I read Antonia Fraser's biography on Marie Antoinette and I got a lot of insight into her life, and I finished the book with a greater appreciation for her and the situation she found herself in. I hated the movie version of this book and could not finish it: too pop culturish for me. But, I digress.

I feel Marie Antoinette found herself in a France on the brink of social change. It must have been terribly hard to be a foreigner in the French Court, to be ignored by many courtiers, and seen as a shallow, vain girl. She lacked the education and formal training necessary to be the future Queen of France. One cannot forget that when she came to France, she was a mere 14 years old, suffering from homesickness (something I can appreciate).

While Marie Antoinette was no Katherine of Aragon or Eleanor of Aquitaine, she was not the stupid women history claims her to be. She never said “let them eat cake,” which has prolonged the negative view of her. She found herself in a court that wanted her to beget heirs with a husband unable to perform, which led her to overcompensated for her perceived failures.

Rather, she was the scapegoat for everything wrong with France. Her husband was so out of touch with French society that Marie Antoinette paid the ultimate price. Yes, she was a pretty and rich women, who was in a loveless marriage, and took lovers. Hell, the majority of women at the French court were the same. But, the Queen in the face of her people and she took the brunt of the revolution's hatred for the royal family.

Her greatest hour was on the scaffold. She died with dignity and courage. She did not break under the pressure of her long-term confinement. I pray she rests in peace and found happiness in her afterlife.

I found Marie Antoinette to be a women misunderstood in her time and through history. I hope more people can come to learn about this tragic, yet courageous woman. Frankly, I find her quite delightful.

I find Marie Antoinette fascinating, but I haven't had the time to really do any kind of in-depth reading on her yet.  I do have a book on my Amazon wishlist called Queen of Fashion:  What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber.  I've read probably the first chapter of it and it seems very interesting.  It talks about how when she first came to France, her clothing, though in the French fashion, was from the previous fashion season and how that affected how people initially perceived her as something of a country bumpkin.

I find it sad that so little of history was recorded by women.  Can you imagine the things we would know if more of history had been written down by women?

bethany.x,

 Like Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette has been maligned by history. I wish there would be a film made about Marie Antoinette that portrayed her iin a more balanced perspective, as a human being, out of her element, and reacting to circumstances. Sophia Coppalla's film did nothing to make Marie Antoinette enduring. I get the point of the film, but the script destroyed any hope to seeing her as a misunderstood women, and reinforced the mythology about her life and death. Such a shame since they filmed at Versailles (shortly before I visited), and there was such potential to use the background to reflect the extremes of extravagence of the rich and the austerity of the poor in France.

I am interested in learning more, do you recommend any other books to read about Marie Anotinette, etc.

I know the public libray system here ordered Susan Nagel's Marie-Theresa: the fate of Marie Antoinette's daughter. Have you read this? I must request the book when I finish this post.

I agree, Bella. I liked Antonia Fraser's book. It doesn't make her out to be a saint, but neither is she a monster. She's just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her suffering the last few years of her life really define her for me; she rises above the circumstances. Have you read her last letter? Ironically, it was saved for history because it wasn't delivered. I also recommend Elena Maria Vidal's blog, http://www.teaattrianon.blogspot.com/. You can find Marie and Louis' last letters there.

I just finished reading Versailles by Kathryn Davis. It is an interesting take on Marie Antoinette's life. I am of two minds about the book. I did not like the characterization of Marie Antoinette, too much of a diservice to her memory. Marie Antoinette in the book is more interested in her own vaity than political issues of the day. However, the book does bring to life the mindset of people in the years leading up to the revolution. I found the time come alive, even if I did not agree with some characterizations.

I would love to know what others think if they have read this book, or if they read it in the future. I just wanted to put this book out there for Marie Antoinette fans, since I find myself becoming one. She is quite a beguiling figure!

DuchessofBrittany said:

I just finished reading Versailles by Kathryn Davis. It is an interesting take on Marie Antoinette's life. I am of two minds about the book. I did not like the characterization of Marie Antoinette, too much of a diservice to her memory. Marie Antoinette in the book is more interested in her own vaity than political issues of the day. However, the book does bring to life the mindset of people in the years leading up to the revolution. I found the time come alive, even if I did not agree with some characterizations.

I would love to know what others think if they have read this book, or if they read it in the future. I just wanted to put this book out there for Marie Antoinette fans, since I find myself becoming one. She is quite a beguiling figure!

I read “Versailles” a few years ago, and I found it very enjoyable.  I considered Marie Antoinette's “voice” and personality in the novel pretty credible with what's known about her.  Marie Antoinetter was a political wife, not a politician, and she was known for her love of luxury.  Compared with other rulers, she wasn't well educated and she had few intellectual interests. 

A lot of authors have tackled Marie Antoinette as a fictional character, and I think she's always something of a challenge, because authors would like to portray her and readers would like to read her as a “deeper” kind of person.  There's only so much one can read about lavish parties, big spending, hairstyles and fashions and might-have-been-love-affairs. But if the stories get too intellectually deep, it sounds less authentic.  I felt Davis did a better job than most.

  I've been trying to read “Abundance” by Sena Jeter Naslund, and I find it terribly overwritten and I don't think it sounds like how Marie Antoinette thought and reasoned at all. 

I just finished Marie-Therese: the fate of Marie Antoinette's daughter by Susan Nagel. I loved it! What a great biography. There are many writers out there who could learn from Ms. Nagel's writing. She lays out her work, theories about Marie-Therese's fate, and does a wonderful job of exploring this amazing woman's life. I highly recommened it to anyone who loves biographies. I do not know much about French history, especially the Revolution, but Nagel takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of Marie-Therese's life.

DuchessofBrittany said:

 

---

I can only hope it is a better film that “Marie Antoinette.” I am still not sure what to make of that film. High on pop culture, low on real history.

Yes Duchess, you are right about that film, based very loosely on Marie Antoinette, more a case of let them eat cheesecake perhaps?  We must trust that this version is better (reports are promisingly good), J'espere que oui.

Bella44 said:

^ Cheesecake – LOL!!!!!

That kind of sums that movie up, though I still kind of like it.  It's so pretty and the soundtrack is brilliant, even if nothing really happens….!

Bella, you are also right in what you say, you liked this film and that's fine, we shouldn't allow ourselves to be influenced by mass popular opinion and bravo for expressing your positives for the film, after all we shouldn't judge other peoples preferences (some things I like get funny looks – take ABBA for example!). Historically suspect regarding Marie but, as you pointed out, there is perhaps more than that to take out of an AV experience (I do tend to override this thought process regarding anything to do with PG however!).