Versailles - Le Rêve d'un Roi

by Elizabeth Massie

1667, Louis XIV a vingt-huit ans. Le décès de sa mère Anne d'Autriche lui laisse enfin les mains libres pour gouverner. Traumatisé par le souvenir de la Fronde, le jeune monarque veut à tout prix garder les nobles sous contrôle. L'extraordinaire palais qu'il va imaginer à la place d'un modeste pavillon de chasse de Versailles sera leur prison dorée.

Tandis que de nouveaux murs s'élèvent, que des canaux sont creusés, des arbres plantés, Louis aime, trompe, manœuvre et manipule. Mais à qui faire confiance quand on est un grand roi ? À ses plus proches ministres ? Au valet ou à l'ami le plus fidèle ? Au frère complexé, aux maîtresses blessées et courtisanes énamourées ?

Inspiré de la série éponyme diffusée sur Canal +, ce roman historique nous entraîne dans les dédales sulfureux d'un château destiné àservir les ambitions vertigineuses du Roi-Soleil.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, France, Media Tie In, American, German Literature

415 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

Elizabeth (Beth) Massie is a 2-time Bram Stoker Award and Scribe Award-winning author of horror/suspense, historical fiction, media tie-ins, nonfiction, and short fiction for adults. She also writes novels for teens and middle grade readers. Her series, Ameri-Scares, is currently in development for television by Warner Horizon (Warner Brothers), LuckyChap, and Assemble Media. Stay tuned! She lives in the Shenandoah Valley with her husband, illustrator Cortney Skinner.

Reviews

[Christine Spoors · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently watched Versailles and loved it, so decided to pick up the book adaption. I definitely wouldn't recommend this to anyone who hasn't watched the programme as it is basically just each scene written in book format. Whenever I enjoy a film or TV series I always want more, so I was really glad they gave us a tie-in book!

I enjoyed this book, because I am a fan of Versailles, and found that I picked up a few things that I missed whilst watching the programme. However, I felt like a little more effort could have been put into this book. I would have liked to have seen each scene fleshed out a little more and extra scenes added as some of it felt quite simple. However, I liked Massie's writing and found it quite an easy read because it was split into short scenes. It was good to see inside the characters heads and see what they were thinking, sometimes it can be hard to tell their exact emotions when you're watching actors.

If they create a book adaption for every series I will likely read them all, however I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone unless they wanted to relive each episode.

[Nicko D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Брат срещу брата, сестра срещу брата, приятел срещу приятел, отношения, лежащи на изгодата и безспирни интриги с една единствена цел: да се свали кралят на Франция – Луи XIV. С всичко това прелива романът на Елизабет Меси - „Версай”, написан по хитовия френски сериал.

„Версай” проследява един от най-интересните исторически периоди на Франция – 17 век, и мечтата на Кралят Слънце да построи огромен замък в селцето Версай, тогава все още далеч от Париж. Да построи замък или да започне война за завземането на Испанска Нидерландия, как по-добре да разходва парите от обеднялата хазна? Това е въпросът пред младия Луи XIV, чийто приятелски кръг се пропуква от предатели, мечтаещи да заемат неговия пост.

„Трудно е да си крал, но още по-трудно е да си брат на краля”, заявява Филип, братът на Луи XIV. Това е и една от основните сюжетни линии в романа, а животът на Филип е повече от интересен – бисексуален, който спи с мъже от кралския двор, същевременно съпругата му Анриет често се озовава в покоите на Кралят Слънце. Въпреки слабостите си обаче Филип съумява да показва сила и твърдост, но до последно е раздиран от колебания дали да иска да бъде следващият крал или иска да живее охолен живот без отговорности.

Поговорката „Дръж приятелите си близо, а враговете още повече” обаче не е в пълна сила за Луи XIV, тъй като от началото до края на романа, приятелския му кръг се оказва най-голямата пробойна на врагове, които ще използват какви ли не методи, за да го свалят от трона му.

Кралското семейство е оплетено в сложни отношения с придворния си персонал, а интригата във „Версай” държи в напрежение до последния абзац. Книгата е наситена с обрати, загадки, убийства и отрова, а справедливостта е понятие, което не винаги се намира на правилното място. „Версай” е не само за любителите на исторически романи, а и за всички, които харесват изчистено съвременно писане, държащо читателското внимание под постоянно напрежение с ударно темпо.

„Версай” е дело на трима автори. Американската писателка Елизабет Маси е автор на исторически и хорър-романи. Специализира се в писането на романи по телевизионни сериали: „Династията на Тюдорите”, „Версай – мечтата на един крал”. Саймън Мирън е британски журналист и автор на телевизионни сценарии („Престъпни намерения”). Дейвид Уолстънкрофт е британски сценарист („Ми-5”) и автор на шпионски романи.

[Lyudmila Spasova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Слабичка. Набляга се на бързото действие и на пикантни секс сцени. Няма задълбоченост, психологизъм липсва.
Книгата е написана по филм и много си личи.
Имах нужда от по-ненатоварващо в интелектуално отношение четиво, но слабата литература накрая винаги ме натоварва.
Не знам много за Краля Слънце и отношенията му с брат му Филип. Най-добре да си изясня картинката.
2.5 точки.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having loved the first season of Versailles, I just couldn't resist grabbing this when it caught my eye in the bookstore. If you've seen the show, you know what to expect. (And if you haven't, why aren't you watching it instead of reading this?!) It's certainly not the best novelization of a TV show I've ever come across (and probably wouldn't have amounted to more than 3 stars if I didn't love the show so very much), but I enjoyed it as a quick way to recap all of season one before finally continueing with season two once it's out. Overall, the writing is fairly simple, but makes for a decent read. One thing that really bugged me while reading that wasn't anywhere near as noticeable or annoying while watching (in fact, I don't remember noticing it while watching at all, but do assume it came up a few times): Will people please stop using "Chevalier" like it's a name?! It's a title, not a name. It just means "knight". The man's name is Philippe. For obvious reasons, namely one Philippe therefore being in a relationship with another Philippe, it would be confusing to use it for some viewers, so by all means use the title, but for fuck's sake, employ an article to denote that it is in fact a title when talking about him in third person, otherwise it's like going around saying "King did this. King said that. I spoke to King today." when referring to Louis. I don't even care if there's some sort of obscure grammar rule or archaic custom that I don't know about that allows this, it just sounds wrong and irritates me to no end.

[Knigoqdec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Слаб сюжет, само леко щрихирани герои, без особена дълбочина. Това се отнася както за характерите, така и за всичко останало. Дразнещи еротични блянове, като че ли на недорасло момиченце. Разхвърляни и странно завързани действия.
За държанието на героите и смотаните диалози не мога да кажа нищо, все пак - във френския двор наистина са били големи безумци.
Може би сериалът е по-добър.

[Lady Alexandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get lost in the labyrinth of intrigues, lies and conspiracy in Versaillies...

[Annie Al Saher · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5-4 stars
Kniha byla napsaná velmi poutavě a četla se skvěle.. Ale mohlo tam být víc faktů, než naprostých nesmyslů..

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. When I was reading it I literally couldn't put it down.

I've been a fan of the television series for a long time so when I saw the book I just couldn't resist. The book is virtually word for word the same as the series but there are extra details within it not found in the series.

However, I do wish they had added a little more, like some deleted scenes or just elaborated on some key plots which you can within this format. Also, I think if you haven't seen the series I don't know whether you'd enjoy it as I think the only reason I could pick it up so fast was because I was already aware of the storyline and characters. Otherwise, I think it's format would be a bit confusing.

Overall though a brilliant read which I can definitely see myself picking up again in the future!

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went to Paris during the Easter break and it was fun to read this in conjunction with my own trip to Versailles.
I absolutely love the TV series and this work only really works as a companion piece to the show. Descriptions are sorely lacking and the palace is barely mentioned, it’s construction ignored. This really only serves as a novelised recap of the show regather than a stand alone book.
I enjoyed it more than the 2 stars indicates, because of my setting when I read it (an apartment within a stones throw of the palace's stunning golden gates) and because I’ve enjoyed the show. I would certainly not recommend reading it if you’re unfamiliar with the programme.

[Amanda Tuinstra ( Liefde voor boeken Amanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensie volgt op m'n blog

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

idk how to explain it; it worked as a series for me but not as a novel.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book doesn't add much more than what the television series showed us in the first season. It is still a great retelling of the series. I wish it would have dived deeper into the psyche of the characters but I imagine the author wasn't given liberty to do that.

[El Buscalibros | elbuscalibros.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recuerdo que existe una tradición entre las familias reales, de antes y de ahora, que cuando un rey o su familia hacen ostentación de su poder a través de los símbolos se presupone que lo hacen para demostrar su poder frente a quienes quieren quitárselo. Por contra, quienes se muestran ante el pueblo sin hacer referencia a su bastón de mando, corona o cualquier otra parafernalia relacionada con el poder, es porque no es necesario, e incluso puede parecer lo que es: bizarro.

Luis XIV, el Rey Sol, Luis el Grande… (todos estos sobrenombres no hacen más que confirmar lo antes dicho) sabía perfectamente lo que era vivir acosado por una nobleza levantisca y amenazadora. El poder de los reyes de Francia no se confirma hasta su reinado (por eso tanto apodo), pero sus antecesores, desde el malogrado Francisco I hasta su padre Luis XIII, habían tenido que sortear importantes derrotas en el campo de batalla, guerras de religión (hugonotes) y revueltas internas (como la Fronda) para mantener el poder del rey a flote.

En ese contexto, Luis XIV es consciente de que su grandeza debe ser superior a la de sus predecesores para domesticar a la nobleza francesa. Para ello se rodeará de una estética refinada cargada de prendas coloridas y de telas caras (muy lejos de la sobriedad del negro que lucían los reyes españoles, por ejemplo), perfumes y cualquier cosa que lo hiciera diferente y ajeno a una nobleza que él consideraba el mal de Francia.

LA RESEÑA SIGUE AQUÍ: https://elbuscalibros.com/versalles-s...

[Sania Still_into_books · Rating 1 out of 5]

L'histoire semble intéressante mais ce roman est fait pour les fans de la série et non ceux qui veulent découvrir l'histoire avec le roman en premier.
Les chapitres sont plus ou moins longs mais ils sont composés de plusieurs scènes de la série donc les choses s'enchaînent vite mais restent en surface. On se perds avec tous ces personnages au point de les confondre parfois et on ne s'attache pas à eux car c'est à peine si on apprends à les connaitre (à part le roi, je n'ai compris aucun personnages alors que beaucoup sont quand même assez complexes. On est à la cour de Versailles quand même avec tous ces complots et secrets, c'est dommage...)
Brefff je ne sais pas si ce roman se base sur l'histoire réelle mais la seule chose que j'ai aimé c'est que ce roman a rendu le personnage de Louis XIV plus humain à mes yeux (et non pas juste un personnage de l'histoire dont on a du apprendre les dates de naissance et de mort à l'école). Je pense qu'un autre roman aurait pu m'apporter la même chose (et même plus d'infos et de plaisir 🤔) mais c'est le 1er roman que je lis qui se déroule à Versailles à cette période. J'aimerais bien découvrir une autre version de cette histoire, j'ai fini ce roman en étant frustrée de ne pas avoir tout compris et que le développement ait été aussi superficiel... 😕
Pour conclure... si ce roman vous intéresse je vous conseille de regarder la série d'abord, vous comprendrez plus de choses ainsi ^^".

[Elo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh why was Versailles so bad?
I mean, I have to say it: I have a weird attachment and fascination for Louis XIV.
and when the show was announced I wanted to watch it and somehow never did but when I found this book in a cheap shop, I thought it was the perfect occasion to read it and then watch it...well, now I probably won’t. At least not now.
This was just so bad, with no subtility. Maybe because there isn’t much from Louis himself in history, the man behind the king is full of mystery.
We know a lot about his reign but I feel everything that his trying to be too personal (and badly at that) just doesn’t feel right.
At the end, I will not recommend this book. And will recommend to stick to non-fiction on that subject.
One thing Louis XIV wrote himself is not personal at all, it’s instructions he wrote for his Dauphin, as well as his instructions to enjoy the gardens of Versailles as he see fits. It’s pretty empty of « emotions » but gives you real insight on his thoughts and politics.
We’ll never know the man behind the king now... and I have yet to find a novel that gives him justice. (Maybe it goes better on screen?)

[Dan Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was always going to be on my radar as I love the show. Reading this brought the first series back in full colour, which was a great thing. The strange thing about the book is that the author has literally taken the script and rewritten every scene, so every piece of dialogue is there. It's literally the TV show in book form. And it does work. I happily read this.

But on another hand it lacks detail and depth you'd expect from a book. It doesn't quite bring the imagery to life. I found it a strange one - was I imagining it in my head simply because I'd seen the show? I think I was.

And because it was based on the show, the book ends on a cliffhangar like the first series, with no prospect of a second book, which means the reader is left wanting. You can't separate the book from the show.

Also, I was slightly annoyed that the book was written and published by an English author and publisher, but the spellings were all in American, with some odd phrases written in too. You can pick these out a mile away, which obviously distracted from the reading.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you loved what 'The Tudors' did for the Court of Henry VIII, then you'll love what this book does for the Court of the Sun King, Louis XIV. It's a sexed-up, graphic account of Louis' reign as he plans the expansion of the hunting lodge at Versailles into the prominent Royal building we know today. With political machinations from all those round him, there is nobody that King Louis can trust, not even his brother Philippe perhaps? With courtiers fighting for their very survival now that they must prove that they are of noble birth, these are troublesome times. Add the threat of war from William of the Netherlands, poisoning, rape, murder and sexual shenanigans and you can see that Elizabeth Massey has captured the flavour of the times. I'm just not sure how historically accurate it is but it is every bit as entertaining as the TV drama that is on BBC2.I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book from RealReaders in exchange for an honest review.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is almost exactly, word-for-word the television show that is currently on Netflix by the same name. And that is exactly why I wanted this book. It's marketed as being much more scandalous than it actually is, though. I wanted a chance to read what I watched, which was so magnificent. This show is an artistic masterpiece and while the book was written down to a level below that which I am accustomed to reading, it was still enjoyable and gave a little bit of insight into what the characters might have been thinking as the scenes went along. Every once in a while, we got a sneak preview into the minds of the characters and their thoughts as something happened. That's the benefit of books vs. television. However, for the first time in my life, I would say the screen is better than the paper. But don't let that steer you away. This book is for a fan of the series and an awesome way to catch up before watching the successive seasons!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1667, following the end of the civil wars, King Louis XIV is determined to solidify his power and control over the aristocracy. To achieve this, he constructs the grand palace of Versailles, an opulent symbol of his authority. The nobility, unable to resist his invitation, becomes entangled in Louis' intricate web of manipulation and treachery as they navigate the gilded confines of Versailles.

The book adaptation of "Versailles" seems to be a mixed bag for me. Having watched and loved the TV series, I was excited to delve deeper into the world of Versailles through the book. It served as a satisfying supplement to the show, offering a chance to catch details that might have been missed during viewing.

However, I can't help but feel that the book missed some opportunities to truly shine. It essentially follows the scenes from the series, which could have been enriched with more depth and additional content. Some parts felt a bit too straightforward.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da Versailles mit Abstand meine lieblings Serie ist, konnte mich nicht anhalten das Buch zur ersten Staffel zu lesen. Im Großen und Ganzen war es ziemlich interessant manche Gedanken die in der Serie nur durch Gesten zu erahnen sind, nachzuvollziehen. Man bekommt ein besseres Gespür für den wahren Charakter der Personen. Außerdem sind ein paar Szenen enthalten, die in der Serie nicht zu sehen sind (wahrscheinlich wurden jene in der Show rausgeschnitten). Also warum nur 3 Sterne? Es fehlt der gänsehaut Faktor der Serie. Der Schreibstil ist nicht wirklich mitreißend und spannende Aspekte wurden oftmals karg beschrieben.

3/5
4/10

[The one Whom Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

How a "book" like this is allowed to be released is beyond me.

I love love love the TV series Versailles. It is truly an exceptional beautiful portrayal of Frances nobility. But the book is a straight forward rip off of that TV series. It's scene by scene written, basicly, the author sat watched and then wrote down the exact sequence even direct dialouge of it. It offered nothing new. There is no background on other characters, and if you haven't watched the show, I highly doubt you will even know what is going on.

The only thing I could do is give it 1 star as to me. This is blatant plagiarism. Watch the TV show. Give credit to the original creators.

[Andrea Melgar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al ser una novelización... el libro es limitado en comparación con la serie original sobre la cual se inspiró. El error es el mismo, el formato original ofrece más contenido y detalles que la adaptación. En este caso, la serie ofrece lujo de vistas, detalles e incluso personajes o situaciones que en el libro no se incluyen. Además el libro abarca solo 2 temporadas mientras que la serie consta de 4. Y al parecer no hay segunda parte del libro hasta ahora...

Si leo el libro sin ver la serie, es bueno... pero habiendo visto la serie, deja mucho qué desear...

[Katherine Vega · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entiendo que llevar a un libro la primera parte de una serie tan llena de matices como Versailles era complicado, y aquí esta la prueba: esta adaptación de la pantalla al libro no funciona de ninguna manera. Los personajes ni siquiera se parecen en carácter a los de la serie y todo se siente plano, sin vida.

He leído en críticas que este libro solo gustaría a los fans de la serie, y yo soy MEGA FAN de la serie y no me ha gustado. He acabado leyéndolo un poco en diagonal porque me daba pena dejarlo pero la verdad es que no está a la altura de la 1a temporada del show.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Because I love the series, I decided to read the book adaptation. Though I wasn't expecting a different story to the one we've watched, I did expect a better prose. It was too simple and descriptive for the Sun King's court. If you like the series and can't get enough of the characters then the book will be a great walk down memory lane of season 1. If you want a historical fiction of King Louis XIV I'd advice you to look elsewhere.

[Chantal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hoera, uit! Wat een draak van een boek..

Ik had pas door dat dit de boekaanpassing van een tv serie is. Dat verklaart echter wel de manier waarop het geschreven is: hele korte scenes die eigenlijk geen samenhang hebben. Dat is wat mij betreft het belangrijkste minpunt aan dit boek. Daarnaast is er natuurlijk ook nog de op zijn minst matige schrijfstijl.

Al met al heb ik het boek op wilskracht uitgelezen. Wat nu ik er over nadenk zonde van mijn tijd was. Ach ja, op naar betere boeken!

[Ana Encinas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Versalles. El sueño de un rey. Una historia de la época de 1670 en la que el rey Luis XIV, el Rey Sol, tiene la intención de crear un nuevo hogar para toda su patria, llamado Versalles. La trama ha ido un poco lenta al principio, aunque en la parte final hay más movimiento en cuanto a personajes y sucesos. Si te gustan las novelas históricas este es tu libro.

[Unbestechlich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 3,5 just because it still looks more like a screeplay of the tv series than a novel, i guess there should have been more descriptions and narration. And alas the translation into Russian has some flaws. Still it was fun to read some new scenes and descriptions not included in those wonderful tv series.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable book based on the BBC2 series. Reads a bit like a screenplay as others have said. I have read it alongside watching the TV series which has probably enriched the story. I think reading it as a standalone novel it would lack detail and description. Moves along swiftly and is a decent enough interpretation.

[Rachel Salter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horribly, horribly written, but what can you expect from a book based on a screenplay? Somewhat lacking in attachment to any of the characters, without a clear view into their heads or appearances. Nevertheless a solid dramatic plot.

[María Maldonado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una lectura sencilla, es como leer el guión de los capítulos de la serie. (De hecho abarca toda la primera temporada) Está entretenido, pero quizá esperaba más amplitud en el tema, no todo tan similar.