La collana della regina

The Marie Antoinette Romances #3

by Alexandre Dumas, Marco Bellini (Translator)

La collana della regina narra la storia dello scandalo della collana che coinvolse Maria Antonietta qualche anno prima dello scoppio della Rivoluzione,contribuendo a inimicarle le simpatie dei francesi. Ma, come ogni romanzo storico che si rispetti, Dumas aggiunge al vero una buona dose di verosimile. Verosimile è anche il personaggio di Maria Antonietta, ritratta dall'autore come una donna ingenua e innocente, circondata da nemici. In fondo, La collana della regina è una grande storia d'amore, che coinvolge personaggi reali e fittizi. Il tutto ambientato in una plumbea Parigi di fine inverno, fra cumuli di neve per le strade, i sentori della primavera e la percezione della catastrofe a venire, di cui si fa antesignano il conte di Cagliostro.

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, French Literature, France, Historical, Literature

738 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1849

About the author

This note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.

Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso

Reviews

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Marie-Antoinette could never get catch a break. All she wanted was to be the people's queen (like pour old Princess Diana) and she gets rolled in the flour as we say in French. Dumas does a great job in building the suspense (even if it was probably primarily written by ghost writers) and it is a real page turner. Would make a fantastic Netflix
Mini-series unless that has already happened and I missed it. A highly entertaining book!

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 4 out of 5]

EL COLLAR DE LA REINA de Alejandro Dumas

"Así nacen a veces, viven y mueren, en el espacio de unos momentos, las más suaves, las más reales, las más ardientes pasiones. Tienen encanto porque son efímeras; tienen fuerza porque son reprimidas."

Bueno, me gustó más esta segunda parte de la Serie sobre la Revolución Francesa que la primera. Me tiene un poco perplejo por qué. En la primera hay personajes muy interesantes y el efecto "sorpresa" es mayor. Está Rousseau, Bálsamo quien extiende toda su malicia y poder y desde luego los personajes principales que ahora para nada lo son tanto. Ahora Bálsamo llamado conde de Cagliostro parece por lo menos que ha perdido gran parte de su poder y no parece ser tan decisivo, lo cual no es algo que me moleste en realidad (pues lo odiaba en la primera parte) pero hace que pierda el hilo con la influencia tan imponente que tenía en la primera parte y como que por ese lado las cosas se caen. Debo admitir que lo que más me ha gustado son las relaciones románticas que hay en el libro, siempre he pensado que una novela sin amor no es lo mismo, ahora he cambiado un poco pero este libro me lo ha hecho recordar.
La acción empieza con la descripción del nuevo estado de los hermanos Taverney. Andrea esta al servicio nuevamente de María Antonieta aunque creo que nunca se explica bien cómo y Felipe vuelve de una gloriosa expedición a Estados Unidos donde junto con otros soldados franceses ayudaron en la Independencia frente a Inglaterra. Desde luego vemos la evolución de ambos hermanos y sobre todo este libro ya está más centrado en las intrigas de la corte donde el Cardenal de Rohan será implicado en un terrible escándalo por su gran deseo de agradar a la reina María Antonieta quien le tiene inquina desde el libro anterior. Este asunto del collar hecho histórico y real es un ejemplo de que "la realidad supera a al ficción" y novelada todavía aún más aunque debo decir que el cambio que Dumas hizo a muchos acontecimientos a mi parecer esta vez fue un poco "menos creíble" e incluso le bajó un poco a la tensión que pudo haber tenido. Sin embargo, qué bien está pintado todo el teje y maneje y sobre todo esos momentos de terrible angustia y verguenza que sólo pocos han sentido alguna vez en la vida cuando se tiene la traición que conlleva al escándalo. La reina y otros personajes pasan por estos momentos que vaya, realmente pasaron muchos, resumidos en la frase de María Antonieta tan bien:
"¿Estoy bien despierta? ¿Es a mí a quien le están ocurriendo todos estos contratiempos?"
Vaya, con cada libro de Dumas descubro algo nuevo, un recurso nuevo, me parece que como menciono muchos temas "mejor tratados" por escritores franceses posteriores o incluso realistas tienen bocetos aquí en Dumas y cada obra es un boceto difícilmente comparable entre ellos.
El "asunto del collar" hecho que escandalizó a la aristocracia francesa y que involucró a la Reina y a otros aristócratas fue según Napoleón la causa de la Revolución Francesa, pero como menciono Cagliostro aquí no parece tan decisivo lo que le quita bastante de coherencia a esta serie. María Antonieta es una de los personajes mejor tratados y realmente me dejó una muy buena impresión, claro parece ser que está bastante moldeada al estilo romántico, pero atrapa bastante. Su inexperiencia, su nobleza y sus angustias amorosas son bastante logradas. Ha sido eso de mis partes favoritas. Mientras los hermanos pierden bastante protagonismo debo decir que Andrea de Taverney está bastante bien descrita e incluso juzgada por la reina y por el propio autor, ella pasa por mucho más (si el libro anterior no bastaba) y su orgullo y conducta también la hacen un gran personaje a pesar de todo.
Nuevamente y con todo el escándalo del collar al final aparece un guiño a lo que será la Revolución Francesa, espero que no decepcione las continuaciones.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 stars

Balsamo is back and, after a hiatus of 10 years and the adoption of a new identity (le Comte de Cagliostro), he is ready to begin anew his efforts at bringing down the throne of France. The action centres around Marie Antoinette (painted quite positively by Dumas) and the infamous affair of the diamond necklace. This tangled intrigue revolves around the fabulous necklace, worth 1.5 million francs according to Dumas, and the varied attempts by different intriguers to ensure that the queen was presented with it as a sign of love. The court, apparently already suffering under the dual weight of an embarrassing lack of funds and rumours of the queen's infidelity spread by her many enemies, can little withstand a blow in both quarters. From here Dumas weaves various threads and intrigues with his usual aplomb as his varied cast of characters are drawn inexoribly towards their ultimate ends.

Dumas seems to have had a things for cardinals, queens and romantic cavaliers...though in this volume they are handled very differently than in some of the other places we've seen them used. We again see our old friends the Taverneys (the wonderfully venal old Baron de Taverney, the angelic and somewhat stiff Andrée, and the heroically romantic Philippe) and a short introduction reintroduces the charmingly dissolute Duke de Richelieu (sadly underutilized in this book). Added to the cast are the impoverished and ambitious adventuress the Countess de la Motte Valois, the lovestruck and somewhat befuddled Cardinal de Rohan, and the also heroically romantic Count de Charny (soon to be rival of our old friend Philippe). The last, and perhaps most important character (at least to the intrigues Dumas developes) is Olivia (formerly Nicole when she was the servant of the Taverneys and lover of Gilbert) who bears a striking resemblance to the queen. Got that straight? Good.

It's great to see Dumas once again in full command of his intricate plot and never really losing any of the strings. The characters are well-drawn and the action fast-paced as always. While not anywhere near the perfection of The Count of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers this is an enjoyable read and I truly enjoyed being able to feel for characters on both sides of the plot. Marie Antoinette is quite positively painted (as is Louis XVI whose only great flaw seems to be a lack of backbone) and yet Dumas allows us to see glimpses of her weakness, pride and selfishness that will utlimately lead to her downfall. The Cardinal could have been painted as a pure villain, or complete dupe, but manages to be sympathetic and seen as a victim of circumstances beyond his control. The Countess de la Motte is probably the most one-note character and doesn't manage to approach the sublime heights of villainy and attraction of Milady, but she fulfills her role.

All in all a very fun read that sets things up for the inevitable fall to come. Recommended for fans of Dumas.

[عبدالله ناصر · Rating 5 out of 5]

أن لا تشعر بالملل خلال مايزيد عن الألف صفحة ، لا شك أن هذا العمل عظيم.
لا شك أيضاً أنه على شيء من المتعة و التشويق فلم أشأ أن أغامر في قراءة عمل ملحمي و ضخم قبل أن أكون في تمام جاهزيتي . قراءة الأعمال الكبيرة تحتاج إلى عزم و جدية و لهذا تناولته لمجرد قراءة المقدمة فإذا بي أصل للصفحة 100 دون أن أشعر. الكسندر ينتمي إلى الحقبة الكلاسيكية الرومانسية و لقد عمل في البلاط الملكي و هو يتحدر من أصول نبيلة و لذا نجد أن أبطاله دائماً من الطبقات البرجوازية و الرواية بالمناسبة لا تدين ماري انطوانيت و هي بالمناسبة الملكة المعنيّة و التي عرف عنها اللهو وعدم الانصياع لكل ما هو جاد و الرواية تتحدث عن بذخ البلاط و الإسراف الذي لانهاية له حيث يدور العمل حول عقد الملكة الذي صيغ من أجلها بمليون و نصف ليرة و بما أن الخزينة الفرنسية تشكو الهزال كما هو الحال بالنسبة لباريس و ضواحيها تتنازل في لحظة نبل عن هذا العقد و الذي ينجو من عملية احتيال ماكرة ثم يدفع أحد مهووسي الملكة لبيع كل ما يملك من أجله و الحكاية كانت قد بدأت في وليمة أعدّها أحد الارستقراطيين في حضرة كاهن يعرف عن كثب كيف ستكون نهاية كل ضيف من الضيوف - مثيرة هاه ؟ - هنا قررت أن لا أتوقف عن القراءة لالكسندر دوما الأب و هو بالمناسبة لو أردت أن أشبهه موسيقياً لما وجدت سوى قالب الليغرو و الذي بيدو مرحاً و سريعاً على الدوام و يحتل مقدمة كل سيمفونية غير أنه لا يتوقف عن الإيقاع السريع و اللاهث و لا يمكنك عزيزي القاريء إلا أن تجاريه.

إذا شاهدته شاخصاً أمامك على أحد رفوف المكتبات فلا تتجاوزه.

[Eva Müller · Rating 4 out of 5]

First it should be noted that this is the second book in a series (Memoirs of a Physician/The Marie Antoinette Romances) and it's certainly a good idea to read them in order. You don't have to as each contains a separate story but there is the occasional allusion to events from the past book that can be confusing.

Shortly before I read this one I read a non-fiction on the diamond necklace affair (How to Ruin a Queen: Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Affair. Highly recommendable by the way) and I am not sure if it was a good idea. It's definitely not necessary to know the true story to understand the book as it's not accurate at all. (Which I assume is down to a combination of Dumas not knowing all the facts and not caring about those he knew). So all it did for me was having me go 'But that's not how it happened' every few pages. It is interesting to compare fact and fiction but if I had the choice again I might do it the other way round.

The book itself has many of the things you expect from Dumas. There is lots of falling in love on first sight (basically everybody does so with the Queen...), many intertwined side-plots (soap-operas have nothing on him) and perhaps a few more coincidences than are believeable. However, especially compared to The Three Musketeers it's a lot darker. Understandably so as the diamond necklace affair is by many considered to be the first step to the revolution that cost Marie Antoinette and Louis their lives. This impending doom is an almost constant presence in the book. Even though Dumas' Marie Antoinette of course knows about this as little as the real one, she is aware that the affair will have wider consequences. Marie Antoinette has more depth and feels more like a real character than Anne ever did in The Three Musketeers or Ten Years After (to be fair she wasn't a main-character in either).
This book isn't a swasbuckling adventure and also nothing like The Count of Monte Cristo (except perhaps for the number of sideplots...why did we even need the fake Portugese thieves?) but it's still an entertaining read (that could have been a bit shorter).

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two somewhat intertwining plot lines in this. There is the story of the necklace, of course, but there is also a story of the mistaken identity of Marie Antoinette. The look alike had a small part to play in the earlier installment of the series, Joseph Balsamo. In fact, many of the characters in this had larger or smaller parts to play in the first volume of the series.

With Dumas, you don't get much characterization. But even in this, the presentation of his plot is thin and I was left wanting. In particular, he seemed to rush through presenting the intrigues of the ownership of the necklace. Or maybe my attention wandered, which is possible. Others have said this was ghost-written and perhaps the fault lies at the feet of another than Dumas.

I thought Balsamo better, though even it had faults. This is just 3-stars from me. Still, should I find myself with opportunity, I'd be happy to read the others of the series.

[Laurelas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romanesque épisode du règne de Marie-Antoinette (l'intrigue se base sur des faits réels), dont la tragique fin plane tout au long du récit, Le Collier de la Reine est un roman dense, parfois trop, mais toujours riche en rebondissements et aventures.

Il fait partie d'une série de livres où Joseph Balsamo/le Comte de Cagliostro tient une place particulière dans le déroulement de l'histoire, et ça m'a presque donné envie de lire la suite. Peut-être plus tard...

J'ai particulièrement aimé le fait que l'intrigue soit si proche de l'Histoire réelle tout comme j'ai aimé le romanesque de la plume de Dumas - à découvrir pour les férus du genre !

[monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe even 4.5;

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mediocre translation or was Dumas having a bad-book day? Inquiring minds want to know, although I'm going to lean towards the former. The Queen's Necklace begins ten years after the close of Memoirs of a Physician, as France recovers from the grips of a deadly winter and Marie Antoinette takes pity on Jeanne de Valois who claims to be descended from the Valois side of the monarchy, albeit from the wrong side of the blanket. Jeanne soon takes up with Cardinal de Rohan who in an effort to ingratiate himself at court offers the stunning necklace originally intended as a gift for the infamous Madame du Barry to the Queen. Thus begins Dumas' take on the well known "Affair of the Diamond Necklace" which scandalized France and further degraded public opinion of the monarchy.

Dumas brings characters from the first two books into this story, as the mysterious Balsamo reappears under the new name of Count Cagliostro, Andrée resides at court in service to Marie and falls in love with the Count de Charny (who loves the Queen) and Philip (called Philippe in this book) returns from America and also finds himself madly in love with the Queen. Andrée's former servant Nicole (who bears a striking resemblance to the Queen) now goes by the name of Oliva and is drawn into Jeane's schemes as she masquerades as the Queen setting off further scandals, and eventually Marie and de Charny are caught in a compromising position which leads to a drastic ploy by Marie to save both herself and de Charny. Will this ploy fulfill the secret desire of our heroine Andrée, or does a twist of fate forever change her happiness to great sorrow? I'll never tell, but that was one heck of a plot twist!

Unfortunately, what should have been a ripping good read was ruined by a dreadful translation. I've read many works of Dumas and his storylines always move quickly with plentiful action and sparkling dialogue and displays the foibles and machinations of the French Monarchy to perfection. This book was stilted, slow paced with some of the most un-Dumas like dialogue I've ever come across. Worse yet, since most chapters were 3-4 pages long (this from an author who was paid by the word!!??) and from comparing the page count of this version (329) to that of another (432) I'm guessing quite a bit of the story was left out, and frankly I would have bailed on the book except for the fact that I intend to read the rest of the series and didn't want to lose the story. The first two in the series of six I've read were much older publications, published in the early 1900's by P.F. Collier and Son. If you are interested in reading the entire series I recommend you check your library and/or shop the online used sellers for one of those copies. Next up in the series, Taking the Bastile.

[لونا · Rating 4 out of 5]

يبقى لأغلب الكلاسيكيات سحر خاص يصعب تفسيره فتبقى صامدة عبر التاريخ لا تبارح قائمة الروائع؛ فبقدر كرهي لجميع شخوص هذه الرواية، أحببت الرواية


جميل هو ذلك الشعور الذي تمنحه لنا القراءة بكوننا نقترب لنشاهد جنون ومجون ومعاناة وتهريج و.. و..إلخ مجموعة من البشر دون أن يصيبنا شيء من ذلك سوى المتعة الخالصة


رواية لطيفة خفيفة بغض النظر عن طولها تصلح للترويح عن النفس بعد فترة من القراءات الدسمة

[Jenifaël · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lecture plaisante, mais j'aurais souhaité réussir à m'investir davantage dans le récit.

✅ Les points que j'ai aimés :
- Le style d'écriture✒️ : je trouve qu'on retrouve dans les textes de Dumas quelque chose de vivant et captivant. J'apprécie notamment les dialogues où les protagonistes parlent sans vraiment réussir à se comprendre.
- L'intrigue👑 : j'apprécie toujours les situations alambiquées dans lesquelles l'auteur parvient à mettre ses personnages, parfois dramatiques et parfois comiques, mêlant les tourments amoureux et les manigances politiques.

❌ Les points qui m'ont gênés :
- Les personnages👥 : je ne saurais exactement expliquer pourquoi, mais je n'ai pas réussi à m'attacher aux personnages de ce roman, j'ai eu l'impression qu'ils étaient comme inaccessibles. Peut-être est-ce du au fait que c'est un 2ème tome et que je n'ai pas lu le 1er ?😬
- Le rythme〽️ : bien que l'histoire soit intéressante, j'ai trouvé que le tout traînait un peu inutilement en longueur. J'aurais aimé que l'intrigue avance plus rapidement, surtout que l'on sait où elle mène dès le début. Même si je ne me suis pas réellement ennuyée, j'aurais apprécié un rythme plus soutenu.

[Chris Purser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book very interesting story which is set to continue in the next two/three volumes.

[Nicholas Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

More focused than the earlier Antoinette romances, but a lot of that has to do with the amount of legwork performed by Joseph Balsamo and Memoirs of Physician in setting up the story. Plot elements that had held promise from early on in the series and then seemingly forgotten finally paid off handsomely; we're also introduced to Count de Charny, a pivotal character whose influence we only get a taste of here.

On to Ange Pitou and liberté, égalité, fraternité!

[Adi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Queen's Necklace" by Alexandre Dumas is an epic tale of love and hatred, betrayal and courage. It's a thrilling mystery about a missing diamond necklace, an accused queen and a daring manipulator. But it is also a tale of the rising discontent among the French rabble, quietly waiting in the background for their time to come.
I would say that it is possible to read this book as a stand-alone novel, as there are some notes explaining who these characters are. However, for a better understanding of the plot and the characters' dynamic, it is strongly recommended to start first with Joseph Balsamo
Finally, as a personal note, I am really looking forward to the moment when Andrée finds her happiness. She deserves it...

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Dumas, the little-read "Le Collier de la Reine" (The Queen's Necklace) is a prime example of Dumas-style adventure. One of the things I love about it the most is the unusually sensitive portrayal of the French royal family just before the Revolution. A great book to read before diving into the "Chevalier de Mason-Rouge" (The Knight of Mason-Rouge), but somewhat difficult to find in print.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oggi sono qui per parlarvi di un'altra bellissima opera arrivata nelle nostre librerie.
Come sapete sono una grande amante del genere, quindi potevo mai farmelo scappare?
Assolutamente no.
Questo volume è il secondo del Ciclo di Maria Antonietta scritto da Alexandre Dumas.
　
A seguire vi sono i volumi:
- Ange Pitou
- La contessa di Charny
- Il cavaliere di Maison-Rouge.
　
Chi come me è cresciuto con l'anime di Lady Oscar, avrà sentito parlare dello Scandalo della Collana sin da prima di studiare la storia della rivoluzione Francese, ed è proprio di questo scandalo che è protagonista il secondo volume della serie di Dumas dedicata alla storia di Francia.
Lo scandalo della collana sconvolse Maria Antonietta proprio qualche anno prima dello scoppio della Rivoluzione, inimicandola definitivamente agli occhi dei francesi.
Ovviamente anche stavolta insieme alla storia, Dumas mette nella narrazione una buona dose di verosimile, compreso il tratto caratteriale della Delfina di Francia, troppo ingenua e innocente.
　
" Scegliete in mezzo a voi l'anima superiore ma superiore per l'amore, la carità,la potente volontà di amare e rendere felici gli altri;poi quando quest'anima, fattasi uomo , si sarà rivelata,inchinatevi,umiliatevi, prosternatevi voi tutte, anime inferiori, al fin di lasciare spazio alla dittatura di quest'anima, che ha missione di riabilitarvi nel vostro principio essenziale, ossia nell'eguaglianza del dolore, in mezzo all' inevitabile diversità delle attitudini e delle funzioni."
　
Dumas si riconferma una delle mie penne preferite e anche questo romanzo mi ha tenuta incollata alle pagine nonostante la sua intensità e spessore.
Inoltre questa nuova edizione è così bella, flessibile con sovracoperta e illustrazioni, che la rende in assoluto la versione più bella di tutte, assolutamente imperdibile!

[Enthusiastic Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dans les premières 300 pages de ce roman, on découvre les intrigues de la cour de Louis XVI et de Marie-Antoinette, la naïveté du Cardinal de Rohan, l’aigreur de Jeanne de la Motte et de ses complices et un certain nombre de personnages de second plan comme les Taverny ou encore Charny. J’ai trouvé le reste du roman un peu ennuyeux et trainant, surtout parce que je connaissais déjà la fin historique et que les intrigues secondaires ont prit trop d’ampleur à mon goût. J’ai trouvé que la romance entre Charny et la reine était une histoire en trop, ainsi que son mariage avec Andrée de Taverney (pour oublier l’événement où elle est envoyée en prison malgré elle parce qu’on a cru qu’elle faisait partie du scandal).

Ceci dit, j’ai apprécié ce récit romancé du scandale du collier de la reine, et je trouve qu’il montre la façon dont laquelle les rumeurs peuvent détruire un honneur très rapidement à la cour du roi et dans les cercles nobles de l’époque. Même si Marie-Antoinette n’y était pour rien dans cette affaire, Jeanne de la Motte a très bien réussi à salir son image en la faisant passer pour une femme sans idée de la valeur de l’argent alors que son peuple mourait de faim.

Jeanne de la Motte qui a en elle une folle envie de se venger a été glorifiée par le peuple, même si elle était du mauvais côté de cette affaire.

Ce qui m’a le plus fait réfléchir au final c’est à quel point le procès de ce pauvre cardinal de Rohan (qui pensait entretenir une relation amoureuse avec la reine et qui lui a donc acheté le collier à Jeanne) a en fait eu beaucoup de chance. Lors de la révolution française il a été épargné de persécution et d’exécution dû au fait qu’il avait été accusé par la reine d’avoir tout manigancé. C’est vraiment une histoire qui lui aura sauvé la vie et qui aura été un bien beaucoup plus qu’un mal.

[Encarni Prados · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un libro que, aunque me ha gustado, se me ha hecho bastante largo. La historia, las intrigas palaciegas, el afán de destacar, el favor de la reina, todo esto hace de la novela un cóctel muy bien mezclado. Pero como he dicho antes, me ha parecido un libro de mil páginas. No se si recomendarlo o no. Haced lo que os de la gana, ja,ja,ja.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Dumas. He's such a great story teller.

[HALIMA Elyoussoufi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Je ne sais que dire de ce roman. Je dirais simplement que j'ai aimé le style mais que je me suis sentie perdue et ennuyé tant les intrigues étaient nombreuse et emmêlées.

[Gloria Tulwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un quiproquo de 900 pages ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[David Trawinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your classic “How much trouble can Marie Antoinette get into when her enemies get their hands on a lookalike” plot. Not Dumas’ best work, but still enjoyable.

[Grabarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

Jeanne de la Motte and Olivia were gay asf

[Yeda Salomão]

A única versão que encontro desse livro em PT é essa, que é condensada. Triste, pois a história é cheia de reviravoltas e personagens interessantes e a ideia me lembrou(um pouquinho inho) O Conde de Monte Cristo. Mas essa redução, esse resumo… tirou todo o brilho da narrativa prolongada e genial de Dumas. Não dei nem nota pois não acho que li 1% da história real. A condensação não foi bem feita também, ficou desconexa em muitos pontos. Estou triste porque eu SEI que o livro é bom e não vejo a hora de ter uma versão completa.

[Ladiibbug · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 Marie Antoinette Romances - Historical Fiction

Based on real life events, a blend of history and fiction, "fast paced adventure tales, entangled, melodramatic and not actually faithful to historical facts" (back cover). Joseph Balsamo, sorcerer, reappears ten years after the events in book 1 as Cagliostra. The dauphin has become King Louis XVI of France, his wife is now Queen Marie Antoinette.

A brutally cold, prolonged winter has left the poor people of France with no wood for fires, and no food. They are desperate and dying, while the King and Queen and the nobles spend lavishly, with little money given to the poor to provide wood or food.

Resentment and hatred toward the Queen grows stronger, as tales of her various lovers and extravagances spread amid their suffering.

I wasn't sure how much of this book was based in fact, so I researched to find that there was indeed a spectacular diamond necklace the King presented to the Queen. There were also exceptionally tangled plots involving the Queen and her many enemies at court, intended to further discredit the widely disliked Queen.

After I finish this series, I plan to read a non-fiction history of France covering this same era. I know little of France's history, and in 2016 would like to dig deeper.

[Czarny Pies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce roman a pour sujet l'affaire du Collier de la Reine qui a duré secoué la dynastie Bourbon.

Le collier est le deuxiéme tome de la série "Mémoires d'un médecin" qu'Umberto Eco considére une oeuvre majeure de la litterature francaise. Eco s'intéresse beaucoup aux mensonges politiques et aux theories du complot. D'apres Eco Dumas a été un trés grand talent de ce genre scabreux. Dans "Le collier de la reine" tous les personnages historiques deviennent des marionettes controlees par le sorcier immortel le comte de Cagliostro qui desire miner l'image publique de la dynastie Bourbon afin de faire éclater la revolution francaise.

Les prémises de ce roman sont absurdes au point on se demande s'il faut le lire.

Je vous conseille de lire le pendule de Foucault avant de lire ce roman qui est bien écrit mais qui semble manquer de pertinence au 21e siècle sans le concours des theories du grand sémioticien italien.

[Verónica Calvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dumas nos sumerge en las intrigas palaciegas del siglo XVII y en cómo se urdió el robo del collar, por parte de Madame de la Motte, que fue ofrecido a María Antonieta y que rechazó.
Personajes que conspiran, otros que tratan de ganar favores, ambición, planes elaborados y sentimientos a flor de piel.

La lectura a veces se me ha hecho tediosa, pero en general me ha entretenido e interesado.
Esos pasajes tediosos son necesarios para desarrollar la trama y conocer personajes o situarnos en la acción que ha de venir, o en el pasado de hechos.

[Joleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love old English period book plots. That being said, I read about 100 pages of the Queens Necklace and wondered if it was ever going anywhere. I couldn't take it anymore, I deleted it. If anyone else has read it and finds it finally had a plot and an actual culmination, please let me know. Reluctantly I may try to pick it back up again... but there are too many other good things to read!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free download in French available at Project Gutenberg - Vol. I.

Free download in French available at Project Gutenberg - Vol II.

[Cassandra Dexter Colby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casi cuatro estrellas, más pistos amorosos e históricos que en la anterior y un final para seguir leyendo. Desde luego que Dumas supo meter a sus personajes ficticios en la trama real del collar de la Reina muy bien, ya desde la otra novela.