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Aug 04, 2011

Erin aka The Flashlight Reader rated it:

Follow all my reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com...

There are probably readers who disagree with me but I really enjoy Moran’s books. She has a wonderful style of writing and manages to relate a lot of history without sounding like my college professors. I had a lot of trouble putting this book down. If not for the demands of a one year old I would have been glued to the couch unable to close it. Moran’s stories have kept me entertained cover to cover and this one was More...

22 comments like (15 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2011

Cryselle rated it:

This is an engrossing tale about a woman who has become a byword for tourist-attraction, but was so much more in her own lifetime. This novel sheds a clear light on an amazing person and a turbulent time.

Told in first person and present tense, the book reads like a friend is telling you, moment by moment, about living through civil war and anarchy. Much closer to the main players than I had ever expected to learn, Marie Grosholtz (her maiden name) relates how so many visitors to her More...

0 comments like (16 people liked it)

Jan 28, 2011

Marsha rated it:

There was a time when I was obsessive about reading historical fiction - but at some point I found I was having a hard time finding quality works into which I might immerse myself. I am so glad that I won Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran. It has brought me back to a genre that I have missed by providing me with a very well written novel of the French Revolution.

I must say, the only thing that I struggled with was the tense. It was written in the present tense - as though all the More...

0 comments like (11 people liked it)

Feb 14, 2011

Angie rated it:

I am a lucky winner of this book from the goodreads first reads program! I am so excited and looking forward to receiving it and reading it!

Let me start off my review by saying that I have loved all Michelle Moran's books. I think she is a great writer.

I really liked this one, but I can't say I loved it. Mostly because I felt our main character, Marie, was a little too cold or removed emotionally. I just can't seem to come up with an adjective to describe my feelings. More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 31, 2011

Barb rated it:

I want to thank Crown Publishing for giving away copies of this book here on Goodreads First Reads. I was so excited that I was chosen to receive one of the giveaway books.

This is the first novel I've read by Michelle Moran and I think she's a very talented writer. I will be keeping an eye on what she publishes and if she puts out something that interests me I won't hesitate to pick it up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I thought the writing was very wel More...

14 comments like (5 people liked it)

Oct 26, 2011

Vixenne rated it:

What a wonderful way to complete this year's personal reading challenge on Goodreads! I won a galley copy of this last year from Ms. Moran and though many books came before it, this is historical fiction at its most vibrant and engaging. Let me make one thing perfectly clear--winning a galley copy from an author does not ensure that I will automatically love the book. Then again, I wouldn't enter a contest/giveaway for something I'm not interested in.

Michelle Moran has long been More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Mar 23, 2011

Kristy rated it:

I heart Michelle Moran! I need a T-shirt.
I think she is one of those authors you either can't get enough of or you are completely bored with. I am the first! I want to gobble up everything she writes. I loved "The Heretic Queen", "Nefertiti' and "Cleopatra's Daughter".
~But~
I wasn't overly thrilled with "Madame Tussaud". I think I would have enjoyed it more had I never read "The Hidden Diary of Mary Antoinette" or a few other French More...

3 comments like (10 people liked it)

Mar 10, 2011

Barbara rated it:

Just when I thought I really knew a lot about history, a book like this comes along and makes me realize how little I actually do know (and how much more I want to learn!!)

I finished reading "Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution" last night. Michelle Moran is an absolutely fantastic writer, and I cannot imagine how much research she had to do in order to write this book, because there are more details included in this book than I ever expected to find. Before I More...

5 comments like (5 people liked it)

Mar 14, 2011

Alix rated it:

For full disclosure... I won this in a First Reads Giveaway.
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite the difficulty it had in keeping my interest for lengthy periods of time. The overall story was developed well and I found the timeline writing style to be easy to follow. I enjoyed the presence of many big Revolutionary players (although I'll be the first to admit that I am no French Revolution scholar!). I certainly couldn't tell where the story deviated from actual events. I did appreciate th More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 06, 2011

Jessica rated it:

If you haven’t heard of Madame Tussaud’s wax museums, then you need to do some Googling pronto because Madame Tussaud’s museums are about a million kinds of amazing. I’ve been to the one in Las Vegas twice (there are also museums in London, NYC, L.A., to name just a few) and both times was absolutely in awe of the wax figures and the amazing level of detail and craftsmanship that goes into them. But I’ve always wondered who was Madame Tussaud, really? I loved the museums, but knew nothing about More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 25, 2011

Leanne rated it:

A descriptive, loosely based biography of Marie Grosholtz in France during the bloody revolution. The effort that the author put into the novel is fantastic, and her research is obvious. While the novel proceeded slowly in some areas, it was also fascinating and detailed to further the reader's imagination and interest. My only qualm is that the book is called "Madame Tussaud", but since the novel mostly only chronicled the life of Marie before she married Monsieur Tussaud, it isn' More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

Won as a goodreads giveaway!

I really, really enjoyed this. This is a historical novel, not a historical romance - which I appreciated!

It takes you through the French Revolution from the point of view of Marie Grosholtz (who later becomes Madame Tussaud under circumstances I could hardly believe!). Marie is a perfect narrator, because she straddled both sides of the revolution - the royal family and the Jacobins - which only adds to the drama of an already fraught time.
More...

2 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 27, 2011

Caitlin rated it:

To be honest, I didn't like this one as much as I did Moran's other books set in Egypt. Part of that is that Egyptian history, and its ties to Roman history, are mush more interesting to me. Also, since much more is known about the events of the French Revolution, there was a lot more detail, and it was a little overwhelming at times. But I did enjoy learning about the origin of Madame Tussaud- to be honest, I thought she was a character made up as a marketing ploy for today's Madame Tussaud' More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Oct 22, 2011

Karen rated it:

Thank you goodreads for letting me win this book! Very well written, interesting, and so informative. I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars. Wax museums have always given me the creeps; but this book taught me that during the French Revolution, the figures and displays changed frequently and were actually a form of reporting the news. People and rooms would be sketched and then transformed into wax models and "tableaux". So while the descriptions of the wax people didn't bother me, the g More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 20, 2011

Lesa rated it:

Once I picked up this book, if I'd had the time to do so, I wouldn't have put it down until it was finished. Madame Tussaud was intelligent and quick-witted, as well as creative and artistic. She somehow managed to keep her head when so many around her were losing theirs (both literally and figuratively) during what was surely one of the bloodiest and most chaotic periods in modern history.

Author Michelle Moran has done with words with Madame Tussaud did with wax: she has recreat More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 27, 2011

Carol rated it:

I'm so thankful I won this book through Good Reads first-reads. So far it's really good.

This is the first book I've read by Michelle Moran but ut won't be the last. She does a wonderful job of striking the right balance between history and story which is what I'm always looking for in historical novels. I came away from this book with a new understanding of how scary it must have been during the French revolution. I've been to Madams Tussaud's wax museum's before but had no idea of the More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 05, 2012

Maggie rated it:

This book tells both the personal and factual story of Marie Grosholtz who, after marriage, became Madame Tussaud. She was the wax model creator who helped establish the museum which became the world famous "Madame Tussaud's".

The book is set during the French Revolution, and most of the action relates to that turbulent time and her friendships / business relationships with both royalty and the revolutionaries. I learnt quite a bit about French history whilst reading More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 18, 2011

Chantelle rated it:

Well, I finally read it.
I adore Michelle Moran - I think she's a fabulous author - Cleopatra's Daughter is one of my most favorite books of all time, and her other two are not far behind. I love that she interacts with her readers here on goodreads. Suffice it to say - I'm a fan.

I remember being slightly taken aback upon hearing that her next book was about Marie Tussaud. I knew virtually nothing about her, other than I'd walked past the museum a few times in NYC and never quit More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 27, 2011

Karla rated it:

Wish authors like this were around when I was in High school or college. I retained and learned more about The French Revolution than I ever learned growing up listening to a monotone History teacher preach dates in time at me. The whole time I was thoroughly entertained with her approach by picking a female character who met and knew all sides of the Revolution with brains and talent, who had to tiptoe between the middle of all sides of The Revolution was brilliant! A real historical look into More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 06, 2012

Rachel rated it:

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of The French Revolution by Michelle Moran chronicles the French Revolution through the eyes of Marie Tussaud (née Grosholtz), the famous wax modeler. Marie was taught the art of wax modeling by Dr. Philippe Curtius, whom her mother worked for as a housekeeper. The book claims that Marie's mother and Curtius were lovers. It is likely that they were and there are some who speculate that Curtius was really Marie's biological father. The story starts just as the city of Pari More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Morv rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 10, 2012

Lee-ann rated it:

Review of Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran from Broadway Paperbacks 2011

This is very extensive history of one famous woman's life during the extremely turbulent French Revolution. I found the time line of the French Revolution and list of key characters at the start of the novel helpful as I moved through the book. The additional information at the end of the novel starting with After the Revolution clarified lingering questions and brought the book full circle.

My initial th More...

0 comments like

Dec 14, 2011

Kelsey rated it:

I thought about giving this novel only three stars. The ending was so-so and felt rushed, some of the minor characters were difficult to keep track of, and the heroine, who I originally liked very much, made several decisions relating to men that didn't make sense with the rest of her character. I forgave most of these offenses because they are the result of writing historical fiction, and this novel was one of the better books I've read about the French Revolution that helped me understand who More...

0 comments like

Nov 18, 2011

Alyce (At Home With Books) rated it:

Michelle Moran’s slow-building story about Madame Tussaud took a while to capture my attention, but once it did I happily went along for the ride. I was intrigued by the premise of the story because I had no idea that Madame Tussaud had anything to do with Marie Antoinette or the French Revolution. All I really knew about her was that she has wax museums named after her.

In the first half of the book we get to know Marie Tussaud, learning about her life and the culture of the city – t More...

0 comments like

Sep 26, 2011

Teresa rated it:

This is my first read from Michelle Moran and I will be coming back for more! Madame Tussaud – A Novel of the French Revolution tells the story of Marie Grosholtz (later to become Marie Tussaud) from 1788 until 1802 and is set against the vivid backdrop of the French Revolution. Marie’s talents as a wax modeler attract the attention of both the royal family and the French revolutionaries so she and her family strive to keep their heads (literally) whilst pleasing both factions.

Mada More...

0 comments like

Aug 31, 2011

Kari rated it:

I'm often filled with fits of jealousy when it comes to historical fiction. The sheer amount of patience and research it takes to execute an accurate and well-written novel like this is immense. It's far and away one of the more accurate depictions of the French Revolution that I've come across. While a well-documented event in French history, most novels focus on the plight of the royals or prominent political figures such as Robespierre. This focuses on average folks -- Marie Grosholtz (Eventu More...

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Aug 29, 2011

Allyson rated it:

This book brings the details of the French Revolution to life. There is a cast of very interesting, complex, famous characters that involves you in the lives of these people. You watch as Marie and her friends and family try to continue to live their lives as the world is in turmoil all around them. I was not very familiar with the details so the fear and terror as the Revolution unfolded was felt. Moran manages to show a sympathetic side to the royal family’s plight as they are caught in the ma More...

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Jun 18, 2011

Britni rated it:

When you think of the French Revolution, what do you think of - Marie Antoinette? Storming the Bastille? How about Madame Tussaud making death masks for people that were executed?

A couple of years ago I was given the chance to review Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, a book that has forever turned me onto historical fiction. So last month when I received a surprise package in the mail that was Michelle's newest book, Madame Tussaud, I couldn't wait to get started reading it. And More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 29, 2011

Melanie rated it:

At the end of the book, Michelle talks about the first photograph shot of a human and how there is a glimpse of man who stood still long enough to be captured on film. Then she writes on to say, “While Marie certainly would not have considered herself lucky to have lived through such a devastating period, history is fortunate that she remained still for long enough to record the events that raged on around her.” I know it’s a strange thing to mention before I say anything about the book but it r More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 15, 2011

Margo rated it:

Everyone's heard of the famous Madame Tussaud's wax museums, which started in London but now have locations around the world, but how many of us know the thrilling story of the real Madame Tussaud? This novel, which was published for adults but would make an excellent choice for teen readers as well, concentrates on the life of young Marie Grosholtz in Paris and Versailles during the turbulent years of the French Revolution.

Marie lives with her mother and uncle, studying under her unc More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)