Тайният живот на Жозефина: Райската птичка на Наполеон

by Carolly Erickson, Лидия Шведова (Translator)

Роман за една от най-провокативните жени в историята – Жозефина Бонапарт, първата съпруга на Наполеон.
Зад красотата и личния чар се крие безскрупулна и изкусителна императрица.

Родена на карибския остров Мартиника, Жозефина е екзотична красавица, очарователна, чувствена, създадена да бъде любовница на някои от най-могъщите политици в следреволюционна Франция. Сред мъжете, чиито погледи привлича, е и генерал Бонапарт, който ще коронова себе си и съпругата си за император и императрица на Франция. Жозефина, която вярва, че е предопределена да допринесе за краха на Наполеон, го следва в последния му велик поход до Русия и благодарение на силното си влияние върху него спомага за потъпкването на амбициите му. Но сърцето на Жозефина принадлежи другиму – на тайнствения красавец, спечелил я още като дете на Мартиника.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Historical, 18th Century, Romance, Royalty

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2007

About the author

Distinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Hawaii.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...

Reviews

[Valérie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the WORST historical fiction books that I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Honestly, I have NO idea how I got through it at all! It doesn't even deserve the ONE star that I gave it...

This is very, very, very loosely "based on" Josephine Bonaparte's life. Some of the things that happen to her in the novel made me scratch my head and wonder what the author Carolly Erickson was on when she wrote it. I don't know what she was trying to achieve.

If you want to read a wonderful series of historical fiction about Josephine Bonaparte (or a great series of historical fiction in general) PLEASE skip this and start with "The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.", followed by "Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe", and finally "The Last Great Dance on Earth" all by Sandra Gulland. Gulland's books about Josephine are 100 times better than the drivel that Erickson wrote in "The Secret Life of Josephine"!

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a horrid, horrid book. It's not because this is a very fictionalized aspect of Josephine's life, with probably more fiction than truth. It is because it is just so horribly written. It's like a bad romance novel, with a highly unsatisfying romance (seriously, Josephine sees this guy once, gives up her virginity to him on a beach without knowing his name or even having a real conversation with him [she would've been ruined if anyone found out! WTF, Josephine?:] and then is obsessed with him for the rest of her life, despite the fact that he didn't seem to have anything obsession-worthy about him), anachronistic character reactions and sloppy, boring writing. I had no sympathy whatsoever with Josephine and thought she deserved everything she got, as she was selfish, whiny and useless. It does have the distinction of being possibly the worst book I've had the misfortune of reading this year. What is even more disappointing is that Erickson can write entertaining nonfiction and she literally WROTE THE BOOK on Josephine's life, a biography I'm looking forward to despite the travesty that is her fiction account.

[christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable FICTIONAL book. In no way should this be considered historical fiction as ABSOLUTELY nothing was truthful except Josephine was married to Napoleon. I was surprised to have finished and read the author state NOTHING she wrote about actually happened. How is that historical fiction regarding a high profile figure?

[Orsolya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolly Erickson writes what I call, "Fluff historical-fiction". Adding elements of a romance novel, it is more fiction than history. However, sometimes we need an escape. That is the point of books, right? To take us on an extraordinary journey without us ever leaving the confines of our homes.

The Secret Life of Josephine is one of the most colorful books by Erickson. Whether the story is true or not, it brings the characters to life. This can be confusing for someone who actually wants hard-based facts, if they begin to believe much of this novel; but regardless, it is entertaining. Not for everyone, I would say it is more of a romance novel with some cheesy, and makes-me-want-to-vomit moments that hard hardly believable even in the fiction world.

Despite the cheesiness, you are transported into the tropical world of Josephine. Although vain and lacking some intelligence, she still offers some tact and enduring qualities.

Again, out of Erickson's historical entertainment books, this one is one of the more entertaining ones. Just make sure to get past the beginning scene involving Josephine's lost virginity without vomiting.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book. I went into it knowing it was mostly fictional. I do not like how Josephine is pertrayed in this novel. The book is written well, she did a good job bringing the story together. Bit I personally think it was a trash romance novel with a real person as the main character. I really do not see a need to bring a fictional romance into it (Donovan). I think that ruined the whole book. I also do not like how Boneparte and Josephine's relationship was pertrayed. If the story was not put together well, I likely would have given it one star, or no star if that is possible.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do respect the author for admitting that she provides a frothy version of history that has little, if any, relation to what really happened. Although the story and characters kept my interest, I'm not sure why she fabricated so many details. I turn to historical fiction for a painless way of learning history, and books like this make me wonder why the author needed to identify a fun story with a "brand-name" character like Josephine.

[Jeni | StoryTimeReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book knowing this was embellished historical fiction. I enjoyed Carolly's style of writing. The storyline held my attention and sparked my interest in wanting to learn more about Josephine. As promiscuous as Josephine was, I felt the author was very tasteful in how she handled Josephine's sexual encounters. I thought the characters were well developed and I felt Josephine's pain, sorrows and desires. I found myself looking forward to what was coming next. Kudos to Carolly.

[Lydia Presley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of books. I read a lot of historical fiction books, but never have I read anything about France during King Louis XVI's reign nor about Napoleon. I find that odd, now that I think about it - especially considering that in this year alone I've read two books which overlap over King Louis and Marie Antoinette's deaths.

I'll be honest, it took me a bit of time to get into The Secret Life of Josephine. It was strange and I knew next to nothing about her earlier life so I felt a little lost - but then things seemed to clear up a bit. Although it's obvious that Carolly Erickson took some liberties (with voodoo/witchcraft), she did do a fantastic job of giving us exactly what she intended to give: historical entertainment.

As a result of the embellishment given to the story, it had all of the classic elements to make a suspenseful, romantic, thrilling story. Arranged marriages, politics, intrigue, war .. everything was present and in the middle of it all - Josephine, an incredibly strong woman fighting for love, her children and her life.

This was a bargain buy for me, purchased spur of the moment and I'm glad it ended up being a worthwhile read. And it's sparked massive interest in Josephine, so I plan on checking out a non-fiction look at her life soon.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't terribly impressed with this shallow portrait of Napoleon's first empress. I think Erickson's portrayal of Josephine lacks any true depth or insight into the character of a very interesting woman. More of the book was devoted to Erickson's fictionalized characters and events than on Josephine's character. She really just did not come alive to me. Also, it seemed like the author really skimmed over some important and potentially dramatic events, scarcely giving them any more attention than any other scenes in the book. For example, I would think the divorce scene would be rather poignant, but it was entirely flat. Part of my issue with this book is Erickson's writing style, which I have never personally enjoyed (this was a problem when I read her history books as well). Also, I really feel that as a historian who has written a nonfiction book on Josephine, she really could have taken this novel the extra mile and didn't.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I wish I didn't know this book existed. I don't mind an unlovable heroine- a Borgia perhaps, but this is too much. I have no idea why anyone found Josephine wonderful from this books description of her life and frollics. Surely she couldn't have been this 'eh'. It's just not possible. Usually 'fictional history' makes every too special- this removes all charm, grace and even hygiene from the character of the 1st Empress of France. Really, I wished she'd stayed on Martinique and let the snakes get her.

[Lauralee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Josephine de Beauharnais was Napoleon Bonaparte’s first empress. She was also known to be the love of Napoleon’s life and was the recipient of many of his love letters. In The Secret Life of Josephine, there is no love story between Josephine and Napoleon. Even though Josephine is married to the most powerful man in the world, her heart had already been stolen by a man whom she met as a teenager. However, Josephine knows that she can never be with him.

I did not care for Josephine. I found Josephine to be very reckless. She made many rash decisions. I also thought that she was very childish, narcissistic, flippant, and uncaring. She did not seem to be a caring mother. Instead, she mostly focused on being the most fashionable woman in society and on having a lovely appearance. She was a very unlikable character. Therefore, I really could not understand or empathize with her.

Overall, this novel is about first love, duty, and sacrifice. Most of the other characters are one-dimensional, especially Napoleon. There were many scenes that I thought were very unconvincing and some of them were very silly. I did like the descriptions of the Napoleonic era. I also liked how Josephine’s first marriage was portrayed. However, I have read better books on Josephine, in particular Sandra Gulland’s trilogy on the subject. I also recommend Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb, Destiny by Bertram Fields, and Two Empresses by Brandy Purdy! Thus, I suggest you skip this book and read those other novels on Josephine! The Secret Life of Josephine is truly a forgettable read

[Sherrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love historical fiction -- it's my way of delving into time periods and learning from a well written, factual representation of the characters and time period. Here the author refers to her work as "historical entertainment" and "frothy" representation of Josephine's life. It wasn't entertaining and I finished reading it in hopes of the book finally reaching a point where the writer gave me that blend of historical fact and her development of real life characters. For me, this never happened. I will read other books by this author as it appears she has written some worthy material so that I can compare this book with others.

[Elizabeth]

Josephine, was a woman ahead of her time, having many lovers, fighting to maintain her way of life, even facing execution during the French Revolution, then rising to the pinnacle of her power as she was empress of France during her long and difficult marriage to Napoleon. Ms. Erickson speaks out through Josephine's voice about the struggles of the time such as the slave rebellions, mass executions in France, and the eventual return to the French monarchy. Josephine is not portrayed as a perfect person but as a human who did the best she could. This helps the reader develop a bond with her while reading the book -- she seems more reachable than other characters I've read about.

[Mary Unger · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I have no particular issue with the writing and character development of this book, I do with the author's "creation" of events that never happened, and truthfully, would be out of the range of happening in Josephine's life. I found myself getting irritated with the fabrications because I know that people will read it and think these were true events. There is a blurb at the very end of the book that tells that basically most of the book is fiction. This should have been put at the beginning so that the readers can be forewarned.

[Alvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I enjoy historical fiction. And then I read the preface where the author states that MUCH of this book is completely fiction. I was already a little disappointed (after all, what's the point of even saying this is about historical figures?), but I decided to give it a fair shot. And it was... less than thrilling. The plot was somewhat interesting, the writing style was ok and the characters didn't seem very well developed. Overall I found it lacking, but I kept reading until I got to the end.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book. I've read some good and bad books about Josephine but I think this one was definitely the worst. So much of it was framed to have her in a poor light but at the same time like anyone who didn't fall at her feet was terrible. Her father's mistress, her first husband, her second husband's mistress. Too much of it was written badly and the shaman coming across the sea to speak to her before he died because she was just SO important. Yeah it wasn't well done at all. I think I've learned my lesson to not read anymore of her novels.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner, this fictional account of Rose Tascher, who became Josephine,
is intriguing and very readable. There is so much history, romance, slave isuurection,
French Revolution, that one never loses interest in this woman's life. It is based
on fact, but there is some exaggeration and romantic enhancement of this woman's
highly charged love life. I did not know much about the Grands Blancs of Martinique,
and these were her parents.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was tragic. I understand that this was historical FICTION, but it would have been nice to add SOME historical truth to the novel! Nothing about this book was accurate except that there was an Empress named Josephine who married Napoleon. Oh and Hortense and Eugene were in here too. That's it. Some people might really enjoy it, but I definitely didn't. I recommend Sandra Gulland's collection over this one easily.

[Carrie Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm currently reading the first book of the Sandra Gulland trilogy on Josephine and keep thinking, "I've read this before but a much worse version." I finally remembered it was this one by Carolly Erickson that I had slugged my way through on audio for lack of a radio during my commute. It was ridiculous. I have no other words for it. I'm fairly certain that I never finished it, preferring silence to the over-the-top sex and poorly developed characters.

[Wendy Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is truly a fictional book. There was so much that was made up that it took away from the plot.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made her out to be a promiscuous HO. Now I have get a real book about this gal and find out just what did do on.

****

Looks like it's fairly true.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I loved this, predominantly because it was a lovely piece of historical fiction that DIDN'T center around one of the many wives of Henry VIII or the royal court of his daughter Elizabeth I. Unfortunately it feels like that's the majority of what's out there anymore.

ANYWAY! I loved this. Josephine, or Rose, or Yayette (sp?) or whatever name you want to give this spirited woman, was a spectacular character. I really enjoyed her spunk and cunning, even if she was made to seem like a bit of a tramp at times. I wish there was more to her character, but I think the point of the book was really to show what all she went through on her way to the top. Perhaps there wasn't enough information available on any particular point in her life for Erickson to make a complete story? I don't know. It probably worked out better this way anyway because you really got a lot of on Josephine's upbringing, which really helped to explain some of her actions and personality quirks. I particularly enjoyed the strong relationship that was illustrated between Yayette and her half sister/maid Euphemia.

Actually, come to think of it, I think my favorite aspect of this story was the extreme contrasts among many of Josephine's relationships. Both her marriages were... tough, at best and downright abusive at their worst. In contrast, however, her relationship with Donovan was strong, and passionate. Scipion's relationship with the Martinique blue-blood was strong as well, yet gentle. It read like the kind of love story that any woman would love to be a part of, despite there being so little of it, the victim of poor timing. Getting away from the Empress's romantic relationships, we see the caring, mother-like presence of Euphemia and Josephine, likewise, looks to her almost as both mother and sister. Josephine's mother, by contrast, is always shown as harsh and cold. Josephine seems to love her more out of obligation that actual emotion. To continue in a similar vein, the Empress's relationship with her first father-in-law is sweet. We don't get too much information about it, but the man seems genuinely concerned for her well being. In direct contrast, every single one of her in-laws from her second marriage complete loath her and enjoy tormenting her in one way or another. There's no love lost there.

I would definitely tell people to give this book a shot, particularly if you enjoy historical fiction from a perspective that isn't completely war-fuled and are sick of Elizabeth I, the Boleyns, and the rest of Henry VIII's wives.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like a good historical biography, especially of someone so misunderstood and idealized! Joesphine is half one of the most famous 'romantic'duos ever: Mark Anthony and Cleaopatra; Elizabeth Taylor and Rochard Burton; Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn etc... often, as history changes and morphs, we gain a little more perspective of how these stories really probably were. Anne Boleyn was brutally murdered by her 'supposed' lover; Elizabeth Taylor married her 'Romeo' twice, yet never remained so; Cleo0patra died because Mark Anthony and his fellow Romans had a disagreement over who ruled the world (in case you didn't know, they just wanted Egypt for her grain, and Cleopatra chained herself to the wrong team). The idea that Josephine was a flaky aristo is one history perpetuates, but here we see another idea touted that makes much more sense: she just wasn't that into him and married him because he wore her down and she was in the middle of a 'lets kill anyone with money' game on the losing side...
Anyway, this is a great story, and it does show a lot of how we paint the losing side as 'evil' yet can't help making sure the future remembers them as being human enough to love and be loved. Worth a read for sure!

[Lyn Zuberbuhler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not follow my cardinal rule of checking the Goodreads rating and reviews before starting this historical fiction. It is basically a romance novel very loosely based on the life of Rose Tascher who eventually becomes the Empress Josephine.
Yes, Rose was born in Martinique to French parents who owned a plantation. She did travel to France to marry an aristocrat, and had two children by him. He was murdered during the Terror. She eventually becomes the Empress Josephine, married to Napoleon Bonaparte.
The rest is fiction.
Carolly Erickson Carrie’s a story along but is not an exceptionally gifted writer. However, this novel has piqued my interest in Josephine, so I will search for more accurate biographies of her.

[Mercedes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Note to the Reader saying that the book is "historical entertainment" and was "fictionally imagined and fictionally embellished" would have been much better in as an introduction. Most historical fiction books I read have the authors going to great lengths to get as much historical facts and background included as possible. While the story was at times entertaining the character of Josephine was marred by fictionalized romantic encounters. I would think her life was interesting enough without the need to embellish so much. The main thing this did for me was make me want to read more about her true history.

[C.A. Gray]

I'm so confused by this book... based on the title I thought it was about Josephine and Napoleon, but about an hour in, it certainly appeared that the main characters were called Alexander and Rose. I googled whether they had ever been known by other names before and came up with nothing. Since I knew nothing about this other couple nor their historic significance, and since it took so long for the true main characters to even be introduced, I finally gave up.

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough one to review. I, admittedly, have very little knowledge of the history surrounding the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Still, having a very basic knowledge of the era, this novel moves glaringly outside of of the historical record. I am sure I would find it more frustrating if I had a greater grasp of the real history.

This is one of those historical fiction novels that really should be considered, simply fiction.

As a fictional tale, it is really a romance novel. And even that it doesn't do exceptionally well at.

What earns it 2 stars, for me, is the character development of Josephine. Her passing feels like a loss and her voice is often refreshing -- if sometimes naive and often too progressive to fit her era.

[Gala Bond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess it gives me a different view of the Napoleonic era. However, I just never liked the heroine. I didn't really like any of the characters. I don't think I would recommend this book to people. It wasn't a waste of my time; however, I don't think other people should make an effort to spend time on it.

[Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fluffly bodice ripper. If you want historical accuracy, skip it. (I rolled my eyes at the white satin wedding gowns and snorted with laughter when she wore tights. Where did she get tights? Was there a Target in Paris in 1800?) But if you like beach reads, it'll keep you entertained with drama, suspense and plenty of rolls in the hay.

[Kate McDougall Sackler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fictionalized account of Napoleon’s first wife Josephine. I thought it seemed far fetched, and parts of it were, but the big stuff was accurate. I just don’t understand where she got all her money. Who was funding her by the end? I liked it.
2023 reading challenge-three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 3 (17th-18th)