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327th out of 3,140 books
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13,772 voters
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1)
by
Sandra Gulland (Goodreads Author)
Young Josephine Bonaparte shines at the center of a new, sweeping, romantic work of historical fiction by Sandra Gulland: detailed and exhaustively researched, compelling and powerful, The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is the first in a trilogy of fictional novels tracing the actual rise of a young European noblewoman who would one day stand next to Napoleo...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
August 3rd 1999
by Touchstone
(first published January 1st 1995)
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Dec 25, 2012
Sandra
rated it
5 of 5 stars
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
novels-by-me
It's a little embarrassing to review a book I wrote, but I will say this:
First: Readers have been over-the-moon about Joséphine.
Second: This e-book edition is the first of my e-book publishing enterprise, Sandra Gulland INK, and I'm very proud of it. I read e-books a lot, and I often find myself grumbling at the poor design and layout. For example, shouldn't a book always open at the cover? In the absence of a jacket cover, we need the information that we would normally find there: what the boo...more
I would have never chosen this book on my own. My boss recommended it and I started reading slowly at first. This week I've stayed up every night until at least 2:00 a.m. reading it. It's not an easy read since it's in diary form (I find that more challenging for some reason) and some words are in French (names/locations and slang mostly). I took two years of French in high school but I don't recall much at all.
It's a historical fiction, of which I haven't read many. I loved it though. It makes...more
It's a historical fiction, of which I haven't read many. I loved it though. It makes...more
This was a beautifully crafted book. Written in the voice of Josephine after nearly a decade of research by the author, it is intensely captivating and is one of my all time favorite books- along with the two that follow it in the trilogy. If you're a sucker for historical fiction it is an absolute MUST read.
NO SPOILERS
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first of Sandra Gulland's trilogy concerning Josephine Bonaparte. I have completed ALL three books of the trilogy. I think it is very important to read them as one book. For that reason I will write one review and let it stand for all three books. I think it is wrong to evaluate them differently. All three were marvelous. Why? Well because youu got under the skin of Josephine, who in fact was called Rose until Napolean decided to change her nam...more
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first of Sandra Gulland's trilogy concerning Josephine Bonaparte. I have completed ALL three books of the trilogy. I think it is very important to read them as one book. For that reason I will write one review and let it stand for all three books. I think it is wrong to evaluate them differently. All three were marvelous. Why? Well because youu got under the skin of Josephine, who in fact was called Rose until Napolean decided to change her nam...more
Historical fiction is my favorite. This book is set during the French Revolution. I am interested in learning more about Napoleon now. I recommend this.
I loved this book and also the other 2 books in the trilogy.
Continuing on my historical fiction jag, I picked this up because it was recommended in the Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List.
This was a quick read due to the diary form. And I was fascinated (and horrified) by the background of the Reign of Terror (which makes for good Wikipedia strings afterwards). I did not realize this was the first of a trilogy and was surprised that 3/4 of the way through the book we had not even met Napolean yet. I liked the book enough that I am lookin...more
This was a quick read due to the diary form. And I was fascinated (and horrified) by the background of the Reign of Terror (which makes for good Wikipedia strings afterwards). I did not realize this was the first of a trilogy and was surprised that 3/4 of the way through the book we had not even met Napolean yet. I liked the book enough that I am lookin...more
Ah finally. A book that I could just sink my teeth into and enjoy wholeheartedly! This is the first book of a trilogy about Josephine B., as in Bonaparte. I knew absolutely nothing about her background, but only as a famous appendage of Napoleon, as in Romeo and Juliet. Although the book is fiction, it is heavily research with some footnotes. What I love is knowing that it's heavily based on fact, but that the research doesn't seep through into the story. Josephine, whose original name of Rose w...more
I'm not quite sure what I think of this book. My friend recommended this book, and I guess I didn't read the title, because I didn't realize it would be so sad. Sorrow is in the title though, so I guess the disappointment after disappointment in Rose's life should have been expected. Even though it was gruesome to think about, and sad to read, I found this history part of this book very fascinating, since it takes place during the French Revolution. From what I've read, the author does a good jo...more
We know all about Napoleon Bonaparte from high school and middle school history class. He was the midget who stood about 2ft tall, wore a lot of blue, stuck his hand in his coat, and went around saying, "Je suis Napoleon!" Also he was emperor of France for a while and sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S., and some other boring historical stuff. Whatever.
But what about the woman behind the man? Or, in this case, above the man. Josephine. Formerly called "Rose" (because apparently, Napoleon li...more
But what about the woman behind the man? Or, in this case, above the man. Josephine. Formerly called "Rose" (because apparently, Napoleon li...more
For those fans of historical fiction, I think this is a great read. The book is based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte (known most of her life as Rose) But be forewarned, this is the first book in a trilogy (so yes, I am hooked and will now have to read the rest). The book is written in diary format - this probably would have stopped me from reading it, if a friend hadn't reassured me it was a great book. With it being written in diary and letter format from the perspective of Josephine, it ad...more
Told in the form of diary readings by and correspondence to Josephine (aka "Rose"), this first of three volumes discusses her early life, adolescence, first marriage, children, imprisonment, and reluctant relationship with Napoleon. During these years, Josephine was surrounded by revolution, intrigue, love, fear, and poverty.
The diary format worked well for me and there was enough narrative to keep it moving. I kind of felt like a voyeur peeking in on Rose's life. I was surprised that the book...more
The diary format worked well for me and there was enough narrative to keep it moving. I kind of felt like a voyeur peeking in on Rose's life. I was surprised that the book...more
This book sat on my shelf unread for an embarrassingly long time. I think it was a combination of the length and a feeling that I didn't know enough about the time period to properly appreciate it. Although I still feel my knowledge of the Napoleonic era is woefully lacking, I found it an enjoyable read. Sandra Gulland obviously did a lot of research although a friend doing a PhD in this area says that her assertion that Josephine's affairs are a fabrication of her critics is unwarranted. Leavin...more
I *loved* this book! I was hooked from page one! Every now and then you pick up a book and read a few paragraphs and you just KNOW you're going to like it. That's how it was for me with this book.
I loved the style of writing, the flow of the story, and the characters. It's exceptionallly well researched as well, which is very important to me when reading a historical novel. Josephine Bonaparte became a friend, someone I cared about. As it's written in diary format, you know her deepest, darkest...more
I loved the style of writing, the flow of the story, and the characters. It's exceptionallly well researched as well, which is very important to me when reading a historical novel. Josephine Bonaparte became a friend, someone I cared about. As it's written in diary format, you know her deepest, darkest...more
I thought this book was awesome! If you love "Les Mis" you will enjoy this percpective of the French Revolution. This is the story of the rise of Josephine Bonaparte. In this book she is called Rose and the story is told from her diary entries. It was a really compelling book for me. I was amazed at the tragedy that Rose had to endure from such an early age. She was in a loveless marriage to a husband who cheated numerous times and hence begat illigitimate children. Rose is thrust into prison, h...more
This novel is written as if it was the secret diary of Rose de Beauharnias, the young woman who would become known to history as Empress Joséphine, wife of Napoleon. It begins when Rose was a young girl living with her family on the island of Martinique, and she is told a strange prophecy by a native fortune-teller: ‘You will be unhappily wed. You will be widowed. You will be Queen.’ The novel then follows Rose’s life as she moves to France, is married to a French nobleman who ends up being guil...more
I became engrossed with this novel from the beginning. Once I entered Rose's world, I didn't want to leave it. Luckily, this book is a first of a trilogy about Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie aka Josephine Bonaparte (she is known as Rose in this novel).
Gulland has created an exquisite story, where it's hard to remember that these aren't Rose's actual words. The story is written through journal entries, so we're basically reading the events of her life through 'her words'. This first boo...more
Gulland has created an exquisite story, where it's hard to remember that these aren't Rose's actual words. The story is written through journal entries, so we're basically reading the events of her life through 'her words'. This first boo...more
I read The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. based on a recommendation from a friend. This is the first in a three book series. It covers Josephine Bonaparte's childhood to when she meets and marries Napoleon.
Rose (aka Josephine) is born on an island where her family runs a failing plantation due to her father's alcoholism and mismanagement. She has the opportunity to marry Alexandre, a French noble, when her older sister dies. In Paris, Alexandre gets caught up in love affairs and...more
Rose (aka Josephine) is born on an island where her family runs a failing plantation due to her father's alcoholism and mismanagement. She has the opportunity to marry Alexandre, a French noble, when her older sister dies. In Paris, Alexandre gets caught up in love affairs and...more
May 14, 2011
Jean Marie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction-french
This was an incredibly compulsive read! The diary format makes it so easy to read. I just kept going "oh, one more section" and before I knew it had been an hour and I had read fifty pages.
I loved this book and I look forward to reading the following two in the trilogy. I loved the mythology around Rose (Josephine) in her native Martinico, her quick learning in France, and the drama of the Revolution and the Terror. Rose's voice was so compelling, so believable, she no longer was "that wife of...more
I loved this book and I look forward to reading the following two in the trilogy. I loved the mythology around Rose (Josephine) in her native Martinico, her quick learning in France, and the drama of the Revolution and the Terror. Rose's voice was so compelling, so believable, she no longer was "that wife of...more
I had a lot of issues with this story. While I found the beginning engaging, the story didn't make much sense starting about a third of the way through. Her husband tells her she needs to work on her writing skills, yet the novel is in diary form so the reader can see for herself whether her writing needs improvement. And, of course, it doesn't. Her writing also doesn't change at all as she gets older and more experienced. Same verse, same insight. Since the author chose to use a diary format, s...more
OMG the writing in this book is so good. The artist stylistic prose is so lucid and eerie it reads like poetry sometimes. I can't state enough how superb the writing is.
I like the foreshadowing done by fortune-telling consistently through out the book. Especially how Rose read tarots before the book's climaxes. Really adds a certain flavour to books that I like.
The story's content is about Josephine Rose Tasher and is innately full of passion. It's mostly about her early life and first marriag...more
I like the foreshadowing done by fortune-telling consistently through out the book. Especially how Rose read tarots before the book's climaxes. Really adds a certain flavour to books that I like.
The story's content is about Josephine Rose Tasher and is innately full of passion. It's mostly about her early life and first marriag...more
Gulland certainly goes under the petticoats of this pivotal period in history, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, to provide a day by day commentary of events as they unfolded, narrated by the enigmatic but charismatic Rose, aka Josephine, as named by her second husband.
Born in Martinique off Creole heritage and married off to French aristocrat Alexandre de Beauharnais as a replacement to his original choice of her younger sister Catherine (who died suddenly and conveniently), Rose ch...more
Born in Martinique off Creole heritage and married off to French aristocrat Alexandre de Beauharnais as a replacement to his original choice of her younger sister Catherine (who died suddenly and conveniently), Rose ch...more
I already have read this book a few times, and therefore can guarantee it is a good read as long as you enjoy stories involved with history. Despite the debate about the accuracy of the series (two more follow this book) I can credit the book with being part of what threw me into my love for Napoleonic history, and the life of Josephine Bonaparte.
This book is not something I would have voluntarily picked up, but after professing my dislike of History courses focussing on the French Revolution, my housemate declared that I should at least give this series a go as they are her favourite books, and that maybe reading them will change my mind. She was right.
Not only is the book extremely well written, imparting contemporary facts with ease and without patronising the reader, but the diary format lends to an accessible way to understand the l...more
Not only is the book extremely well written, imparting contemporary facts with ease and without patronising the reader, but the diary format lends to an accessible way to understand the l...more
This was such a great book!!! Just finished the 1st and I am going to continue with the 2nd because I think it's important to rad them together as one book.
The book was really well researched, I kept looking up other books, the internet,... to know more about the characters Josephine( or Rose) met during her life. There are also very detailed footnotes at the end of the book and several pictures and photos depicting characters and important events in the story.
I am very interested in the Napole...more
The book was really well researched, I kept looking up other books, the internet,... to know more about the characters Josephine( or Rose) met during her life. There are also very detailed footnotes at the end of the book and several pictures and photos depicting characters and important events in the story.
I am very interested in the Napole...more
I read most of this book over two days and am now really frustrated that I don't have the second volume of the series with me. The story is compelling and the characters feel very real. I had somewhat of a difficult time keeping track of all the names, but in the end, it didn't seem to matter. The high school French I had twenty years ago was more than enough for understandomg what little French there is in the novel. Why not five stars? The book is well-written, interesting, and compelling, but...more
The history teacher in me balances this book between three and five stars. It's great historical fiction, really bringing to life the time period leading up to the French Revolution, including on the slave-holding islands controlled by France. Then, for the pages and pages that recounted the Terror, I was truly terrified. The book is written in diary format, and I loved author's voice - poetic, bare, insightful, and funny. Josephine comes across as a remarkable person. However, this is only part...more
I have been saving this book (which is for the June meeting of my bookclub) for my vacation, and it was well worth the wait. I must admit my prejudice—I love historical fiction, especially about actual women who lived in times of great turmoil and/or who held great influence. Josephine Bonaparte fits both these criteria. As this book is the first in a trilogy, Josephine does not meet and marry Napoleon until the last few pages of the novel. But Josephine’s early life when she was known as Rose i...more
i don't read the backs of books cuz i love surprises ... so i didn't realize this was the first of three books. as i got closer and closer to the end and still rose hadn't even met napoleon, i started to think i was crazy. can't wait to read the other books because this one was super good. gulland's writing style is beautiful; the sentences flow easily but aren't the least bit simple.
on a personal note, i find it hysterical that napoleon renamed rose to something he liked better. my great-grand...more
on a personal note, i find it hysterical that napoleon renamed rose to something he liked better. my great-grand...more
Excellent story! The kind of well-researched historical fiction that brings the time period and its characters richly back to life. Sarah Gulland is my new favorite historical fiction author. She not only writes beautifully, but she seamlessly weaves together truth and fiction. AND, she filled the book with footnotes to give the reader back ground information and further historical details--which this history buff loved. I even found myself on wikipedia, (after finishing the book) researching th...more
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I'm the author of the Josephine B. Trilogy, the internationally best-selling novels based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon's wife. The Trilogy is now published in 17 countries.
I most recently published MISTRESS OF THE SUN, the first of what will be a series of novels set in the Court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. (I'm writing a second now.)
An American-Canadian, I was born in Miami, Flor...more
More about Sandra Gulland...
I most recently published MISTRESS OF THE SUN, the first of what will be a series of novels set in the Court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. (I'm writing a second now.)
An American-Canadian, I was born in Miami, Flor...more
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“I play out the cards. They say: This is Heaven, this is Hell. It is one.”
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“A feeling of disquiet continues to haunt me. As a youth one dreams of love; by the time one wakes, it is too late.”
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Dec 26, 2012 06:34am