamento tra le varie fonti, contemporanee e non.
Il periodo storico, del resto, mi ha sempre affascinata: oserei dire che è il mio preferito, così come questa relazione in fondo così particolare tra Luigi XVI e Maria Antonietta, che da un lato mi affascina, ma da un punto di vista razionale non ho mai sopportato -- consolarsi per una vita sessuale frustrante a scapito di tutto un popolo? Andiamo, su... Posso capire fino a un certo punto, forse anche perché non sono mai stata una appassionata di vestiti, acconciature e queste cose materiali.
Io forse avrei mandato la Francia in fallimento per dei libri!
Scherzi a parte, certamente il problema è troppo complesso per essere riassunto in una recensione come questa, ma, pur con la possibilità di accettare vari punti di vista, per me il romanzo vale assolutamente la pena di essere letto.
January 24, 2018
Mám veľmi rada knižné série, lebo vďaka nim mám pocit, že keď knihu dočítam, nemusím sa s jej predstaviteľmi rozlúčiť úplne... V ďalšej jej časti postavy opäť ožívajú a príbeh sa rozvíja ďalej. Takto som si obľúbila Harryho Pottera a keby autorka napísala ďalšiu časť, prečítala by som ju na jeden dych rovnako ako tie predošlé. Keď sa spojí knižná séria s historickým románom, je to hudba pre moje uši.
Veľmi ma zaujímalo, ako to s Máriou Antoinettou dopadne. Samozrejme, že nie som z dejepisu až taká hlúpa, aby som si nepamätala, ako jej život naozaj skončí. To nie. Bola som skôr zvedavá na vývoj tejto mladej ženy ako literárnej postavy a toho sa mi aj dostalo.
Musím sa priznať, že sa mi doteraz nikdy nepodarilo zaznamenať taký veľký rozvoj postavy ako v tomto diele. V minirecenzii na prvú časť trilógie som spomínala milú mladú dámu, ktorú som ľutovala, lebo ju nútia sa vydať za niekoho, koho vôbec nepozná a navyše musí od rodiny odísť do cudzej krajiny. Takže aby ste vedeli, z malej milej poslušnej Toinette sa stane zhýralá a márnotratná francúzska kráľovná. Áno, tak ovplyvnili to je správanie mnohé okolnosti, ale aj tak... Keďže nemala deti a žiadne ďalšie starosti, lebo do vládnutia sa starať nesmela, zaujímala sa o celkom iné veci. Móda a udávanie štýlu sa stalo jej životným poslaním. Bolo veľmi zaujímavé sledovať, ako sa jej vkus menil. Najskôr obyčajné šaty podobné tým, ktoré nosila v Rakúsku, potom obrovské krinolíny plné volánov a nakoniec košieľka previazaná stuhou. Jedným z najväčších faktorov, ktoré ovplyvnili jej správanie bolo narodenie detí. Keď si naplno uvedomila, že sa im chce venovať a už nebaží po krásnych drahých šatách a diamantových šperkoch, správala sa opäť ako obyčajné jednoduché dievča, ako matka, ktorá sa zameriava len na život svojich detí a na ich rozvoj. Veľmi ju zasiahla aj smrť jej dcéry Sofie a najstaršieho syna, ktorý sa mal stať ďalším kráľom. Práve tieto časti jej života považujem za kľúčové a tie aj najviac zmenili jej pohľad na svet. Láska jej život naplnila tiež. Ale necítila ju k svojmu manželovi, kráľovi, ale k jednému z jeho dvoranov. Ako jediný jej skutočne rozumel a dokázal pochopiť jej správanie. Takisto dokázal jej správanie aj kriticky zhodnotiť a ovplyvniť ho.
Som veľmi zvedavá na poslednú časť Spoveď Márie Antionetty, ktorá len čaká na otvorenie. Podľa názvu sa domnievam, že nahliadnem hlboko do duše tejto historickej ikony. A verím, že posledná časť trilógie bude rovnako ak nie aj viac dobrá ako tie predošlé dve.
Veľmi ma zaujímalo, ako to s Máriou Antoinettou dopadne. Samozrejme, že nie som z dejepisu až taká hlúpa, aby som si nepamätala, ako jej život naozaj skončí. To nie. Bola som skôr zvedavá na vývoj tejto mladej ženy ako literárnej postavy a toho sa mi aj dostalo.
Musím sa priznať, že sa mi doteraz nikdy nepodarilo zaznamenať taký veľký rozvoj postavy ako v tomto diele. V minirecenzii na prvú časť trilógie som spomínala milú mladú dámu, ktorú som ľutovala, lebo ju nútia sa vydať za niekoho, koho vôbec nepozná a navyše musí od rodiny odísť do cudzej krajiny. Takže aby ste vedeli, z malej milej poslušnej Toinette sa stane zhýralá a márnotratná francúzska kráľovná. Áno, tak ovplyvnili to je správanie mnohé okolnosti, ale aj tak... Keďže nemala deti a žiadne ďalšie starosti, lebo do vládnutia sa starať nesmela, zaujímala sa o celkom iné veci. Móda a udávanie štýlu sa stalo jej životným poslaním. Bolo veľmi zaujímavé sledovať, ako sa jej vkus menil. Najskôr obyčajné šaty podobné tým, ktoré nosila v Rakúsku, potom obrovské krinolíny plné volánov a nakoniec košieľka previazaná stuhou. Jedným z najväčších faktorov, ktoré ovplyvnili jej správanie bolo narodenie detí. Keď si naplno uvedomila, že sa im chce venovať a už nebaží po krásnych drahých šatách a diamantových šperkoch, správala sa opäť ako obyčajné jednoduché dievča, ako matka, ktorá sa zameriava len na život svojich detí a na ich rozvoj. Veľmi ju zasiahla aj smrť jej dcéry Sofie a najstaršieho syna, ktorý sa mal stať ďalším kráľom. Práve tieto časti jej života považujem za kľúčové a tie aj najviac zmenili jej pohľad na svet. Láska jej život naplnila tiež. Ale necítila ju k svojmu manželovi, kráľovi, ale k jednému z jeho dvoranov. Ako jediný jej skutočne rozumel a dokázal pochopiť jej správanie. Takisto dokázal jej správanie aj kriticky zhodnotiť a ovplyvniť ho.
Som veľmi zvedavá na poslednú časť Spoveď Márie Antionetty, ktorá len čaká na otvorenie. Podľa názvu sa domnievam, že nahliadnem hlboko do duše tejto historickej ikony. A verím, že posledná časť trilógie bude rovnako ak nie aj viac dobrá ako tie predošlé dve.
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