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The Empress
It’s 1863. Napoleon III has installed a foreign monarch in Mexico to squash the current regime. Maximilian von Habsburg of Austria accepts the emperor’s crown. But it is his wife, the brilliant and ambitious Princess Charlotte, who throws herself passionately into the role. Known to the people as Empress Carlota, she rules deftly from behind the scenes while her husband contents himself with philandering and decorating the palace.
But Carlota bears a guilty secret. Trapped in a loveless marriage, she’s thrown herself into a reckless affair. Desire has blinded Carlota to its consequences, for it has left her vulnerable to her sole trusted confidante. Carlota’s devious lady-in-waiting has political beliefs of her own—and they are strong enough to cause her to betray the empress and join a plot to depose her from the throne. As Carlota grows increasingly, maddeningly defenseless, both her own fate and that of the empire are at stake.
A sweeping historical novel of forbidden love, dangerous secrets, courtly intrigue, and treachery, The Empress passionately reimagines the tragic romance and ill-fated reign of the most unforgettable royal couple of nineteenth-century Europe during the last throes of the Second Empire.
But Carlota bears a guilty secret. Trapped in a loveless marriage, she’s thrown herself into a reckless affair. Desire has blinded Carlota to its consequences, for it has left her vulnerable to her sole trusted confidante. Carlota’s devious lady-in-waiting has political beliefs of her own—and they are strong enough to cause her to betray the empress and join a plot to depose her from the throne. As Carlota grows increasingly, maddeningly defenseless, both her own fate and that of the empire are at stake.
A sweeping historical novel of forbidden love, dangerous secrets, courtly intrigue, and treachery, The Empress passionately reimagines the tragic romance and ill-fated reign of the most unforgettable royal couple of nineteenth-century Europe during the last throes of the Second Empire.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews
July 22, 2022
2.5 "a variable historical melodrama that was still somewhat alluring" stars !!!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and translator, as well as Amazon Crossing. This was originally published in 2017 in Spanish and released in English in December 2020.
This might have been an incredibly effective and entertaining historical melodrama about the life of Empress Charlotte of Mexico (nee Belgium). The author has done some careful research with a fair bit of embellishment. The author also lays out a logical and interesting frothy, soapy, over-the-top telling that paints a most fascinating story of European royalty and Mexican independence. The plot includes many intrigues, romances, betrayals and alliances. Women are front and centre in the unraveling of all the sticky threads.
What we have instead....
-superficial sketches of individuals whose emotional life is either mostly non-sensical or superficially vacillating. -not everyone at court can suffer from Histrionic Personality Disorder (think of a whole royal court full of Amber Heards)
-the writing ranges from some what interesting to totally ridiculous (from 1 to 3.5 star quality)...the shifts in quality are very jarring to say the least
Despite this....the book ranged from mildly alluring and interesting to plenty of eye rolling and some unintentional guffawing....
In general a two star book that I am upping to 2.5 stars as I never wanted to abandon the book and parts of this were like watching a telenovela with accents that you don't quite understand...
An interesting experience and quite difficult to review and put into words.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and translator, as well as Amazon Crossing. This was originally published in 2017 in Spanish and released in English in December 2020.
This might have been an incredibly effective and entertaining historical melodrama about the life of Empress Charlotte of Mexico (nee Belgium). The author has done some careful research with a fair bit of embellishment. The author also lays out a logical and interesting frothy, soapy, over-the-top telling that paints a most fascinating story of European royalty and Mexican independence. The plot includes many intrigues, romances, betrayals and alliances. Women are front and centre in the unraveling of all the sticky threads.
What we have instead....
-superficial sketches of individuals whose emotional life is either mostly non-sensical or superficially vacillating. -not everyone at court can suffer from Histrionic Personality Disorder (think of a whole royal court full of Amber Heards)
-the writing ranges from some what interesting to totally ridiculous (from 1 to 3.5 star quality)...the shifts in quality are very jarring to say the least
Despite this....the book ranged from mildly alluring and interesting to plenty of eye rolling and some unintentional guffawing....
In general a two star book that I am upping to 2.5 stars as I never wanted to abandon the book and parts of this were like watching a telenovela with accents that you don't quite understand...
An interesting experience and quite difficult to review and put into words.
May 18, 2020
Estoy indecisa con qué calificación darle. Me encanta la historia y sobretodo la historia de mi país, por esa parte el libro no me decepcionó, porque esta estupendamente documentado. Tal como aclara la autora al final, evidentemente va a tener ficción, lo cual es señalado.
Por otro lado, hubieron algunas partes que me resultaron lentas, innecesarias o que se alargaron mucho, esto es en la parte central del libro. Debo aclarar que son pequeñas secciones.
Llega un momento del libro en el que no se puede parar de leer, llegué a emocionarme en ciertos momentos al recordar nuestra historia. Un libro recomendable para quienes deseen aprender un poco más sobre el Segundo Imperio.
⭐️ 3.5/4
Por otro lado, hubieron algunas partes que me resultaron lentas, innecesarias o que se alargaron mucho, esto es en la parte central del libro. Debo aclarar que son pequeñas secciones.
Llega un momento del libro en el que no se puede parar de leer, llegué a emocionarme en ciertos momentos al recordar nuestra historia. Un libro recomendable para quienes deseen aprender un poco más sobre el Segundo Imperio.
⭐️ 3.5/4
March 25, 2023
4.5⭐️ “Muchos son los disfraces con que una mujer se viste, hija, para poder defender una idea. Para sobrevivir. El mío es el de esposa abnegada. Las hay monjas, prostitutas, pero todas escogemos qué ser debajo del atuendo.”
Muy interesante el libro, bien documentado y muy bien escrito, con capítulos cortos, lectura ágil e interesante, y sobre todo, que humaniza a esos personajes históricos, aquí no hay un malo-malo ni un bueno-bueno, solo seres humanos con ideales, pasiones, deseos… me encantó redescubrir a Carlota mas allá de la mera consorte de Maximiliano, sino como una mujer fuerte, muy inteligente, que amó México, y que tuvo muy mala suerte. Si ella hubiera sido hombre…
Muy interesante el libro, bien documentado y muy bien escrito, con capítulos cortos, lectura ágil e interesante, y sobre todo, que humaniza a esos personajes históricos, aquí no hay un malo-malo ni un bueno-bueno, solo seres humanos con ideales, pasiones, deseos… me encantó redescubrir a Carlota mas allá de la mera consorte de Maximiliano, sino como una mujer fuerte, muy inteligente, que amó México, y que tuvo muy mala suerte. Si ella hubiera sido hombre…
December 3, 2020
It is rare for me to read a book about blatant colonialism and feel a sense of empathy for the colonists. This book is sad yet rich and cathartic. Much like Catherine the Great, a teenaged Carlota is bound to a man who cannot and will not love her. I suspect that eventually Martinez-Belli's books will be found among other hispanic greats such as Borges, Cisneros, and Marquez. A definite must read (preferably with a glass of wine or three).
October 6, 2023
Una novela histórica muy entretenida y de lectura ágil. Con capítulos cortos y saltos en el tiempo que te mantienen enganchada a la lectura.
Después de leer tanto sobre el fugaz imperio de Maximiliano y Carlota en México, debo decir, que no es una novela que aporte algo diferente (históricamente hablando), pero si que contextualiza muy bien la época en la que se desarrolla la trama .
Me gustó la historia de ficción , logra humanizar sobremanera a todos los personajes .
Después de leer tanto sobre el fugaz imperio de Maximiliano y Carlota en México, debo decir, que no es una novela que aporte algo diferente (históricamente hablando), pero si que contextualiza muy bien la época en la que se desarrolla la trama .
Me gustó la historia de ficción , logra humanizar sobremanera a todos los personajes .
September 17, 2020
Carlota, hace un recorrido por la historia del Segundo Imperio, y la sigue hasta su aislamiento forzado; una historia muy bien documentada, en la que la escritora trabajó por aproximadamente cuatro años, y quien al estar investigando sobre esta mujer, se sintió fuertemente identificada con ella, pues al igual que la Emperatriz, sabe de lo que habla cuando se ama a un país que no es el tuyo y en el que por más que lo sientas tu casa, no dejas de sentirte como extranjera, en ambas este país es México.
¡Me encantó!
Escucha la reseña completa aquí: https://spoti.fi/3mxt0yw
¡Me encantó!
Escucha la reseña completa aquí: https://spoti.fi/3mxt0yw
November 21, 2020
Una historia detallada, bien documentada y bella de principio a fin, aunque conocer algunos detalles de la vida de esta emperatriz no lo sean.
Me encantó la manera en que plasma los hechos históricos tanto de México como de Europa, así como la combinación de la ficción con los datos históricos.
Me encantó la manera en que plasma los hechos históricos tanto de México como de Europa, así como la combinación de la ficción con los datos históricos.
August 8, 2020
Se me apachurró el corazón ☹️☹️
December 18, 2020
I rarely write reviews but given the low rating I gave the book, it seems unfair not to give reasons for such strong criticism. Conceptually, the book is fascinating- given its basis as historical fiction, it doesn’t follow a predictable everyone wins in the end story arc. While sad, it is refreshing to read something unique. That said the execution of putting the concept into story form needs significant editing.
Most problematic- the book shifts times and perspectives frequently. At the beginning of some chapters, the shift is noted with a reference to a geographical location and a date. However, other chapters do not have such a designation even though the perspective has shifted. Given that the plot involves some elements of a mystery, this can lead to a lot of confusion. Sometimes several paragraphs in a chapter had to be read before you could tell which characters perspective was involved and whether you were reading about the beginning of the story or the end. Far and away, some simple edits to provide consistency in communicating to readers which timeframe each chapter focused on would help the book’s readability enormously. One caveat - there were chapters where the perspective shifted within the chapter without warning (ie- narrated by one character initially and then changing to another character mid-chapter). This also could be confusing and will not be fixed by the chapter headings.
The second major flaw - the narrative was extremely repetitive in both small ways and also across the greater plot line. Several times entire paragraphs in close proximity repeated the same concepts. Beyond just the over verbose nature of these localized areas, the same flaw appeared on major plot points. What was stated in one chapter (frequently as a key to some of the mystery in the story) was then repeated again. While some of this was clearly intended as a rhetorical method, it was either overused or sloppily edited. The book would be greatly improved by focusing on providing key details once, explaining them adequately that first time, then trusting that readers are paying sufficient attention to find their significance. Significant editing could solve this problem.
Also, the book opens with a very descriptive and detailed sex scene. While I understood the relevance to the plot by midway through the book, such an explicit start almost led to me putting the book down as I did not wish to read something that bordered on verbal pornography-especially if that would be the theme of the whole book. It was not. However, that also affected my opinion.
Most problematic- the book shifts times and perspectives frequently. At the beginning of some chapters, the shift is noted with a reference to a geographical location and a date. However, other chapters do not have such a designation even though the perspective has shifted. Given that the plot involves some elements of a mystery, this can lead to a lot of confusion. Sometimes several paragraphs in a chapter had to be read before you could tell which characters perspective was involved and whether you were reading about the beginning of the story or the end. Far and away, some simple edits to provide consistency in communicating to readers which timeframe each chapter focused on would help the book’s readability enormously. One caveat - there were chapters where the perspective shifted within the chapter without warning (ie- narrated by one character initially and then changing to another character mid-chapter). This also could be confusing and will not be fixed by the chapter headings.
The second major flaw - the narrative was extremely repetitive in both small ways and also across the greater plot line. Several times entire paragraphs in close proximity repeated the same concepts. Beyond just the over verbose nature of these localized areas, the same flaw appeared on major plot points. What was stated in one chapter (frequently as a key to some of the mystery in the story) was then repeated again. While some of this was clearly intended as a rhetorical method, it was either overused or sloppily edited. The book would be greatly improved by focusing on providing key details once, explaining them adequately that first time, then trusting that readers are paying sufficient attention to find their significance. Significant editing could solve this problem.
Also, the book opens with a very descriptive and detailed sex scene. While I understood the relevance to the plot by midway through the book, such an explicit start almost led to me putting the book down as I did not wish to read something that bordered on verbal pornography-especially if that would be the theme of the whole book. It was not. However, that also affected my opinion.
August 10, 2020
La vida de Carlota me dio curiosidad desde que era una adolescente, conocer su vida me ha parecido fascinante, en este libro, vemos una historia perfectamente documentada por Laura Martínez-Belli y que plasmó de manera exquisita.
November 2, 2020
A Jumbled Timeline and Choppy Writing
I have to say that I love the trend in historical novels of showing what happens “back then” through a woman's eyes. Even when women ruled, like Empress Carlota, much of what we hear and read about past times comes from a male perspective. So, it is refreshing to have this book look at the ill-fated reign of Empress Carlota and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico from her perspective; it would have been so very different if done from his! I appreciate that the author starts the book with a cast of characters and a list of places. While I didn't quite need the latter, the former was helpful in untangling similarly named people and their political beliefs and relationships to others. The timeline of the story itself did jump around a bit, which I think the author did so to help build suspense, but I think the story would have been better served (and the reader left less confused at times) if this hadn't happened. Different threads mostly came together in the end, but I felt like there were a few questions that were left unanswered and even perhaps a few plot holes. The writing itself didn't work for me on one level. I'm not a fan of using lots of short phrases in novel writing; I prefer full sentences most of the time with occasional lone prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses if the author sees fit. The sheer number of short phrases in this book made the writing feel choppy to me; there were simply way too many of them. I did enjoy the author's descriptions of Mexico. You can tell the author did a fair amount of research, which I always appreciate in a historical novel, but certainly much has been fictionalized. Not as good of a book as I had hoped it would be but still a decent read that made me interested to research more information about this time in Mexican history.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
I have to say that I love the trend in historical novels of showing what happens “back then” through a woman's eyes. Even when women ruled, like Empress Carlota, much of what we hear and read about past times comes from a male perspective. So, it is refreshing to have this book look at the ill-fated reign of Empress Carlota and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico from her perspective; it would have been so very different if done from his! I appreciate that the author starts the book with a cast of characters and a list of places. While I didn't quite need the latter, the former was helpful in untangling similarly named people and their political beliefs and relationships to others. The timeline of the story itself did jump around a bit, which I think the author did so to help build suspense, but I think the story would have been better served (and the reader left less confused at times) if this hadn't happened. Different threads mostly came together in the end, but I felt like there were a few questions that were left unanswered and even perhaps a few plot holes. The writing itself didn't work for me on one level. I'm not a fan of using lots of short phrases in novel writing; I prefer full sentences most of the time with occasional lone prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses if the author sees fit. The sheer number of short phrases in this book made the writing feel choppy to me; there were simply way too many of them. I did enjoy the author's descriptions of Mexico. You can tell the author did a fair amount of research, which I always appreciate in a historical novel, but certainly much has been fictionalized. Not as good of a book as I had hoped it would be but still a decent read that made me interested to research more information about this time in Mexican history.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
March 23, 2020
The Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli is an excellent translated historical fiction featuring the tragic life and story of Carlota Empress of Mexico (Charlotte of Belgium).
I have to admit, I did not make the association between Carlota and Charlotte, the daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium and his second wife. Of course, after reading this, I had to research as much as I could about this tragic woman. Life was difficult for any woman at this time, and Carlota had her work cut out for her. Unfortunately, there were so many external factors that were beyond her control, that helped add to her downfall.
This is an excellent translation that was thoroughly engaging, easy to understand and follow, and kept my interest throughout. What more could one ask from a historical fiction novel?!
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.
I have to admit, I did not make the association between Carlota and Charlotte, the daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium and his second wife. Of course, after reading this, I had to research as much as I could about this tragic woman. Life was difficult for any woman at this time, and Carlota had her work cut out for her. Unfortunately, there were so many external factors that were beyond her control, that helped add to her downfall.
This is an excellent translation that was thoroughly engaging, easy to understand and follow, and kept my interest throughout. What more could one ask from a historical fiction novel?!
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.
January 25, 2022
I really wanted to like this novel but instead I almost hated it
This novel tells the story of the second Mexican empire, for those unfamiliar I'll explain quickly: In the nineteenth century Mexico (a republic) owed money to France, Mexico stopped the payments and Napoleon III (French emperor) invaded Mexico, France had many others reasons but that was basically the justification, Benito Juárez (the Mexican president) was deposed and France created an empire in Mexico offering the crown to the Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, married to Princess Charlotte of Belgium. Carlota (as Charlotte was called in Mexico) is the main character of the novel, starting with her marriage, which is never consummated, leaving Carlota needy and empty, Maximiliano takes the crown of Mexico and the couple embarks on an adventure that turns out to be more complex than they expected, at the same time, we meet Constanza, a young Mexican woman who will be in Carlota's service as a lady, but Constanza is actually against the empire like many other Mexicans, and she will act as a spy for Juárez, but in the process she learns to recognize the virtues of Carlota as Empress, the good side of the empire, and also gets involved with Philippe a soldier of the empire, who in secrett loves Carlota. In the end, the political and cultural challenges are too many and the empire fails, Maximilian is executed and Carlota loses her mind, she ends her life in Europe between remorse and hallucinations.
I think that something positive is that the narration is made in the third person covering different points of view, which allows us to understand the political context, culture and of course emotional issues, but apart from that I see little good things in this book, and in general the story for me it was just meh.
Now here are my reasons for giving only 1 star:
Spoilers ahead
* Although in some chapters there is a good amount of dialogue, in others there is not a single one, and in general the book tells it does not show
* The story is not descriptive, it provides a quick description of the main characters, but never describes; places, clothes, or scenes, so the story is not illustrative at all, you never know what the characters do, their expressions, or where they are located, personally I don't like too many descriptions but in this case the book we have nothing.
* It doesn't bother me that the stories are told in different times, but here it goes from the present to the past, from one country to another, from one character to another, so often and without justification within the plot, that one of two things happen, it gets predictable and boring very quickly, or it gets a bit annoying because it interrupts the story at moments that should be exciting, plus, a year and place in the header would have made the transitions more orderly and less chaotic.
* The novel has short chapters which I appreciate very much, the problem is that they do not connect with each other, and in the end it seems that the author wrote everything separately and only put it together in random order and without giving it continuity, so the chapters rarely connect and the novel does not flow.
* The book talks about deep issues, emotional losses, infidelities, betrayals, just to mention a few, but it never conveys emotions, it is completely dry. For example Carlota, was rejected, and cheated on by her husband, she was betrayed and hurt by people she trusted, not once but many times they lied to her, stole from her and manipulated her, she lost all those she loved and her dreams . I expected to cry or at least feel afflicted, but no, the book does not transmit any emotion to you, it tells all as if it were a kitchen recipe, in an empty and hurried way, besides those deep moments are told from someone else's point of view, so it doesn't even express Carlota's feelings, and in this way the book becomes flat and the story is dehumanized.
* The characterization. No doubt this is my biggest problem with the book, first let me tell you that I hate when novels make historical characters so good that they are like saints, I prefer them to be portrayed as human because that's what they were, but here, all the characters are unpleasant, with defects very obvious and annoying, but not virtues, which is illogical and boring, and the worst thing is that when she wrote them, the author contradicts herself over and over again, I will start with Carlota : The woman is a good person, humble , intelligent and beautiful, although envious, stubborn, bossy and clumsy. The problem is not the adjectives but the clumsy way in which they are reflected, for example Carlota envies Sisi rather she hates her, because Sisi has everything in the world, she is very happy and beautiful, so Carlota spits her poison against Sisi and she always compares herself with Sisi, here I have two little things, to say; first I understand that Carlota can hate Sisi but, before meeting her? Before even knowing anything about her? Mmmm nope that doesn't make sense, yes historically they didn't get along but that was until the two lived together in the Austrian court, not years before !!!, The second thing, could someone tell me where the author gets that Sisi was a woman happy, blissful and fulfilled? That is ridiculous and false, Sisi had serious emotional disorders, she was not happy in her marriage, nor in court, she was obsessed with her body and suffered as many or more losses than Carlota, in fact the reason why they did not get along was because their mother in law saw in Carlota everything that Sisi was not.
Then there is the matter of Carlota's pregnancy, I will not detail here why current historians consider that nothing more than a rumor, instead I will focus in the fact it is added to the story in such a forced way, see Carlota is very smart but she starts a sexual affair that leaves her pregnant, as her marriage was not consumed this is a HUGE problem, here i thought, HOLAAAAA!!!! this is not prehistory, there were contraceptive methods that she never bothers to consider and what is worse is that instead of using the pregnancy in her favor as many queens did and pass it off as her husband's son, Carlota panics and hides the fact for no reason, so this feels unbelievable and FORCED.
Constanza : She has to be the stupidest "heroine" I've ever read, she doubts all the time, she thinks she's strong and independent but does what everyone tells her, she says she understands what's going on but she's always confused, she has a mind of her own and her ideas, but at the same time she is like: to hell I believe what they tell me to believe ,she is also a woman with a clear and firm objective, but does not hesitate to suddenly send it to the devil just because the story was ending. And nothing is plausible about her story, even a fictional character needs a solid foundation and she doesn't have it.
Maximiliano: Reading his characterization here almost hurt, in words from the book: Impotent and effeminate , besides that he is completely IDIOT and LAZY , but again I will talk about the incongruity, the book spends a great time showing him as a fool who runs happily between flowers and butterflies, and suddenly he is very super ambitious, he is like: - I want a crown, I want power, I want to succeed, did I say I want a crown? Well, I WANT IT and then the same man is like - oh look at that flower, look at that beautiful pink butterfly, god how happy I am with nature and the peace of being a rich prince with no obligations. Dear author, please make up your mind or if you want to make your character a bipolar madman, at least make it believable. In general, he is such an unpleasant character that I never understood Carlota's love for him, and please keep in mind that the historical Maximilian, despite the fact that he was hated just for setting foot in Mexico, over time his personality and actions earned him true loyalists to his cause, many fought for him against their own countrymen and 2 Mexicans refused be pardoned choosing to be executed next to him, so this Maximilian does not fit with the historical and as I said it does not make sense that it was so easy to hate, but at the same time he had Carlota sighing, she even chose him as her husband, and let's not even talk about his homosexuality, according to the author historically SEEMS to be true, although she never explains where her conclusion comes from, but I will say it, from her lack of research , nothing indicates that he was Gay, NOTHING, but there were rumours yes well that is very easy to understand if you immerse yourself in the history and cultural context. Maximiliano was a foreigner who for many Mexicans invaded the country to rob us gold, he was blond and tall, with delicate hands, clean clothes, elegant and with exquisite manners, do I need to explain more? In case I need, let me make it clearer, in Mexico if you don't look manly enough (tough, sunburned, dirty, rough and strong) then you are Gay, at that time even today in some parts of the country, being Gay is the worst insult you can throw at a man, of there comes the "IT SEEMS HE WAS GAY", not from a letter, not from an impartial chronicle, not from a recorded scene NOT A SINGLE EVIDENCE. But it's fine, it's your novel, make your character Gay if you want, but at least don't say that you have a historical basis and for God's sake at least be consistent, according to the novel he is sooo Gay that he doesn't touch Carlota, (note that the nobles, even being Gays, mostly fathered children because it was their duty ) and he had boyfriends, but later it turns out that yes he loved another woman, and he sleeps with another in Mexico, and then? What happened to is SUPER GAY? And why he did not touch Carlota? apparently NOBODY KNOWS AND THE NOVEL DOES NOT EXPLAIN IT , perhaps because it does not make sense, the author got into a dead end when she impregnated Carlota with her lover, because as Maximilian had a bastard, she did not know how to explain that the marriage had no offspring, so she used homosexuality and not consummation, which doesn't make much sense to me, I think they couldn't procreate, not because they didn't try, they certainly should have, it was their duty and it was important to their plans, it may be that for a genetic issue, or sterility, the point is that the output provided here does not do the story a favor. Now I'm going to talk about he being LAZY , see in this novel he spends all his time with his lover, asleep, or who knows where but it's poor Carlota who has to do all the work so Max is nothing more than a dummy, again that has no historical basis and here I will stop to detail because it is fair and necessary, YES it is true Maximiliano was a bit clumsy, for those who do not know, his support base in Mexico was the Mexican upper class, the catholic church, and France, but Maximilian was interested in equality from a young age, and we know that those were his interests, not just Carlota's, because his interest is evident years before they met, he had liberal ideas that gave him problems years ago , and when he arrived in Mexico he put them into practice in the same way, he reduced the working hours, eliminated physical punishment, kept the church's assets in the hands of the state, taking away their power, he sought to unite rich and liberals to bring peace to the country, oh and he put the interests of Mexico as country first and then those of France etc etc... In a few words he wanted to balance things, improve the country and help the poor, although in the process he lost his base of support, but not only that, the man wanted to learn Nahuatl, a dialect that few speak now, but that was then the only one that the indigenous people understood, he translated the laws and promoted the culture just to mention some things that he did, Carlota supported him YES and also put hands to work but that the book subtracts from him all his merit was not needed and seems unfair to me, I don't know why lately all the novels take the woman and make her the goddess while the man is useless, sorry but here it wasn't the case, Yes he liked to ride freely, botany and animals, but he didn't dedicate himself 24/7 to those activities, in fact he did so many things that I would run out of characters writing them down, but make no mistake I'm not saying he was perfect, he wasn't, he was frivolous, malleable, and clumsy, but he was also a hard worker, honest and kind, and don't get me wrong, I admire Carlota a lot, seriously, and who doesn't? Carlota was the first and until now has been the only woman to be in charge of the Mexican government, she was not Mexican and she barely spoke Spanish but so what? she did more than well, she made herself heard by a lot of frivolous and misogynistic politicians, she raised funds for the poor, promoted education and justice, but it bothered me that she was a Know-It-All and Maximiliano the stupid from the story, that's not right and it doesn't even work for the novel. Another detail is that Maxi wants his bastard son (mestizo) to be the heir, which was obviously impossible and false, Maximiliano did not even think of inheriting the empire to the children of Iturbide (first Mexican emperor) that he adopted, it was thought yes, but the decree established that they would not be heirs, because neither he nor Carlota considered them princes of blood (they were not) and you tell me that he wanted a mestizo on the throne? Yes, very logical.
* Right here I will add that personal relationships are flat, Costanza and Philippe, boring and predictable, Maximiliano and Carlota I already said it, the dynamic is empty, I am deeply disappointed in the portrait of this relationship, Carlota and Maximiliano had a strange and fascinating relationship, we know they some how liked each other, Carlota was a princess who had the opportunity to choose her husband, she had many offers, including a King, but she only accepted Maximiliano, because she liked him and they connected, he was more cerebral, more political, probably he saw the marriage as a monetary and social thing not more, but in general terms he was an affectionate and considerate husband, Maximilian gave her the power to guide him, and allowed himself to be convinced by her not to abdicate the throne, although his entire family, including his brother and mother, begged him to do so because that way he could save his life. Carlota suffered a lot with the death of Maximiliano, it was known that it would affect her and her family hid it from her for more than 6 months, she cried bitterly when she finally found out and even in her last days she idolize him. It is known that he had at least one affair in Mexico, which was not unusual, and as I said, he married more as a matter of duty, but there was something in his way of being and treating Carlota that made her love him and that made them close, they also clearly had the same political ideas and the same dreams, well none of that is reflected here, I wanted to read the author's version, understand how the dynamic could have been, but here there is nothing interesting, not even something entertaining.
In addition, the adulterous relationships of Carlota and Maximiliano are not passionate or striking either.
* And lastly, I was very anxious to read the author's note, to understand the objective and the historical research, but it was just half page and 5 books as backup, one part says: "the line between fiction and truth is very skinny " well sorry but that doesn't really apply to this book, I won't write down all the inaccuracies, I already made some clear but I will say that the number of books explain very well the lack of historical accuracy, I did a debate in elementary school about the second empire and used more than 10 books, that said , I think the mistake was to classify the novel as "historical-fiction" when it looks more like a historical romance , the difference between one and the other is that the second sends the historical base out the window, and is focused in the plot, which was what happened in this novel so I think there is a serious classification error.
I don't know if I've read many great historical fiction novels and become more demanding, or is it the fact that I like this historical period so badly portrayed here, but it definitely doesn't seem like a good book or even a decent one, so that I do not recommend this.
This novel tells the story of the second Mexican empire, for those unfamiliar I'll explain quickly: In the nineteenth century Mexico (a republic) owed money to France, Mexico stopped the payments and Napoleon III (French emperor) invaded Mexico, France had many others reasons but that was basically the justification, Benito Juárez (the Mexican president) was deposed and France created an empire in Mexico offering the crown to the Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, married to Princess Charlotte of Belgium. Carlota (as Charlotte was called in Mexico) is the main character of the novel, starting with her marriage, which is never consummated, leaving Carlota needy and empty, Maximiliano takes the crown of Mexico and the couple embarks on an adventure that turns out to be more complex than they expected, at the same time, we meet Constanza, a young Mexican woman who will be in Carlota's service as a lady, but Constanza is actually against the empire like many other Mexicans, and she will act as a spy for Juárez, but in the process she learns to recognize the virtues of Carlota as Empress, the good side of the empire, and also gets involved with Philippe a soldier of the empire, who in secrett loves Carlota. In the end, the political and cultural challenges are too many and the empire fails, Maximilian is executed and Carlota loses her mind, she ends her life in Europe between remorse and hallucinations.
I think that something positive is that the narration is made in the third person covering different points of view, which allows us to understand the political context, culture and of course emotional issues, but apart from that I see little good things in this book, and in general the story for me it was just meh.
Now here are my reasons for giving only 1 star:
Spoilers ahead
* Although in some chapters there is a good amount of dialogue, in others there is not a single one, and in general the book tells it does not show
* The story is not descriptive, it provides a quick description of the main characters, but never describes; places, clothes, or scenes, so the story is not illustrative at all, you never know what the characters do, their expressions, or where they are located, personally I don't like too many descriptions but in this case the book we have nothing.
* It doesn't bother me that the stories are told in different times, but here it goes from the present to the past, from one country to another, from one character to another, so often and without justification within the plot, that one of two things happen, it gets predictable and boring very quickly, or it gets a bit annoying because it interrupts the story at moments that should be exciting, plus, a year and place in the header would have made the transitions more orderly and less chaotic.
* The novel has short chapters which I appreciate very much, the problem is that they do not connect with each other, and in the end it seems that the author wrote everything separately and only put it together in random order and without giving it continuity, so the chapters rarely connect and the novel does not flow.
* The book talks about deep issues, emotional losses, infidelities, betrayals, just to mention a few, but it never conveys emotions, it is completely dry. For example Carlota, was rejected, and cheated on by her husband, she was betrayed and hurt by people she trusted, not once but many times they lied to her, stole from her and manipulated her, she lost all those she loved and her dreams . I expected to cry or at least feel afflicted, but no, the book does not transmit any emotion to you, it tells all as if it were a kitchen recipe, in an empty and hurried way, besides those deep moments are told from someone else's point of view, so it doesn't even express Carlota's feelings, and in this way the book becomes flat and the story is dehumanized.
* The characterization. No doubt this is my biggest problem with the book, first let me tell you that I hate when novels make historical characters so good that they are like saints, I prefer them to be portrayed as human because that's what they were, but here, all the characters are unpleasant, with defects very obvious and annoying, but not virtues, which is illogical and boring, and the worst thing is that when she wrote them, the author contradicts herself over and over again, I will start with Carlota : The woman is a good person, humble , intelligent and beautiful, although envious, stubborn, bossy and clumsy. The problem is not the adjectives but the clumsy way in which they are reflected, for example Carlota envies Sisi rather she hates her, because Sisi has everything in the world, she is very happy and beautiful, so Carlota spits her poison against Sisi and she always compares herself with Sisi, here I have two little things, to say; first I understand that Carlota can hate Sisi but, before meeting her? Before even knowing anything about her? Mmmm nope that doesn't make sense, yes historically they didn't get along but that was until the two lived together in the Austrian court, not years before !!!, The second thing, could someone tell me where the author gets that Sisi was a woman happy, blissful and fulfilled? That is ridiculous and false, Sisi had serious emotional disorders, she was not happy in her marriage, nor in court, she was obsessed with her body and suffered as many or more losses than Carlota, in fact the reason why they did not get along was because their mother in law saw in Carlota everything that Sisi was not.
Then there is the matter of Carlota's pregnancy, I will not detail here why current historians consider that nothing more than a rumor, instead I will focus in the fact it is added to the story in such a forced way, see Carlota is very smart but she starts a sexual affair that leaves her pregnant, as her marriage was not consumed this is a HUGE problem, here i thought, HOLAAAAA!!!! this is not prehistory, there were contraceptive methods that she never bothers to consider and what is worse is that instead of using the pregnancy in her favor as many queens did and pass it off as her husband's son, Carlota panics and hides the fact for no reason, so this feels unbelievable and FORCED.
Constanza : She has to be the stupidest "heroine" I've ever read, she doubts all the time, she thinks she's strong and independent but does what everyone tells her, she says she understands what's going on but she's always confused, she has a mind of her own and her ideas, but at the same time she is like: to hell I believe what they tell me to believe ,she is also a woman with a clear and firm objective, but does not hesitate to suddenly send it to the devil just because the story was ending. And nothing is plausible about her story, even a fictional character needs a solid foundation and she doesn't have it.
Maximiliano: Reading his characterization here almost hurt, in words from the book: Impotent and effeminate , besides that he is completely IDIOT and LAZY , but again I will talk about the incongruity, the book spends a great time showing him as a fool who runs happily between flowers and butterflies, and suddenly he is very super ambitious, he is like: - I want a crown, I want power, I want to succeed, did I say I want a crown? Well, I WANT IT and then the same man is like - oh look at that flower, look at that beautiful pink butterfly, god how happy I am with nature and the peace of being a rich prince with no obligations. Dear author, please make up your mind or if you want to make your character a bipolar madman, at least make it believable. In general, he is such an unpleasant character that I never understood Carlota's love for him, and please keep in mind that the historical Maximilian, despite the fact that he was hated just for setting foot in Mexico, over time his personality and actions earned him true loyalists to his cause, many fought for him against their own countrymen and 2 Mexicans refused be pardoned choosing to be executed next to him, so this Maximilian does not fit with the historical and as I said it does not make sense that it was so easy to hate, but at the same time he had Carlota sighing, she even chose him as her husband, and let's not even talk about his homosexuality, according to the author historically SEEMS to be true, although she never explains where her conclusion comes from, but I will say it, from her lack of research , nothing indicates that he was Gay, NOTHING, but there were rumours yes well that is very easy to understand if you immerse yourself in the history and cultural context. Maximiliano was a foreigner who for many Mexicans invaded the country to rob us gold, he was blond and tall, with delicate hands, clean clothes, elegant and with exquisite manners, do I need to explain more? In case I need, let me make it clearer, in Mexico if you don't look manly enough (tough, sunburned, dirty, rough and strong) then you are Gay, at that time even today in some parts of the country, being Gay is the worst insult you can throw at a man, of there comes the "IT SEEMS HE WAS GAY", not from a letter, not from an impartial chronicle, not from a recorded scene NOT A SINGLE EVIDENCE. But it's fine, it's your novel, make your character Gay if you want, but at least don't say that you have a historical basis and for God's sake at least be consistent, according to the novel he is sooo Gay that he doesn't touch Carlota, (note that the nobles, even being Gays, mostly fathered children because it was their duty ) and he had boyfriends, but later it turns out that yes he loved another woman, and he sleeps with another in Mexico, and then? What happened to is SUPER GAY? And why he did not touch Carlota? apparently NOBODY KNOWS AND THE NOVEL DOES NOT EXPLAIN IT , perhaps because it does not make sense, the author got into a dead end when she impregnated Carlota with her lover, because as Maximilian had a bastard, she did not know how to explain that the marriage had no offspring, so she used homosexuality and not consummation, which doesn't make much sense to me, I think they couldn't procreate, not because they didn't try, they certainly should have, it was their duty and it was important to their plans, it may be that for a genetic issue, or sterility, the point is that the output provided here does not do the story a favor. Now I'm going to talk about he being LAZY , see in this novel he spends all his time with his lover, asleep, or who knows where but it's poor Carlota who has to do all the work so Max is nothing more than a dummy, again that has no historical basis and here I will stop to detail because it is fair and necessary, YES it is true Maximiliano was a bit clumsy, for those who do not know, his support base in Mexico was the Mexican upper class, the catholic church, and France, but Maximilian was interested in equality from a young age, and we know that those were his interests, not just Carlota's, because his interest is evident years before they met, he had liberal ideas that gave him problems years ago , and when he arrived in Mexico he put them into practice in the same way, he reduced the working hours, eliminated physical punishment, kept the church's assets in the hands of the state, taking away their power, he sought to unite rich and liberals to bring peace to the country, oh and he put the interests of Mexico as country first and then those of France etc etc... In a few words he wanted to balance things, improve the country and help the poor, although in the process he lost his base of support, but not only that, the man wanted to learn Nahuatl, a dialect that few speak now, but that was then the only one that the indigenous people understood, he translated the laws and promoted the culture just to mention some things that he did, Carlota supported him YES and also put hands to work but that the book subtracts from him all his merit was not needed and seems unfair to me, I don't know why lately all the novels take the woman and make her the goddess while the man is useless, sorry but here it wasn't the case, Yes he liked to ride freely, botany and animals, but he didn't dedicate himself 24/7 to those activities, in fact he did so many things that I would run out of characters writing them down, but make no mistake I'm not saying he was perfect, he wasn't, he was frivolous, malleable, and clumsy, but he was also a hard worker, honest and kind, and don't get me wrong, I admire Carlota a lot, seriously, and who doesn't? Carlota was the first and until now has been the only woman to be in charge of the Mexican government, she was not Mexican and she barely spoke Spanish but so what? she did more than well, she made herself heard by a lot of frivolous and misogynistic politicians, she raised funds for the poor, promoted education and justice, but it bothered me that she was a Know-It-All and Maximiliano the stupid from the story, that's not right and it doesn't even work for the novel. Another detail is that Maxi wants his bastard son (mestizo) to be the heir, which was obviously impossible and false, Maximiliano did not even think of inheriting the empire to the children of Iturbide (first Mexican emperor) that he adopted, it was thought yes, but the decree established that they would not be heirs, because neither he nor Carlota considered them princes of blood (they were not) and you tell me that he wanted a mestizo on the throne? Yes, very logical.
* Right here I will add that personal relationships are flat, Costanza and Philippe, boring and predictable, Maximiliano and Carlota I already said it, the dynamic is empty, I am deeply disappointed in the portrait of this relationship, Carlota and Maximiliano had a strange and fascinating relationship, we know they some how liked each other, Carlota was a princess who had the opportunity to choose her husband, she had many offers, including a King, but she only accepted Maximiliano, because she liked him and they connected, he was more cerebral, more political, probably he saw the marriage as a monetary and social thing not more, but in general terms he was an affectionate and considerate husband, Maximilian gave her the power to guide him, and allowed himself to be convinced by her not to abdicate the throne, although his entire family, including his brother and mother, begged him to do so because that way he could save his life. Carlota suffered a lot with the death of Maximiliano, it was known that it would affect her and her family hid it from her for more than 6 months, she cried bitterly when she finally found out and even in her last days she idolize him. It is known that he had at least one affair in Mexico, which was not unusual, and as I said, he married more as a matter of duty, but there was something in his way of being and treating Carlota that made her love him and that made them close, they also clearly had the same political ideas and the same dreams, well none of that is reflected here, I wanted to read the author's version, understand how the dynamic could have been, but here there is nothing interesting, not even something entertaining.
In addition, the adulterous relationships of Carlota and Maximiliano are not passionate or striking either.
* And lastly, I was very anxious to read the author's note, to understand the objective and the historical research, but it was just half page and 5 books as backup, one part says: "the line between fiction and truth is very skinny " well sorry but that doesn't really apply to this book, I won't write down all the inaccuracies, I already made some clear but I will say that the number of books explain very well the lack of historical accuracy, I did a debate in elementary school about the second empire and used more than 10 books, that said , I think the mistake was to classify the novel as "historical-fiction" when it looks more like a historical romance , the difference between one and the other is that the second sends the historical base out the window, and is focused in the plot, which was what happened in this novel so I think there is a serious classification error.
I don't know if I've read many great historical fiction novels and become more demanding, or is it the fact that I like this historical period so badly portrayed here, but it definitely doesn't seem like a good book or even a decent one, so that I do not recommend this.
August 13, 2020
4.5 La autora tiene una forma bella y clara de describir los pequeños momentos (ficticios) y claves de la vida privada de los emperadores.
La parte histórica está muy bien documentada y me parece que de manera más imparcial que tendenciosa a alguna línea, lo cual se agradece enormemente hoy en día.
Los saltos en el tiempo mantienen la lectura entretenida. La introducción de los personajes anticipando sus destinos nos intriga saber como fueron los acontecimientos.
Las mujeres, o locas o brujas... no había salida digna. Asusta que aún en tiempos actuales aplique en varios sectores de la sociedad. Tiene tintes acordes al pensamiento feminista de una manera sutil y bastante elegante lo cual lo siento acertado por no caer en obviedades o sentirse forzado.
La novela me resulta un reconocimiento respetuoso al personaje histórico. Sobre todo de expiación de pecados cometidos hacia una mujer inteligente, fuerte, ambiciosa, con deseos desbordados, y a la vez sensible y empática con quienes la rodeaban, siempre siendo víctima de las circunstancias socio-políticas, y de su género, desde el punto de vista de aquellos tiempos. La penitencia y el perdón lo representa a la perfección el personaje ficticio de Constanza.
La parte histórica está muy bien documentada y me parece que de manera más imparcial que tendenciosa a alguna línea, lo cual se agradece enormemente hoy en día.
Los saltos en el tiempo mantienen la lectura entretenida. La introducción de los personajes anticipando sus destinos nos intriga saber como fueron los acontecimientos.
Las mujeres, o locas o brujas... no había salida digna. Asusta que aún en tiempos actuales aplique en varios sectores de la sociedad. Tiene tintes acordes al pensamiento feminista de una manera sutil y bastante elegante lo cual lo siento acertado por no caer en obviedades o sentirse forzado.
La novela me resulta un reconocimiento respetuoso al personaje histórico. Sobre todo de expiación de pecados cometidos hacia una mujer inteligente, fuerte, ambiciosa, con deseos desbordados, y a la vez sensible y empática con quienes la rodeaban, siempre siendo víctima de las circunstancias socio-políticas, y de su género, desde el punto de vista de aquellos tiempos. La penitencia y el perdón lo representa a la perfección el personaje ficticio de Constanza.
February 8, 2021
Desde hace mucho sabía de este libro pero no me llamaba mucho la atención porque "Noticias de un imperio" es uno de mis libros favoritos, gracias a dos buenos amigos decidí darle una oportunidad, se convirtió en uno de mis favoritos también. Laura logró una buena historia ficticia combinada con hechos históricos que no le pide nada a nadie, su Carlota es muy conmovedora. Tienen que leerlo.
Por cierto, vale la pena cada página, jamás decae el ritmo ni tampoco es aburrida.
Por cierto, vale la pena cada página, jamás decae el ritmo ni tampoco es aburrida.
December 5, 2021
Un libro lleno de intriga, amor y odio, nos plantea un escenario humano en donde las mujeres son protagonistas de grandes batallas, una imagen de lo que pudo haber pasado en realidad en los rincones de los castillos de Europa y México con historias entrelazadas que nos hacen reflexionar. Recomendado para quien gusta de la novela de ficción histórica y una buena forma de conocer este género si aun no lo has hecho
August 4, 2020
Existen sucesos que creemos ya conocemos por ser parte de nuestra historia, pero esta novela nos lleva no solo por la intrincada estadía de Maximiliano y Carlota en nuestro país como hecho histórico sino a todo aquello que significaba ser mexicano y los dilemas a los que se enfrentan un par de hermanos para contribuir a una patria independiente, aún cuando han de cuestionarse su propia integridad. El amor que siempre sería un bálsamo, un consuelo o la misma salvación aquí no intercede por nadie, pues al parecer lo único que le faltó a esta historia y a esta emperatriz fue AMOR.
December 1, 2020
The Empress by Laura Martinez-Bellí is so much more than a novel about one woman’s life; it is a time capsule to an entire era. Reading it, I could sense the vast wealth of primary sources that contributed to the rich detail of this story. So much of the novel is already written in the specifics of time, place, words, and events. Martinez-Bellí does a wonderful job of allowing the story to tell itself, helping it along with a modern lens and a narrative thread.
The author’s influence is most felt (and most appreciated) in the characters of Empress Carlota and her lady-of-honor Constanza Murrieta. This work shines as a feminist text.. Martinez-Bellí places the women’s desire to belong, to find one’s place and feel secure in it at the center of the narrative. She manages to write relatable internal conflict without obscuring challenges that women faced in the 19th century, especially highborn women with extra expectations of duty other than those of wife, mother, daughter. Carlota and Constanza are true to history and true to the female experience in any era.
The women of The Empress are so compelling that I found myself lamenting the stage time given to the men of the cast. Philippe Petit, a personal guard of the empress and a supposed lover of Carlota’s, has sections of the novel devoted to his own point of view. While the case can be made for why Philippe deserves to be a central character, I feel that the story would be more powerful without his narration, seeing him solely through the eyes of Carlota and Constanza. Victor Hugo, one of my favorite authors, makes several appearances throughout the novel as well, and though the fangirl in me was squealing, if I’m being honest with myself, his presence was a tangent in an already stellar narrative thread. Hugo himself would have been proud.
The Empress is a must read for American-educated readers of historical fiction. I have a better grasp of the Hapsburg dynasty from this one novel than from years of Western History and English-language media. Perhaps the perspective of an outsider, Mexico, is needed to really gage the scope of the tangled political web borne of 19th century European inbreeding. History buffs and lovers of intrigue alike will be fascinated by the woman at the center of Mexico’s Second Empire and her turbulent life story.
The author’s influence is most felt (and most appreciated) in the characters of Empress Carlota and her lady-of-honor Constanza Murrieta. This work shines as a feminist text.. Martinez-Bellí places the women’s desire to belong, to find one’s place and feel secure in it at the center of the narrative. She manages to write relatable internal conflict without obscuring challenges that women faced in the 19th century, especially highborn women with extra expectations of duty other than those of wife, mother, daughter. Carlota and Constanza are true to history and true to the female experience in any era.
The women of The Empress are so compelling that I found myself lamenting the stage time given to the men of the cast. Philippe Petit, a personal guard of the empress and a supposed lover of Carlota’s, has sections of the novel devoted to his own point of view. While the case can be made for why Philippe deserves to be a central character, I feel that the story would be more powerful without his narration, seeing him solely through the eyes of Carlota and Constanza. Victor Hugo, one of my favorite authors, makes several appearances throughout the novel as well, and though the fangirl in me was squealing, if I’m being honest with myself, his presence was a tangent in an already stellar narrative thread. Hugo himself would have been proud.
The Empress is a must read for American-educated readers of historical fiction. I have a better grasp of the Hapsburg dynasty from this one novel than from years of Western History and English-language media. Perhaps the perspective of an outsider, Mexico, is needed to really gage the scope of the tangled political web borne of 19th century European inbreeding. History buffs and lovers of intrigue alike will be fascinated by the woman at the center of Mexico’s Second Empire and her turbulent life story.
April 16, 2018
Laura Martínez Belli se consolida como una escritora de referencia en Hispanoamérica. “Carlota” es un gran libro donde se expone la perspectiva de Carlota como individuo y no necesariamente como apéndice de Maximiliano.
Altamente recomendable para quienes gustan de la Historia de México y de una buena novela histórica.
Altamente recomendable para quienes gustan de la Historia de México y de una buena novela histórica.
November 16, 2020
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.comThe Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli (translated by Simon Bruni) is a novel about the life of Empress Carlota, wife of Maximilian von Habsburg of Austria who was, for a sort time, installed by the French as Mexico’s Emperor. Ms. Martínez-Belli is a successful author who has been translated to several languages.
I knew almost nothing about Maximilian, Mexico’s emperor, and nothing at all about his wife Charlotte (Carlota), so I was looking forward to read this book. I also have a soft spot for books which have been translated, since my personal theory is that if they weren’t excellent no one would bother.
In 1863 Napoleon III appointed Maximilian as emperor to Mexico. Together with is wife, Charlotte, a Belgian princess, they embark to take the throne. Maximilian knows that he is being installed as a puppet of the French, with very little real power and devotes much of his time to his hobbies and affairs (with both men and women) neglecting his young wife who has been waiting, for years, to consummate their marriage. As it turned out, young Charlotte, Carlota, is a much more savvy ruler then her husband, putting her energy into running the country and keeping out with the political changes and turmoil at home and abroad.
The Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli (translated by Simon Bruni) is on the long side, but it’s a quick read (comparatively speaking). The story is filled with every kind of court intrigue which would make Machiavelli proud. There are secrets, innuendos, forbidden affairs, illegitimate children, and a whole lot of deception by almost everyone with a name.
The author’s descriptions of Mexico’s landscape, people, and food are fantastic and really play an integral part in the ability to enjoy the book (kudos to Mr. Bruni for the great translation). I really enjoyed reading about the land from the point of view of the newly arrived Europeans, as well as that of the natives.
The cast of characters in this novel is big, and sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of. Add that to the fact that the novel is not told in a chronological order, which sometimes works but could be confusing at times as well. Unfortunately the character of Empress Carlota gets lost in the shuffle here and there, before she is brought back to the forefront.
One of the more fascinating characters in the book is Lieutenant Colonel Van der Smissen, commander of the Belgian Foreign Legion which was raised by Carlota’s father, Belgian King Leopold I, to protect his daughter. The legions was made of young men, almost all with no military experience. One third of the force was killed almost upon arrival in Mexico. Sworn to protect the empress, Van der Smissen became her lover at some point.
The book mixes history and drama, of an imploding world of a young woman who is tough and born to lead. It’s an exciting and gripping dramatization of life in a gilded cage, but it manages never sinks to the “rich poor girl” cliché.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.comThe Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli (translated by Simon Bruni) is a novel about the life of Empress Carlota, wife of Maximilian von Habsburg of Austria who was, for a sort time, installed by the French as Mexico’s Emperor. Ms. Martínez-Belli is a successful author who has been translated to several languages.
I knew almost nothing about Maximilian, Mexico’s emperor, and nothing at all about his wife Charlotte (Carlota), so I was looking forward to read this book. I also have a soft spot for books which have been translated, since my personal theory is that if they weren’t excellent no one would bother.
In 1863 Napoleon III appointed Maximilian as emperor to Mexico. Together with is wife, Charlotte, a Belgian princess, they embark to take the throne. Maximilian knows that he is being installed as a puppet of the French, with very little real power and devotes much of his time to his hobbies and affairs (with both men and women) neglecting his young wife who has been waiting, for years, to consummate their marriage. As it turned out, young Charlotte, Carlota, is a much more savvy ruler then her husband, putting her energy into running the country and keeping out with the political changes and turmoil at home and abroad.
The Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli (translated by Simon Bruni) is on the long side, but it’s a quick read (comparatively speaking). The story is filled with every kind of court intrigue which would make Machiavelli proud. There are secrets, innuendos, forbidden affairs, illegitimate children, and a whole lot of deception by almost everyone with a name.
The author’s descriptions of Mexico’s landscape, people, and food are fantastic and really play an integral part in the ability to enjoy the book (kudos to Mr. Bruni for the great translation). I really enjoyed reading about the land from the point of view of the newly arrived Europeans, as well as that of the natives.
The cast of characters in this novel is big, and sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of. Add that to the fact that the novel is not told in a chronological order, which sometimes works but could be confusing at times as well. Unfortunately the character of Empress Carlota gets lost in the shuffle here and there, before she is brought back to the forefront.
One of the more fascinating characters in the book is Lieutenant Colonel Van der Smissen, commander of the Belgian Foreign Legion which was raised by Carlota’s father, Belgian King Leopold I, to protect his daughter. The legions was made of young men, almost all with no military experience. One third of the force was killed almost upon arrival in Mexico. Sworn to protect the empress, Van der Smissen became her lover at some point.
The book mixes history and drama, of an imploding world of a young woman who is tough and born to lead. It’s an exciting and gripping dramatization of life in a gilded cage, but it manages never sinks to the “rich poor girl” cliché.
January 9, 2021
This historical fiction novel of the very brief Mexican Empire and the Empress Carlota's life has multiple components which are often a recipe for disaster in my book (pun intended): a large cast of characters, characters with multiple names, and a non-linear chronology.
The Empress handles all of these deftly. I appreciated that each chapter not only listed the year and location, but the opening paragraphs set the stage subtly to ensure the reader knew which plot/time they were in. This is something that is often overlooked in non-linear books and I really appreciated how easy it made this one to read.
My main complaint was that the cast was simply too large to give each plot the attention it deserved.
There's a growing sense of tension throughout the book and while you want happy endings for many of the characters, you know that is impossible. I enjoyed the closure at the end, in spite of all that. I recommend this one to those who like historical fiction, romance, and espionage.
[warning: kinda graphic sex]
The Empress handles all of these deftly. I appreciated that each chapter not only listed the year and location, but the opening paragraphs set the stage subtly to ensure the reader knew which plot/time they were in. This is something that is often overlooked in non-linear books and I really appreciated how easy it made this one to read.
My main complaint was that the cast was simply too large to give each plot the attention it deserved.
There's a growing sense of tension throughout the book and while you want happy endings for many of the characters, you know that is impossible. I enjoyed the closure at the end, in spite of all that. I recommend this one to those who like historical fiction, romance, and espionage.
[warning: kinda graphic sex]
May 24, 2021
Me gustó mucho la redacción de Laura Beatriz Martínez-Belli, como mezcla la historia del segundo imperio de México con el romanticismo, como usa una línea delgada entre la realidad y la ficción que nos hace viajar en el tiempo y ponerle cara a estos maravillosos personajes que lejos de ser villanos, fueron víctimas de sus propias circunstancias.
Esta novela es una lectura recomendada para aquellos interesados en la novela histórica y más si buscan conocer un lado más humano de los estos personajes famosos de que forman parte de la historia de México.
Esta novela es una lectura recomendada para aquellos interesados en la novela histórica y más si buscan conocer un lado más humano de los estos personajes famosos de que forman parte de la historia de México.
September 2, 2020
Carlota. La emperatriz que enloqueció de amor. Laura Martínez-Belli.
Entender la figura histórica de María Carlota Amelia Augusta Victoria Clementina Leopoldina de Sajonia-Coburgo-Gotha y Orleans es complejo pues llegó a una nación dividida y fracturada socialmente . La autora narra a través de una investigación histórica lo que Carlota aportó a la nación mexicana así como su largo peregrinar en una vida en la que busco el amor y vivir con dignidad como Emperatriz. Tantas cosas se dicen alrededor de su persona y en esta novela histórica podemos conocer e imaginar cómo fue terminar sus días prisionera de los engaños de su mente .
Entender la figura histórica de María Carlota Amelia Augusta Victoria Clementina Leopoldina de Sajonia-Coburgo-Gotha y Orleans es complejo pues llegó a una nación dividida y fracturada socialmente . La autora narra a través de una investigación histórica lo que Carlota aportó a la nación mexicana así como su largo peregrinar en una vida en la que busco el amor y vivir con dignidad como Emperatriz. Tantas cosas se dicen alrededor de su persona y en esta novela histórica podemos conocer e imaginar cómo fue terminar sus días prisionera de los engaños de su mente .
August 11, 2020
Me encantó conocer más detalles sobre la vida de Carlota. La autora reconstruye la historia con detalles entrañables, dolorosos e incluso divertidos. Una visión de la emperatriz, pero sobre todo de la mujer.
August 10, 2020
Laura Martínez Belli hace un excelente trabajo mostrando a una mujer que no es lo suficientemente reconocida en la historia de México. Le da voz, la muestra con todos sus altibajos. Una historia cruda y a la vez fascinante. Lo disfruté de principio a fin y conocí mucho acerca de la otra versión de una historia que normalmente se esconde
April 10, 2020
I am a huge fan of historical fiction so I was excited to read this one and it definitely didn't disappoint. The Empress is a sweeping historical fiction based on the life of Carlota, The Empress of Mexico.
Through this novel we we learn the history of Princess Charlotte of Belgium who marry's Maximilian von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria.at just 17 and how she becomes Carlota, The Empress.
Napolean III wants to instil a Monarchy in Mexico after taking control of the country and Maximilian is pushed to take up this post. Charlotte is struggling in a loveless marriage and feeling isolated and frustrated and she believes the move to Mexico will be the the fresh start for herself and her husband. With the ambitious Charlotte's encouragement, Maximilian and Charlotte embark on the voyage to Mexico and are placed on the throne. They would now be known as Maximilian and Carlota, Emperor and Empress of Mexico.
Life in Mexico becomes a constant frustration for Carlota. Her husband is constantly away dealing with trivial matters and rumours swirl that she is unable to bare children while her husband seems to prefer the company of men.
Unrest is swirling around them and Napolean III refuses to hear Carlota's pleas for help, as it is she who is fighting to keep the monarchy alive in Mexico and trying to do what she believes is right for the Mexican people.
What follows is a tragic story of betrayal by those closed to the Empress. We feel this amazingly strong and resilient woman lose her grip on reality as those around her seek to destroy her and all that she holds dear.
The author does a spectacular job of entwining historical facts and timelines into the story and whilst at times I got a little confused by so many different characters appearing throughout the story, this was more from my own lack of knowledge of this period in time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has left me wanting to learn more about The Empress Carlota and her life.
Through this novel we we learn the history of Princess Charlotte of Belgium who marry's Maximilian von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria.at just 17 and how she becomes Carlota, The Empress.
Napolean III wants to instil a Monarchy in Mexico after taking control of the country and Maximilian is pushed to take up this post. Charlotte is struggling in a loveless marriage and feeling isolated and frustrated and she believes the move to Mexico will be the the fresh start for herself and her husband. With the ambitious Charlotte's encouragement, Maximilian and Charlotte embark on the voyage to Mexico and are placed on the throne. They would now be known as Maximilian and Carlota, Emperor and Empress of Mexico.
Life in Mexico becomes a constant frustration for Carlota. Her husband is constantly away dealing with trivial matters and rumours swirl that she is unable to bare children while her husband seems to prefer the company of men.
Unrest is swirling around them and Napolean III refuses to hear Carlota's pleas for help, as it is she who is fighting to keep the monarchy alive in Mexico and trying to do what she believes is right for the Mexican people.
What follows is a tragic story of betrayal by those closed to the Empress. We feel this amazingly strong and resilient woman lose her grip on reality as those around her seek to destroy her and all that she holds dear.
The author does a spectacular job of entwining historical facts and timelines into the story and whilst at times I got a little confused by so many different characters appearing throughout the story, this was more from my own lack of knowledge of this period in time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has left me wanting to learn more about The Empress Carlota and her life.
April 16, 2020
The Empress begins with a list of characters and places that will be mentioned throughout the novel. I found this informative and a great reference point, as throughout reading I did have turn back to remember which character was which and so on.
The foundations of Charlotte/Carlota’s life and displeasure of her marriage are laid early on and you instantly begin to feel for for this young woman who is married into a world unlike what she expected.
The timelines of this novel jump significantly but all end up tying together - unlike traditional novels where a timeline flows from start to finish.
Throughout The Empress there are in-depth perceptions of the women of the time, and their views surrounding Mexican and European politics and their everyday lives. One quote I highlighted was “A women wears many disguises, dear, to defend an idea. To survive. Mine is that of a self-sacrificing wife. There are nun, there are prostitutes, but we all choose what we want to be under the mask.”
What I liked most about this novel was how the author managed to really show the reader how the characters were feeling. You can tell that both Carlota and Maximilian show an eagerness to rule and have ambition, but Carlota’s is much more clear. You can understand the love that Carlota has for her Mexico, the excitement that the young couple has for their own court, their own empire - far from everyone else.
You can tell what Mexico looked like to a newcomer from distant lands and the beginning of Carlota’s madness.
Though I did find some explanations of character’s backgrounds unnecessary to the novel, I found myself researching further into Carlota and Max’s family and their short lived reign.
It speaks to me as historically accurate where needed and mixing a taste of fiction too.
Highly recommended.
The foundations of Charlotte/Carlota’s life and displeasure of her marriage are laid early on and you instantly begin to feel for for this young woman who is married into a world unlike what she expected.
The timelines of this novel jump significantly but all end up tying together - unlike traditional novels where a timeline flows from start to finish.
Throughout The Empress there are in-depth perceptions of the women of the time, and their views surrounding Mexican and European politics and their everyday lives. One quote I highlighted was “A women wears many disguises, dear, to defend an idea. To survive. Mine is that of a self-sacrificing wife. There are nun, there are prostitutes, but we all choose what we want to be under the mask.”
What I liked most about this novel was how the author managed to really show the reader how the characters were feeling. You can tell that both Carlota and Maximilian show an eagerness to rule and have ambition, but Carlota’s is much more clear. You can understand the love that Carlota has for her Mexico, the excitement that the young couple has for their own court, their own empire - far from everyone else.
You can tell what Mexico looked like to a newcomer from distant lands and the beginning of Carlota’s madness.
Though I did find some explanations of character’s backgrounds unnecessary to the novel, I found myself researching further into Carlota and Max’s family and their short lived reign.
It speaks to me as historically accurate where needed and mixing a taste of fiction too.
Highly recommended.
May 1, 2020
Empress, a work of historical fiction, concerning Mexico and the second empire. The rulers of this empire was Maximillian an Archduke of Austria and a brother of the Emperor of Austria and Charlotte a princess of Belgium and cousin of Queen Victoria. Maximillian and Charlotte were invited by the French Emperor Napoleon III and the conservative party in Mexico to engage in a bit of empire building in the Americas and establish the second empire in Mexico. By doing this Max and Charlotte would become Emperor and Empress of Mexico and by extension lead busier and more fulfilling lives which up until then had been pretty aimless and boring. Çharlotte, trapped in a dynastic and lifeless marriage, really came into her own in Mexico, finding her strengths and her voice. I enjoyed her development in this novel. This book has a full cast of charecters, some historical and some not, that support Max and Charlotte on their ill fated adventure and make for very good reading. I liked that the book concentrated on Charlotte and did not have too many characters as many historical novels do, trying to mention everyone involved plus a few made up ones, making it almost impossible to keep straight who is who unless you are already familiar with the history which I was not. I also liked the way the author mentioned What else was going on in the world at the time to orient to the time these events were taking place. What I did not like we're the flashbacks in time which I am not a fan of as I much prefer a straight forward story. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. The book captured my imagination and I read it in about two days. This book also has a bibliography if you wish to read more about Maximillian and Charlotte.
November 22, 2020
I have never liked abandoning books. However, as I get older, I am hardening my heart. There are so many books to read, which I'm sure I'll enjoy, that I don't want to waste my time on ones that I don't. This is one of the ones I have abandoned.
I am regularly disappointed by Amazon First books but I keep trying. I chose this one as at least it tackled something I know little about - the Mexican Empire.
There is a great deal of pre-reading at the start, introducing both the characters and the places. Even after that, it had a a reportage style, except a somewhat anomalous sex scene. Introduced to the title character, Charlotte, the empress, I found that I couldn't care about her or her fate.
The beginning of the book dots around in time, backwards and forwards, which I'm used to especially from genealogical detective books, but it seemed random and pointless. In the process, the reader is introduced to lots of different people - a poor boy from a poor family, left to fend for themselves after their parents died - so many cliches they are falling over one another. But not a single character seems alive and real. There are no little details that make the scenes come alive.
On the plus side, I have learnt something about the Mexican Empire. However, I think I’d have done better reading a series of Wikipedia pages - they have more insights and personal stories than this novel has!
I am regularly disappointed by Amazon First books but I keep trying. I chose this one as at least it tackled something I know little about - the Mexican Empire.
There is a great deal of pre-reading at the start, introducing both the characters and the places. Even after that, it had a a reportage style, except a somewhat anomalous sex scene. Introduced to the title character, Charlotte, the empress, I found that I couldn't care about her or her fate.
The beginning of the book dots around in time, backwards and forwards, which I'm used to especially from genealogical detective books, but it seemed random and pointless. In the process, the reader is introduced to lots of different people - a poor boy from a poor family, left to fend for themselves after their parents died - so many cliches they are falling over one another. But not a single character seems alive and real. There are no little details that make the scenes come alive.
On the plus side, I have learnt something about the Mexican Empire. However, I think I’d have done better reading a series of Wikipedia pages - they have more insights and personal stories than this novel has!
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