The Queen's Lover

by Francine du Plessix Gray

A “deeply intelligent” and “spellbinding” historical novel of Marie Antoinette on the eve of the French Revolution ( The Washington Post )

Francine du Plessix Gray’s beautifully realized historical novel reveals the untold love story between Swedish aristocrat Count Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette. The romance begins at a masquerade ball in Paris in 1774, when the dashing nobleman first meets the mesmerizing nineteen-year-old dauphine, wife of the reclusive prince who will soon become Louis XVI. This electric encounter launches a love affair that will span the course of the French Revolution.

As their relationship deepens, Fersen becomes a devoted companion to the entire royal family. Roaming the halls of Versailles and visiting the private haven of Le Petit Trianon, he discovers the deepest secrets of the court, even learning the startling erotic details of Marie Antoinette’s marriage to Louis XVI. But his new intimacy with Marie Antoinette and her family is disrupted when the events of the American Revolution tear Fersen away. Moved by the cause, he joins French troops in the fight for American independence.

He returns to find France on the brink of disintegration. After the Revolution of 1789 the royal family is moved from Versailles to the Tuileries. Fersen devises an escape for the family and their young children (Marie-Thérèse and the dauphin—whom many suspect is in fact Fersen’s son). The failed attempt leads to a more grueling imprisonment, and the family spends its excruciating final days captive before the king and queen face the guillotine.

Grieving his lost love in his native Sweden, Fersen begins to sense the effects of the French Revolution in his homeland. Royalists are now targets, and the sensuous aristocratic world of his youth is fast vanishing. Fersen is incapable of realizing that centuries of tradition have disappeared, and he pays dearly for his naïveté, losing his life at the hands of a savage mob that views him as a pivotal member of the ruling class.

Scion of Sweden’s most esteemed nobility, Fersen came to be seen as an enemy of the country he loved. His fate is symbolic of the violent speed with which the events of the eighteenth century transformed European culture. Expertly researched and deeply imagined, The Queen’s Lover is a fresh vision of the French Revolution and the French royal family as told through the love story that was at its center.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, French Revolution, Historical, Romance, 18th Century

292 pages, Hardcover

First published June 14, 2012

About the author

Francine du Plessix Gray, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and literary critic, was born in Warsaw, Poland, where her father, Vicomte Bertrand Jochaud du Plessix, was a French diplomat - the commercial attaché. She spent her early years in Paris, where a milieu of mixed cultures and a multilingual family (French father and Russian émigré mother) influenced her.

Widowed when her father died in battle, in 1940 du Plessix Gray's mother escaped France to New York with Francine. In 1942, her mother married Alexander Liberman, another White émigré from Russia, whom she had known in Paris as a child. He was a noted artist and later longtime editorial director of Vogue Magazine and then of Condé Nast Publications. The Libermans were socially prominent in media, art, and fashion circles.

Francine du Plessix Gray then grew up in New York City, and was naturalized a U.S. citizen in 1952. She was a scholarship student at Spence School. She attended Bryn Mawr College for two years, and in 1952 received her B.A. in philosophy from Barnard College, NY.

In 1957 she married painter Cleve Gray (1918-2004) with whom she had two sons.

Du Plessix Gray had a long and varied career, in the 1950s as reporter for several French magazines; book editor for Art in America New York City; staff writer for The New Yorker; several professorships, including at Columbia University.

Her most well-known book is Them: A Memory of Parents (2005). Her novels included Lovers and Tyrants (1976).

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of this review will discuss events that are historical fact. If you aren't familiar with the French Revolution and the fate of royal family, it would be best to stop reading this review. And just so I don't get accused of spoiling, the book jacket and the first pages of the book make it clear that at least in this version Von Fersen and Marie Antoinette were lovers.

The Queen's Lover is the fictional memoirs of Count Axel Von Fersen, memoirs he wrote later in his life. These memoirs are being prepared for publication posthumously by his sister, so you get the odd chapter here and there where she inserts notes to clarify certain events and what not. I could waste time and words giving you a run down on the historical events this novel covers, but the book blurb tells you everything that happens and you could just read that and be done with it.

Sigh. Unfortunately, the memoir format does not work well, and I found Von Fersen to be a most unsympathetic leading man. I understand history says he was known to be quite the ladies man, but let's just say that the sexual details included in these supposed public memoirs are way too much information and add nothing to the story. The sexual descriptions are very clinical, and not necessarily just with the love of his life. Ick, ick, ick what he did right after he bids Marie farwell forever and he goes straight to his mistress and has hot sex on the floor. Thank goodness I'm not allowed to quote from the ARC, but if you're thinking you're going to get a fairy tale romance and twu wuv fowevar, you are going to be sadly disappointed.

As for the rest of the story? Tedious. Even Von Fersen's recounting of his attempt to get the royal family out of France was boring (Dumas does it better). Von Fersen's memoirs continue as he recounts events in France - events that he didn't personally witness - so there are endless pages of info dumping via super secret letters between him and Marie A. More info dumping when there's a gap in the Von Fersen's memoirs and the sister takes over and recaps events for you. Frankly, if you are already familiar with this period you aren't going to get anything new out of reading this novel. For those readers looking to learn more about the French Revolution and wanting to be entertained, I'd suggest reading the series written by Alexandre Dumas. At least that way, you can learn and be entertained at the same time.

2/5 stars, and I'm only giving that extra star for the descriptions of of Versailles and the court at the start of the book, I suggest passing on the rest of it. Library only, then buy it if you love it. Reviewed for Amazon Vine.

[Natasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book provides a flat portrayal of a tumultuous time in history. For what was billed as a novel, there was minimal story provided to bring life to the people and events. Instead, this book was a linear compilation of historical facts.

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a weird fascination with Marie Antoinette and her family and was really looking forward to reading this new novel about Count Fersen, who was perhaps the secret love of Marie Antoinette's life and the architect of the failed escape plan to Varennes, after which the royal family was captured and soon imprisoned in Paris. I didn't feel this novel, which is told in the first person by Fersen himself with other parts narrated by his sister, added anything to my knowledge of the story or my understanding of the key figures involved. There are some very racy sex scenes with Fersen and the queen which frankly I found very distasteful--it gave me a feeling of being a voyeur at the scene which rather than being titillating seemed simply tacky. Fersen comes across as a very unpleasant person--it was hard to even empathize when he himself is beaten to death by an anti-royalist crowd in Sweden some years later. And the way the author incorporated actual parts of letters written by Fersen and others made the book very awkward--was she trying to write a novel, a biography, or a history book? It seems like she couldn't decide, and it's a messy melange that doesn't work well. If you want to read about Marie Antoinette, check out instead Abundance, by Sena Jeter Naslund, a much better novel, or Queen of Fashion, an excellent nonfiction treatment by historian Caroline Weber.

[Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

One hopes that somewhere in Heaven, Marie Antoinette is enjoying the beatific vision and thereby distracted from the knowledge of the truly wretched historical fiction industry her life has generated. She must surely rank next to Richard III as the monarch who has suffered the most at the hands of either those who elevate them to sainthood or damn them to perdition using the same life story.

du Plessix Gray skirts an examination of Antoinette's character by focusing upon Fersen, her putative lover. That she loved Axel von Fersen is an indisputable fact. What is less certain is whether they consummated their romance between the sheets. There are those who will never be convinced, much like the Ricardians who would have to see his fingerprints upon a pillow before allowing he might have had a hand in the fate of the Princes (spoiler alert: he did).

du Plessix Gray is not among the doubters. Antoinette and Fersen mess around quite a bit in The Queen's Lover, so much so that Fersen spends a lot of time wondering if the Dauphin may possibly be his son (spoiler alert: he wasn't. Thanks, DNA!). However, save for one passage, du Plessix Gray avoids the smut in their coupling. Because Antoinette will always be The One for Fersen. For the true carnal descriptions, we get the details of romps with his longtime mistress and the ladies of the Swedish court. du Plessix Gray's von Fersen is catnip to the girls throughout his life, and he takes advantage of it. Most of the truly lurid moments involve his fascination with, sorry, nipples. As he modestly confesses at one point, he is a "breast man". Draw the veil, gentle reader, because you don't wanna know the details.

So in the end, what do you have? The book is surprisingly, astoundingly dull. The prose is workmanlike, but her eponymous character doesn't really work --- and her Antoinette and Louis XVI certainly don't. When Axel leaves Antoinette after their last 36-hour bout of lovemaking he heads straight to his mistress for an acrobatic after-party. He does admit that the reader probably thinks him a cad (damn straight) but what can he do? He loves the ladies, and they all need a little touch of Axel in the night.

If you are of the opinion that Marie Antoinette was a boring lightweight, this book will confirm that impression, because only someone like that could be attracted to du Plessix Gray's Axel von Fersen. Her portrait may be accurate; she inserts actual letters from Fersen into the narrative like nuts in a fruitcake. He makes nasty comments about Americans during our Revolution, draws a bead on the entire French nation, and finally turns on Marie-Therese (Madame Royale to the peasants) for failing to honor him when he stalks her in Vienna after she is released by the Directory. Honestly, by the time Fersen is beaten to death by enraged Swedes --- not a sentence you see everyday, is it? --- the reader wants nothing so much as to pick up a cudgel and wade in after them.

Not recommended unless you absolutely, positively have to read everything about Marie Antoinette.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The Queen's Lover" is the fictional memoir of Count Axel von Fersen, a man long-speculated to have been the lover of doomed Queen Marie Antoinette. "Edited" by Fersen's sister, the novel focuses on not only his relationship with Marie, but Fersen's entire life--from his many romances to his efforts in the American Civil War.

The Good

Oh, look! A book on Fersen! I've always wanted a book about Fersen. He's such an interesting man, and his relationship with Marie was truly interesting.

The Bad

Wait, what happened? This is one of the most boring books I've ever read--and Marie Antoinette is barely present! And for God's sake, the dialogue is largely limited to "and then we said things along these lines" vs. any memorable lines. For the love of all this is holy, why is Fersen so insufferable?

The Ugly

Oh my lord, did she just use "orifice" when describing oral sex? BOUNTEOUS BELLY. THAT WAS A THING. I WANT TO GAG.

The Verdict

Run awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

[Quinby6696 Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing. I was salivating at the prospect of reading a good historical novel about the relationship between the Swedish Count Axel von Fersen and his purported long term affair with Marie Antoinette. The story is told through the use of Fersen's actual memoirs and the fictional ones of his sister Sophie. The transitions between the memoirs is stilted and the combination of fact and fiction harms the flow of the narrative feels uncomfortably stiff. A good historical novel makes the reader feel a part of the time period in the book. This book does not do this. The occasional use of "Dear Reader" is annoying and the constant rather pedantic insertion of historical facts makes one feel that one is reading a textbook. Still, the details of Fersen's life are quite intriguing and, in spite of the writing, were worth the time spent. One interesting revelation at the end. The mystery of whether the Queen's son was Louis XVI's or von Fersen was resolved in 1982 by DNA testing. Sad to say Louis Charles was the actual son of Louis XVI.

[OLT · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the intent of author du Plessix Gray is to present her protagonist Count Axel von Fersen as an admirable historical figure during the time of the French Revolution, she did not succeed with me. This Swedish nobleman and diplomat, presumed lover of Marie Antoinette, failed to meet my criteria for classification as an historical hero. He seems to have been better at emoting than at carrying out any effective actions.

If, however, the author's intent is to put the French Revolution into a broader international context by using Fersen and his sister Sophie as narrators, she has succeeded, although her style of writing is at times tedious and less successful at making the book an enjoyable read.

The most I had known of Fersen prior to the reading of this novel was his friendship with the French royal family, possible romantic relationship with Marie Antoinette and his masterminding of the royal family's 1790 unsuccessful flight to Varennes from Paris, hoping to find freedom in Belgium. His life as a Swede and as an international player in Europe and even in the American Revolution was unknown to me.

Gray's novel begins with the first meeting in 1774 of Fersen and then dauphine Marie Antoinette at a masquerade ball at Versailles, where they discover themselves to be, apparently, kindred spirits/soul mates and are devoted to each other from then until her beheading in 1793. Theirs is often a long-distance relationship, with separations such as Fersen's 1780-1782 participation in the American Revolution and their intimacy is to be inferred from letters written to each other and from third party observations of the time.

This intimate relationship is quite possibly true but is not the main thrust of Gray's novel. Fersen doesn't even come across as a very likeable or admirable person, never succeeding in any of his attempts to rescue Marie Antoinette from her fate and not even managing to be faithful to her, despite all his protestations that she is the Love of His Life. So, no, this is not really a love story but is rather more an account of international unrest, intrigues and alliances of the time. Sweden, Russia, Britain, Austria, France, Turkey, etc. Who's allied with whom, what's going on internationally during France's revolutionary mess, this is what makes the book somewhat interesting.

There are some excellent sections that were of major interest to me. First, her descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of opulent Versailles, which certainly help to explain 1700s France's love of, perhaps more to the point need for, perfume. Another highlight for me was Fersen's take on the American Revolution. Information about Sweden's King Gustavus, a rather openly gay monarch, is not to be missed. In addition, her tragicomic account of the botched flight to Varennes is informative for those not in the know, as is the sad description of life for the royal family after their imprisonment and up to their deaths.

For the first two thirds of the book I was questioning Gray's choice of Fersen as narrator of the book. Surely she could have found someone more compelling, heroic or sympathetic, rather than a rich, self-centered womanizing nobleman, lover of wealth and ostentation. But her choice became clearer to me in the last 50 or so pages, which take place mostly in Sweden from 1796 to 1810, where Gray ties Fersen's involvement in the American and French Revolutions to his final years, when his own upper-class ostentatious lifestyle brings about his own downfall.

This was often a tedious book. I couldn't keep myself reading it for long periods of time. When I truly enjoy a book, time and pages fly by. They crawled often for me during the reading of this and I took time off from it to check out more appealing reads.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this book but it just wasn't possible. It was an interesting premise but I just felt like it pandered too much to what the author thought the readers wanted. The story was about Marie Antoinette's affair with Swedish nobleman, Axel von Fersen. The queen was 19 and Fersen was a very haughty, wealthy man who counted the King of Sweden and the King of France as friends. Apparently he had few morals. Not only did he have an affair with the Queen but with numerous married ladies often at the same time. He thought the dauphin was his son but very comfortable with interacting with the king.
There were a lot of stories thrown in that I doubted very seriously. Louis XVI was heavy and apparently warned by the doctor that it would affect his heart. Really? That was a concern back then? And, frankly, the characters are not very sympathetic. This book will not revise your opinion that these were the most clueless people alive. Comte d'Artois owned 365 pairs of shoes. The women's hairdos were so outlandish that many of them would have to stick their heads out of their coaches windows to be able to fit in. Fersen's planned escape for the royal family was so ridiculous that you might think it was made-up if you didn't know better.
There is some purple prose in the book that was slightly offensive. The characters are still unlikable and the writing is just average. I really wouldn't recommend this book

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life story of Marie Antoinette fascinates many a lover of historical fiction. One of the many questions not completely answered throughout time is whether she had an affair with Count Axel von Fersen of Sweden. This book reads as Count von Fersen's memoir - with some additions from his beloved sister Sophie.


Count Axel wrote a long stream of letters and kept a diary so there is quite a record of his thoughts from his lifetime. Marie Antoinette's correspondence did not survive quite as intact so while there are tantalizing teasers as to a relationship between the two there is nothing definitive to prove that one existed. But such are the building blocks of historical fiction.


This is definitely Count von Fersen's story and perhaps a third of it (?) encompasses his relationship with Marie Antoinette. The rest details his travels to America to help in the Revolution, a jaunt with Gustavus of Sweden, and his life after Marie Antoinette had been killed.


I still cannot decide after having read this book whether I am supposed to like Count von Fersen, despise him or just be disgusted by him. I suppose that is the sign of a good writer - letting her character speak for himself without dressing him up for current times because from all I can discern the count was a man who did not realize that his times were a changin' as the song goes. He stuck to a code that had outlived his society and he paid a severe price for it. He also seemed to have been somewhat of a pig when it came to women and rather proud of his conquests.


So, where does that leave me?


Educated, interested in learning more, repulsed? Yes, all three of these. Ms. du Plessix Gray spares nothing with her character nor with her writing style to bring this somewhat pivotal individual to life in this book. Whether or not von Fersen slept with Marie Antoinette or not he did have a deep relationship with the royal family and was responsible for the arrangements for their almost escape from France.


I learned quite a bit about the count from this book. It was an interesting way to present it. Quite a bit of it is Fersen's own words from his letters and diary entries. It is perhaps, though, misnamed as it is more about Fersen the man than Fersen the Queen's lover.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fictional tale of Count Axel Von Fersen of Sweden's memoirs. He was the lover of Marie Antoinette. The book also includes chapters from the point of view of his sister, Sophie. I really liked the telling of this story from the point of view of a memoir. You get a more intimate look at what Von Fersen was feeling and doing throughout the book. It was interesting to get inside his head.

Count Axel Von Fersen meets a young Marie Antoinette and falls for her. This book doesn't cover a whole lot of their relationship, which I was a little disappointed in especially since the book is called The Queen's Lover. Marie Antoinette does make appearances but the book covers more of Von Fersen's life and what he was doing, which was actually pretty interesting.

One thing that I really liked about this book is that it gave context into what was going on in the world. I feel like a lot of times, historical fiction focuses on one area or event and you, as the reader, lose focus on what else was happening in that time period. There was a ton of things going on in Von Fersen's time. He goes and fights in the American Revolution. He talks about what was happening in his own country of Sweden (some place you don't see much of in historical fiction about the 1700s). He talks about one of my faves, Catherine the Great, and how she was expanding the Russian empire. Then, of course, there was the French Revolution. I know that I myself tend to forget that all of these major events were happening around the same time or at least not too far apart from each other. It was so interesting to have that context.

Anyhow, the book is enjoyable but don't expect to hear too much about Fersen's affair with his Toinette. The title is sort of a misnomer.

Bottom line: Solid historical fiction with a global outlook!

[Jaime (Twisting the Lens) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review will be posted on April 16th to coincide with the book tour hosted by TLC Book Tours.


The idea of Marie Antoinette is one of legend. Her grace. Her beauty. Her charm. There have been many stories told of the young queen- some of truth, some of misquoting. However, what every story told has in common is the inability to deny that she commanded a room in a quiet, powerful way with not just her beauty, but her charisma as well. She is the queen for which men found themselves speechless in her presence, and, because of this, she is the queen of which stories of scandal have surrounded her.
In The Queen’s Lover, we are given a glimpse of the most personal and private life of the queen, as told from the perspective of Count Axel von Fersen, a Swedish nobleman with who she shared a lifelong secretive romance. Using letters and recorded facts to weave together a story that tells us so much more about Marie Antoinette than most accounts, du Plessix Gray is a master at her craft. The characters are full and very real, and there is an understanding and clarity behind the actions and events that have made up many of the stories behind the epic figures of the time. This is not just a story of a man’s love for a woman who can never be fully his own, but a story of intrigue, back-stabbing, gossip, war, and how one must traverse it all.
____________________________

For the full review, please visit http://twistingthelens.wordpress.com

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Gems: What's not to love about the French court? You know you're in for a treat whenever this part of history is the subject. The historical research and detailing is phenomenal and demonstrates the authors knowledge and care of the era. It's very well documented, precise and sticks to the basics we all know and love. Now, certain readers will appreciate this, or they may find it a bit dry. It really depends on your particular taste. Although it's listed as historical fiction, it reads more like a non-fiction or memoir style book. I tend to enjoy history that takes more liberties, but do appreciate the painstaking detailing.

Flaws: Flat. The telling is one-dimensional even though it alternates between Sophia and Fersen's perspective. I could not tell the difference in points of view or voice, which greatly frustrated me. Without the clear personality of each character coming through in the words, I simply couldn't trust or wholly invest in the report. That is what the novel felt like, a report of historical events compiled through journals and documented information. It stayed on one plane and surfed right along. All I can say is, flat. For me this topic and these characters offer way too much to allow them to become, for lack of a better word, boring. It's a shame, because I wanted to enjoy it and was sadly very disappointed.

[Jafar · Rating 2 out of 5]

With Hillary Mantel winning a second Booker Prize you’d think I’d pick up one of her books if I wanted to read a historical novel. I know her books must be very good, but somehow I can’t get myself to read a 650-page novel about Thomas Cromwell. So I pick this book up after reading a favorable review on NPR. The affair between Marie Antoinette and a Swedish royal that I’d never heard of before. Shouldn’t be too bad, you’d expect, especially when the author has a royal name like Francine du Plessix Gray that sounds like she herself is straight out of a European court. But the story is not that interesting, and the writing is tortuous. There are times when Gray, using the Swedish count as her narrator, is writing about Marie Antoinette. She really tries hard to make those passages poetic and romantic, but the end results make you cringe. Like when Mitt Romney is trying to come off as a regular and caring guy.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is on best seller lists and the author supposedly "expertly researched and deeply imagined" this novel. I should have picked up on the "deeply imagined." I've read several books about Louie XVI and Marie Antoinette, and although there were hints that Ferson may have been Marie Antoinette's lover, I don't recall it ever being confirmed. I picked this book up because I thought there might be new historical information about Marie Antoinette's life, but this book is just imagined garbage - a cheesy romance novel with vulgar, imaginary sexual encounters. It's going in the trash heap.

[April Camuso · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general I liked this book. I learned a lot more about the French Revolution from a different viewpoint. It also emphasized the maternal side of Marie Antoinette which I don't often think about. The writing was good but a little dry at times. The sex scenes were unnecessary and graphic. I skimmed the last three chapters because I didn't care that much about the end of Axel's life. If I could I'd give it a 3.5, but as good reads doesn't allow that I rounded up.

[Jacqui · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay I admit I picked this up in the hopes of learning a little history while enjoying some brain candy a la "The Other Boleyn Girl". I found the protagonist to be so unappealing, however, that the only reason I finished the book was to exult at his death. If you can cheer for a guy who professes his true love while dropping his pants at every opportunity, perhaps you'll enjoy this more than I did. Bonne chance!

[Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Yawn*
That's what I think.

[Athornton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not for me, as hard as I tried. It was written by Marie-Antoinette’s lover, occasionally by his sister. The text was super dry and he was a very unlikeable character. DNF (surprising for someone who loves to read about French history)

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think to enjoy this book, you have to go into it expecting to read a history about the French Revolution and Swedish politics in the late 18th, early 19th century. Although The Queen's Lover is technically a novel, it is told in memoir form from the point of view of Axel von Fersen, with chapters by his sister, Sophie Piper, interspersed. Since Francine Du Plessix Gray uses this format of a fictional memoir, she is able to mostly relay historical facts and paint a wide picture of the politics of this fascinating period in European history. The dialogue is minimal and there are lots of excerpts from primary sources and sometimes whole letters throughout the work. I really enjoyed this book for the rich history it contained, but if you are looking for a plot-based novel about Marie Antoinette, I would look elsewhere.

Count Axel von Fersen is famous for being the true love of Marie Antoinette. The novel starts with a prologue by his sister Sophie, explaining that Axel died as he was writing his memoirs, and that she is editing them and adding to them so they can be published. Most of the story is from Axel's point of view and he relays the events of his interesting life, which mostly revolved around Marie Antoinette. Axel and Marie met when they were only nineteen and were friends before they were lovers. Axel actually befriended the whole French royal family, including Marie's husband, Louis XVI. Despite being from the most powerful family in Sweden, having fought in the American Revolutionary War, and being a respected member of the French court, it is his affair with Marie that is the most important thing in Axel's life.

The drama starts to unfold when the French population turns against the royal family, especially Marie, and the French Revolution begins. Gray gives a detailed account of the beginning of the French Revolution and captures the terror that must have accompanied the complete anarchy that swept through France. We see through Axel's eyes how strong and prudent Marie Antoinette grew when facing the harsh reality of losing her crown and everything else. A particularly exciting part of the book is Axel's attempted escape plan for Marie and her family. Although we all know Marie Antoinette's end, the suspense is still there.

The history is presented in an engaging manner because it is told from the point of view of Axel, who was right in the middle of both Swedish and French politics. The excerpts from primary sources and the direct quotations from historical figures are illuminating and help to back up Gray's story. The romance between Marie Antoinette and Axel von Fersen is there, and it's tender and eventually heartbreaking. One oddity of the novel, is that it does contain numerous sex scenes but they are mostly not between Axel and the queen as the title would suggest. Instead, Gray throws in detailed accounts of Axel's sexual encounters with other women. I found this a bit odd because you would think the romance would just revolve around Axel's relationship with Marie Antoinette.

I would definitely recommend The Queen's Lover. Fans of Amanda Foreman's The Duchess should like it because it describes a different part of the world during that same time in history. A good follow up to The Queen's Lover would be the 1938 film Marie Antoinette, which sticks close to history when depicting the romance between Axel and Marie and shares many of the events of this novel.

[Lucy Bertoldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due to partiality towards my favourite Queen, Marie Antoinette, I have to admit that I was very reluctant to read this novel. I knew right off the bat that some things in this book would definitely rub me the wrong way…so let’s see how that turned out;)

Written as a memoir, Count Axel von Fersen’s story is presented to us as an edited version published by Sophie, his sister. Hence, there are passages and chapters interjected by Sophie’s account of what happened as well as those by Axel himself. The historical details are incredibly palpable bringing you a sense of actually being there.

Despite the title, I found The Queen’s Lover though to be mostly about the Queen’s life rather than about her alleged lover. Many of the events that occurred are true to the history as can be attested by similar written works already seen on Marie Antoinette. That being said, there are no big surprises here when it comes to Marie Antoinette’s story.

As for the Count’s extraordinary life, it seemed that it was mostly his flagrant sexual encounters that were rendered the most descriptive. His insatiable ravaging of almost any female he encountered rendered his adulterous affairs hard to comprehend the undying love he claimed for his queen…Go figure! In contrast, his great accomplishments read more like facts that happened as these were presented through many quotes and mostly letters to his father.

One thing that pleased me about this novel was that Axel was always portrayed as respectful and caring to both the Queen and Louis XVI. Throughout the book there is not one passage that tears down the character of these two royals. The immense respect and love is felt throughout. I also appreciated the fact that there were no vulgar descriptions or any graphics at all when mentioning the suggestive of Axel and the Queen’s more than friendly relationship (surprising considering the overly descriptive info with his other flings!).

This fact-filled memoir of Count Axel von Fersen’s chapter in Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI’s life is an interesting read.

I reviewed the Queen's Lover as part of the TLC Book Tours

[Lianne]

A rich sometimes dense portrayal of the little known story of Marie Antoinette's long term relationship with a Swedish courtier, Count Axel von Ferson. The tragic unfolding of their lives is based on actual letters between Axel and his sister Sophie who was his confidante. The author casts "Toinette" in a sympathetic light. She was a pawn of history, betrothed to Louis XXI as a fourteen year old. She tried to survive in the decadence of Versailles with the resources of her spirit and beauty, but was ultimately undone by the forces of history.The devotion of Axel to the queen was sincere but doomed. Axel never married but had many mistresses throughout his life. Although the events of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror are familiar to us, close range detail about the Swedish court covers new ground and contradicts our assumption that the Swedes were always enlightened or restrained. Ironically, although Axel survives the years of the French revolution he is undone by Republican forces in Sweden when his previous loyalty to royalist causes and the influence of Bonaparte conspire to make him an unwelcome stranger in his own land.

[Marg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Count Axel von Fersen is a name that any Marie Antoinette fans would most likely be familiar with. As the man that she was alleged to be having an affair with, his name is inextricably linked with hers as was his life and in some ways his death.

This book is written as a memoir, relying on known history as well as actual letters than have survived from the time and using those to tell of the events of the relationship between Axel and Marie Antoinette as well as many other major events of the late 18th century. Axel tells his story, given the reader a view into important events through the eyes of someone who was there. Various aspects are also told by his beloved sister Sophie who fills in the gaps that Axel left in his memoir or to tell us what was actually going on when he wasn't present.

To read more of my thoughts on this book, head to Historical Tapestry - http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.co...

[Bev watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have read several books about the French Revolution, but had never heard this part of the story. While reading, I kept thinking that I needed to read more non-fiction to balance this fictional story. I was delighted at the end to find that much I'd the book was based on actual letters between the main characters. I would call this factionalized history rather than historical fiction, if that makes any sense.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written but it simply didn't hold my interest. If you are really interested in the French revolution or 18th c. Sweden, this might be your book. If not, I don't think this is a gateway to further reading.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had this book in my library for awhile so when I chose themes of reading books about France 🇫🇷 or with “gray” covers fit my August 2021 reading challenge, this fit perfectly (plus author’s last name is Gray - a trifecta!!😂). This is a marvelously crafted and accurate novel historically that reads more like a history book (which may be off-putting for some readers) than fiction. Having read Stanley Loomis’s The Fatal Friendship (years ago) which tackles the complicated relationship between Alex Ferson, the arresting and enigmatic Swedish count, and Marie Antoinette, this book was another interesting read for me. As noted at the end of the book, the letters and quotes in it come from Ferson’s letters and diaries (which were published in 1877 and now are in the French National Archives). While Ferson is no sterling male model (he was a notorious womanizer), his love for Marie Antoinette was deep and seemed to be the stuff of romance books. Gray consummates the relationship (though Loomis does not) and Ferson in the novel speculates the Marie’s last child, a son, was his (recent DNA shows his father was Louis XVI). Marie’s trial by the revolutionary crowd, is a tear jerker as is her execution - one sees how lies and innuendos of the French court doomed her (though she certainly was a frivolous creature) to cruel treatment at the end. Ferson life ends with his assassination by an angry Swedish mob who wrongfully accused him of poisoning the Swedish heir (politics are always so complicated) on the 19th anniversary of his attempt to smuggle the French royal family out of France. What for sure is true is that lies and misinformation will create a whirlwind of not so righteous indignation that can topple governments as well as seriously compromise truth. Not much changes as you read about the past and then superimpose it on the present. Great read.

[Desirae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, boy... Where to begin...

This book was extremely disappointing in so many respects. Yes, portions of the book concern the relationship between Fersen and Marie Antoinette. Those portions of the book are the most interesting, but they comprise only a part of the book. As a result, both the title and the cover art strike me as misleading (hence my question as to false advertising).

In fact, the book is primarily about the life and political and other proclivities of Fersen, but despite what appears to have been a most interesting life, he comes across as an insufferable, priggish bore who was terribly impressed with himself, his virtue, his political savvy, his great achievements, his sexual appetites and abilities, and so on. The portions that come from his sister's diaries don't help in this respect; she comes across a bit better (i.e., more human) than her brother, but she's so much in awe of him that she cannot provide any interesting perspectives either.

I found some other things in the book rather odd. First and foremost, the book couldn't decide if it was fact or fiction, and ended up including the less "attractive" aspects of both. I also found it odd that Ms. Du Plessix Gray included some sexually explicit/anatomical discussions. I almost wonder if she felt it necessary to titillate what was otherwise a "bald and unconvincing narrative" (I hope I got that quote right).

All in all, not very impressive. I gave it three stars, but I was probably too kind.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, this book. It's hardly a secret that I'm highly interested in anything French Revolution-related, so I was bound to pick this up eventually. The premise sounded so promising that despite the many negative reviews, I was rather looking forward to it. Supposedly focussing on the "untold love story" and oh-so-grand romance between Marie Antoinette and the Swedish Count Axel von Fersen, this novel is written in form of Fersen's memoirs as edited and on occasion added to by his sister Sophie after his death. Alas, there is little romance found in these pages. Instead, it mostly reads like a (fairly superficial and dry) history lesson interspersed with overly florid descriptive passages (including some, thankfully brief, supposedly erotic ones that were anything but). Fersen himself comes across as so unpleasant and unsympathetic a character that one almost wants to cheer at the final pages describing his demise.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good. I can understand why some readers might be disappointed because the book was not really about Marie Antoinette but about her lover, Count Axel von Fersen. It's written from his perspective as well as from his sister Sophie's. It's a historical novel rather than historical fiction. Everything and everyone really existed. Axel kept a journal as did Sophie as did Marie Antoinette and from these sources the author gleaned her information. I found Axel to be a little bit of a rogue, but I liked him. He was only 19 when he met and fell in lust (love) with the queen. She was a teenager as well, but their relationship lasted until she was murdered in 1793 in France while in her 30s; then Axel was murdered in Sweden while in his 50s. It almost seems that the love they shared transcended her death because Axel never married and suffered bouts of depression for the rest of his life. He was 6'4" to her 5'4"! That just seems sexy to me--tall, blond, Viking.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was difficult for me to get into. It is an historical account of love story between Swedish aristocrat Count Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette. The book begins in the 1770's where the two meet at a masquerade ball. The Count spends some time fighting in the American Revolution. When he returns, France is close to the beginning of the French Revolution. The public's feeling about Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI are beginning to disintergrate and turn violent.

I did learn a lot about the French Revolution. It was a barbaric, horrible time in France's history. There was a lot of social unrest, rebellion, and violence throughout France and Sweden at this book. I also didn't realize the many connections between France, Austria, Germany, and Russia. The story switches between the Count narrating the story and his sister Sophie.

I gave it three stars because of the historical information presented.

[Katrine R. Pflanze]

Good as an audio book and very addictive. So much interesting information about Marie-Antoinette, the royal family and their fate under the French Revolution. Well before her death she was regarded in the popular imagination as air-headed and heartless, but this book brings her to life and, while not giving her a pass on the fact that she and Louis XVI were pathetically clueless about what was going on outside of their Versailles cocoon, she grows on the reader (listener) who begins to see her as capable of generosity and tremendous loyalty to family. Du Plessix Gray constructs a narrative full of juicy details. Who knew that the date for Marie's trial was intentionally chosen to correspond with her menstrual period (described as "hemorrhagic") and for which she was given little in the way of sanitary linen in order to further humiliate her in public??