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Sisi #1
Sisi: de opstandige keizerin
Ze is een van de mooiste vrouwen ter wereld. Iedereen noemt haar Sisi. Op haar zestiende trouwt ze met keizer Frans Jozef I van Oostenrijk. In Wenen gonst het in het paleis van de geruchten en intriges. Sisi ervaart zowel haar huwelijk als het strenge hofprotocol als verstikkend. Ze vindt troost op haar landgoed buiten Boedapest. Daar rijdt ze paard en geniet van het gezelschap van graaf Andrassy. Tot ze door tragisch nieuws gedwongen wordt terug te keren naar Wenen.
496 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2015
About the author
Allison Pataki
12 books3,689 followersALLISON PATAKI is the NYTimes Bestselling author of THE TRAITOR'S WIFE, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS, SISI:EMPRESS ON HER OWN, WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS, and the memoir, BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES.
Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages, has been featured on The TODAY Show, The NY Times, The Huffington Post, USA Today, FOX News, Morning Joe, and more.
Visit AllisonPataki.com to connect and find out more.
Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages, has been featured on The TODAY Show, The NY Times, The Huffington Post, USA Today, FOX News, Morning Joe, and more.
Visit AllisonPataki.com to connect and find out more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,151 reviews
August 6, 2021
As a lover of royal historical fiction, I find that many books in this genre focus on British royalty, especially regarding the Plantagenets and the Tudors, so I was quite excited to read about this fascinating woman, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria-Hungary, whom I had first learned about after reading my daughter's book Elisabeth of Austria: The Princess Bride (from the ROYAL DIARIES series) several years ago that focused on this specific royal.
Allison Pataki's writing is thoroughly detailed, not only in regards to Sisi's beauty, but also in the agonizing ache of losing one's child, the tenderness of nursing an infant, to the sickening feeling of being betrayed through her husband's unfaithfulness. I also found that Pataki's writing about the familial history and foreign policy during this time period was beneficial without coming across as a biography.
Since this is a work of fiction, I understand that the author can and does take some liberties in order to make the story flow. Now looking forward to reading Pataki's sequel, Sisi: Empress on Her Own!
Allison Pataki's writing is thoroughly detailed, not only in regards to Sisi's beauty, but also in the agonizing ache of losing one's child, the tenderness of nursing an infant, to the sickening feeling of being betrayed through her husband's unfaithfulness. I also found that Pataki's writing about the familial history and foreign policy during this time period was beneficial without coming across as a biography.
Since this is a work of fiction, I understand that the author can and does take some liberties in order to make the story flow. Now looking forward to reading Pataki's sequel, Sisi: Empress on Her Own!
May 24, 2017
Edit: April 4/4/15
A lot of you lovely commentators have been asking me for recommendations for Sisi books I actually enjoyed. I'm happy to very highly recommend a book I've finally, finally managed to review called Stealing Sisi's Star: How a Master Thief Nearly Got Away with Austria's Most Famous Jewel by the very talented Jennifer Bahaney (who you may recognize from her helpful comments in this review when she kindly corrected all the stuff I got wrong about the real empress!). She very kindly offered me a copy of her book and I'm very pleased to recommend it to all of you!!!! I was seriously amazed I'd never even heard this crazy story before, some of it is honestly too crazy by crappy Hollywood B movie standards but apparently it all really happened!!! Check it out! Yes, its a shamelessly fawning review but I swear we do not know each other are neither related, married, or the same person!
Edit: November 11/19/15
Fans of this review might be interested in my take of Ms. Pataki's SEQUEL to this travesty Sisi: Empress On Her Own which I don't know about you but to me sounds like a 1980's sitcom where a pampered sorority girl loses her trust fund and has to work as a waitress and wackiness ensues!!!!!!!!!! I WISH that was what this mess was about...
At its best historical fiction is a wonderful blending of genres; equal parts intense research and just enough story telling magic to breathe true life into the subject. When I truly feel pulled into another time as if I am walking in Anne Boleyn’s doomed shoes or swimming the Nile with Cleopatra then I know I’ve found that perfect mix between fact and fantasy. When I read historical fiction I want a writer that will go the extra mile to truly inhabit the world they are writing about. It isn’t enough for me to simply know what everyone was wearing or what someone’s house looked like. I need to feel like I’m there.
With a heroine like the enigmatic Empress Elisabeth of Austria and a place like the dying Habsburg court at the end of the 18th century author Alison Pataki barely had to lift a finger to write the story of the passionate, doomed empress. Though she might be a relative unknown in America Elisabeth is a well-beloved and much written about figure all over the rest of the world. The beautiful Habsburg empress has been the subject of a multitude of novels, biographies, short stories, essays, television shows and films and has even had a blockbuster musical written about her life that has been in performance around the world almost continually since it first premiered in Vienna over twenty years ago.
Elisabeth or “Sisi” as she was affectionately known led a troubled but fascinating life perfect fodder for a juicy historical fiction. She married the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph in 1854 when she was only sixteen. But she was entirely unprepared for the life she would have to lead as empress. She had little say in the raising of the children she had throughout her marriage or indeed in any aspect of her daily life, a life that was ruled by strict tradition and protocol that dictated her every movement. She was isolated and grievously unhappy.To escape her unhappiness she paradoxically abandoned her family and spent years traveling abroad and developed an almost manic need to maintain her youthful appearance. She cultivated a great love for poetry and languages and a keen interest in mental health issues particularly those of women who had been institutionalized. She suffered through the death of two children, a beloved daughter who died in infancy and her only son the crown prince who took his own life. Her own life ended in tragedy when she was assassinated at the age of 60.
With such a rich and dramatic narrative to draw from you would think that a fictional account of the Empresses life would all but write itself. Unfortunately in the hands of Pataki the rich tapestry of Elisabeth’s life and the treacherous, beautiful world in which she lived is stripped down to the most tawdry elements until it becomes little better than a script for a Lifetime movie of the week.
Elisabeth is established from the beginning as a whining, clueless child so desperate for true love with her prince charming that she cares for absolutely nothing else going on around her. Pataki makes an attempt at establishing dramatic tension with a will they or won’t they marry despite their families objections non-drama that drags on for over a hundred pages. When she finally does become empress she’s reduced entirely to a sobbing baby who cries all the time because Franz isn’t paying enough attention to her or because her mother in law is being mean. We spend no time in the Habsburg court, with the rituals and protocol that drove Elisabeth to near insanity we’re simply told over and over how terrible it all is.
When she makes her escape from court to begin her travels around the world Pataki quite literally writes “three years later” and suddenly she’s back at court with no indication of where’s she’s been, why she would choose to abandon the children she so desperately wanted to raise herself, how her family was affected, whether she missed them, nothing.
The last half of the book is devoted to Sisi falling deeply in love with a Hungarian diplomat who’s trying to get Franz to concede control of the Hungarian government in exchange for maintaining his sovereignty over the country. The reader is then treated to pages and pages of Sisi being desperately, forbiddingly in love. Pataki chooses to end her novel barely halfway through Elisabeth’s life as she lies in the arms of a man historians are pretty sure she never even had an affair with.
Pataki’s Sisi has almost no internal life beyond that of the typical swooning heroine. We’re continually told how she longs for her children but we’re never really allowed into her mind or emotions to understand what she is going through. We’re told that she’s fallen out of love with Franz but we never really learn why. Her character is defined entirely by who’s she’s in love with. Another case of a female heroine whose self-worth is determined by how much a man loves her.
The supporting players don’t fair much better. Franz Joseph is little more than the traditional hen-pecked son and husband except of course he’s also the emperor and fighting desperately to preserve his empire and to divert a world war but Pataki doesn’t feel the need to mess up her love story with that.
Sophie, Franz’s mother, is painted as a scheming villain with everything but the twisty mustache. Never mind that this woman held an entire empire together for her child and made herself one of the most powerful women in history or that she had her own tragic history that must have influenced her character later in life to Pataki she is simply a nasty, old, drunk who doesn’t want Sisi to be happy.
To reduce such deep, passionate, and intelligent women to the basest kind of stock characters in a cheap melodrama is frankly insulting. While I realize this is fiction I think an author has a certain responsibility even when writing a novel to stay true to the life of the character they’re writing about. Sisi was a child thrust into a world she was utterly unprepared for but she was much more. She is remembered in her home country and the countries she ruled as a paragon of virtue and nobility, for the obvious love she bore her subjects and the lengths she went to in uniting Franz’s empire as the world was beginning its long descent toward war. She deserves to be known by American audiences but not as the simpering fool Pataki would have us believe she was.
If you want to know Elisabeth thankfully there are countless other books to read. I’d even recommend the many recordings of the musical based on her life that are infused with all the passion and fire that surely fueled the real woman and are sadly lacking from this banal and pointless book.
*minor edit on Feb 26th to correct the Empresses date of death. Thank you Jennifer for the fact check!!!
*minor edit the second because that's not how you spell "Sisi!"
*another edit!!!! This time to correct my stupidity about the wonderful musical I'm so in love with! It premiered in Vienna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A lot of you lovely commentators have been asking me for recommendations for Sisi books I actually enjoyed. I'm happy to very highly recommend a book I've finally, finally managed to review called Stealing Sisi's Star: How a Master Thief Nearly Got Away with Austria's Most Famous Jewel by the very talented Jennifer Bahaney (who you may recognize from her helpful comments in this review when she kindly corrected all the stuff I got wrong about the real empress!). She very kindly offered me a copy of her book and I'm very pleased to recommend it to all of you!!!! I was seriously amazed I'd never even heard this crazy story before, some of it is honestly too crazy by crappy Hollywood B movie standards but apparently it all really happened!!! Check it out! Yes, its a shamelessly fawning review but I swear we do not know each other are neither related, married, or the same person!
Edit: November 11/19/15
Fans of this review might be interested in my take of Ms. Pataki's SEQUEL to this travesty Sisi: Empress On Her Own which I don't know about you but to me sounds like a 1980's sitcom where a pampered sorority girl loses her trust fund and has to work as a waitress and wackiness ensues!!!!!!!!!! I WISH that was what this mess was about...
At its best historical fiction is a wonderful blending of genres; equal parts intense research and just enough story telling magic to breathe true life into the subject. When I truly feel pulled into another time as if I am walking in Anne Boleyn’s doomed shoes or swimming the Nile with Cleopatra then I know I’ve found that perfect mix between fact and fantasy. When I read historical fiction I want a writer that will go the extra mile to truly inhabit the world they are writing about. It isn’t enough for me to simply know what everyone was wearing or what someone’s house looked like. I need to feel like I’m there.
With a heroine like the enigmatic Empress Elisabeth of Austria and a place like the dying Habsburg court at the end of the 18th century author Alison Pataki barely had to lift a finger to write the story of the passionate, doomed empress. Though she might be a relative unknown in America Elisabeth is a well-beloved and much written about figure all over the rest of the world. The beautiful Habsburg empress has been the subject of a multitude of novels, biographies, short stories, essays, television shows and films and has even had a blockbuster musical written about her life that has been in performance around the world almost continually since it first premiered in Vienna over twenty years ago.
Elisabeth or “Sisi” as she was affectionately known led a troubled but fascinating life perfect fodder for a juicy historical fiction. She married the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph in 1854 when she was only sixteen. But she was entirely unprepared for the life she would have to lead as empress. She had little say in the raising of the children she had throughout her marriage or indeed in any aspect of her daily life, a life that was ruled by strict tradition and protocol that dictated her every movement. She was isolated and grievously unhappy.To escape her unhappiness she paradoxically abandoned her family and spent years traveling abroad and developed an almost manic need to maintain her youthful appearance. She cultivated a great love for poetry and languages and a keen interest in mental health issues particularly those of women who had been institutionalized. She suffered through the death of two children, a beloved daughter who died in infancy and her only son the crown prince who took his own life. Her own life ended in tragedy when she was assassinated at the age of 60.
With such a rich and dramatic narrative to draw from you would think that a fictional account of the Empresses life would all but write itself. Unfortunately in the hands of Pataki the rich tapestry of Elisabeth’s life and the treacherous, beautiful world in which she lived is stripped down to the most tawdry elements until it becomes little better than a script for a Lifetime movie of the week.
Elisabeth is established from the beginning as a whining, clueless child so desperate for true love with her prince charming that she cares for absolutely nothing else going on around her. Pataki makes an attempt at establishing dramatic tension with a will they or won’t they marry despite their families objections non-drama that drags on for over a hundred pages. When she finally does become empress she’s reduced entirely to a sobbing baby who cries all the time because Franz isn’t paying enough attention to her or because her mother in law is being mean. We spend no time in the Habsburg court, with the rituals and protocol that drove Elisabeth to near insanity we’re simply told over and over how terrible it all is.
When she makes her escape from court to begin her travels around the world Pataki quite literally writes “three years later” and suddenly she’s back at court with no indication of where’s she’s been, why she would choose to abandon the children she so desperately wanted to raise herself, how her family was affected, whether she missed them, nothing.
The last half of the book is devoted to Sisi falling deeply in love with a Hungarian diplomat who’s trying to get Franz to concede control of the Hungarian government in exchange for maintaining his sovereignty over the country. The reader is then treated to pages and pages of Sisi being desperately, forbiddingly in love. Pataki chooses to end her novel barely halfway through Elisabeth’s life as she lies in the arms of a man historians are pretty sure she never even had an affair with.
Pataki’s Sisi has almost no internal life beyond that of the typical swooning heroine. We’re continually told how she longs for her children but we’re never really allowed into her mind or emotions to understand what she is going through. We’re told that she’s fallen out of love with Franz but we never really learn why. Her character is defined entirely by who’s she’s in love with. Another case of a female heroine whose self-worth is determined by how much a man loves her.
The supporting players don’t fair much better. Franz Joseph is little more than the traditional hen-pecked son and husband except of course he’s also the emperor and fighting desperately to preserve his empire and to divert a world war but Pataki doesn’t feel the need to mess up her love story with that.
Sophie, Franz’s mother, is painted as a scheming villain with everything but the twisty mustache. Never mind that this woman held an entire empire together for her child and made herself one of the most powerful women in history or that she had her own tragic history that must have influenced her character later in life to Pataki she is simply a nasty, old, drunk who doesn’t want Sisi to be happy.
To reduce such deep, passionate, and intelligent women to the basest kind of stock characters in a cheap melodrama is frankly insulting. While I realize this is fiction I think an author has a certain responsibility even when writing a novel to stay true to the life of the character they’re writing about. Sisi was a child thrust into a world she was utterly unprepared for but she was much more. She is remembered in her home country and the countries she ruled as a paragon of virtue and nobility, for the obvious love she bore her subjects and the lengths she went to in uniting Franz’s empire as the world was beginning its long descent toward war. She deserves to be known by American audiences but not as the simpering fool Pataki would have us believe she was.
If you want to know Elisabeth thankfully there are countless other books to read. I’d even recommend the many recordings of the musical based on her life that are infused with all the passion and fire that surely fueled the real woman and are sadly lacking from this banal and pointless book.
*minor edit on Feb 26th to correct the Empresses date of death. Thank you Jennifer for the fact check!!!
*minor edit the second because that's not how you spell "Sisi!"
*another edit!!!! This time to correct my stupidity about the wonderful musical I'm so in love with! It premiered in Vienna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 19, 2015
I had more fun reading the wikipedia article on Sisi. Historically it was noted that she was an eccentric and probably suffered from an eating disorder as she was obsessive about her weight and her hair. It was also said that she was so traumatized by her wedding night that she wouldn't leave her chamber for 3 days. Pataki's story makes it sound as though she were a frustrated lover. I would have preferred the facts rather than the fiction.
November 23, 2015
This is a romance novel posing as an historical fiction novel. This novel was a book club pick, which I would have never read if not for that. It’s one of the reasons I’m in book groups: read novels outside of my genre. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction. I’m not a fan of romance novels. This novel would be a perfect novel for a romance novel lover who wants to expand into historical fiction.
The author, Allison Pataki used historical information to base the events on the life of Empress Elizabeth, also known as “Fairy Queen”. Pataki used her imagination to create her personality in this novel. Elizabeth became Empress at age fifteen. Her sister was the chosen pick by the mother of the Emperor; however the Emperor fell in love with Elizabeth instead. From the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was at odds with her mother-in-law. Pataki does a fabulous job of showing how little power women had at that time. Pataki chose to portray Elizabeth as a victim of her circumstances. At the end of the novel I did not have great adoration for Elizabeth. One thing I did enjoy is Elizabeth’s love of Goethe. One of my favorite quotes of his that was used in this novel “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of the things which matter least.” This novel has motivated me to research Goethe. The quotes used were super.
From what I’ve researched on Elizabeth, Pataki chose to not include many of Elizabeth’s influential affects on the Empire. She chose to write about the gossip and the insipid activities of the court. Not much was written about pivotal historical events. Again, I found this to be more of a romance novel than an historical fiction novel. That said, I didn’t even know of Austria’s history of that time, and I was motivated to do more research. Something must be said of that.
The author, Allison Pataki used historical information to base the events on the life of Empress Elizabeth, also known as “Fairy Queen”. Pataki used her imagination to create her personality in this novel. Elizabeth became Empress at age fifteen. Her sister was the chosen pick by the mother of the Emperor; however the Emperor fell in love with Elizabeth instead. From the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was at odds with her mother-in-law. Pataki does a fabulous job of showing how little power women had at that time. Pataki chose to portray Elizabeth as a victim of her circumstances. At the end of the novel I did not have great adoration for Elizabeth. One thing I did enjoy is Elizabeth’s love of Goethe. One of my favorite quotes of his that was used in this novel “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of the things which matter least.” This novel has motivated me to research Goethe. The quotes used were super.
From what I’ve researched on Elizabeth, Pataki chose to not include many of Elizabeth’s influential affects on the Empire. She chose to write about the gossip and the insipid activities of the court. Not much was written about pivotal historical events. Again, I found this to be more of a romance novel than an historical fiction novel. That said, I didn’t even know of Austria’s history of that time, and I was motivated to do more research. Something must be said of that.
September 23, 2021
Intricately plotted, Pataki’s latest is engrossing and incredibly real. Readers will find themselves immersed in Sisi’s tumultuous, troubled life and will be awed at how much of this is directly from history books. Although long and only the beginning of the story, prepare to feel as if you have actually been transported back in time.
In 1853, Emperor Franz Joseph is in need of a wife to better rule the Habsburg Empire. Duchesses Elisabeth “Sisi” and her older sister Helene travel to the court so that Helene may be married to the Emperor. Yet Sisi is the one who captures his heart, and against the wishes of many, he’s determined to marry her. Their relationship is complicated by their differing personalities and his controlling mother, as Sisi tries to carve out her own place without upsetting years of tradition.
In 1853, Emperor Franz Joseph is in need of a wife to better rule the Habsburg Empire. Duchesses Elisabeth “Sisi” and her older sister Helene travel to the court so that Helene may be married to the Emperor. Yet Sisi is the one who captures his heart, and against the wishes of many, he’s determined to marry her. Their relationship is complicated by their differing personalities and his controlling mother, as Sisi tries to carve out her own place without upsetting years of tradition.
August 9, 2022
*Editing done here*
Have you read anything about the real Sissi? Then stay away from this one - this is fiction, just fiction! (and the bad kind).
What makes for a good historical novel/historical romance?
Now there´s the million dollar question that will maintain endless discussions on the topic!
For me, a good historical novel merely gives life to the character, without ever disrespecting proven/documented facts - meaning, authors don´t get carried away too much, and I get transported into the worlds they recreate.
I have no pet peeve with the genre, and agree that many times it provides a lot of "previously allergic to history" people some fun, interesting info, and can be a starting point for proper/accurate research.
That being said - what is Gods name happened here??!?
Even setting aside my old fascination/nerdness about Sissi (i use the french spelling of her nickname because that is the one i grew up with), this book is a scary assembly of ..."stuff"... that frankly had me torn betweeen disbelief and anger.
There really was no need to go this far because, like Sara said in her own review here of this same book, the author barely had to lift a finger to make this appealing to an wider audience - Sissi´s real life was ten times "juicier", to use modern terms, then what the author did here.
This review will be long, and some of you might end up thinking i am a lunatic or something like it, but if you would like to know a few facts on her (i am not making these up, there are countless reputable sources out there that show them) bear with me and read on.
Sissi had a total of 7 siblings that made it to adulthood:
Ludwig - born 1831
Helene - born 1834
Sissi -born 12/24/1837
Carl Theodor - born 1839
Marie - born 1841
Mathilde -born 1843
Sophie - born 1847
Max Emanuel -born 1849
However at the start of the book (1853), Ms Pataki gives the oldest son/heir as being Carl Theodor, when Ludwig was very much alive and would only later, in 1859, renounce his rights as heir because he had fallen in love and married an actress, Henriette Mendel.
Given how positively "juicy" and romantic this particular story turned out to be, i don't get it why on earth he would be deleted just like this - too many names to keep track of?
Carl Theodor calling his sisters, including his favorite sister and childhood companion (yes Sissi) "you whores"?!? i can understand and support artistic freedom but total personality transplants on known historical characters for sales only...that´s a big NO from me!
Tiny little detail that may sound ridiculous, but bear with me:
Maximilian, Sissi´s father ,was not Duke OF Bavaria, he was created Duke IN Bavaria at the time of his marriage to Princess Ludovika of Bavaria (his cousin), and only years later would he receive the HRH to add to his tittle - Max was not descended from the royal branch of the Wittelsbach family that ruled at the time in Bavaria.
This may sound and look ridiculous to modern ears but, at the time, it made a huge difference and was the source of some shame to Duchess Ludovika that by her marriage she had been "lowered" in rank, unlike her sisters who were "promoted". It also helps explains her general attitude of "awe" towards her sister Sophie, a "mere" Bavarian princess turned Archduchess of Austria.
Again Sissi´s father - portraying him as a drunken buffoon whose sole concern was beer and fathering illegitimate kids on all the ladies of Possenhofen and worse, having Sissi "hate" him like she seems to at the beginning of the book?!? Lie!
Actually now that I think of it there seems to be a inclination to portray several of the lead figures here as "overly fond" of alcohol.... anyways....
Duke Max was well traveled, much loved by the people in his lands, and hardly a dumb guy - he love reading, having amassed a library composed of over 27,000 volumes . He composed poetry and music and yes true, didn´t give a fig about court life and protocol! He surrounded himself with friends from middle class backgrounds and artists, in a bavarian version of King Arthur´s round table - was there beer?yes there was! but there were also political and philosophical discussions.
Btw, the man also published several articles in newspapers and magazines which displayed his openly liberal views that made Aunt Sophie just "looooove him" to pieces!
Truth is, Sissi was crazy about her father and he adored her just as much because, of all his kids, she was the one most similar to him in temperament. Her perception of his weakness as a man and a father only came years later, when she had her own marital problems, and finally began seeing her mother and her suffering in another light.
An invitation/summoning&marriage proposal just pop up like that out of the blue and off they go to Bad Ischl? no no no....the hint of marriage had first "popped up" in 1848 when Ludovika (with the girls) met her sister at Innsbruck.
Aunt Sophie, along with several criticisms of the girls upbringing, had hinted at her interest in a possible union between the cousins - Helene was deemed the safest choice, since Bavaria was a long time ally of Austria, and marrying her would offend no allies or enemies of the Hapsbourgs, which in a certain way had already happened, given the refusal of his other "potential" choices of brides.
Following this first meeting, Helene was submitted to an educational program destined to prepare her for her more than probable future role as Empress of Austria and, even if she may have been the retiring, shy type, she certainly wasn't the tongue tied, disobedient girl that is portrayed here. Helene was the epitome of dutiful, diligent, obedient daughter, and would never have so openly refused the "brilliant" match - certainly not to become a nun!
Sissi goes with her sister to Bad Ischl to help her adjust to the new role and serve as lady in waiting?!?!? ...excuse me just a moment...ahahaha...ok thank you, all better now.
There are sources (including Brigitte Hamman´s bio that the author mentions as reading) showing that Sissi went along for two reasons -
1 - DL (Duchess Ludovika) wanted to keep a low profile and not let anyone guess at once what the purpose of the visit was.
2 - It was decided that Sissi needed a change of scenery, she had recently had a romantic attachment to a young man who had died, and his demise had caused her extreme grief and depressed her enormously - Whats not romantic here?
Sissi excited about going to court? hell no, not in a million years! she was scared to death of Aunt Sophie, she hated rules and control in any way, shape or form. She only went along because she was ordered to.
DL upon arriving in Innsbruck introduces herself and her daughter as Her Majesty..say what?? Actually the correct form of addressing these well known historical figures keeps changing faster than lightning all over the book - weird as hell and very confusing!
And again , Helene is portrayed as tongue tied moron unable to say a word when in reality she was, even if shy, perfectly appropriate in her behavior and left Aunt Sophie with a good first impression.
I know the focus here is Sissi but there was really no need to make Helene look this bad!!
The dinner - Sissi looks awesome, Helene pouts, makes a fuss and insists on wearing a drab grey dress that ages her beyond belief. No no no no...Helene was well aware of what was at stake and DL was no fool, she would never have allowed her daughter to disobey this way.
Once again the etiquette, this time from the guests sitting next to Sissi - the minister addresses her as "Duchess Elisabeth", 2 seconds later Count Grünne says "Your Majesty, Duchess Elisabeth"... (eye roll nº 123).
Sissi and Aunt Sophie in happy chatter drinking merrily and both getting clearly tipsy? Sophie asking Sissi "Tell me, you funny girl, what do you do to entertain yourself?" ...WTHell?!?!?
If i may vent just a little bit more regarding her, why did Sophie have to be portrayed as such a one dimensional shrew? Everyone gets it , either from FJ´s dopey eyes or even just the blurb of the book that its Sissi he wants, its Sissi he marries, its Sissi who makes him miserable and is herself miserable in return!
Why pick the woman that caused the demise of the all powerful chancellor Metternich (an earlier version of Bismark as i fondly call him), that engineered the rise to power of her son as emperor, and portray her as an alcoholic glutton who all she does is pig out and steal little children from her mother??? ...oh and pet her dog...
Sissi and FJ out for a ride,lovely setting- actually the descriptions of places and landscapes maybe be the 1 thing I enjoyed in all this!
Then they meet some people hiking and the emperor FJ is recognized and, yes yes i am obsessed with etiquette, he is addressed as "Your Holy Grace"...excuse me..ahahahaha...did the Pope join the ride and someone forgot to mention it?
Oh ffs, was there no proof reading/fact checking - He was His Majesty, the Emperor Franz Joseph and he was never canonized...i assure you!
The famed cotillion dance and the giving of the flowers to show his intention towards Sissi - surprisingly not bad, go figure!
The talk between Helene and Sissi when she apologises for ruining her sisters chance and offers to set things right - i don´t find the whole "i never wanted this for myself" thing from Helene totally convincing, and some sources indicate that at first Helene was furious at being jilted and losing this great match for a younger sister.
In those days a good match was essential to a woman and to have such a brilliant one "stolen" from her, it has to have been to a certain degree painful. Still the sisters remained always very close, and they even came up with a "safe" way of talking to each other, they did it only in English (no one else spoke it then at court, French was the fashionable choice).
So Helene then decides to tell the emperor she rejects him...say what?...you don´t reject an emperor, especially not when he is family and his mummy is aunt Sophie! If it weren´t for all the quoting i would have doubted the author when she says she read B. Hamman's bio on Sissi.
Then she over imagines some more, Sissi desperate and despondent at returning to Possi to her old, boring life...come on?! Scared, worried, afraid of her brother Carl Theodor - remember him, the one i mentioned earlier was her favorite brother but gets turned here into a scoundrel of sorts?!..please!...
Then Sophie goes insulting her sister and her nieces, and finally confronting Sissi and demanding that she refuses her sons proposal...oh boy oh boy, someone has been watching too many soap operas...that was not how "the only man in the Viennese court" would have ever behaved!
Sissi in ecstasy at becoming FJ´s wife and Empress...should i even proceed?...her first reaction, and again there are sources that attest to it, was something along the lines of "i love him....if only he wasn't emperor". Her phobia of crowds and everyone gawking at her originates partly here, with the stress of the engagement and the interest it provoked in the public, causing her to be always on display.
Oh btw, the endless days of discussions between mother and son, the house arrest on DL, Elisabeth and Helene also didn't happen, actually history shows the whole thing was remarkably quick.
They met one day, he spends dinner staring at her, next morning confesses himself smitten and that same day he gives her the flowers at the ball, pretty much revealing his choice to all (other than poor 15 year old Sissi), then the next morning he talks to his mother, confesses himself in love , insists its Sissi he wants, and asks his mother to request her hand in marriage.
One thing the author did get right was Sophie´s "list" of things that Sissi needed to improve - her french, her dancing, her wardrobe and, important detail, her teeth, deemed by Aunt Sophie to be too yellow (curious tidbit - this comment would lead to a lifelong obsession of Sissi and is, some say, the main reason why she never smiled in her photos/paintings).
The whole preparation for the wedding feels somewhat rushed, but its not entirely devoid of facts.
And once more the correct form of address - why do the characters change their mind every 5 seconds on how to address each other?? It gets slightly better as these horribly long 500 pages come to an end, but at times its freaking frustrating!!
Previous to her marriage Sissi would NEVER have been addressed by anyone (certainly not by the number 1 Lady in Waiting to Archduchess Sophie, Countess Esterházy, a protocol fanatic) as Your Majesty...was this book ever reviewed?...i have my doubts.
Very surreal, or perhaps its my european sensibility from having grown up next to countries with monarchies...weird, really really weird.
So there´s Sissi absolutely thrilled, excited, happy, jumping for joy at marrying the man...not quite but ok, lets let it pass. They marry, the kissing of the hand ceremony, the so called moment with Helene that suddenly gives Sissi an epiphany and makes her realise the trouble she is in...acceptable, although not true, by then she already knew...but ok.
The wedding night..ah now there´s a subject of some discussion. Sources vary slightly on why it was so, but all seem to agree that only after 3 days was the marriage in fact consummated...still, truth of the matter is, Sissi was never comfortable with sex and indeed was profoundly shocked at the Morgengabe ritual described in the book - basically where the husband gives the wife a monetary "present", to say thanks that she came to the marriage bed a virgin....
After all this,i was just too bloody traumatized by the load of incoherent/erroneous information, that in order to survive i decided to treat the thing like it was an harlequin novel -yes I was 15 once too.
It reads tolerably well if seen from that point of view, even if the whole "poor me i am soo lonely and miserable and unloved and lets act like a moronic brat" characterization of Sissi is, to say the least, tremendously one sided!
I wonder how so many people liked the book..with this kind of character i wouldn't have lasted 100 pages..let alone 500! The things you make me do Sissi....
Since we are speaking of pages...the rhythm of the book is at times profoundly confusing and stressing.
While it takes Ms. Pataki forever to describe the 3 day affair that was the actual engagement of Sissi and FJ after he marriage it all goes way faster.
All of a sudden Sissi has one kid - gets the kid stolen by Aunt Sophie; has a second kid - equally "stolen" by big bad wolf Aunt Sophie. Then baby number 1 sadly dies, she goes into depression and then something happens and oh look, its the heir Rudolph (on a side note, don´t people ever learn? an old prophecy said that the Hapsbourg Dinasty had started and would end with a Rudolph...talk about tempting fate and getting scorched!).
And then oh my, she is sick and no one knows why (actually here the author opts for that theory but there are contradicting opinions - her ilness an STD courtesy of her husband) and look, she runs away from court and bam! its 3 years later!....say what?
The reader is never presented with the actual reasons for this "hatred" of Vienna and the court. These initial years were such a rollercoaster of mistakes on ALL sides, ending in the non identified disease and her flight, but all you get here are hints, suggestions and the constant blaming of Aunt Sophie for it all! And then 3 years are erased? the years of her stay in Madeira, her european travels, the years were she finally does indeed come of age and fully realises her power as a woman, thanks to her beauty.
Ah her beauty obsession and peculiar diet/regime - they originate in these years also....yet you dont see anything because in between 2 pages she goes from weeping kid suffering from an STD given to her by her lying cheating husband to happily choosing corsets!
This 3 year absence was also essential in providing her with the guts to, even if too little too late, interfere with the strict educational regime that was being imposed upon the Crown Prince - shame she didn't make it in time, because he was way more Wittelsbach that Hapsbourg and no one realized it, until the damage was already done.
I have to assume that what the author really wanted to show the much talked about, but never confirmed love affair between Count A. and Sissi - so we get half a book of "rushing things" and then its Sissi in love(insert eye roll 999). Daangerous, forbidden, exciting love that sweeps her off her feet and has her quoting Goethe every 5m - that is another one i cant remember, because last time i read a bio on her she was "nuts" about Heine!
The heavy hints at love, the "romantic" scene in bed, the oh now she knows what she was missing! Did it really have to be this sickly sweet?!
Oh and final touch, her last pregnancy - by what you read here Sissi wanted Andrassy to be the baby daddy...stop, please, no more! Sissi by this point was already firmly "obsessed" with herself, her figure, her beauty, with being admired but not touched!Did she have a "thing" for the Hungarian? probably yes, after all the stuffiness of Vienna he was a breath of fresh air. Did she do the deed with him? No one has ever proved it, and I for one dont believe it.
Why was Marie Valerie (the baby she is pregnant with) ever conceived? Sources say it was a "present" like Sissi mentions in some letters...hopefully a future king as present to her beloved Hungary...but it turned out to be a girl, instead of a boy.
At times it feels like the author just about reaches the point that would transform this from an harlequin novel to actual historical romance novel, but then Sissi whines again and all is lost.
I took the time and trouble to read this because I didn´t want my own views and opinions regarding Sissi to cloud my judgement, however now that I finished it, and although I am sure the author is a lovely person who meant well - I have seen many "victims" of Empress Elisabeth´s charms - this is by far the most boring thing I have ever read regarding Sissi!
It should also be noted this certainly doesn't deserve 500 pages...bloody hell, for this kind of result, 250 at best would do the trick!
Could the author have done better? Oh yes, with more research and no more "killing" family members...I still cant get over the fact she deleted Sissi´s elder brother! Sissi´s siblings meant the world to her!
For now I am staying clear of this one´s sequel for at least a year! Till then should I happen to realise I made any mistakes in my review, I will gladly updated it and let you all berate me for being "mean" to the author and the book.
Have you read anything about the real Sissi? Then stay away from this one - this is fiction, just fiction! (and the bad kind).
What makes for a good historical novel/historical romance?
Now there´s the million dollar question that will maintain endless discussions on the topic!
For me, a good historical novel merely gives life to the character, without ever disrespecting proven/documented facts - meaning, authors don´t get carried away too much, and I get transported into the worlds they recreate.
I have no pet peeve with the genre, and agree that many times it provides a lot of "previously allergic to history" people some fun, interesting info, and can be a starting point for proper/accurate research.
That being said - what is Gods name happened here??!?
Even setting aside my old fascination/nerdness about Sissi (i use the french spelling of her nickname because that is the one i grew up with), this book is a scary assembly of ..."stuff"... that frankly had me torn betweeen disbelief and anger.
There really was no need to go this far because, like Sara said in her own review here of this same book, the author barely had to lift a finger to make this appealing to an wider audience - Sissi´s real life was ten times "juicier", to use modern terms, then what the author did here.
This review will be long, and some of you might end up thinking i am a lunatic or something like it, but if you would like to know a few facts on her (i am not making these up, there are countless reputable sources out there that show them) bear with me and read on.
Sissi had a total of 7 siblings that made it to adulthood:
Ludwig - born 1831
Helene - born 1834
Sissi -born 12/24/1837
Carl Theodor - born 1839
Marie - born 1841
Mathilde -born 1843
Sophie - born 1847
Max Emanuel -born 1849
However at the start of the book (1853), Ms Pataki gives the oldest son/heir as being Carl Theodor, when Ludwig was very much alive and would only later, in 1859, renounce his rights as heir because he had fallen in love and married an actress, Henriette Mendel.
Given how positively "juicy" and romantic this particular story turned out to be, i don't get it why on earth he would be deleted just like this - too many names to keep track of?
Carl Theodor calling his sisters, including his favorite sister and childhood companion (yes Sissi) "you whores"?!? i can understand and support artistic freedom but total personality transplants on known historical characters for sales only...that´s a big NO from me!
Tiny little detail that may sound ridiculous, but bear with me:
Maximilian, Sissi´s father ,was not Duke OF Bavaria, he was created Duke IN Bavaria at the time of his marriage to Princess Ludovika of Bavaria (his cousin), and only years later would he receive the HRH to add to his tittle - Max was not descended from the royal branch of the Wittelsbach family that ruled at the time in Bavaria.
This may sound and look ridiculous to modern ears but, at the time, it made a huge difference and was the source of some shame to Duchess Ludovika that by her marriage she had been "lowered" in rank, unlike her sisters who were "promoted". It also helps explains her general attitude of "awe" towards her sister Sophie, a "mere" Bavarian princess turned Archduchess of Austria.
Again Sissi´s father - portraying him as a drunken buffoon whose sole concern was beer and fathering illegitimate kids on all the ladies of Possenhofen and worse, having Sissi "hate" him like she seems to at the beginning of the book?!? Lie!
Actually now that I think of it there seems to be a inclination to portray several of the lead figures here as "overly fond" of alcohol.... anyways....
Duke Max was well traveled, much loved by the people in his lands, and hardly a dumb guy - he love reading, having amassed a library composed of over 27,000 volumes . He composed poetry and music and yes true, didn´t give a fig about court life and protocol! He surrounded himself with friends from middle class backgrounds and artists, in a bavarian version of King Arthur´s round table - was there beer?yes there was! but there were also political and philosophical discussions.
Btw, the man also published several articles in newspapers and magazines which displayed his openly liberal views that made Aunt Sophie just "looooove him" to pieces!
Truth is, Sissi was crazy about her father and he adored her just as much because, of all his kids, she was the one most similar to him in temperament. Her perception of his weakness as a man and a father only came years later, when she had her own marital problems, and finally began seeing her mother and her suffering in another light.
An invitation/summoning&marriage proposal just pop up like that out of the blue and off they go to Bad Ischl? no no no....the hint of marriage had first "popped up" in 1848 when Ludovika (with the girls) met her sister at Innsbruck.
Aunt Sophie, along with several criticisms of the girls upbringing, had hinted at her interest in a possible union between the cousins - Helene was deemed the safest choice, since Bavaria was a long time ally of Austria, and marrying her would offend no allies or enemies of the Hapsbourgs, which in a certain way had already happened, given the refusal of his other "potential" choices of brides.
Following this first meeting, Helene was submitted to an educational program destined to prepare her for her more than probable future role as Empress of Austria and, even if she may have been the retiring, shy type, she certainly wasn't the tongue tied, disobedient girl that is portrayed here. Helene was the epitome of dutiful, diligent, obedient daughter, and would never have so openly refused the "brilliant" match - certainly not to become a nun!
Sissi goes with her sister to Bad Ischl to help her adjust to the new role and serve as lady in waiting?!?!? ...excuse me just a moment...ahahaha...ok thank you, all better now.
There are sources (including Brigitte Hamman´s bio that the author mentions as reading) showing that Sissi went along for two reasons -
1 - DL (Duchess Ludovika) wanted to keep a low profile and not let anyone guess at once what the purpose of the visit was.
2 - It was decided that Sissi needed a change of scenery, she had recently had a romantic attachment to a young man who had died, and his demise had caused her extreme grief and depressed her enormously - Whats not romantic here?
Sissi excited about going to court? hell no, not in a million years! she was scared to death of Aunt Sophie, she hated rules and control in any way, shape or form. She only went along because she was ordered to.
DL upon arriving in Innsbruck introduces herself and her daughter as Her Majesty..say what?? Actually the correct form of addressing these well known historical figures keeps changing faster than lightning all over the book - weird as hell and very confusing!
And again , Helene is portrayed as tongue tied moron unable to say a word when in reality she was, even if shy, perfectly appropriate in her behavior and left Aunt Sophie with a good first impression.
I know the focus here is Sissi but there was really no need to make Helene look this bad!!
The dinner - Sissi looks awesome, Helene pouts, makes a fuss and insists on wearing a drab grey dress that ages her beyond belief. No no no no...Helene was well aware of what was at stake and DL was no fool, she would never have allowed her daughter to disobey this way.
Once again the etiquette, this time from the guests sitting next to Sissi - the minister addresses her as "Duchess Elisabeth", 2 seconds later Count Grünne says "Your Majesty, Duchess Elisabeth"... (eye roll nº 123).
Sissi and Aunt Sophie in happy chatter drinking merrily and both getting clearly tipsy? Sophie asking Sissi "Tell me, you funny girl, what do you do to entertain yourself?" ...WTHell?!?!?
If i may vent just a little bit more regarding her, why did Sophie have to be portrayed as such a one dimensional shrew? Everyone gets it , either from FJ´s dopey eyes or even just the blurb of the book that its Sissi he wants, its Sissi he marries, its Sissi who makes him miserable and is herself miserable in return!
Why pick the woman that caused the demise of the all powerful chancellor Metternich (an earlier version of Bismark as i fondly call him), that engineered the rise to power of her son as emperor, and portray her as an alcoholic glutton who all she does is pig out and steal little children from her mother??? ...oh and pet her dog...
Sissi and FJ out for a ride,lovely setting- actually the descriptions of places and landscapes maybe be the 1 thing I enjoyed in all this!
Then they meet some people hiking and the emperor FJ is recognized and, yes yes i am obsessed with etiquette, he is addressed as "Your Holy Grace"...excuse me..ahahahaha...did the Pope join the ride and someone forgot to mention it?
Oh ffs, was there no proof reading/fact checking - He was His Majesty, the Emperor Franz Joseph and he was never canonized...i assure you!
The famed cotillion dance and the giving of the flowers to show his intention towards Sissi - surprisingly not bad, go figure!
The talk between Helene and Sissi when she apologises for ruining her sisters chance and offers to set things right - i don´t find the whole "i never wanted this for myself" thing from Helene totally convincing, and some sources indicate that at first Helene was furious at being jilted and losing this great match for a younger sister.
In those days a good match was essential to a woman and to have such a brilliant one "stolen" from her, it has to have been to a certain degree painful. Still the sisters remained always very close, and they even came up with a "safe" way of talking to each other, they did it only in English (no one else spoke it then at court, French was the fashionable choice).
So Helene then decides to tell the emperor she rejects him...say what?...you don´t reject an emperor, especially not when he is family and his mummy is aunt Sophie! If it weren´t for all the quoting i would have doubted the author when she says she read B. Hamman's bio on Sissi.
Then she over imagines some more, Sissi desperate and despondent at returning to Possi to her old, boring life...come on?! Scared, worried, afraid of her brother Carl Theodor - remember him, the one i mentioned earlier was her favorite brother but gets turned here into a scoundrel of sorts?!..please!...
Then Sophie goes insulting her sister and her nieces, and finally confronting Sissi and demanding that she refuses her sons proposal...oh boy oh boy, someone has been watching too many soap operas...that was not how "the only man in the Viennese court" would have ever behaved!
Sissi in ecstasy at becoming FJ´s wife and Empress...should i even proceed?...her first reaction, and again there are sources that attest to it, was something along the lines of "i love him....if only he wasn't emperor". Her phobia of crowds and everyone gawking at her originates partly here, with the stress of the engagement and the interest it provoked in the public, causing her to be always on display.
Oh btw, the endless days of discussions between mother and son, the house arrest on DL, Elisabeth and Helene also didn't happen, actually history shows the whole thing was remarkably quick.
They met one day, he spends dinner staring at her, next morning confesses himself smitten and that same day he gives her the flowers at the ball, pretty much revealing his choice to all (other than poor 15 year old Sissi), then the next morning he talks to his mother, confesses himself in love , insists its Sissi he wants, and asks his mother to request her hand in marriage.
One thing the author did get right was Sophie´s "list" of things that Sissi needed to improve - her french, her dancing, her wardrobe and, important detail, her teeth, deemed by Aunt Sophie to be too yellow (curious tidbit - this comment would lead to a lifelong obsession of Sissi and is, some say, the main reason why she never smiled in her photos/paintings).
The whole preparation for the wedding feels somewhat rushed, but its not entirely devoid of facts.
And once more the correct form of address - why do the characters change their mind every 5 seconds on how to address each other?? It gets slightly better as these horribly long 500 pages come to an end, but at times its freaking frustrating!!
Previous to her marriage Sissi would NEVER have been addressed by anyone (certainly not by the number 1 Lady in Waiting to Archduchess Sophie, Countess Esterházy, a protocol fanatic) as Your Majesty...was this book ever reviewed?...i have my doubts.
Very surreal, or perhaps its my european sensibility from having grown up next to countries with monarchies...weird, really really weird.
So there´s Sissi absolutely thrilled, excited, happy, jumping for joy at marrying the man...not quite but ok, lets let it pass. They marry, the kissing of the hand ceremony, the so called moment with Helene that suddenly gives Sissi an epiphany and makes her realise the trouble she is in...acceptable, although not true, by then she already knew...but ok.
The wedding night..ah now there´s a subject of some discussion. Sources vary slightly on why it was so, but all seem to agree that only after 3 days was the marriage in fact consummated...still, truth of the matter is, Sissi was never comfortable with sex and indeed was profoundly shocked at the Morgengabe ritual described in the book - basically where the husband gives the wife a monetary "present", to say thanks that she came to the marriage bed a virgin....
After all this,i was just too bloody traumatized by the load of incoherent/erroneous information, that in order to survive i decided to treat the thing like it was an harlequin novel -yes I was 15 once too.
It reads tolerably well if seen from that point of view, even if the whole "poor me i am soo lonely and miserable and unloved and lets act like a moronic brat" characterization of Sissi is, to say the least, tremendously one sided!
I wonder how so many people liked the book..with this kind of character i wouldn't have lasted 100 pages..let alone 500! The things you make me do Sissi....
Since we are speaking of pages...the rhythm of the book is at times profoundly confusing and stressing.
While it takes Ms. Pataki forever to describe the 3 day affair that was the actual engagement of Sissi and FJ after he marriage it all goes way faster.
All of a sudden Sissi has one kid - gets the kid stolen by Aunt Sophie; has a second kid - equally "stolen" by big bad wolf Aunt Sophie. Then baby number 1 sadly dies, she goes into depression and then something happens and oh look, its the heir Rudolph (on a side note, don´t people ever learn? an old prophecy said that the Hapsbourg Dinasty had started and would end with a Rudolph...talk about tempting fate and getting scorched!).
And then oh my, she is sick and no one knows why (actually here the author opts for that theory but there are contradicting opinions - her ilness an STD courtesy of her husband) and look, she runs away from court and bam! its 3 years later!....say what?
The reader is never presented with the actual reasons for this "hatred" of Vienna and the court. These initial years were such a rollercoaster of mistakes on ALL sides, ending in the non identified disease and her flight, but all you get here are hints, suggestions and the constant blaming of Aunt Sophie for it all! And then 3 years are erased? the years of her stay in Madeira, her european travels, the years were she finally does indeed come of age and fully realises her power as a woman, thanks to her beauty.
Ah her beauty obsession and peculiar diet/regime - they originate in these years also....yet you dont see anything because in between 2 pages she goes from weeping kid suffering from an STD given to her by her lying cheating husband to happily choosing corsets!
This 3 year absence was also essential in providing her with the guts to, even if too little too late, interfere with the strict educational regime that was being imposed upon the Crown Prince - shame she didn't make it in time, because he was way more Wittelsbach that Hapsbourg and no one realized it, until the damage was already done.
I have to assume that what the author really wanted to show the much talked about, but never confirmed love affair between Count A. and Sissi - so we get half a book of "rushing things" and then its Sissi in love(insert eye roll 999). Daangerous, forbidden, exciting love that sweeps her off her feet and has her quoting Goethe every 5m - that is another one i cant remember, because last time i read a bio on her she was "nuts" about Heine!
The heavy hints at love, the "romantic" scene in bed, the oh now she knows what she was missing! Did it really have to be this sickly sweet?!
Oh and final touch, her last pregnancy - by what you read here Sissi wanted Andrassy to be the baby daddy...stop, please, no more! Sissi by this point was already firmly "obsessed" with herself, her figure, her beauty, with being admired but not touched!Did she have a "thing" for the Hungarian? probably yes, after all the stuffiness of Vienna he was a breath of fresh air. Did she do the deed with him? No one has ever proved it, and I for one dont believe it.
Why was Marie Valerie (the baby she is pregnant with) ever conceived? Sources say it was a "present" like Sissi mentions in some letters...hopefully a future king as present to her beloved Hungary...but it turned out to be a girl, instead of a boy.
At times it feels like the author just about reaches the point that would transform this from an harlequin novel to actual historical romance novel, but then Sissi whines again and all is lost.
I took the time and trouble to read this because I didn´t want my own views and opinions regarding Sissi to cloud my judgement, however now that I finished it, and although I am sure the author is a lovely person who meant well - I have seen many "victims" of Empress Elisabeth´s charms - this is by far the most boring thing I have ever read regarding Sissi!
It should also be noted this certainly doesn't deserve 500 pages...bloody hell, for this kind of result, 250 at best would do the trick!
Could the author have done better? Oh yes, with more research and no more "killing" family members...I still cant get over the fact she deleted Sissi´s elder brother! Sissi´s siblings meant the world to her!
For now I am staying clear of this one´s sequel for at least a year! Till then should I happen to realise I made any mistakes in my review, I will gladly updated it and let you all berate me for being "mean" to the author and the book.
April 13, 2024
The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki. Sisi (Elizabeth) was not the original lady to be enthroned to the Emperor It was her sister, Hélené. Hélené fought this notion. She did not want to marry her cousin. As a shy girl she did not want to be an Empress. When Sisi met the Emperor they immediately had a connection. This is the story of lots of drama and problems that come with the being the Empress of Austria/Hungry. I am not a fan of books about royalty. But this novel was pleasantly enjoyable. Fast moving. A lot of action with a wicked step mother but in this case mother n law. Sisi is an enjoyable character. The book shows the agony of dealing with MnL, losing a child and the precious feelings of nursing a child. It shows greed , jealousy and the difficulty of marriage to an important and needed man. I am looking forward to the sequel as well!
May 1, 2022
Interessantes, gut recherchiertes Werk über die legendäre Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich.....unterhaltsam und flüssig zu lesen...!
Ich bin der absolute Sisi Fan....es gibt wahrscheinlich keine Publikation der letzten 30 Jahre, die ich nicht gelesen habe....Nun also dieser historische Roman, der mich durchaus begeistern konnte...!
Im Zentrum steht Sisis Krönung zur Königin von Ungarn....Elisabeths einzige politische Tat....und ihr Weg von der unbedarften, bayrischen Prinzessin zur enttäuschten doch selbstbewussten österreichischen Kaiserin ....
Dieser Roman konzentriert sich auf das Wesentliche ....für die Handlung unwichtige Personen werden einfach weggelassen, politische Rahmenhandlungen ebenfalls....
Allerdings entsteht so ein etwas unvollkommenes Bild der jungen Jahre von Kaiserin Elisabeth....
Trotzdem wirklich lesenswert!
Ich bin der absolute Sisi Fan....es gibt wahrscheinlich keine Publikation der letzten 30 Jahre, die ich nicht gelesen habe....Nun also dieser historische Roman, der mich durchaus begeistern konnte...!
Im Zentrum steht Sisis Krönung zur Königin von Ungarn....Elisabeths einzige politische Tat....und ihr Weg von der unbedarften, bayrischen Prinzessin zur enttäuschten doch selbstbewussten österreichischen Kaiserin ....
Dieser Roman konzentriert sich auf das Wesentliche ....für die Handlung unwichtige Personen werden einfach weggelassen, politische Rahmenhandlungen ebenfalls....
Allerdings entsteht so ein etwas unvollkommenes Bild der jungen Jahre von Kaiserin Elisabeth....
Trotzdem wirklich lesenswert!
January 27, 2023
Wau kokia puiki knyga!!! ❤️ Istorinis romanas paremtas tikrais faktais, bet taip lengvai ir įtraukiančiai parašytas. Man labai patiko.
Read
March 4, 2022Sisi, a legend, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, but her life was anything but perfect. As a young, free, Bavarian princess, she met the Emperor of Austria, Emperor Franz Josepf, and it was love at first sight for both of them. He fought for love and with the wedding their happiness seemed perfect, but happiness did not last long. Sisi was not understood at the Viennese court and she did not understand the imperial protocol. The great love, quickly became an emotional separation. Her life consisted of sadness and loneliness. But in Hungary she finds her happiness. Empress Sisi is a world famous person about whom I already knew a lot. This book was therefore very interesting to read, even if historically it plays no relevance. Nevertheless, one can imagine her life very well - the fashion icon, the beautiful empress and later queen, who was idolatrously loved by the people and also by the emperor.
February 7, 2017
Duchess Elizabeth, or Sisi, is the second daughter of a Duke of Bavaria, given little education in court etiquette or book subjects. When her older sister, Helene, is invited to the Hapsburg court to meet their cousin, Frank, Sisi tags along and steals the show (and his heart).
The stage is set for a fairy tale romance except for a few factors: Sophie, his overbearing mother; the constant demands of the Hapsburg kingdom; and a bit of philandering. Sisi's heart is broken and she spends time away from court where she falls for the Hungarian count Andrassy.
Pataki obviously spent time researching Empress Elizabeth's life. Most of what occurs, down to speech, is accurate. Very impressive I look forward to the sequel if it's as rich in court intrigue, romance, and beauty.
The stage is set for a fairy tale romance except for a few factors: Sophie, his overbearing mother; the constant demands of the Hapsburg kingdom; and a bit of philandering. Sisi's heart is broken and she spends time away from court where she falls for the Hungarian count Andrassy.
Pataki obviously spent time researching Empress Elizabeth's life. Most of what occurs, down to speech, is accurate. Very impressive I look forward to the sequel if it's as rich in court intrigue, romance, and beauty.
January 12, 2022
An enjoyable read about a really compelling woman! Elisabeth (Sisi), Duchess of Bavaria, becomes the unlikely betrothed of the young Emperor, Franz Joseph. She is unbelievably young and wholly unprepared for life as the Empress. The book is told from Sisi’s point of view as she experiences the dream-like excitement of the courtship and the wedding, and then discovers the duties and sacrifices that come with being an Empress. The book begins in 1853, shortly before Sisi and Franz Joseph meet, and follows the characters and the events within the Austrian Empire through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.
If you’re looking to learn more about the empire during this time period, the first half of the book is light on the history part. It focuses on the unexpected courtship of Franz Joseph and Sisi, their marriage, and Sisi adapting to the new restrictions of court, married life, and her overbearing mother-in-law. The royal family is intriguing and Sisi is a fun character – a free spirit being swept up into a life she never could have imagined for herself. It’s also hard to believe that she was only fifteen (!!) when all of this happened, and I thought the author did a great job of weaving some childishness into Sisi’s actions and outbursts as a reminder of how young she was.
The second half of the book delves more into the Austrian Empire and the events that led to the dual monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Compromise. Sisi becomes a lot more eccentric and complex as she accepts what she can’t change about her husband and her mother-in-law and begins to forge her own path. She adopts some extreme grooming habits related to her famous hair and her figure, but she also begins using her position to fight for the Hungarians and advocate for the people. I fluctuated between liking her and not liking her throughout the second half of the book, but that’s what makes a compelling character.
As a caveat, this book is a little heavy on the romance at times (many late-night rendezvous in picturesque outdoor settings with dramatic professions of love!), more than I typically prefer in the novels that I choose to read. There was a little eye-rolling from me at times, but overall, I thought it contributed to the character development. Sisi is a dramatic and romantic character, and she is still a teenager/young woman trying to understand the complexities of love, relationships, and power.
This is the first book I read about the Austrian Empire and Empress Sisi, and I was definitely intrigued. It sparked my curiosity to learn more about Sisi and this period in history, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Sisi: Empress on Her Own.
If you’re looking to learn more about the empire during this time period, the first half of the book is light on the history part. It focuses on the unexpected courtship of Franz Joseph and Sisi, their marriage, and Sisi adapting to the new restrictions of court, married life, and her overbearing mother-in-law. The royal family is intriguing and Sisi is a fun character – a free spirit being swept up into a life she never could have imagined for herself. It’s also hard to believe that she was only fifteen (!!) when all of this happened, and I thought the author did a great job of weaving some childishness into Sisi’s actions and outbursts as a reminder of how young she was.
The second half of the book delves more into the Austrian Empire and the events that led to the dual monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Compromise. Sisi becomes a lot more eccentric and complex as she accepts what she can’t change about her husband and her mother-in-law and begins to forge her own path. She adopts some extreme grooming habits related to her famous hair and her figure, but she also begins using her position to fight for the Hungarians and advocate for the people. I fluctuated between liking her and not liking her throughout the second half of the book, but that’s what makes a compelling character.
As a caveat, this book is a little heavy on the romance at times (many late-night rendezvous in picturesque outdoor settings with dramatic professions of love!), more than I typically prefer in the novels that I choose to read. There was a little eye-rolling from me at times, but overall, I thought it contributed to the character development. Sisi is a dramatic and romantic character, and she is still a teenager/young woman trying to understand the complexities of love, relationships, and power.
This is the first book I read about the Austrian Empire and Empress Sisi, and I was definitely intrigued. It sparked my curiosity to learn more about Sisi and this period in history, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Sisi: Empress on Her Own.
April 22, 2020
Adding another country (or two) to my World of Literature year. What a wonderful read. I knew almost nothing about the Hapsburgs and found Elisabeth’s life both fascinating and sad.
Hard not to see her marriage through my 21st century lens, but what a life she led. Married at 16 to Emperor Franz Joseph, she was unprepared for all that followed. The author did an excellent job of showing different sides of Sisi as she grew up and into her role as wife, mother, and most importantly, Empress.
No spoilers but her ability to remain strong despite the tragedies, triumphs, political strife and machinations of an overbearing mother-in-law is stunning.
The whole time I was reading I refrained from learning more about Sisi and her Emperor... so gotta run- I’ve got a date with Google!!
Hard not to see her marriage through my 21st century lens, but what a life she led. Married at 16 to Emperor Franz Joseph, she was unprepared for all that followed. The author did an excellent job of showing different sides of Sisi as she grew up and into her role as wife, mother, and most importantly, Empress.
No spoilers but her ability to remain strong despite the tragedies, triumphs, political strife and machinations of an overbearing mother-in-law is stunning.
The whole time I was reading I refrained from learning more about Sisi and her Emperor... so gotta run- I’ve got a date with Google!!
August 19, 2017
Ревю => https://justonebooklover.blogspot.bg/...
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Изключително увлекателно написан, романът на Алисън Патаки запознава с една омагьосваща и авантюристична личност, каквато е Елизабет Баварска, по-известна като Сиси. Книгата, освен с очарователната персона на главната героиня, ме спечели и с прекрасни описания (голяма част от които ме накараха да си помечтая за роклите на Сиси...), интересно поднесени събития, затрогващи моменти, драма и любов. А комбинацията от всичко това превърна "Сиси - неочакваната императрица" несъмнено в едно любимо четиво.
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Изключително увлекателно написан, романът на Алисън Патаки запознава с една омагьосваща и авантюристична личност, каквато е Елизабет Баварска, по-известна като Сиси. Книгата, освен с очарователната персона на главната героиня, ме спечели и с прекрасни описания (голяма част от които ме накараха да си помечтая за роклите на Сиси...), интересно поднесени събития, затрогващи моменти, драма и любов. А комбинацията от всичко това превърна "Сиси - неочакваната императрица" несъмнено в едно любимо четиво.
January 15, 2019
The drama that unfolded in Empress Elisabeth’s life kept me interested until the last word. Pataki’s writing is magnificent, weaving in quotes from Shakespeare and Goethe, the details were extraordinary. I could picture the castles, hills, gowns, and jewels from the vivid imagery provided by the author.
The best historical fiction versions I have read about this fascinating woman’s life. Full review on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...
The best historical fiction versions I have read about this fascinating woman’s life. Full review on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...
January 5, 2018
Volim povijesne romane, romansirane biografije, a ovo je odlično napravljeno.. Više u osvrtu.
January 1, 2015
This book was a slow start for me. For the longest time, I was stuck below 13% done. But once I hit my stride, I fairly flew through this novel. The author has a real knack for putting her reader’s right into the time period and making them breathe the environment, not just read about it. The imperial Hapsburg court with its rigid protocols, the bucolic wonder of rural Bavaria, and the wonders of 19th century Hungary all come to wonderful life. I definitely have to give the author credit for the sheer amount of work she paid in doing her research and getting her facts right. It gives the story a real sense of reality that I enjoyed to a degree.
The story overall was very intriguing. The rumbling of change and revolution was a magnetic background for the author’s story. It was fascinating to see the old and the new vie for supremacy, both of which are embodied by Empress Sophia and Duchess Elisabeth. I kept reading chapter after chapter, just to find out how this young woman dealt with such overbearing circumstances and personalities. She comes out the other side a stronger woman and Empress. I enjoyed that journey immensely.
The characters were a mixed bag for me. Sisi grew on me as I passed the 50% mark of the novel. Before that, I do have to say she’s pretty much a doormat. I think a lot of it can be accounted for, though, with the information the author provides in the interview questions at the end of the book. Explanations are given and understanding reached on the part of this reader, at least. The later 50% of the book, I adored Sisi. I was so happy when she decided not to let her life be ruled by the vicious tyranny of her mother-in-law and struck out to make something of a life for herself. Yes, there was heartache in the absence of her children and in the continuing strictures of court life if she wanted any part of her family’s life. Yet, she doesn't let that stop her from finding happiness in her outdoors activities and in the country that she adopts as her own. I grew to admire and adore her character.
Sophie and Franz were very hard sells for me. I found Sophie a controlling b**ch, and Franz a ball-less mamma’s boy. And they stayed that way, for the most part, throughout the novel. Towards the latter half of the book, the reader gets a sense of more depth towards these two characters. I saw the ultimate devotion Sophie has to her son and his kingdom; she even breaks down and compliments Sisi on an action that I was surprised she admired. Franz had a ton of pressure put on him and his upbringing, I think, pre-disposed him to be “ruled” by his mother in his policies. The author does give, again, more explanations and information on why her characters are the way they are in the interview questions. So I got more clarification. But still, the book began and ended with these characters pretty much staying the way they always were. So I definitely didn't enjoy them as much as Sisi.
After all is said and done, though, I did thoroughly enjoy this novel. The attention to historical detail was superb, the story kept me engaged, and Sisi’s character growth, while somewhat disjointed, fascinated me. Franz and Sophie made me cringe and grit my teeth in frustration, but that didn't kill the book for me. The incredible story of a girl/woman who was thrown onto the world stage at such a young age and how that impacted her development was the heart of this story for me. It rings very true and makes this a book I would recommend for anyone looking for a great historical fiction read.
Note: Book received for free from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.
The story overall was very intriguing. The rumbling of change and revolution was a magnetic background for the author’s story. It was fascinating to see the old and the new vie for supremacy, both of which are embodied by Empress Sophia and Duchess Elisabeth. I kept reading chapter after chapter, just to find out how this young woman dealt with such overbearing circumstances and personalities. She comes out the other side a stronger woman and Empress. I enjoyed that journey immensely.
The characters were a mixed bag for me. Sisi grew on me as I passed the 50% mark of the novel. Before that, I do have to say she’s pretty much a doormat. I think a lot of it can be accounted for, though, with the information the author provides in the interview questions at the end of the book. Explanations are given and understanding reached on the part of this reader, at least. The later 50% of the book, I adored Sisi. I was so happy when she decided not to let her life be ruled by the vicious tyranny of her mother-in-law and struck out to make something of a life for herself. Yes, there was heartache in the absence of her children and in the continuing strictures of court life if she wanted any part of her family’s life. Yet, she doesn't let that stop her from finding happiness in her outdoors activities and in the country that she adopts as her own. I grew to admire and adore her character.
Sophie and Franz were very hard sells for me. I found Sophie a controlling b**ch, and Franz a ball-less mamma’s boy. And they stayed that way, for the most part, throughout the novel. Towards the latter half of the book, the reader gets a sense of more depth towards these two characters. I saw the ultimate devotion Sophie has to her son and his kingdom; she even breaks down and compliments Sisi on an action that I was surprised she admired. Franz had a ton of pressure put on him and his upbringing, I think, pre-disposed him to be “ruled” by his mother in his policies. The author does give, again, more explanations and information on why her characters are the way they are in the interview questions. So I got more clarification. But still, the book began and ended with these characters pretty much staying the way they always were. So I definitely didn't enjoy them as much as Sisi.
After all is said and done, though, I did thoroughly enjoy this novel. The attention to historical detail was superb, the story kept me engaged, and Sisi’s character growth, while somewhat disjointed, fascinated me. Franz and Sophie made me cringe and grit my teeth in frustration, but that didn't kill the book for me. The incredible story of a girl/woman who was thrown onto the world stage at such a young age and how that impacted her development was the heart of this story for me. It rings very true and makes this a book I would recommend for anyone looking for a great historical fiction read.
Note: Book received for free from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.
January 30, 2015
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I had to shelf this book as a "did not finish" at 51% (and more than 7 hours of kindle time, I might add!). This book is long. And boring. I pushed through the first half because the beginning is actually semi-interesting. The book starts with the story of Bavarian duchess Elisabeth, who travels to Austria in order to support her older sister Helene who is betrothed to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph. When they get there however, Helene admits that she'd rather enter a nunnery than ever be an Empress and it ends up working out because Franz and Elisabeth fall in love behind her back anyway. At this point in the story (and historically), Elisabeth is only 16 years old, and I should not have been surprised to learn that falling in love, getting married, becoming an empress, and starting to have babies at 16 years old entails a whole lot of whining and complaining. It seemed that each chapter that progressed, Elisabeth found something new that disappointed her or failed to meet her expectations of court life.
The story was interspersed with chapters that "flash forwarded" to some sort of ceremony taking place, of which all I know is that Elisabeth has a secret lover present. I may have been interested in persevering until the end of the novel, should I have been given a hint that Elisabeth's character was about to grow, evolve, or lead her to finally becoming an empress instead of a nagging wife. Instead, all I was supposed to look forward to is a different love story? It goes without saying that I was not impressed or motivated to ever finish this book.
Unfortunately, I had to shelf this book as a "did not finish" at 51% (and more than 7 hours of kindle time, I might add!). This book is long. And boring. I pushed through the first half because the beginning is actually semi-interesting. The book starts with the story of Bavarian duchess Elisabeth, who travels to Austria in order to support her older sister Helene who is betrothed to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph. When they get there however, Helene admits that she'd rather enter a nunnery than ever be an Empress and it ends up working out because Franz and Elisabeth fall in love behind her back anyway. At this point in the story (and historically), Elisabeth is only 16 years old, and I should not have been surprised to learn that falling in love, getting married, becoming an empress, and starting to have babies at 16 years old entails a whole lot of whining and complaining. It seemed that each chapter that progressed, Elisabeth found something new that disappointed her or failed to meet her expectations of court life.
The story was interspersed with chapters that "flash forwarded" to some sort of ceremony taking place, of which all I know is that Elisabeth has a secret lover present. I may have been interested in persevering until the end of the novel, should I have been given a hint that Elisabeth's character was about to grow, evolve, or lead her to finally becoming an empress instead of a nagging wife. Instead, all I was supposed to look forward to is a different love story? It goes without saying that I was not impressed or motivated to ever finish this book.
July 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and pulled the reader into the lives of the Emperor and Empress along with the people they dealt with like the Archduchess Sophie who really ticked me off. This was well worth my time and I can't wait to dig into Sisi for the continuation of the story of Sisi/Elisabeth/Elisa.
July 29, 2018
Absolutely loved this novelization of the (early) life of Austrian Empress Elisabeth. The author does a phenomenal job of immediately pulling the reader into Sisi's life and she makes the young empress imminently likable and relatable despite her grand life and many faults. I already purchased the follow-up. A must-read for fans of Philippa Gregory and historical fiction in general.
February 15, 2015
This was a case of deep curiosity about a captivating historical figure that I've only vaguely caught glimpses of up until now. Upon seeing a new to me author had tackled the story of Empress Elisabeth 'Sisi' of the Austrian Empire, I decided that I wanted to try a new author and learn more about Sisi. As the author pointed out, Sisi's real life was the stuff of fiction in many ways. The author impressed me with her ability to tell a compelling story that relied heavily on fact, but in such a way that Sisi and the characters surrounding her were brought to life in living color- weaknesses, hopes, flaws and triumphs.
The story begins with Sisi's life as a girl at home with her parents and siblings then going with her older sister and mother when her aunt has sent for Helene to be presented as the bride for their cousin Emperor Franz Joseph of the Holy Roman Empire. It is there that Sisi innocently falls in love and frustrates the plans and hopes of many when a vivacious beauty of fifteen captivates the heart of an Emperor. All that follows tells the story of a young woman who is caught up in a life that she can barely understand let alone handle. While her husband wields power that controls the fate of millions, Sisi fights private battles to gain even a piece of his attention, to thwart her powerful mother in law, and to be valued for herself. Her life is not idyllic, but she learns through all she encounters and gains her own moments of triumph and power as the favorite of the common people and the person most influential in protecting the unity of Austria and Hungry.
I was engaged in the story from the beginning. It starts out like the stuff of fairy tales, but unlike the ending of a fairy tale, the wedding to her emperor is just the beginning for Sisi. I liked the honesty in the storytelling. It is all from Sisi's point of view, but though I felt sympathetic toward Sisi, I was still able to see where she played a role in how things turned out in the estrangement from her husband and children. She experienced love, loss, disillusionment and the beginnings of love again. It was the Victorian era and a person with Sisi's nature found it hard to conform to the norms of duty and rigid adherence to norms. Austria's court was the most formal and grand in Europe and she came from a small backwater German duchy with few limitations and rules placed on her. Her husband was her opposite and so I found it so interesting how they got on and I liked how the possibility that Count Andrassy presented was handled. I was grateful that the author spotlighted Sisi's life without seeming to miss the pivotal moments.
Sisi's life is pretty romantic, but she also lived in changing times. She herself mostly focused on her own personal sphere, but the book doesn't leave out what is going on around her. These are the waning years of the great empire of the Hapsburgs that stretched across most of Europe and is now being whittled down as countries and peoples seek autonomy, as new alliances are made and as the unification of Germany spells World War on the horizon. It is also a time of great poetry and music which are highlighted by Goethe, Strauss, Liszt and other artists. I thought it was interesting how the voices that influenced Franz Joseph in politics and world affairs were given voice too. So not just the story of a woman, but of a time in the past.
The set up was an interesting choice. Each chapter began with a segment from later in Sisi's life leading up to her coronation day as Queen of Hungary. I was also taken with the way quotes from Goethe's poetry streamed through her life and tied her story together.
My only real niggle was that I felt the book ended abruptly. It was a high point of her life to be sure, but only the mid-way point too. I hope the author plans another installment which she hinted is a strong possibility. There was also the inclusion of an enlightening Q&A section and detailing of sources used.
All in all, this was a superb read and I would recommend it for Historical Fiction lovers of Central Europe leading up to WWI as well as Historical Romance fans who want something a bit more authentic, but still a fascinating if doomed romance.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins with Sisi's life as a girl at home with her parents and siblings then going with her older sister and mother when her aunt has sent for Helene to be presented as the bride for their cousin Emperor Franz Joseph of the Holy Roman Empire. It is there that Sisi innocently falls in love and frustrates the plans and hopes of many when a vivacious beauty of fifteen captivates the heart of an Emperor. All that follows tells the story of a young woman who is caught up in a life that she can barely understand let alone handle. While her husband wields power that controls the fate of millions, Sisi fights private battles to gain even a piece of his attention, to thwart her powerful mother in law, and to be valued for herself. Her life is not idyllic, but she learns through all she encounters and gains her own moments of triumph and power as the favorite of the common people and the person most influential in protecting the unity of Austria and Hungry.
I was engaged in the story from the beginning. It starts out like the stuff of fairy tales, but unlike the ending of a fairy tale, the wedding to her emperor is just the beginning for Sisi. I liked the honesty in the storytelling. It is all from Sisi's point of view, but though I felt sympathetic toward Sisi, I was still able to see where she played a role in how things turned out in the estrangement from her husband and children. She experienced love, loss, disillusionment and the beginnings of love again. It was the Victorian era and a person with Sisi's nature found it hard to conform to the norms of duty and rigid adherence to norms. Austria's court was the most formal and grand in Europe and she came from a small backwater German duchy with few limitations and rules placed on her. Her husband was her opposite and so I found it so interesting how they got on and I liked how the possibility that Count Andrassy presented was handled. I was grateful that the author spotlighted Sisi's life without seeming to miss the pivotal moments.
Sisi's life is pretty romantic, but she also lived in changing times. She herself mostly focused on her own personal sphere, but the book doesn't leave out what is going on around her. These are the waning years of the great empire of the Hapsburgs that stretched across most of Europe and is now being whittled down as countries and peoples seek autonomy, as new alliances are made and as the unification of Germany spells World War on the horizon. It is also a time of great poetry and music which are highlighted by Goethe, Strauss, Liszt and other artists. I thought it was interesting how the voices that influenced Franz Joseph in politics and world affairs were given voice too. So not just the story of a woman, but of a time in the past.
The set up was an interesting choice. Each chapter began with a segment from later in Sisi's life leading up to her coronation day as Queen of Hungary. I was also taken with the way quotes from Goethe's poetry streamed through her life and tied her story together.
My only real niggle was that I felt the book ended abruptly. It was a high point of her life to be sure, but only the mid-way point too. I hope the author plans another installment which she hinted is a strong possibility. There was also the inclusion of an enlightening Q&A section and detailing of sources used.
All in all, this was a superb read and I would recommend it for Historical Fiction lovers of Central Europe leading up to WWI as well as Historical Romance fans who want something a bit more authentic, but still a fascinating if doomed romance.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2022
This is a historical fiction of Empress Elizabeth's of Austria's first half of her life, or about until she's 30. I really wanted to love it but found it boring and repetitive, although her real life was nothing of the sort.
The book starts with Elizabeth, or Sisi, as a 15 year old duchess of Bavaria. She's a free spirit and nature lover. A letter comes from the emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, with a marriage proposal for Sisi's older sister, duchess Helene. Sisi, Helene, and their mother Ludovika set off to meet the emperor, Franz. However, he is instantly smitten with Sisi, and falls in love with her to the point where he no longer wishes to marry Helene and breaks their engagement. Sophie, not used to her son not obeying her, is enraged, and reluctantly agrees to the marriage between Franz and Sisi. That sets off the beginning of Sophie and Sisi's feud.
Sisi marries Franz and becomes an empress, and that's when her life turns upside down. She is constantly frowned upon and told off for not following protocol. Her bedsheets are constantly inspected by Sophie's people to figure out if she's a virgin and later on if she is pregnant. She has no life of her own when people, hired by Sophie, watch and scowl at her every second of the day. This drives her to madness. She is trying to set things right by asking Franz to intervene and stop Sophie from constantly being the third person in their marriage, which he fails to do, whether due to being afraid of his mother, being "too busy" ruling his empire, or simply not knowing how or not caring to do it. Their marriage suffers and things start getting from bad to worse.
What I didn't like about this book that it's a story about Sisi, but it's not written from her perspective. We don't get into her head, her thoughts and the nuances of her emotions. She suffers but we don't get into the depth of the turmoil. It's: Sisi this that and Sophie did that. Sophie is continuously described as the villain, and Franz as the ignorant husband who won't intervene and "save" his wife from his mother. Sophie is described as "the only man in Vienna" but we don't know why, we don't get her story. She is apparently a strong woman but we only see the worst of her, making her a flat character. The same apply to Franz, so cold and ignorant, "only" caring about his emperor's job, but not about his wife's happiness.
Sisi in real life was a strong woman with love for poetry, languages, and was a rights activist. She was a great politician who made the peace between Austria and Hungary happen in a crucial moment when Austria lost all her allies and was rapidly losing territories. Sisi in the book is only described as a person who didn't like this or rather did that, to the point of where her whining about Sophie and Franz almost made me DNF the book.
She was perhaps a very romantic person, but the book only describes her as happy when she gets the attention and validation from Franz, and later on by Andrassy, the Hungarian diplomat with whom she falls in love after her marriage falls apart. As if only male validation made her content.
Sisi was well known to battle psychological diseases and depression. She was obsessed with her looks and spent insane amounts of money and time to look her best. She developed eating disorders and was anorexic. This is described in the book but, again, not her thoughts and internal struggles, but as a description of what she does: she won't go to bed without slathering here entire body with creams, she barely touches her veal, she orders her dresses from France. But we don't know what she thinks of feels about it.
All in all decent story and well researched. Taking one star for flat "villain" characters, and one for no glimpse into Sisi's head.
Recommend if you're into love stories but not if you're looking to read about Europe's political picture in the 19th century.
The book starts with Elizabeth, or Sisi, as a 15 year old duchess of Bavaria. She's a free spirit and nature lover. A letter comes from the emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, with a marriage proposal for Sisi's older sister, duchess Helene. Sisi, Helene, and their mother Ludovika set off to meet the emperor, Franz. However, he is instantly smitten with Sisi, and falls in love with her to the point where he no longer wishes to marry Helene and breaks their engagement. Sophie, not used to her son not obeying her, is enraged, and reluctantly agrees to the marriage between Franz and Sisi. That sets off the beginning of Sophie and Sisi's feud.
Sisi marries Franz and becomes an empress, and that's when her life turns upside down. She is constantly frowned upon and told off for not following protocol. Her bedsheets are constantly inspected by Sophie's people to figure out if she's a virgin and later on if she is pregnant. She has no life of her own when people, hired by Sophie, watch and scowl at her every second of the day. This drives her to madness. She is trying to set things right by asking Franz to intervene and stop Sophie from constantly being the third person in their marriage, which he fails to do, whether due to being afraid of his mother, being "too busy" ruling his empire, or simply not knowing how or not caring to do it. Their marriage suffers and things start getting from bad to worse.
What I didn't like about this book that it's a story about Sisi, but it's not written from her perspective. We don't get into her head, her thoughts and the nuances of her emotions. She suffers but we don't get into the depth of the turmoil. It's: Sisi this that and Sophie did that. Sophie is continuously described as the villain, and Franz as the ignorant husband who won't intervene and "save" his wife from his mother. Sophie is described as "the only man in Vienna" but we don't know why, we don't get her story. She is apparently a strong woman but we only see the worst of her, making her a flat character. The same apply to Franz, so cold and ignorant, "only" caring about his emperor's job, but not about his wife's happiness.
Sisi in real life was a strong woman with love for poetry, languages, and was a rights activist. She was a great politician who made the peace between Austria and Hungary happen in a crucial moment when Austria lost all her allies and was rapidly losing territories. Sisi in the book is only described as a person who didn't like this or rather did that, to the point of where her whining about Sophie and Franz almost made me DNF the book.
She was perhaps a very romantic person, but the book only describes her as happy when she gets the attention and validation from Franz, and later on by Andrassy, the Hungarian diplomat with whom she falls in love after her marriage falls apart. As if only male validation made her content.
Sisi was well known to battle psychological diseases and depression. She was obsessed with her looks and spent insane amounts of money and time to look her best. She developed eating disorders and was anorexic. This is described in the book but, again, not her thoughts and internal struggles, but as a description of what she does: she won't go to bed without slathering here entire body with creams, she barely touches her veal, she orders her dresses from France. But we don't know what she thinks of feels about it.
All in all decent story and well researched. Taking one star for flat "villain" characters, and one for no glimpse into Sisi's head.
Recommend if you're into love stories but not if you're looking to read about Europe's political picture in the 19th century.
Want to Read
February 19, 2025i'm obsessed with historical fiction, and i think that defines me as a person
December 20, 2021
Elisabeth ist fünfzehn Jahre alt, als ihre Schwester Helene auserwählt wird, die Frau des jungen Kaisers Franz Joseph zur werden. So reisen Mutter Ludovika von Bayern, Helene und Elisabeth nach Bad Ischl zum Geburtstag des Kaisers. Doch der Kaiser hat nur Augen für die schöne Elisabeth und macht ihr einen Antrag, da kann seine Mutter, die Erzherzogin Sophie reden, was sie will. Was als Märchenhochzeit beginnt, wird für Elisabeth mehr Pein als Freude. Ihr Mann hat kaum Zeit für sie und steht unter dem Pantoffel seiner Mutter.
Elisabeth liebevoll 'Sisi' genannt und von Romy Schneider im gleichnamigen Film verkörpert, gehört zu Weihnachten, wie Kartoffelsalat und geschmückter Tannenbaum. Doch wer war diese Frau wirklich, die schon damals dem Sport huldigte, streng auf ihr Gewicht achtete und besser reiten konnte, als so mancher Mann. In diesem Buch lernen wir Sisi kennen, kurz bevor sie nach Bad Ischl aufbricht und das Buch endet mit ihrer Krönung in Ungarn. Dies Buch ist keine Biografie und wahrscheinlich nicht immer historisch korrekt, aber es gibt doch einen guten Einblick in das Leben von Sisi, die im goldenen Käfig saß, der man die Kinder wegnahm und deren Ehemann sich schon sehr früh auch in anderen Betten herumtrieb.
Der Roman liest sich locker weg, nur die Einschieber empfand ich als störend und habe sie später einfach übersprungen. Das Sisi es gewagt haben sollte ihre Tante, die Erzherzogin Sophie zu duzen, erscheint mir sehr fragwürdig, da sogar Franz Joseph sie gesiezt hat. Ob Sisi eine Liebesbeziehung mit dem Grafen Andrassy hatte wage ich auch zu bezweifeln, denn wie die Autorin im Buch selber schreibt, blieb nichts geheim. Und ob der für sie komponierte Walzer schon lange Premiere gefeiert hatte, oder tatsächlich ein Geburtstagsgeschenk für Sisi war, ist eigentlich egal. Auch wenn ich nicht alles glaube, so regt es doch zu Diskussionen an.
Wer sich noch nie näher mit Sisi beschäftigt hat, findet hier einen sehr guten Einstieg in ihre Welt. Ich habe das Buch sehr gerne gelesen und ich habe noch viele Lokalitäten wie zum Beispiel das Schloss Laxenburg entdecken können.
Mir wurde das Buch kostenfrei als eBook zur Rezension zur Verfügung gestellt.
Elisabeth liebevoll 'Sisi' genannt und von Romy Schneider im gleichnamigen Film verkörpert, gehört zu Weihnachten, wie Kartoffelsalat und geschmückter Tannenbaum. Doch wer war diese Frau wirklich, die schon damals dem Sport huldigte, streng auf ihr Gewicht achtete und besser reiten konnte, als so mancher Mann. In diesem Buch lernen wir Sisi kennen, kurz bevor sie nach Bad Ischl aufbricht und das Buch endet mit ihrer Krönung in Ungarn. Dies Buch ist keine Biografie und wahrscheinlich nicht immer historisch korrekt, aber es gibt doch einen guten Einblick in das Leben von Sisi, die im goldenen Käfig saß, der man die Kinder wegnahm und deren Ehemann sich schon sehr früh auch in anderen Betten herumtrieb.
Der Roman liest sich locker weg, nur die Einschieber empfand ich als störend und habe sie später einfach übersprungen. Das Sisi es gewagt haben sollte ihre Tante, die Erzherzogin Sophie zu duzen, erscheint mir sehr fragwürdig, da sogar Franz Joseph sie gesiezt hat. Ob Sisi eine Liebesbeziehung mit dem Grafen Andrassy hatte wage ich auch zu bezweifeln, denn wie die Autorin im Buch selber schreibt, blieb nichts geheim. Und ob der für sie komponierte Walzer schon lange Premiere gefeiert hatte, oder tatsächlich ein Geburtstagsgeschenk für Sisi war, ist eigentlich egal. Auch wenn ich nicht alles glaube, so regt es doch zu Diskussionen an.
Wer sich noch nie näher mit Sisi beschäftigt hat, findet hier einen sehr guten Einstieg in ihre Welt. Ich habe das Buch sehr gerne gelesen und ich habe noch viele Lokalitäten wie zum Beispiel das Schloss Laxenburg entdecken können.
Mir wurde das Buch kostenfrei als eBook zur Rezension zur Verfügung gestellt.
February 17, 2015
The Accidental Empress is Allison Pataki's second novel. Her debut was The Traitor's Wife.
The Accidental Empress is a sweeping historical novel about the life of Elizabeth "Sisi", duchess of Bavaria that marries Emperor Franz Joseph. Sisi has a very difficult and heartbreaking life. There is very little silver lining for her.
What I enjoyed about this novel was the phenomenal detail. I could picture the castles, hills, gowns and jewels from the vivid imagery provided by the author. I feel I've visited Austria and Hungary in reading the novel. Another astounding part of the novel was the amount of historical detail incorporated into it.
It's a novel recommended for those that enjoy historical Fiction.
While I found Allison's debut novel to be the stronger of the two, The Accidental Empress is well written and recommended.
I am thankful to the publisher for an advanced reader copy of the novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
The Accidental Empress is a sweeping historical novel about the life of Elizabeth "Sisi", duchess of Bavaria that marries Emperor Franz Joseph. Sisi has a very difficult and heartbreaking life. There is very little silver lining for her.
What I enjoyed about this novel was the phenomenal detail. I could picture the castles, hills, gowns and jewels from the vivid imagery provided by the author. I feel I've visited Austria and Hungary in reading the novel. Another astounding part of the novel was the amount of historical detail incorporated into it.
It's a novel recommended for those that enjoy historical Fiction.
While I found Allison's debut novel to be the stronger of the two, The Accidental Empress is well written and recommended.
I am thankful to the publisher for an advanced reader copy of the novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
March 10, 2015
Having visited Sisi 's palace on Corfu two years ago in Greece, I was really looking forward to reading this book. The tour we took through her palace was led by a guide who was supremely well informed, and made Sisi come alive for us as we explored the beautiful rooms. Alison Pataki has done the same with her characterization of this fascinating, yet sad, woman.
For a 16 year old girl to marry an Austrian Emperor and all that it entails to become an Empress must have been exactly as difficult as described in this book and in historical records. I found I really liked her, and empathized with her. I also liked Emperor Franz Joseph and understood that his life was not his own....ever.
Alison Pataki has done a masterful job building this historical, extremely interesting account of a woman who is still admired to this day in the countries in which she resided.
Highly recommended!!
For a 16 year old girl to marry an Austrian Emperor and all that it entails to become an Empress must have been exactly as difficult as described in this book and in historical records. I found I really liked her, and empathized with her. I also liked Emperor Franz Joseph and understood that his life was not his own....ever.
Alison Pataki has done a masterful job building this historical, extremely interesting account of a woman who is still admired to this day in the countries in which she resided.
Highly recommended!!
August 29, 2024
A tale as old as time. Franz and Sisi did indeed have a love story. Very much so. But Franz chose his mother over Sisi, allowed his mother to denigrate his young bride, remove her from her children's care and lives, and encouraged Frans to seek out other company. When they had the chance to rekindle their love, and rule together, they were a dream. All of Austria (and Hungary) loved her and loved them. But Franz could not see what he had done to her, and how he had lost her.
But some people get two love stories, and two chances at love. Entangled political rival Count Andrassy "sees" her and loves her, and they are not allowed or able to be together. But what if the politics and the love were able to intertwine? What if Sisi were the most powerful and beautiful and compassionate empress of all time?
The book ends unfinished. I will have to queue up the Sequel, Sisi on her own.
But some people get two love stories, and two chances at love. Entangled political rival Count Andrassy "sees" her and loves her, and they are not allowed or able to be together. But what if the politics and the love were able to intertwine? What if Sisi were the most powerful and beautiful and compassionate empress of all time?
The book ends unfinished. I will have to queue up the Sequel, Sisi on her own.
June 16, 2018
Lagani i romantični prikaz osobnosti vrlo mlade carice. Ima puno lijepih prizora dvora i raskoši,njenih haljina i strogih dvorskih pravila.Iako je moglo biti i malo iscrpnije (puno sam više saznala o njoj šečući muzejom Hofburg u Beču,u njenim odajama) pretpostavljam da će spisateljica to učiniti u slijedećoj knjizi.
March 7, 2018
Novela histórica donde conoceremos a la emperatriz mas famosa de Austria, los cuentos de hadas no siempre terminan en "y vivieron felices por siempre", mi reseña aquí: https://leerenelsur.blogspot.cl/2018/...
April 2, 2017
Y I K E S
I get why people who don't know anything about the Habsburgs might like this but I basically had to force myself to finish it because there were just so many things that were inaccurate but hey at least this book turned me into a huge fan of Archduchess Sophie who was a strong woman and did not deserve to be portrayed like this.
Sophie and her husband could have reigned the empire together but they refrained in favour of their son and subsequently she became his most important advisor who had to deal with the aftermath of the revolutions. Sure, she and Elisabeth had their problems but one of the main reasons why she was always seen as the evil, controlling mother in law were the Sissi-movies. Her portrayal in these movies is already pretty bad but this book takes it to another level and depicts her as an ice-cold villain who manipulates everyone around her. When it comes to her relationship with Sisi you have to consider some things: Sisi grew up in a way that was completely different from the Austrian court and it was Sophie's job to teach her how to behave and everything she needed to know as an empress and it certainly wasn't easy for Sisi to assimilate considering she was only 16 and completely unprepared since nobody ever expected her to become empress.
When it comes to Sophie "stealing" Elisabeth's children some historians argue that Elisabeth wasn't in the position to take care of them and asked Sophie to help her since she seemed to suffer from depression, possibly an eating disorder and other health issues. But while those things are briefly mentioned in the book as discomfort they're quickly brushed aside to make room for more important things like a fictional romance.
Then there are so many things that made me roll my eyes because they just seemed so unlikely like Karl calling Sisi and Nene whores or that Sophie would allow Sisi to call her auntie even though that would certainly go against the court ceremonial. Also at the beginning of the book Sophie is talking to Nene about her hobbies and it seems like she's almost judging her for reading so many religious books as if she wouldn't be glad that her future daugher in law is such a good Catholic.
Also the entire Nene thing. She wanted to marry Franz Joseph! She wasn't glad that she didn't have to marry him! That he chose Sisi instead broke her heart. That was the reason that she wanted to enter a nunnery, it's not like she wanted to do that all the time but hey at least the author mentioned that she got married later.
There are some parts in the book where the characters seem so clueless it's almost unbelieveable. It's pretty unlikely that Sisi wouldn't know about an assassination attempt because if an European monarch almost got kiled I'm pretty sure every other aristocrat would know about it, especially if they're related. There was also a part about Marie Antoinette where it seemed like Sisi barely remembered who she was even though she died only 50 years earlier. (Also, she certainly wasn't Maria Theresia's favourite daughter but that's not important right now)
Since Sisi's true story is probably too sad for an entertaining book, why not change her personality a bit and add more romance? Nowadays there's much evidence that Sisi was not very interested in intercourse and was traumatised by her wedding night, here she can't get enough of it and even has an affair with Andrássy, which, even though there were rumours, was pretty unlikely since it was basically impossible for them to spend time alone together, and lets not forget that an affair could have threatened the peace between Austria and Hungary. Honestly all those pages that were wasted for a fictional affair could have been used to write about Elisabeth's travels but who cares about things that actually happened, right?
The last thing that bothered me is probably a minor issue compared to the rest but 1. if you attempt to use German words either use the correct German grammar or just use the English term instead but don't mix them together because that's just awful to read and the main reason why I hate to read books about Austria/Germany in English. 2. Why was it necessary to change Elisabeth's nickname, everyone knows her as Sisi, why would Franz Joseph call her "Elisa" especially considering that name isn't even used here, the same goes for "Rudy" but at this point I didn't even care anymore and "Possi" which was just very very weird.
I mean yeah it's a fiction book and everyone can write whatever they want but if you write about historical personalities you could at least try to get them right or you might as well change their names and make up your own fictional empire instead.
I get why people who don't know anything about the Habsburgs might like this but I basically had to force myself to finish it because there were just so many things that were inaccurate but hey at least this book turned me into a huge fan of Archduchess Sophie who was a strong woman and did not deserve to be portrayed like this.
Sophie and her husband could have reigned the empire together but they refrained in favour of their son and subsequently she became his most important advisor who had to deal with the aftermath of the revolutions. Sure, she and Elisabeth had their problems but one of the main reasons why she was always seen as the evil, controlling mother in law were the Sissi-movies. Her portrayal in these movies is already pretty bad but this book takes it to another level and depicts her as an ice-cold villain who manipulates everyone around her. When it comes to her relationship with Sisi you have to consider some things: Sisi grew up in a way that was completely different from the Austrian court and it was Sophie's job to teach her how to behave and everything she needed to know as an empress and it certainly wasn't easy for Sisi to assimilate considering she was only 16 and completely unprepared since nobody ever expected her to become empress.
When it comes to Sophie "stealing" Elisabeth's children some historians argue that Elisabeth wasn't in the position to take care of them and asked Sophie to help her since she seemed to suffer from depression, possibly an eating disorder and other health issues. But while those things are briefly mentioned in the book as discomfort they're quickly brushed aside to make room for more important things like a fictional romance.
Then there are so many things that made me roll my eyes because they just seemed so unlikely like Karl calling Sisi and Nene whores or that Sophie would allow Sisi to call her auntie even though that would certainly go against the court ceremonial. Also at the beginning of the book Sophie is talking to Nene about her hobbies and it seems like she's almost judging her for reading so many religious books as if she wouldn't be glad that her future daugher in law is such a good Catholic.
Also the entire Nene thing. She wanted to marry Franz Joseph! She wasn't glad that she didn't have to marry him! That he chose Sisi instead broke her heart. That was the reason that she wanted to enter a nunnery, it's not like she wanted to do that all the time but hey at least the author mentioned that she got married later.
There are some parts in the book where the characters seem so clueless it's almost unbelieveable. It's pretty unlikely that Sisi wouldn't know about an assassination attempt because if an European monarch almost got kiled I'm pretty sure every other aristocrat would know about it, especially if they're related. There was also a part about Marie Antoinette where it seemed like Sisi barely remembered who she was even though she died only 50 years earlier. (Also, she certainly wasn't Maria Theresia's favourite daughter but that's not important right now)
Since Sisi's true story is probably too sad for an entertaining book, why not change her personality a bit and add more romance? Nowadays there's much evidence that Sisi was not very interested in intercourse and was traumatised by her wedding night, here she can't get enough of it and even has an affair with Andrássy, which, even though there were rumours, was pretty unlikely since it was basically impossible for them to spend time alone together, and lets not forget that an affair could have threatened the peace between Austria and Hungary. Honestly all those pages that were wasted for a fictional affair could have been used to write about Elisabeth's travels but who cares about things that actually happened, right?
The last thing that bothered me is probably a minor issue compared to the rest but 1. if you attempt to use German words either use the correct German grammar or just use the English term instead but don't mix them together because that's just awful to read and the main reason why I hate to read books about Austria/Germany in English. 2. Why was it necessary to change Elisabeth's nickname, everyone knows her as Sisi, why would Franz Joseph call her "Elisa" especially considering that name isn't even used here, the same goes for "Rudy" but at this point I didn't even care anymore and "Possi" which was just very very weird.
I mean yeah it's a fiction book and everyone can write whatever they want but if you write about historical personalities you could at least try to get them right or you might as well change their names and make up your own fictional empire instead.
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