The Life of Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser

Advantages: Well Written, A Great Story of the Life of Marie Antoinette
Disadvantages: Can be Quiet Complex in Places, Gets Confusing with the Politics and Names

..., masked balls and excessive expenditure on clothing. These later were to create her downfall and dislike by the French Court and the French people by the excessive rumors and scandals associated with her life. Fraser portrays the Queens ignorance and naivety to these as she surrounded herself in a fantasy world at Versailles. Once i started reading this book i could not put it down, and began further researching into the Life of the Queen. Fraser holds a compassionate and modern perspective of her life and produces excessive and concrete evidence that blows apart the scandals and rumors that created Marie's eventual downfall as Queen and acted as the catalyst of the French Revolution. Fraser demonstrates how the Queen was cast as the scapegoat of the country economic failings and was cast as a traitor to the people. This book does get...

becky_tredget 02.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Marie Antoinette (film tie-in) - Antonia Fraser

For an accessible journey through the ages?

Advantages: Highly researched, educated and competent writer and historian
Disadvantages: None

...Introducing Lady Antonia Fraser: Antonia Margaret Caroline Pakenham was the first child born to the 7th Earl of Pakenham (who later became Lord Longford) on August 27 1932 in Bayswater. With her privileged upbringing consisting of a hereditary title and convent school education she was always bound to achieve a thing or two in her life as were her writer siblings Thomas Pakenham and Rachel Billington. Antonia's Mother Elizabeth Harman (later known as Elizabeth Longford) was an acclaimed historical writer in her own right. Lady Antonia's title came in 1945 when her Father was sent to the House of Lords having been defeated for the Oxford Seat at parliament. Lady Antonia married MP Sir Hugh Fraser in 1956 and had six children with him: Benjamin, Damien, Rebecca, Orlando, Flora and Natasha before they divorced in 1977...

Lizamabug 09.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Antonia Fraser

A most misunderstood queen

Advantages: Very readable, interesting, informative
Disadvantages: Sometimes lacking in detail, descriptions of executions

...Marie Antoinette is a widely known historical personnage - infamous for her callousness towards the starving peasants ("Let them eat cake!") and for having her head chopped off during the French Revolution, a victim of the guillotine, yet few attempts have ever been made to go beyond the stereotypes and actually investigate the character of this celebrity queen. Noted historian Antonia Fraser aims to correct this, and has largely succeeded in a very sympathetic biography of the Queen that not only defeats the popular misconceptions surrounding the Queen's character but draws upon an extensive array of historical sources (including a dazzling number of primary sources) to create a complete picture of who this woman actually was. Fraser's second purpose is to trace the evolution of the Queen, from shy and inexperienced Princess to...

mystikchick17 17.07.2006 (01.08.2006) · Read review
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Review of Marie Antoinette - Antonia Fraser

"Let them eat cake"

Advantages: A compelling story about an amazing woman.
Disadvantages: A tad depressing!

...I was given this book as a present last Christmas by a relative who knows Antonia Fraser is one of my favourite historians. I have thoroughly enjoyed some of her other offerings – ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’, ‘Eleanor of Aquitaine’ and ‘The Weaker Vessel’ and thanks to another Ciao member’s review now intend to read ‘The Princes in the Tower’. However I knew very little about French history in general or about the woman herself. But I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Antonia Fraser takes you through the extraordinary life of Marie Antoinette from her childhood as an Archduchess of Austria through to her execution in 1793. Her story is told in chronological order but each chapter is still based around a theme so it doesn’t read like a boring textbook. The beginning...

Tricia24 29.10.2003 · Read review
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Review of Marie Antoinette - Antonia Fraser

Quiet? Deadly dull and unrealistic.

Advantages: Easy to read
Disadvantages: Boring plot; unbelievable characters; irritating overall.

...her own somewhat mediocre life choices. Her 'investigations' consist largely of chatting to nuns and children, doubting what they say and thinking that she knows best, which doesn't make for an exciting novel. The story reaches a new low point when the villain is introduced and responds in a very leisurely way to the demands of his role. Put simply, he is unbelievable. The subsequent conclusion is as turgid as the previous story and the only moment of excitement arose when I failed to believe a marvelous coincidence that neatly resolves the events in a manner that the characters appreciate. The writing style is perhaps overly formal for allowing the audience to identify with a first person narrator who is meant to be a personable celebrity. Fraser uses the end of each chapter to create a dramatic moment or question, but since I did...

brokenangelkisses 08.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Quiet as a Nun - Antonia Fraser

Bringing history to life

Advantages: Fascinating history that's accessible to everyone
Disadvantages: It's a very big book...

...At first glance this is a big, thick book that some people perhaps might feel overwhelmed by - I certainly did. But I found myself so absorbed by Antonia's frank and diplomatic take on these women's lives that I just kept turning page after page until before I knew it my journey was over all too soon. Antonia's books aren't aimed at history students or university graduates - they're aimed at the common man or woman who wishes to learn about lives and times gone by. The vocabularly is well within the average man's understanding and we are given plenty of descriptions, details and explanations surrounding key events without getting bogged down by trivial and unimportant details as some historical writers seem to do. Most importantly, Antonia Fraser nearly always remains unbiased and only expresses an informed opinion having examined...

Lizamabug 22.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser

House of Fraser Guildford

Advantages: Great presentation, nice staff
Disadvantages: A little expensive!

...House of Fraser, or Army and Navy as it was previously known, has bought business and people to Guildford for many years now. But why is it that people keep coming back? What is it about the House of Fraser experience that keeps luring them back to the store? My nearest House of Fraser has been shut for about nine months. But, after huge rennovation, it has now re-opened it's doors and it's stunning. It has marble floors, glass bannisters, chrome escalators... the list goes on - it's a nice modern building. Inside, there is a great collection of just about anything. There's clothing, homeware, electronics - all made by well-known and good quality makes. You can also find selections of toys, easter eggs, or other goodies depending on the time of year you visit. There is an extensive cosmetics department, with just about every...

danieletheridge 11.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of House of Fraser (Department Store)

It's good to be the queen - NOT

Advantages: Well written, interesting stories
Disadvantages: More focus on the wives and less on Henry, but perhaps that's not possible!

...Antonia Fraser's 'The Wives of Henry VIII' is a wonderful account of the lives of the six women who married the controversial Tudor king. Fraser has written extensively on many subjects, but is particularly interested in British royal history. Her writing is clear and accessible, and almost invariably interesting. Fraser says 'the six women have become defined in a popular sense not so much by their lives as by the way these lives ended.' Largely, they became identified (as most historical figures do) as stereotypes. Fraser's stated intent in the book is to examine the real women behind the stereotypes, to find the human strengths and frailties behind the historic labels. Divorced, beheaded, died...divorced, beheaded, survived --Catherine of Aragon-- Divorced Stereotype: Betrayed Wife, bigoted Catholic Reality: a learned...

frkurt 13.05.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser

House of Fraser - House of Hell

Advantages: Good coffee bar....
Disadvantages: Rude staff, over priced products, poor layout

...I went into the GlasgowHouse of Fraser this weekend after being given £100 worth of vouchers. I had been into the store on a couple of previous occassions but each time, I had the feeling that I wasn't good enough to shop there and that I didn't belong. When you start to worry that a bouncer won't admit you because you aren't wearing the right shoes or if your hair isn't combed just right, or god forbid your toddler isn't wearing clearly visible designer labels, you know it isn't going to be an enjoyable shopping experience. I decided to have a look for some shorts and t-shirt for my son since the sun was shining (Being Glasgow I hadn't anticipated the heat wave we had). I thought I had missed the Children's section as their was only a tiny corridor worth of clothing for children from 0-14 years. I saw a cute little t-shirt but...

ally2kc 12.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of House of Fraser (Department Store)

Excellent book!

Advantages: Amazingly rich in detail, easily accessible
Disadvantages: Ever so slightly Henry dominated

...This has to be one of the best biographies I've ever read on Henry VIII's wives. Antonia Fraser takes them out of their conventional stereotypes and re-creates them for a new generation of readers as individual women in their own right. The language is easily accessible to all who care to pick up the book and read it, and is rich is descriptions of the times in which these women lived. The book explores the women's personalities, as well as their relationship with Bluff King Hal himself, who does dominate the book somewhat, but that is to be expected considering the position the King held in the lives of his courtiers, and especially his wives. You won't find a better review of these women's lives collectively anywhere else. I could not recommend this book more strongly...

thalionahaiel 01.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser