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1st out of 43 books
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37 voters
Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette
"Like everyone, I am born naked." With this opening line of Naslund's compelling new novel, a very human Marie Antoinette invites readers to live her story as she herself experiences it. From the lush gardens of Versailles to the lights and gaiety of Paris, the verdant countryside of France, and finally the stark and terrifying isolation of a prison cell, the young queen's...more
Hardcover, 545 pages
Published
October 3rd 2006
by William Morrow & Company
(first published October 2006)
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This was a very thin book -- interesting, but thin.
And I don't mean it was a slim volume of delicate prose. It was watery and lacked important detail and missed the ambition of Naslund's "Ahab's Wife."
With so many interesting and picturesque moments during the pre-French Revolution years, with all the excess and religious upheaval and all the parallels and differences betwixt the American and French Revolutions, Naslund chose to focus on Marie Antoinette's wardrobe and constant remodeling of var...more
And I don't mean it was a slim volume of delicate prose. It was watery and lacked important detail and missed the ambition of Naslund's "Ahab's Wife."
With so many interesting and picturesque moments during the pre-French Revolution years, with all the excess and religious upheaval and all the parallels and differences betwixt the American and French Revolutions, Naslund chose to focus on Marie Antoinette's wardrobe and constant remodeling of var...more
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Wow! This book was a struggle for me. At first I hated it, because i didn't like the author's style in writing the story. Once I got used to it, it all fell into place. This story really was good. It's a story about Marie Antoinette and her life as the queen of France until the French Revolution. Throughout the book I felt sorry for her and how misunderstood she was, not only by the people of France, but throughout history. I gained a new respect for her and Louis XVI. This is definitely a perio...more
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While astutely researched and poetically written, this basic issue with this book is that hardly anything happens in it 600 pages. Though highly sympathetic to Marie Antoinette, it failed to endear me to her throughout the course of the novel, and I was relieved upon her final beheading that I had, at least, finished this ponderous and meandering portrayal of a far more exotic and scandalous woman than is to be found anywhere in the pages of "Abundance."
Drawing from the same perspectival material as Sofia Coppola's 2006 film, this treatment of Marie Antoinette's life paints a sympathetic picture of France's girl queen. Unfortunately, it's also a boring one. Since Naslund's take is almost identical to Coppola's (sometimes eerily so), I recommend skipping the 600-page snoozefest and going with the two-hour movie, which at least features pretty dresses and New Wave tunes.
An utterly delicious and satisfying read. Of course, given the book is about Marie Antoinette, we all know how it ends. But I really loved the buildup. This book is long as it takes us from when she first goes to France at 14 all the way up to her death. But it was a very fast read. Some of the viewpoints feel immature/childish but it's written from her POV so I think it's intentional given how young she was when this all began to unfold. There was a lot I didn't know about her and her marriage,...more
Marie Antoinette has intrigued me for years and I have read countless books about her, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Told in diary form, this book provides a rare, intimate insight into the life of the Queen; her most private thoughts and feelings from the moment she steps onto French land at the young age of fourteen, to the moment she meets her tragic fate. Although it is fiction, it's clear that the author did her homework and based much of what she wrote on actual documentati...more
I'd give this book 3 and a half stars if I could. I had been wanting to read something about Marie Antoinette for a while. I'm glad I chose this book for several reasons: one, the author's writing style is beautiful, and two, it really gives you a clear idea of who M.A. That being said, I do have to wonder just how accurate the book is. It is a work of fiction, but the author did much studying of this queen of old in writing the book. Her portrayal of MA is that she loved others and beauty, and...more
I liked this book a lot less than I was expecting to. I had read and loved Ahab's Wife and Four Spirits, so I knew I liked the author. But it was kind of like getting stuck talking to someone boring at a party.
The book is told in the first person from Marie Antoinette's point-of-view. I don't know if it was Naslund's goal to make her likable or sympathetic, but she came off as self-centered, petty, and oblivious, even if (as Naslund points out in the forward) she didn't actually say "Let them ea...more
The book is told in the first person from Marie Antoinette's point-of-view. I don't know if it was Naslund's goal to make her likable or sympathetic, but she came off as self-centered, petty, and oblivious, even if (as Naslund points out in the forward) she didn't actually say "Let them ea...more
This book was ok. It was ok in the beginning, ok in the middle, and ok at the end. Honestly, nothing about this book really stood out to me. It was interesting learning more about the time period and sort of about the lifestyle of the court, but I didn't find the story as it was written to be particularly moving. In the beginning of the book, Marie Antoinette is portrayed as this naive, innocent girl whom everyone loves. By the end she is a naive woman who everyone hates. I guess I can see how i...more
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Even if I hadn't read the author bio, I definitely recognized the power of the poet in this novel. There were several points throughout my reading of this where I stopped after a sentence and repeated it aloud to myself. The prose is glitteringly gorgeous and positively bleeds romance. Naslund's Antoinette is a passive, crystalline creature whose unfailing adherence to etiquette and good manners speaks more to the times she lived in than to the essence of her character. She's distant although em...more
this book is so poorly written it makes me want to puke. i got to page five and hurled it across the room. with 600 pages to it's name, it made a loud noise. the opening sequence is of the famous handover of marie to her new party. she describes her nipples in detail, her pubescent body. dude, she's 14. i am not about hearing this. and for no reason. i feel free to criticise naslund's style because i read "ahab's wife" and was equally offended. that's right. offended. in ahab's wife naslund make...more
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This book took me sometime to get through, because of the holidays. I'm glad I stuck it out. I have been wanting for some time to read a book on Marie Antoinette, and although this is a fictional book, I feel that I have an insight to her life.
The writing style feels to be very true to that of the 18th century. There were many words that I didn't understand but didn't take the time to look up in the dictionary and still feel I followed what was happening.
I can understand why Marie was considered...more
The writing style feels to be very true to that of the 18th century. There were many words that I didn't understand but didn't take the time to look up in the dictionary and still feel I followed what was happening.
I can understand why Marie was considered...more
Jan 27, 2008
Sarah Joy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
I have loved Sena Jeter Naslund's writing since reading Ahab's Wife and was wondering why she picked such a tired story as the life of Marie Antoinette. I was annoyed by Sofia Coppola's 2006 movie with Kirsten Dunst and almost didn't read this book because I thought I'd heard enough of Marie Antoinette.
I was impressed... no, astounded, by how she brought Marie Antoinette alive for me, the reader. It was historically interesting and personal all at once... showing how this woman tried so hard to...more
I was impressed... no, astounded, by how she brought Marie Antoinette alive for me, the reader. It was historically interesting and personal all at once... showing how this woman tried so hard to...more
This was an entertaining light read. It's always interesting to put a personality to a historic figure, and the author does a good job of capturing Marie Antoinette. I've read more factual biographies and this novel fits in well with the facts. Marie Antoinette was not an extraordinary person; the fascinating thing about her is that she is so ordinary. She doesn't aspire to greatness nor is she a villain or otherwise evil. She was just living the life she was born to live.
The writing is a little...more
The writing is a little...more
I was at Versailles last year and marvelled at the opulence of the palace, the outbuildings and gardens. Our guide mentioned that Marie was a devoted mother, and some paintings of her reflected that. And her private chamber filled with floral embroidery was astonishing. So, this book caught my eye! It's written as journal entries by the Queen herself, from the day she married Louis XVI to her death. it refers to specific parts of the palace and Paris, and gives a view of the charming queen diffe...more
J'ai personnellement trouvé ce roman particulièrement ennuyeux. Je ne l'ai d'ailleurs pas terminé. Pour être plus exact, je n'en ai même pas lu le quart, et même dans ce que j'ai lu, il y a eu beaucoup de lecture "en diagonale"!
Le roman narre l'histoire de Marie-Antoinette, du point de vue de la jeune fille. Hors la jeune fille en question est très futile, creuse et pleine de bonnes intentions plutôt plat.
En fait, la jeune dauphine passe son temps à se demander comment être la plus gentille des...more
Le roman narre l'histoire de Marie-Antoinette, du point de vue de la jeune fille. Hors la jeune fille en question est très futile, creuse et pleine de bonnes intentions plutôt plat.
En fait, la jeune dauphine passe son temps à se demander comment être la plus gentille des...more
Fantastic historical [non]fiction work about the infamous Marie Antoinette, who is portrayed sympathetically so that we may understand and empathize [not inappropriately] regarding the Revolution's devastating consequences for her as well as the French citizenry. French citizens were, by the time of M.A.'s execution, starved and quite mad (as in insane). Neglect [from their monarchy] and all its attendant hardships brought their primal animalism to the fore and anesthetized their humanness. They...more
I'm always waiting for a new novel by this author, but I appreciate the time she takes to create lyrical, aesthetic, and very personal novels. Marie Antoinette has certainly gotten a "bad rap" in most history books. Naslund poetically takes us, not only into Marie Antoinette's abundant and efflorescent life at Versailles and other chateaus, but into the wealth of her gentle and intelligent spirit. I felt as if I learned about this historical figure for the first time. She and the king cared abou...more
At the age of fourteen, Princess Maria Antonia of Austria was sent to France to be married to the fifteen-year-old Dauphin (crown prince) Louis Auguste, thus forging an alliance between their countries and re-christening her as the French Dauphine, Marie Antoinette. Such alliances are cemented by producing heirs, but it takes several years and ascension to the throne before this marriage is consummated successfully, and a second pregnancy before a prince is born. The queen-to-be diverts herself...more
The book was appealing as the story unfolded and presented these historical events from the first person perspective of Marie Antoinette. I appreciated how the author linked historical events in France to what was going on in other parts of the world, whether it be connections with the American revolution and King George III's England, as well as the links between Marie and her mother Maria Theresa in Austria/Hapsburg empire. Marie herself, so young to be forced into the roles of wife and prince...more
I have to say, when I started reading this book, I did not feel very enthusiastic about it. The reason being, that it's written from the first person. Marie Antoinette is not a fictional character and so I felt like who is this writer who dares to express Antoinette's feelings and fit into her shoes; but as I was reading, I realized, that she truly captured Marie Antoinette's spirit or at least the way I imagined her to be. I have read quite a few books about her and know her story and by the en...more
I am quite conflicted about this book, not because it presents such a positive portrayal of Marie Antoinette, but because its perspective is so limited. I enjoyed the story of the young Austrian's trip to France to marry the future Louis XVI; the images of her innocence and naivete were compelling and set the stage for the sympathetic treatment of the future Queen.
As I read the book, I imagined the pastel gowns and luscious scenes of Sofia Coppola's film about Marie Antoinette. The young Queen's...more
As I read the book, I imagined the pastel gowns and luscious scenes of Sofia Coppola's film about Marie Antoinette. The young Queen's...more
This is a story about the life of Marie Antoinette, told from her perspective. The author clearly did her research and the book is about people and events that fascinate me, but this book was a disappointment.
In this novel, Marie is a loving, involved mother; she is hands-on with with her children (even *gasp!* breastfeeds them!) and tries to give them as "normal" a childhood as possible. I thought her relationship with her children was admirable, given (1) the way I’ve seen royal families portr...more
In this novel, Marie is a loving, involved mother; she is hands-on with with her children (even *gasp!* breastfeeds them!) and tries to give them as "normal" a childhood as possible. I thought her relationship with her children was admirable, given (1) the way I’ve seen royal families portr...more
Recommended by Cheryl
With this opening line of Naslund's compelling new novel, a very human Marie Antoinette invites readers to live her story as she herself experiences it. From the lush gardens of Versailles to the lights and gaiety of Paris, the verdant countryside of France, and finally the stark and terrifying isolation of a prison cell, the young queen's life is joyful, poignant, and harrowing by turns. As her world of unprecedented royal splendor crumbles, the charming Marie Antoinette ma...more
With this opening line of Naslund's compelling new novel, a very human Marie Antoinette invites readers to live her story as she herself experiences it. From the lush gardens of Versailles to the lights and gaiety of Paris, the verdant countryside of France, and finally the stark and terrifying isolation of a prison cell, the young queen's life is joyful, poignant, and harrowing by turns. As her world of unprecedented royal splendor crumbles, the charming Marie Antoinette ma...more
(#51)
I've picked up and put down this book many times over my course of ownership, lured in by the deckled pages and thrown out by the flowery prose. I've finally finished it and it was decent enough for me to be able to finally put it down, last paged turned, after 24 hours.
Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette, by Sena Jeter Naslund, is, as the title suggests, a book about that ill-fated queen from the time she arrive in France until her death at the hands of the French Revolution years later...more
I've picked up and put down this book many times over my course of ownership, lured in by the deckled pages and thrown out by the flowery prose. I've finally finished it and it was decent enough for me to be able to finally put it down, last paged turned, after 24 hours.
Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette, by Sena Jeter Naslund, is, as the title suggests, a book about that ill-fated queen from the time she arrive in France until her death at the hands of the French Revolution years later...more
When "Abundance: A Novel of Marie-Antoinette" by Sena Jeter Naslund first debuted, it was difficult for readers of "Trianon" not to make comparisons. The two novels, however, should not be compared, since "Abundance" is an epic approach to Marie-Antoinette's life, entirely in the diary/memoir format. "Trianon," on the other hand, focuses upon how each member of the royal family faces death and loss, as well as the underlying spiritual struggles in the country, in the court and in the hearts of t...more
Abundance is another library book, a first-person retelling of the marriage and reign of Marie Antoinette. The queen is portrayed here as a creature of the court who wishes to please her mother and husband; the impetuous creature of Queen of Fashion is hard to spot in these pages. This Marie Antoinette is regal and decisive, yet totally naive: she seems to take every poetic compliment of her beauty at face value and never perceives the irony of her pastoral fantasies. Her total belief in her rig...more
Apr 10, 2009
Saxon Henry
added it
by Saxon Henry
I’m preparing for a trip to France in the fall and I’ve been thinking about my long-held obsession with the French Court of the 17th and 18th centuries. In my reading, I generally limit my choices to nonfiction—letters or biographies of courtiers, for instance—but one piece of fiction was so compelling that I couldn’t resist it.
The book, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, was written by Sena Jeter Naslund. Here is a taste of her captivating reflections attributed to one of th...more
I’m preparing for a trip to France in the fall and I’ve been thinking about my long-held obsession with the French Court of the 17th and 18th centuries. In my reading, I generally limit my choices to nonfiction—letters or biographies of courtiers, for instance—but one piece of fiction was so compelling that I couldn’t resist it.
The book, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, was written by Sena Jeter Naslund. Here is a taste of her captivating reflections attributed to one of th...more
Not the typical tale of Marie Antoinette. Did you know she didn't actually say "let them eat cake?" I was shocked -- that's all I really knew about Marie Antoinette... well, and the bit about the guillotine. This author portrays her as a kind, loving, compassionate queen, born to love and lead, ultimately giving all for France. I found this book fascinating, more than a little disturbing (in a way I can't completely describe) and actually a page turner, just as the cover promised.
Guinneth - your comments reflect my feelings to a T. I didn't like her style of writing in the first person, present tense; I also didn't like not knowing what was factual and what was made up. For example, much of the correspondence between Marie Antoinette and her mother is documented. Were the letters that are in Abundance a reflection of that correspondence, or just part of the fictionalized version? I'd like to know. Also, because of the way the book was written, there was very little area...more
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| Naslund: Most pretentious writer ever? | 8 | 72 | Mar 31, 2012 05:47am |
Sena Jeter Naslund is the New York Times best-selling author of five novels, including Ahab's Wife (1999) and Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette (HarperCollins, 2006). She is currently Distinguished Teaching Professor and Writer in Residence at the University of Louisville and program director of the Spalding University brief-residency Master in Fine Arts in Writing. Recipient of the Harper Le...more
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“Where there is a lack of other connections, of meaningful moments, in our lives, music can often full the gap.”
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“Mortality is a cause for humility, she said to me. None of us knows when he might be taken, as your blessed father was taken. Death, like birth, comes to us all, regardless of rank or station in life.”
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