Antonia Fraser follows Marie-Antoinette from her birth in Vienna in 1755, as the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, through her arranged marriage to the future Louis XVI, her years at Versailles, her spending and her friendships, to the Revolution and her execution in 1793. Fraser draws on letters and memoirs to portray her as a young woman placed in an impossible position rather than the figure of legend.
It is a good pick for readers who enjoy biography and who want a balanced, humane account of a frequently caricatured queen. It suits those interested in the French monarchy's last years.
Clear-cut; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Evidence Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2007
- Publisher
- J'ai lu
- ISBN
- 9782290005705
- Language
- FR
