Little Bits of Wisdom- April 2010

Ok, so I know that it is not the last day of April yet. BUT I'm leaving for Disneyland trip with school tomorrow, so I have to post this today. So, here we go:

"Tribulation makes one realize what one is." -Marie Antoinette

"I see you are a wit."

"Oh, no," I say sincerely. "That is something I have never wished to be, for wit is cruel, and my first wish is always to be kind." -Sena Jeter Naslund, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

"Good deeds echo after us, long after we have forgotten their enactment." -Sena Jeter Naslund, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

"Where there is a lack of other connections, of meaningful moments, in our lives, music can often fill the gap." -Sena Jeter Naslund, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

"But of what merit is firmness if it represents a wrong choice?" -Sena Jeter Naslund, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

"Madame, be yourself and you will always be perfect." -Chauveau-Lagarde (lawyer to Marie Antoinette)

"Without my books, I truly believe I would shrivel up and die." -Catherine Anderson, Summer Breeze

"Sometimes you have to dig deep for courage, girl. Start digging." -Catherine Anderson, Summer Breeze

So there we go! Now I kind of feel like I didn't read much this week.... But oh, well. Anyways, originally I started reading Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, but then I realized that Lies by Michael Grant come out on TUESDAY, so I had to ditch that to reread Gone and Hunger so that I could remember what happened before. So, I'll make sure to review Lies and THEN I'll restart Dear John and review that. Ok? Good. Well, as always, please feel free (in fact, you are encouraged) to leave me a comment. About anything, really. Books, movies, life, etc. =D

Well, thanks for reading!

Love,

Kristi

Summer Breeze

Author: Catherine Anderson

The year is 1889, and Rachel Hollister hasn't set foot outside her house in five years. Ever since a savage attack left her family dead, she's cordoned herself off from the outside world, afraid to let anyone into her home-or into her heart. But now trouble has appeared on her doorstep-and suddenly she has no choice but to let a handsome rancher invade her well-guarded existence....

Confirmed bachelor Joseph Paxton grudgingly offers to take up temporary residence at the Hollister ranch-even though it's obvious Rachel doesn't want his protection. But once he catches a glimpse of his beautiful young ward and her remarkable spirit, he'll do anything to break through the dark spell that's walled off her heart. It may take a miracle, but he's determined to make her see the refuge he's offering in his embrace-and the splendor that exists beyond her front door. Otherwise he'll just have to build a safe haven big enough for the both of them....

Ok, I lied. I am doing a review for this, because I just realized that I am in a HUGE predicament. I have no unread books left on my bookshelf anymore! So, I have no idea when I'll actually have another book to review, unless I decide to do one on a book that I've already read (which I don't like doing, because I think the first reading is what will always tell you if you actually love or hate a book). But, for reference, it definitely won't be a long review. Mostly because I don't really have a lot to say about it.....

However, even if I don't have a lot to talk about, I still liked the book. It was definitely a romance, which I was expecting. It was really cute and it was touching at a lot of parts, like the letter in the very last chapter. I also loved the humor that was added into it. Especially in the very beginning when they were talking about how the first time Rachel and Joseph saw each other, Rachel tried to shoot him. The book really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. You go from laughing to being sad and then moving on to being completely surprised.

My biggest problem with the book was its similarities to Anderson's Early Dawn. That's the only other book I've read by her, but I definitely thought that they both were following the same basic plot. One of the characters suffers from a huge family tragedy five years before the book starts and so they shut themselves off emotionally (or in this case, physically). Then something happens to threaten the girl's life, so the man comes to the rescue, then they try not to fall in love with each other, but do anyway. Then all hell breaks loose, and they get confronted by the people trying to kill the girl, the good guys win, then they end happily ever after. Sorry for ruining the ending, everyone, but it's kind of obvious once you actually start reading it. So, while the books had different details to make it different, I would have appreciated a little more varied plot. However, I did think that the details were creative enough to make it seem like a completely new story.

One of my favorite things about the book was the unpredictable "Whodunit" ending. I was literally like, "What just happened?" It's really intense and so surprising! I am still in awe of it!

But, I think that's all I have to say. So, I recommend that if you feel like a cute, romantic book, you should definitely read this one! Next I'm reading one of my favorite books, Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why. I guess I might do a review on it, unless I'm super lucky and manage to get a new book soon. I can only hope! =D Anyways, as always please feel free to leave a comment of sort! Tell me if you like my review, or hate it, or agree/disagree, or pretty much anything else. =D I like to talk, in case you haven't noticed, so chances are, if you leave a comment, I'll most likely respond! 

So, thanks for reading!!

Love,

Kristi

Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

Author: Sena Jeter Naslund

Marie Antoinette was a child of fourteen when her mother, the Empress of Austria, arranged for her to leave her family and her country to become the wife of the fifteen-year-old Dauphin, the future King of France. Coming of age in the most public of arenas-eager to be a good wife and strong queen-she warmly embraces her adopted nation and its citizens. She shows her new husband nothing but love and encouragement, though he repeatedly fails to consummate their marriage and in so doing is unable to give what she and the people of France desire most: a child and an heir to the throne. Deeply disappointed and isolated in her own intimate circle, and apart from the social life of the court, she allows herself to remain ignorant of the country's growing economic and political crises, even as poor harvests, bitter winters, war debts, and poverty precipitate rebellion and revenge. The young queen, once beloved by the common folk, becomes a target of scorn, cruelty, and hatred as she, the court's nobles, and the rest of the royal family are caught up in the nightmarish violence of a murderous time called "the Terror."

With penetrating insight and with wondrous narrative skill, Sena Jeter Naslund offers an intimate, fresh, heartbreaking, and dramatic reimagining of this truly compelling woman that goes far beyond popular myth-and she makes a bygone time of tumultuous change as real to us as the one we are living in now.

Oh my goodness. I think I just found my new favorite book. 

I swear, this book was absolutely fantastic! It's definitely my most favorite one out of anything I've reviewed on here so far. And it is by far the BEST historical fiction novel about Marie Antoinette that I've ever read. Easily.

My favorite part about this book was the historical correctness. Very few historical novels stay as true to the real events as this one did. I mean, why do authors always want to add in outrageous twists into Marie Antoinette's life? Ms. Naslund definitely understood that Marie Antoinette's story didn't need any major embellishments. Sure, she added very minor things in here and there, but they didn't change the main plot at all. They were mostly just little points that just enhanced the story and made it better. She didn't feel the need to add in completely fictitious events, like a trip to Sweden (like in Carolly Erickson's The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette). Like the saying goes, why fix what isn't broken? (Or why change what isn't boring? is probably a better phrase).

So, obviously, Sena Jeter Naslund did absolutely fantastic research. Almost every anecdote that I've read about in biographies was at least mentioned, but many of them were actually talked about in detail. Also, the author used REAL letters and quotes in her novel (but please note that not ALL the quotes are real!). This absolutely added more to the authenticity of it! I thought it was a really nice touch that not a lot of authors do, which really is a shame. Why not use the resources you already have? I loved those parts, because I really felt like I was learning so much more about Marie Antoinette.

And, of course, I HAVE to mention Axel Fersen. However, for the first time on this blog, it's not something bad I have to say. While Naslund did say include the love affair between Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen, I think that she did it in a way that actually made it more believable than a lot of biographies present it (not that it convinced me that they DID actually have an affair. See Tea at Trianon!). Naslund actually wrote it how I imagined it. I always thought that they were just innocently in love, not a passionate, physical affair. That's just the impression that I always got for some reason. I really felt like Naslund and I were on the same wavelength.

I thought that she was particularly good at portraying Marie Antoinette's relationships. She effectively showed the innocent love and friendship between the King Louis XVI and the queen; the true friendship that Marie Antoinette and the Princesse de Lamballe shared; the true, motherly affection that she had for her children, and her relationships with everyone else. I felt like each character had a unique bond with Marie Antoinette, and there were always different characteristics of each person that attracted them to each other. It really added depth to the characters and made them seem like actual people instead of just imaginary, 2-D people.

So I had something else to say, but I definitely forgot what it was (oops!), so that's the end of the review! As you can tell, I absolutely, 100% loved it! The only thing I didn't like was the cover design and art. I thought it looked much too busy, but it doesn't matter. I highly recommend this one over other Marie Antoinette novels, because this one actual teaches you what really happened, but in the form of a not-biography (since biographies seem to turn people off). It's more personal and emotional, so read it!!! 

Anyways, I think I'm reading a romance with a sparkly cover called Summer Breeze by Catherine Anderson next. I'm excited to read it because I read another book by Anderson a few months ago and I absolutely loved it. It was just so cute. So, I'll try to get the review up, if I do one (and yes, I know, every time that I say I might not do a review, I do it anyway), as soon as possible! My goal is at least one blog post a week starting now, since I didn't post anything last week. Sorry! But I do have a life that I have to balance out with reading, unfortunately. =D Anyways, as always, please leave comments if you want to talk about anything, or give suggestions! I'm always looking for new books to read, so I really appreciate suggestions! So leave a comment! 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Kristi

Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France

Author: Evelyne Lever

Married for political reasons at the age of fourteen, Marie Antoinette was naive, impetuous, and ill equipped for the role in which history cast her. From her birth in Vienna in 1755 through her turbulent, unhappy marriage, the bloody turmoil of the French Revolution, her trial for high treason (during which she was accused of incest), and her final beheading, Marie Antoinette's life was the tragic tale of disastrous circumstances colliding.

Drawing upon diaries, letters, court records, and memoirs, Evelyne Lever paints vivid portraits of Marie Antoinette, her inner circle, and the lavish court life at Versailles. Marie Antoinette dispels the myth of the callous queen whose supposed response to her starving subjects was the comment, "Let them eat cake." What emerges instead is a surprisingly average woman thrust into a position for which she was wholly unprepared, a combination that proved disastrous both for her and for France. This is the revealing story of how Marie Antoinette kept her dignity and courage when Fate turned its back and she lost everything: throne, children, husband, and - in a very public and cruel execution- her life.

Well, originally, I wasn't planning on actually reviewing this biography, but as I was reading I definitely had a few opinions that I wanted to share. And I'm going to be completely honest right now, I'm not a fan of it at all. 

So, as you might be able to tell, Marie Antoinette is my favorite historical figure, and I've read quite a few biographies related to her. And I must say, I've never heard anyone else be so harsh about her personality. I mean, most people that haven't learned much about Marie Antoinette believe she was just an extravagant, selfish person, but if you've done extra research, you find that she was actually a pretty good person. Yes, she was extravagant and naive, but it's okay to have faults. Having a balance of good and bad qualities is what it means to be human. However, Evelyne Lever completely forgot to acknowledge ANY good qualities about her. I thought that made the book one-sided and that it just went along with what people think now. 

Also, I had a REALLY big problem with the whole Axel Fersen plot. Yes, I understand that the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Fersen is commonly accepted as fact, and I'm really used to reading about it. However, I have been convinced that they were not lovers (due mostly to the fact that the 3-part blog about Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen at  Tea at Trianon makes much more sense than any argument I've ever read) and this biography did nothing to convince me that they were. My biggest reason for this was that a lot of her reasoning didn't make sense to me and also seemed contradictory with other things she was saying. I actually put Post-Its in my book (which I HATE doing) so that I could quote an example for everyone. Lever said, on page 165, "Unfortunately, the passages of interest were so effectively crossed out that they are illegible. An ultraviolet lamp is of no use in deciphering them, nor are nay of the other procedures used by the curators at the Archives de France. There can be no doubt, given where they were placed and their context, that these were crossed-out love messages." That made absolutely NO sense whatsoever to me. If you can't decipher what the BLANK SPACES in the letters are, how can you effectively say that there's no doubt as to their content? 

Also, I thought that there was WAY too much emphasis on Axel Fersen. I mean, he was mentioned at least once in almost every chapter after he had met Marie Antoinette. But, according to everything else that I've read, her children were the most important things to her in the entire world. Surprisingly, they were very rarely mentioned. When her daughter, Sophie, and her oldest son, Louis-Joseph, died, I believe Sophie got a one sentence mention, and Louis-Joseph got at most a page. That is completely ridiculous in my opinion. Also, she failed to mention that Louis-Charles, who was the son who accused her of incest in her trial, only made the accusation in order to please his jailers (and Marie Antoinette herself said that her son would say anything that would please those around him). Madame Royale (aka Marie-Therese) was probably the least mentioned of all of them except Sophie, who only lived nine months. Considering that she was the only one to survive the French Revolution, I think that she should have been given much more attention. However, I do admit, that she is generally mostly ignored in most biographies. I just wish that Lever would have set different priorities for her book. It seemed almost as if the point was to try to prove that Marie Antoinette did have an affair with Axel Fersen, instead of trying to tell the most important parts of her life.

However, I must say that I did like the way the Lever wrote the book. I personally think that the biography read more like a story than a biography. But on the other hand, that was also one of the reasons I didn't like it as well. I thought that it seemed romanticized  a lot of the time. So, based on what I observed above, I wasn't sure if I should believe those sections. However, I did still appreciate those minor facts that she included in the book. I hadn't ever read about a few of them, so I thought it was interesting. 

So, overall, I didn't like it very much. I must say that I prefer Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette: The Journey. It talks about all of her life, with the emphasis on Marie Antoinette's life, and not just her affair with Count Fersen. It shows you both the good and bad aspects of her personality and I think that you just get a better idea of who she actually was and how she lived her life. It's also more current, so it has information that wasn't available when Evelyne Lever wrote this, such as being able to say, definitely that Marie Antoinette's son, Louis-Charles, did actually die in the Temple Prison. So, if you're interested in learning more about Marie Antoinette, I highly recommend Fraser's biography. 

Well, here's the deal, I ordered two books from Barnes & Noble that won't be here until Wednesday! They're both about Marie Antoinette (I'm sorry, but once I read one book about her, I just want to go on to another one!). They are Marie-France Boyer's The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette and Sena Jeter Naslund's Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette. And because I have to go TWO days without my new books, I think I'll probably read a few small books until then. So, I have no idea what book I'll review next on here or when it will be, since I haven't decided if I'm going to review Abundance, but I definitely won't be reviewing Private Realm. So, I'll post something else if it takes too long. As always, feel free to comment with opinions, question, or anything really. =D I'm not too picky. 

So, thanks for reading!

Love,

Kristi