What do you think?
Rate this book
During the Reign of Terror: Journal of My Life During the French Revolution
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1859
About the author
Grace Dalrymple Elliott
10 books4 followersGrace Elliott (born Grissel Dalrymple) (c. 1754 – 1823) was a Scottish courtesan, writer and spy resident in Paris during the French Revolution. She was an eyewitness to events detailed in her memoirs, Journal of my life during the French Revolution (Ma Vie sous la Révolution) published posthumously in 1859. She was mistress to the Duke of Orléans and to the future George IV, by whom she is said to have borne an illegitimate daughter. Elliott trafficked correspondence and hid French aristocrats escaping from the French Revolution. She was arrested several times but managed to avoid the guillotine, and was released after the death of Robespierre.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 6, 2020
"Aquí no nos ablandamos por las lágrimas... Hemos visto tantas lágrimas en este lugar que podríamos surtir de agua con ellas a todo París..."
Grace Dalrymple Elliott, más conocido como Mrs Elliott, fue una mujer inglesa de la época de la Revolución Francesa e inicios del siglo XIX que sin duda llevó una vida bastante convulsionada. Muchas veces teniendo la vida que sus amantes podían darle (el prólogo de esta edición me parece bastante duro con ella sobre este aspecto y da muchos más detalles), amantes que iban desde el príncipe heredero de Inglaterra hasta el aristócrata duque de Orléans, desde Inglaterra hasta la Francia revolucionaria.
Hay quienes dicen que se desempeñó como espía del gobierno inglés, aunque desde luego no bajo nuestra concepción actual de tal denominación, pero en este diario que la animaron a publicar detalla muchísimos aspectos de la época revolucionaria sobre todo. Lo que para mí le baja un poco el puntaje aparte del estilo es que dedica, desde luego, muchas páginas a lo largo de toda la obra para defender al duque de Orléans (el famoso Felipe Igualdad) de cual fue amante y persona muy cercana. Esto, desde luego no deja de ser interesante, pero hubiera sido mucho mejor que el relato esté mejor repartido entre todos los personajes o que no le dé tanto peso al duque pues eso da pie a que deje de prestar la debida importancia a otros sucesos.
Aunque estamos asistiendo a una descripción de los hechos desde el punto de vista de una aristócrata y encima inglesa (una inquina histórica entre ambos pueblos que lleva muchas veces a conceptos falsos o prejuiciosos) no se puede dejar de reconocer claramente verdades sobre lo que fue ese torbellino de la Revolución Francesa. Es poco probable que a los que les gustaba el tema luego de leer este libro (obviamente hay otros testimonios igual de rotundos) puedan seguir pensando lo mismo. Me pasó lo mismo con las Memorias de Madame Roland, aunque aquí la autora tuvo más tiempo de ver todo el proceso revolucionario. Lo peor que trajo es la muerte de muchos inocentes y como se ve reflejado en esta obra, cómo poco a poco los mismos revolucionarios del inicio fueron poco a poco guillotinados por ellos mismos debido a una actitud despótica y totalmente absolutista. Los mismos que injuriaban a los nobles luego fueron cazados y asesinados por los mismos revolucionarios. Perdiendo así Francia desde luego una cantidad enorme de gente de gran valía y talento.
Las atrocidades que se cometieron en la revolución fueron demasiadas, desde luego, todo ese odio contenido a lo largo de los años de la monarquía francesa explotó de mala manera corrompiendo a todos, dirigentes e incluso el pueblo, que como muestra este relato, muchas veces disfrutaba viendo derramar sangre, se acostumbró a presenciar cientos de ejecuciones y hasta hallaba placer burlándose de los que seguían en la guillotina, sus propias costumbres se corrompieron aún más demostrando lo poco que muchas cosas que antes importaban valían ahora.
La autora se muestra sobre todo injuriosa y colérica contra muchos de los dirigentes como Lafayette, Robespierre, Santerre, Etc. Antes de ser puesta en prisión detestaba el nuevo orden que tenía París:
"Seguían abiertos los teatros, pero estaban llenos de jacobinos y de mujeres vulgares. Los diputados republicanos ocupaban además los mejores palcos, acompañados de mujeres infames, tocadas con sus no menos infames gorros rojos y vestidas como alegorías de la libertad. En definitiva, París era un asco..."
El cuadro como menciono que pinta es muy profuso en personajes, lástima que como mencioné muchas veces les dedica un par de líneas a cada uno de ellos, debido a su interés en hablar en exceso del duque de Orléans. Pero vemos allí pasar a los reyes de Francia, los hermanos del rey, el duque de Biron, Lafayette, Robespierre, el marqués de Chansenets, la princesa Lamballe, el duque de el general Hoche, Santerre, Laclos, Madame du Barry, Alexandre Beauharnais, Etc. Con datos desde luego de por más interesantes por conocerlos personalmente y muchas veces en situaciones trascendentales. A Josefina, futura emperatriz de Francia, la describe ampliamente así como su forma de ser mientras ambas estuvieron encerradas y casi guillotinadas.
Al lado de la descripción de los personajes de la época desde luego está el mismo cuadro de ella misma y sus terribles sufrimientos, esto hace que la descripción de detalles muy pormenorizados que desde luego no se encuentra en los libros de historia, cómo irrumpían los revolucionarios en las casas de los nobles, la frialdad de los carceleros, la mofa del populacho, el tipo de comida que les daban, cómo eran los procedimientos para el encarcelamiento, las diversas maniobras de realistas y revolucionarios para sortear el huracán de los acontecimientos, Etc. Desde luego la autora pudo volver a Inglaterra como una real heroína luego de haber pasado por tanto y ver tanta gente morir, que para su suerte salió airosa de todo ello.
"Robespierre se convirtió en el hombre más poderoso. La gente no se atrevía ni hablar ni a respirar. Nadie se paraba en la calle para saludar a un conocido. En resumen, hasta en la soledad de tus aposentos sentías miedo. Si reías, podían acusarte de hacer mofa de algún símbolo de la Revolución o de las noticias que propalaban los republicanos. Si llorabas, podían acusarte de lamentar sus éxitos"
También hay al final un pequeño resumen del editor que agrega otras anécdotas que vivió la autora durante el mando de Napoleón, ella decía que él pidió su mano pero ella no quiso y da otros datos interesantes que no cuenta en las memorias pues para mala suerte sólo abarcan hasta que salió de la cárcel durante el régimen del Terror.
Grace Dalrymple Elliott, más conocido como Mrs Elliott, fue una mujer inglesa de la época de la Revolución Francesa e inicios del siglo XIX que sin duda llevó una vida bastante convulsionada. Muchas veces teniendo la vida que sus amantes podían darle (el prólogo de esta edición me parece bastante duro con ella sobre este aspecto y da muchos más detalles), amantes que iban desde el príncipe heredero de Inglaterra hasta el aristócrata duque de Orléans, desde Inglaterra hasta la Francia revolucionaria.
Hay quienes dicen que se desempeñó como espía del gobierno inglés, aunque desde luego no bajo nuestra concepción actual de tal denominación, pero en este diario que la animaron a publicar detalla muchísimos aspectos de la época revolucionaria sobre todo. Lo que para mí le baja un poco el puntaje aparte del estilo es que dedica, desde luego, muchas páginas a lo largo de toda la obra para defender al duque de Orléans (el famoso Felipe Igualdad) de cual fue amante y persona muy cercana. Esto, desde luego no deja de ser interesante, pero hubiera sido mucho mejor que el relato esté mejor repartido entre todos los personajes o que no le dé tanto peso al duque pues eso da pie a que deje de prestar la debida importancia a otros sucesos.
Aunque estamos asistiendo a una descripción de los hechos desde el punto de vista de una aristócrata y encima inglesa (una inquina histórica entre ambos pueblos que lleva muchas veces a conceptos falsos o prejuiciosos) no se puede dejar de reconocer claramente verdades sobre lo que fue ese torbellino de la Revolución Francesa. Es poco probable que a los que les gustaba el tema luego de leer este libro (obviamente hay otros testimonios igual de rotundos) puedan seguir pensando lo mismo. Me pasó lo mismo con las Memorias de Madame Roland, aunque aquí la autora tuvo más tiempo de ver todo el proceso revolucionario. Lo peor que trajo es la muerte de muchos inocentes y como se ve reflejado en esta obra, cómo poco a poco los mismos revolucionarios del inicio fueron poco a poco guillotinados por ellos mismos debido a una actitud despótica y totalmente absolutista. Los mismos que injuriaban a los nobles luego fueron cazados y asesinados por los mismos revolucionarios. Perdiendo así Francia desde luego una cantidad enorme de gente de gran valía y talento.
Las atrocidades que se cometieron en la revolución fueron demasiadas, desde luego, todo ese odio contenido a lo largo de los años de la monarquía francesa explotó de mala manera corrompiendo a todos, dirigentes e incluso el pueblo, que como muestra este relato, muchas veces disfrutaba viendo derramar sangre, se acostumbró a presenciar cientos de ejecuciones y hasta hallaba placer burlándose de los que seguían en la guillotina, sus propias costumbres se corrompieron aún más demostrando lo poco que muchas cosas que antes importaban valían ahora.
La autora se muestra sobre todo injuriosa y colérica contra muchos de los dirigentes como Lafayette, Robespierre, Santerre, Etc. Antes de ser puesta en prisión detestaba el nuevo orden que tenía París:
"Seguían abiertos los teatros, pero estaban llenos de jacobinos y de mujeres vulgares. Los diputados republicanos ocupaban además los mejores palcos, acompañados de mujeres infames, tocadas con sus no menos infames gorros rojos y vestidas como alegorías de la libertad. En definitiva, París era un asco..."
El cuadro como menciono que pinta es muy profuso en personajes, lástima que como mencioné muchas veces les dedica un par de líneas a cada uno de ellos, debido a su interés en hablar en exceso del duque de Orléans. Pero vemos allí pasar a los reyes de Francia, los hermanos del rey, el duque de Biron, Lafayette, Robespierre, el marqués de Chansenets, la princesa Lamballe, el duque de el general Hoche, Santerre, Laclos, Madame du Barry, Alexandre Beauharnais, Etc. Con datos desde luego de por más interesantes por conocerlos personalmente y muchas veces en situaciones trascendentales. A Josefina, futura emperatriz de Francia, la describe ampliamente así como su forma de ser mientras ambas estuvieron encerradas y casi guillotinadas.
Al lado de la descripción de los personajes de la época desde luego está el mismo cuadro de ella misma y sus terribles sufrimientos, esto hace que la descripción de detalles muy pormenorizados que desde luego no se encuentra en los libros de historia, cómo irrumpían los revolucionarios en las casas de los nobles, la frialdad de los carceleros, la mofa del populacho, el tipo de comida que les daban, cómo eran los procedimientos para el encarcelamiento, las diversas maniobras de realistas y revolucionarios para sortear el huracán de los acontecimientos, Etc. Desde luego la autora pudo volver a Inglaterra como una real heroína luego de haber pasado por tanto y ver tanta gente morir, que para su suerte salió airosa de todo ello.
"Robespierre se convirtió en el hombre más poderoso. La gente no se atrevía ni hablar ni a respirar. Nadie se paraba en la calle para saludar a un conocido. En resumen, hasta en la soledad de tus aposentos sentías miedo. Si reías, podían acusarte de hacer mofa de algún símbolo de la Revolución o de las noticias que propalaban los republicanos. Si llorabas, podían acusarte de lamentar sus éxitos"
También hay al final un pequeño resumen del editor que agrega otras anécdotas que vivió la autora durante el mando de Napoleón, ella decía que él pidió su mano pero ella no quiso y da otros datos interesantes que no cuenta en las memorias pues para mala suerte sólo abarcan hasta que salió de la cárcel durante el régimen del Terror.
November 22, 2020
A posteriori, il libro che ha dato origine alla mia attuale obsession française (con una deriva Dumafiste), un percorso tangenziale più o meno accidentato che mi dovrebbe condurre al tout-proust (ce la farò in francese?) e che mi ha fatto scoprire mondi storici e letterari che avevo studiato ma mai approfondito.
Grace Elliot è una sagoma! Una scottish mistress alla corte del Roi Louis XVII e poi durante il Terrore. E sopravvive a tutto, dagli intrighi di corte (parecchio venefici) a madame la guillotine, pur non disconoscendo mai la sua fede royalista e il suo attaccamento al Duca l’Orléans (che doveva essere vraiment fascinoso per aver un entourage così fedele, nonostante le sue giravolte e il suo coté giacobino). Narra con leggerezza, anzi leggiadria venata da un piglio casalingo, vicissitudini allucinanti, sempre con quel tono un po’ svagato che gli inglesi dedicano alle avventure mirabolanti per fare risaltare ancora di più il loro ardire. James Bond potrebbe esserne considerato l’ultimo degli epigoni, si butta da un elicottero, plana su una pista di sci, ammazza quattordicimila cattivi, e si spolvera due aghi di pino. Ecco Grace descrive come esce da quasi due anni di galera robesperriana più o meno così, dopo aver fatto fuggire amici e conoscenti, aver sfidato tribunali popolari, e fatto la fame, si spolvera gli scarpini e torna nella placida albione.
A differenza delle grandi cortigiane francesi, usa il cervello e riesce a non morire in miseria.
#obsessionfrançaise
Grace Elliot è una sagoma! Una scottish mistress alla corte del Roi Louis XVII e poi durante il Terrore. E sopravvive a tutto, dagli intrighi di corte (parecchio venefici) a madame la guillotine, pur non disconoscendo mai la sua fede royalista e il suo attaccamento al Duca l’Orléans (che doveva essere vraiment fascinoso per aver un entourage così fedele, nonostante le sue giravolte e il suo coté giacobino). Narra con leggerezza, anzi leggiadria venata da un piglio casalingo, vicissitudini allucinanti, sempre con quel tono un po’ svagato che gli inglesi dedicano alle avventure mirabolanti per fare risaltare ancora di più il loro ardire. James Bond potrebbe esserne considerato l’ultimo degli epigoni, si butta da un elicottero, plana su una pista di sci, ammazza quattordicimila cattivi, e si spolvera due aghi di pino. Ecco Grace descrive come esce da quasi due anni di galera robesperriana più o meno così, dopo aver fatto fuggire amici e conoscenti, aver sfidato tribunali popolari, e fatto la fame, si spolvera gli scarpini e torna nella placida albione.
A differenza delle grandi cortigiane francesi, usa il cervello e riesce a non morire in miseria.
#obsessionfrançaise
April 24, 2020
0,4 estrellas
Nada mejor que un testigo ocular!
Nada mejor que un testigo ocular!
August 28, 2018
Gran libro, la autora vivió de primera mano los excesos y él terror durante la revolución francesa y cuenta, desde su vivencia cómo este tipo de enfrentamientos logran sacar a flote el máximo estado de maldad del ser humano, donde definitivamente todos pierden, la nobleza la vida, la gente del común la libertad. No se pierde de vista que es un diario, no es un libro de historia ni una novela, aunque tiene tintes en ambos tópicos.
March 12, 2021
Elliott was a Scottish woman trapped in Paris during the Terror, and she gives you a good view of the chaos and ruthlessness among the revolutionaries. Since she known to have monarchist sympathies and friends among the French nobility, she was thought to be a spy (which it appears she was), and she came close to being executed.
Available at Open Library:
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL78447...
Available at Open Library:
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL78447...
July 8, 2016
This is a fascinating account of life during the French Revolution. And this isn't some Les Mis musical edition of the French Revolution. This account shows how truly brutal times were. How people lived in fear of the revolutionists bursting into their homes and executing them without trial, often simply because of their status in society (regardless of how they achieved that status).
My only complaint is that it ended very abruptly. An epilogue would have been nice. But I do highly recommend this to any historical fan, especially if you like French history.
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
My only complaint is that it ended very abruptly. An epilogue would have been nice. But I do highly recommend this to any historical fan, especially if you like French history.
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
August 26, 2024
really interesting book that highlights a lot of the main events of the French Revolution while giving a personal insight into what it was like living through it
didn't fully comprehend how long the revolution went on for just kinda assumed that it happened in like a week and the Republic came along after
weird how everyone knew absolutely everyone knew someone who was related to someone else!!
didn't fully comprehend how long the revolution went on for just kinda assumed that it happened in like a week and the Republic came along after
weird how everyone knew absolutely everyone knew someone who was related to someone else!!
June 11, 2016
Ms Elliott's account of the French Revolution sheds a different light on one of the most well-known events in European history. In school, I must have learned about the Revolution at least three or four times, but the terror people must have felt during those years has never really come across. Reading an eye witness account gives a much more intimate view on the events and their dire consequences for not only the aristocracy, but also the lower classes that did not want a Republic.
November 28, 2016
Short journal of Ms. Elliot's adventures in the French Revolution. She was a Royalist and a mistress of the Duc de Orleans (Philippe Egalite). The fall of Robespierre saved her from the guillotine.
February 13, 2025
La nobildonna e il duca di Grace Dalrymple Elliott è un memoir che offre uno sguardo interessante e toccante sulla vita di una donna scozzese durante la tumultuosa Rivoluzione Francese. Dal punto di vista storiografico, il libro ha un enorme valore, poiché permette di entrare nella pelle di una testimone diretta degli orrori vissuti dalla nobiltà durante il periodo della rivoluzione. Le descrizioni di Elliott delle violenze, dei tradimenti e delle difficoltà quotidiane sono vivide e cariche di emozioni, permettendo al lettore di cogliere l’intensità di un’epoca in cui tutto sembrava crollare.
Però anche se questo memoir ha il pregio di arricchirci dal punto di vista storico, non è esente da alcuni aspetti negativi. In particolare, sembra quasi che la narrazione sia stata costruita per giustificare, o almeno minimizzare, le responsabilità della famiglia reale dei Borbone di Francia nei confronti degli eventi che travolsero la monarchia. Le sue descrizioni della regina Maria Antonietta, così come del contesto più ampio della corte francese, sembrano non dare spazio a una critica completa delle decisioni e delle colpe dei membri della famiglia reale, rischiando di dipingerli in una luce troppo favorevole.
La nobildonna nel duca è quindi un libro che merita sicuramente di essere letto per il suo valore documentario e per la possibilità che offre di comprendere meglio le esperienze vissute da una donna aristocratica in un periodo storico così complesso. Tuttavia, la narrazione a volte appare troppo parziale, come se fosse stata filtrata per proteggere l’immagine di alcuni protagonisti storici.
Però anche se questo memoir ha il pregio di arricchirci dal punto di vista storico, non è esente da alcuni aspetti negativi. In particolare, sembra quasi che la narrazione sia stata costruita per giustificare, o almeno minimizzare, le responsabilità della famiglia reale dei Borbone di Francia nei confronti degli eventi che travolsero la monarchia. Le sue descrizioni della regina Maria Antonietta, così come del contesto più ampio della corte francese, sembrano non dare spazio a una critica completa delle decisioni e delle colpe dei membri della famiglia reale, rischiando di dipingerli in una luce troppo favorevole.
La nobildonna nel duca è quindi un libro che merita sicuramente di essere letto per il suo valore documentario e per la possibilità che offre di comprendere meglio le esperienze vissute da una donna aristocratica in un periodo storico così complesso. Tuttavia, la narrazione a volte appare troppo parziale, come se fosse stata filtrata per proteggere l’immagine di alcuni protagonisti storici.
August 28, 2018
Gran libro, la autora vivió de primera mano los excesos y él terror durante la revolución francesa y cuenta, desde su vivencia cómo este tipo de enfrentamientos logran sacar a flote el máximo estado de maldad del ser humano, donde definitivamente todos pierden, la nobleza la vida, la gente del común la libertad. No se pierde de vista que es un diario, no es un libro de historia ni una novela, aunque tiene tintes en ambos tópicos.
July 5, 2026
journal
Excellent read. I could almost feel like I was there. She certainly had courage to stay. Highly recommended. You won’t be sorry.
Excellent read. I could almost feel like I was there. She certainly had courage to stay. Highly recommended. You won’t be sorry.
September 18, 2024
EDIT: It has been months since I read this book, and I still can't stop thinking about it and sort of laughing over it. So, I'm changing my 4-star rating to 5 stars.
NOTE I didn't read the edition of this book that's presented here. I couldn't find the exact public domain edition I did read, in two different versions (If you choose to download the one available on the Internet Archive onto your Kindle, beware - it eventually made mine bug). But it's an edition that was published in the 1870's or '80's, with a very helpful Introduction.
In fact, it's that Introduction that made me realize what I was reading was possibly mostly memoir, but also a bit of historical fiction. Apparently, the Intro warns, there are some disparities in Elliott's recollections, which were written down in the early 1800's. Notably, she apparently couldn't have been in prison at the same time as Joséphine de Beauharnais, which is even more surprising when you read her vivid recollections of that moment in her life (and of how Beauharnais' ex-husband behaved when he joined them at the prison!).
Luckily, I wasn't reading this book for research, but mainly curiosity. I was surprised by Dickens' depiction of France during The Terror in "A Tale of Two Cities". I knew people could be imprisoned for just about anything, but it was hard to imagine everyday people just randomly starting flashmobs of La Carmagnole. Unfortunately, this book doesn't give too much insight into what ordinary people were doing; like any courtesan worth her salt, Elliott mainly stayed in upper class and noble circles, though she did seem to be kind towards her servants.
But there was that sense of extremism there. No flashmobs, however.
What I ended up finding in this book that really made me love it is Elliott herself. Often, she seems frivolous and empty-headed, and when she talks about her time in prison, she can't hide her disdain or condescension for common or poor people (not talking about fanatic Revolutionaries, but those imprisoned with her). She's at times totally oblivious, like when she scolds a man in the cell beside her for crying because he's going to be put to death...and then spends the rest of that day herself crying at being imprisoned. Sigh....
But beneath this, she certainly knows how to please people, how to conceal things, and she may even have been a spy. Apparently this seems to be historically accepted now, and in the book you often find yourself wondering why she's decided to stay in or near Paris during such a dangerous time, or why she always seems to be handling people's letters or making random trips to Belgium. But she never outright says it.
The same goes for her often calling herself pious and religious, despite her numerous affairs, leaving her illegitimate daughter behind in England (prior to the Revolution, so not for the girl's safety), not apparently giving to the poor or doing anything in any way involved with the church. I'm not saying that you have to be involved in organized religion to be religious or spiritual; I'd be a hypocrite if I said that - but it just sort of seems silly to have her talking about being pious when she doesn't seem to have really put that into practice much.
Whatever the case, this made Elliott a fun figure to read about. At times, she made me think of Cher Horowitz, or, more often, Scarlett O'Hara. She contains multitudes, and while I'm not sure I like her, I certainly found her interesting and entertaining.
And so many of the things she experienced (some of which, apparently, are actually the truth), seem right out of what would be a really good historical fiction novel, like the way this silly-seeming woman helped several people hide from or even escape blood-hungry Revolutionaries. It would be so interesting to read a book from one of their perspectives, dealing with this savior who may or may not always seem up to the task, but always comes through.
So, while Journal of My Life During the French Revolution has its flaws, it's overall an entertaining, quick read that sparks the imagination and lets us get to know (or not!) a very interesting historical figure. Unlike many of the non-fiction history books I read, I'll surely remember this one even more for the person who wrote it than for the era it describes.
NOTE I didn't read the edition of this book that's presented here. I couldn't find the exact public domain edition I did read, in two different versions (If you choose to download the one available on the Internet Archive onto your Kindle, beware - it eventually made mine bug). But it's an edition that was published in the 1870's or '80's, with a very helpful Introduction.
In fact, it's that Introduction that made me realize what I was reading was possibly mostly memoir, but also a bit of historical fiction. Apparently, the Intro warns, there are some disparities in Elliott's recollections, which were written down in the early 1800's. Notably, she apparently couldn't have been in prison at the same time as Joséphine de Beauharnais, which is even more surprising when you read her vivid recollections of that moment in her life (and of how Beauharnais' ex-husband behaved when he joined them at the prison!).
Luckily, I wasn't reading this book for research, but mainly curiosity. I was surprised by Dickens' depiction of France during The Terror in "A Tale of Two Cities". I knew people could be imprisoned for just about anything, but it was hard to imagine everyday people just randomly starting flashmobs of La Carmagnole. Unfortunately, this book doesn't give too much insight into what ordinary people were doing; like any courtesan worth her salt, Elliott mainly stayed in upper class and noble circles, though she did seem to be kind towards her servants.
But there was that sense of extremism there. No flashmobs, however.
What I ended up finding in this book that really made me love it is Elliott herself. Often, she seems frivolous and empty-headed, and when she talks about her time in prison, she can't hide her disdain or condescension for common or poor people (not talking about fanatic Revolutionaries, but those imprisoned with her). She's at times totally oblivious, like when she scolds a man in the cell beside her for crying because he's going to be put to death...and then spends the rest of that day herself crying at being imprisoned. Sigh....
But beneath this, she certainly knows how to please people, how to conceal things, and she may even have been a spy. Apparently this seems to be historically accepted now, and in the book you often find yourself wondering why she's decided to stay in or near Paris during such a dangerous time, or why she always seems to be handling people's letters or making random trips to Belgium. But she never outright says it.
The same goes for her often calling herself pious and religious, despite her numerous affairs, leaving her illegitimate daughter behind in England (prior to the Revolution, so not for the girl's safety), not apparently giving to the poor or doing anything in any way involved with the church. I'm not saying that you have to be involved in organized religion to be religious or spiritual; I'd be a hypocrite if I said that - but it just sort of seems silly to have her talking about being pious when she doesn't seem to have really put that into practice much.
Whatever the case, this made Elliott a fun figure to read about. At times, she made me think of Cher Horowitz, or, more often, Scarlett O'Hara. She contains multitudes, and while I'm not sure I like her, I certainly found her interesting and entertaining.
And so many of the things she experienced (some of which, apparently, are actually the truth), seem right out of what would be a really good historical fiction novel, like the way this silly-seeming woman helped several people hide from or even escape blood-hungry Revolutionaries. It would be so interesting to read a book from one of their perspectives, dealing with this savior who may or may not always seem up to the task, but always comes through.
So, while Journal of My Life During the French Revolution has its flaws, it's overall an entertaining, quick read that sparks the imagination and lets us get to know (or not!) a very interesting historical figure. Unlike many of the non-fiction history books I read, I'll surely remember this one even more for the person who wrote it than for the era it describes.
June 7, 2019
The is a brief account of Grace Elliott's terrifying experience during the French Revolution, including how she helped a man to escape from the blood-thirsty mob, her latest encounters with the Duke of Orleans and her imprisonment in the Revolutionary prisons. Although the book is short, you feel all the fear and terror everyone must have felt at the time, when you never knew when a knock on your door would mean imprisonment and death. I highly recommend it to all fans of the French Revolution.
March 7, 2018
This is a horrible book. The way the sentences are constructed is so modern I researched the book to see if what I was reading wasn't really a hoax of some sort. Spelling of names was inaccurate. All this in only the first few pages. I did not finish this book and have deleted it from my e-book collection. If you decide to republish with more authentic language and accurate spellings I would be interested in giving this book another try.
August 26, 2016
An interesting first person account of the turmoil in revolutionary Paris.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews