Luis XVI

by Bernard Vincent

Présente la vie de Louis XVI (1754-1793), son éducation, son mariage en 1770 avec Marie-Antoinette, son accession au trône en 1774, ses choix en matière de gouvernement de la France, sa politique étrangère, la vie de la cour sous son règne, ses rapports avec le Parlement, la convocation des Etats généraux en 1789, la fuite de Varennes, son abdication, son envoi à la prison du Temple, etc.

368 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mrs. Fujiwara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yesterday I finished another book about the last monarch of France while listening to the distant sounds of popular music that have been playing all over the city for a week or so. It's carnival eve here and this is definitely the most adored holiday of the country. It's a big party and with such a huge repercussion that since the day after Christmas we can see advertisements about it on TV. Unfortunately, though, most of what reach other countries about Brazilian carnival is somehow linked to those Rio de Janeiro parades with naked women full of glitter, feathers and samba. However, this is just a tiny bit of the whole and I do not believe it represents the essence of our most beloved party, which is celebrated mainly on the streets, with children, youths and elders dancing and drinking, some dressing costumes, others just summery garments to stand well under this hot blazing sun. I for one never liked this festivity because I have always been the quiet type, always far away from excesses, unless they are related to books. So while almost everyone I know is preparing to follow the Midnight Rooster parade, here I am, listening to Chico Buarque while digesting the sorrows of my favorite king's fate and waiting anxiously for my new Moi dix Mois DVD that will probably be here only around next Wednesday, when carnival will finally be over. Normal people would never link carnival, Louis XVI and Mana in their thoughts, but I cannot deny that I do. I shouldn't have read this biography right now; I have a huge pile of thesis waiting to be analyzed, but I just cannot resist him. King Louis is truly a hero in my eyes; I feel sorry that in the academic world, at least the one I am part of, he is always represented misshaped as the revolutionary press in the XVIII century France certainly wished. He had everything I admire in a person: intelligence, sense of justice, good humor, kindness, courage and honor. Although the book's main interest seems to be to describe the steps that lead to the Revolution, the author - a Historian - cannot suppress his own admiration towards that royal figure. I dislike factual history wholeheartedly and the focus of this book on it really annoyed me, but for those not used to the details or those that have only read about them en passant it is an excellent opportunity. When I bought it, though, I was looking for a biography centered upon Louis figure as a man, husband and king, not only the last. The passages where the author mentions his private life, his personality, even his quotidian and relationship with his family are rare. Nevertheless, they were enough to rise even more my own respect for this man whose dream was probably to be a scholar, but whose destiny was changed when he found himself forced to accept the rule of a nation ready to follow an independent path.

[Ricardo Viana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obra interessante e muito bem escrita. É um dos bons livros sobre Luis XVI. A narrativa foi muito eficiente em cativar o leitor.