Madame de Pompadour

by Évelyne Lever

" Elle croyait à la destinée et elle avait raison ". Mme de Pompadour, cette bourgeoise promue au rang de maîtresse royale par Louis XV, tient une place très particulière dans l'histoire des grandes favorites : c'est tout à la fois une amoureuse et une femme de pouvoir, dont " le règne " a duré vingt ans. Belle, intelligente, cultivée, douée d'une rare énergie, en dépit d'une santé chancelante, imprégnée de philosophie, amie des encyclopédistes, elle séduit un monarque profondément dépressif. Elle l'entoure d'une chaude tendresse, prévient le moindre de ses désirs et parvient toujours à l'arracher à sa mélancolie. Mais elle comprend très vite que, pour durer, son ascendant doit s'exercer sur l'esprit du roi plutôt que sur ses sens. A mesure que s'éteint le désir, son influence politique ne cesse de grandir. Moins elle est traitée en amante, plus elle agit en souveraine : elle fait et défait les ministres, conseille les ambassadeurs, s'engage dans les tractations diplomatiques, correspond avec les généraux, exerce son discernement comme protectrice des arts, où elle tient, avant la lettre, le rôle de ministre de la Culture. En ce milieu de siècle où la prééminence mondiale de la France est en jeu, Mme de Pompadour, l'" amie nécessaire " de Louis XV, connaît le destin extraordinaire d'une maîtresse qui ferait office d'épouse, de ministre et de thérapeute

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, France, 18th Century, Biography Memoir, Historical

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Évelyne Lever est une historienne contemporaine.

Elle occupait la fonction d'ingénieur de recherche au C.N.R.S. et devient spécialiste de l'histoire du XVIIIe siècle. Elle est aussi l'auteur de nombreux livres sur la vie de Marie Antoinette et de Louis XVI.

Passionnée par la vie de certaines femmes du XVIIIe siècle (comme la favorite de Louis XV Madame de Pompadour), Évelyne Lever retrace dans certaines de ses œuvres leurs parcours. Elle est aussi l'épouse de l'histoiren Maurice Lever.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A WELL-ROUNDED BIOGRAPHY OF A COMPLICATED WOMAN 👏

✨ Popsugar Reading Challenge 2019✨
✨✨Two books that share the same title✨✨

This review is, of course, going to be a little coloured by the fact that I have just read another biography of Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. As far as biographies go, I have read better than this one, it had some flaws. But in the battle of Madame de Pompadour (MdP) biographies, this one is the winner!

👍 THE THINGS I LIKED 👍

Well-rounded: Biographies are the best when they touch upon all aspects of the subjects life. I really liked how Lever included MdP's political life, her relationship with the king, her art interest as well as how she was influenced by the mistresses of Louis XIV.

Quotes: The text of this book is littered with quotes from the woman's own hand, giving the reader at great into her as a person. There is just something so amazing about reading her own words, it's almost like hearing her voice. Only complaint - there should have been even more quotes!

👎 THE THINGS I DISLIKED 👎

Perspective: When the book was over I felt a keen lack of perspective. I really wanted LEver to give some insights into MdP's influence on her time, country and society. Sadly, I did not get that and for that reason it was hard to feel her importance.

Ending: Again, the ending left me with another wish. The book ends with MdP's death and that's it. I really wanted to hear more about the other people in her life - like her brother, the King, the Queen, Voltaire and so forth. It would have been nice to get an ending to their stories as well.

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[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love reading about the French court and its bitchiness and its excess in the time periods from Louis XIV through Louis XVI - probably my favorite time period in history to read about, actually. I adored this book more than I can say. I was wanting to pick up something written by Evelyne Lever because not only does she write French history exclusively but she is actually French and the books are translations from the original French. The translation was seamless and it was interesting to get the perspective on these people from one of their own, albeit hundreds of years later.

I first got curious about Madame de Pompadour as a subject while reading the second installment in the Louis XV Versailles historical fiction trilogy by Sally Christie: "The Rivals of Versailles", which focuses on events from Pompadour's point of view. That was so pleasurable and I was intrigued to then pick up "Madame de Pompadour: A Life" to read the history of what actually happened (pretty close, I must say), and Pompadour now has a place on my list of favorite historical personages to read about. She loved glitz and glamour and parties and was fun and flirtatious, but she was also quite ruthless and never lost sight of her goal to hold on to Louis XV's heart. She had the beauty and the spirit of the Marquise de Montespan as well as the adaptability and the staying power of Madame de Maintenon. She meddled in politics where she didn't really have much experience and she gained many enemies for herself, but she was an effective muse and a champion for the arts, and she did much to influence this monarch as well as the court and time period they lived in.

To supplement this excellent history book (if you're interested), I'd recommend:

- "The Rivals of Versailles" by Sally Christie (historical fiction about Madame de Pompadour)

- "Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King" by Antonia Fraser (different monarch, same parade of women and excellent history)

- "Marie Antoinette: The Journey" by Antonia Fraser (same court scandals and excess, and Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour are quite alike in temperament if not judgment)

- "Marie Antoinette: Last Queen of France" by Evelyne Lever (I haven't actually read this yet but it's on my shelf and I now can't wait to devour another Evelyne Lever history)

- The History Chicks podcast has an awesome episode on Madame de Pompadour (as well as many other awesome episodes on many other awesome historically-influential women)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biography, not a novel, so I have recommended it to my friends who are interested in history, However, they may prefer a novel, so I am commencing my review with this warning, that it is not one. It is, however, a well written history book, and if anyone is really interested in the fascinating life of Madame de Pompadour, is rewarding.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madame de Pompadour has long been one of the historical figures that most interest me so I was looking forward to reading this biography of her life.

Overall, I found it to be an entertaining read. I had known of her many talents and her support of the arts, but I had not realised until reading this book how disliked she was. I'd anticipated she would have had her detractors at court, but I was intrigued to learn how much the public hated her too.

A couple of the later chapters regarding the wars etc were a little dry, but other than that this was a vibrant and well-presented biography that has clearly been well-researched and lovingly put together.

A great read for history fans looking to learn more about Madame de Pompadour or the lives of royal mistresses in general.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Times change, people don’t. Someone lower-middle class uses their brain to make money, makes the right connections through marriage and business, buys the kids the best education possible, uses connections to get the kids the right introductions, and, violá, the family has vaulted up several rungs of the socio-economic ladder in less than two generations. I could be describing the Bolyens, the Middletons, or, in this case, the family of Madame de Pompadour.

Madame de Pompadour’s parents worked. Her father, with no family inheritance to start with, built a fortune in finance, which the royal courtiers regarded with as much horror as if you said “sewage treatment,” and never mind that both trades are vital to keeping a country working.

She was the product of incredibly hard working people who poured everything into climbing the ladder, both for themselves and for her. In pre-Revolution Versailles, the pinnacle of sneering about bloodlines and looking down on anyone considered “less than” (hint: everyone) it’s speaks volumes of Pompadour’s intelligence and beauty that she was able to get in the door, let alone climb all the way to the king’s bed.

True, she had help, due to her parents first making a lot of useful political connections, and then giving her an excellent education in all the importance subjects of the day i.e. music, singing, dancing, acting, social graces, etc. Her arranged marriage further helped position her to be in the right place at the right time, but all the education, connections, and placement in the world won’t help if it comes time to make that elevator pitch and you bomb it.

Pompadour, when she had her staged “meet cute” with the king, nailed it, and flew upwards to what was arguably the most influential position in France.

But, here’s the catch, she had to work, work, work to keep that position. And, of course, always make it look easy. The first thing she did, which I love, is sat down and read the biographies of previous French royal mistresses, in order to copy their successes and avoid their mistakes. Then she had to be alert at all times to never make a mistake, to be informed of everything going on, to be hyper aware of the socio-economic-political-cultural situation both domestically and internationally, and, above all, to please the king.

She trusted no one, she treated everyone with a smile, and she worked hard to maintain her position. Primary sources call her both an “oracle” for being so well informed about everything and “exhausted.” Small wonder!

Madame de Pompadour was a fascinating woman, and the subject matter was interesting, however, I was surprised that the book ends so abruptly when she dies. It stops just as the king is crying at the sight of her corpse being trundled away for burial, without any wrap up about how he handled her death, how soon he moved on to the next mistress, what happened to her family, titles or properties, or what her legacy was in succeeding eras. Also, there seems to be an issue of languages. Something seems to have been lost in translation, leaving the text of this edition rather stilted and dull at points, which sometimes brought me out of the moment of this oh so busy and compelling real life drama.

[Patricia Beavers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great historical, comprehensive book of Pompadour's life. From the beginning to the end of her life, this book goes though the ins and out of her life, both publicly in court and privately with King Louis XV. As a person who has an interest in French history, knows just about Marie Antoinette in the French Revolution, and only heard of Madame de Pompadour from Dr. Who... not really for you, but I decided to read it anyway after reading about her a bit from Wiki.... So this book is for people who obviously knows about the French monarchy and whats to read more extensively about it. I did had to look up some things, but honestly it made me love reading the book more, it was a history lesson inside a history lesson. After reading a chapter I had to some research, not to mention there is ALOT of people in Louis XV court, so yeah gotta know your shit.
Basically Pompadour was a bad-ass woman who ruled France. She did marry and was a socialite in Paris, but wanted to be the King's mistress; and a fortune teller said she would fuck the king one day(in nicer words). When they realized the king was going hunting hear her area, her husband was sent away, while she would go and find his hunting party, being all flirtatious and charming to the king. The king also went to some mask parties where he hung out with her also. By the time her husband came back, she already left for Versailles, and called for a separation/divorce.

The court HATED her! The first mistress of the king was usually courtiers themselves and royalty; however she was from the fiance world-the lower-class! Scandalous! How dare she! It is only a fling! The king will get bored with her! Along with notes that she was a whore was passed around, surprise there. So the king gave her a title of royalty, hence the name Madame de Pompadour, the previous owners of the name died with no heir. After that she was presented to the court as the official mistress. Of course the kings kids hated her, the Queen? She was alright with it, well not alright, but liked Pompadour better than the courtier mistresses who rubbed it in the queen's face. Pompadour paid respects to the queen, which was more attention that she got from her own husband. Pompadour even sent flowers everyday. They were never on friendly terms, but they knew each other existed, and respected each other's role.

The great thing about Pompadour was that she was called the patron of the arts. Being two completely different people, the king liking hunting and she liked theater, its amazing how they were passionate for each other, opposites attract I guess. Louis hated artist, writers of any kind, knowing that they would turn against him at a moments notice, and he hated bad press. She brought the theater to Versailles for a little while, and was a great actress in the plays. She and Voltaire were friends, but they had a fallout. Near the end of her life she even met a young Mozart. She never discouraged any artistic talent no matter if it was paintings or literature. Louis at some point wanted to band the Encyclopedia when it was starting out, since it would say bad things about him of course! She basically saved it.

In order to stay Louis mistress, she knew she needed other ways then sexy time for him to be dependent on her. She became his lifelong friend, until she died... so 20 year friend. He would get depressive, seemed like a depressing person/bipolar with a dominating complex who wanted yes men all around him. She learned to work around that... don't know how, but seems she truly loved him, and liked the power herself. Anything that went to Louis went through her first as she started to go into the political aspect of France. Nothing depressing could go to him, or else it would leave him in a depressive state. He depended on her for everything, opinions, who to promote, demote, or put into exile( a couple of ppl that pissed her off). Because she became his friend and stopped being his mistress, he went else where, because idk, he's really horny. She knew about it, got really upset when they got pregnant, then calmed down when Louis did not recognize the kid as his and put the mom in exile. A dick move, but Pompadour was happy.

Now during Louis reign, he was in wars, seemingly all the time. When Pompadour came into power, they were already at war, and winning. Pompadour being from the world of finance, had connections to the war herself. The people who helped her into power profited from the war, selling guns and stuff I guess. So when the Treaty of Versailles was signed between Austria and France in 1756, a war came straight afterwards... The Seven Years' War. Purssia fought Austria so France helped out, got their ass kicked. Also England was fighting them for Canada. France got their ass kicked some more. Pompadour's friends profited. France almost went bankrupt, and the public got really pissed at the king and Pompadour. King even got an attempted assassination, he got over dramatic about it too, thinking he was going to die after the doctors told him he's fine, twas just a scratch..... drama queen. This seems to be the debt that Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette inherited, and they being kids and not knowing how to handle money, well... we all know what happened to them.

Oh she died of TB is seems. She knew she was going to die and so did everyone else for some time. Kinda sucks going out that way, seems horrible. The king broke every protocol in court's book, and let her die in Versailles, which only royalty can do. When she died, it broke the king's heart, not to mention his son and wife died right after her. He was very depressed after that. She was considered the uncrowned queen of France, and basically the prime minister, who ruled over the country for King Louis XV. She dazzled people with her parties, dance and sang at the theater, promoted the arts, all while looking fabulous in dresses and jewelry. Overall she was a very interesting person who you would love to be your friend, but hate to be your enemy.

[Toglietemi tutto, ma non i miei libri · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Madame de Pompadour. Passioni e destino di una favorita" parla dei retroscena di corte, dei sotterfugi, dei pettegolezzi, delle figure importanti dell'epoca e del loro schieramento a fianco o contro Madame de Pompadour.
Questo non è il più avvincente dei testi ma è preciso e dettagliato, arricchito anche da numerose note.
Forse, è proprio la troppa attenzione ai dettagli a rendere la lettura pesante e poco fluida.
Il libro si sofferma molto sui problemi del regno, su come il re e Madame Pompadour affrontavano battaglie e guerre. Leggere quelle parti è stata un po' una sfida.
Maggiormente interessanti, invece, sono le parti che parlano della vita di corte, delle abitudini del sovrano e di Jeanne - Antoinette.
Leggere questo libro non è stato facile, però mi ha permesso di conoscere meglio una figura determinante della storia francese.

[Jennifer Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no life in this book. I am left feeling that I know facts, but not even a tiny bit of the actual person. Also, I think this relatively short book contains more quotation marks than anything in recent memory, due to the fact that it relies so heavily on other sources. A disappointment.

[Blaise Kyrios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madame de Pompadour was an amazing woman. She basically ruled the country. This book was awesome and I loved all the detail.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I found about Madame de Pompadour through that lovely Doctor Who episode from the Tenant years, The Girl in The Fireplace. And I don't regret deciding to learn more about her, because it turns out that the real Madame de Pompadour was kind of a badass!

I was aware going into this that she was the official mistress of King Louis XV, but I had no idea how influential she was politically. She was his mistress at first, but over the years, she became his advisor and best friend and essentially did his job for him (whether she was qualified is another question, but the fact that she was able to wield that much power is impressive.)

Probably my one criticism of this biography is that it's not very lively. Madame de Pompadour is a fascinating character in history, but the way the information about her is presented in this book is matter-of-fact and detached.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the strangest experience with this book. It is a well-researched and comprehensive biography, even considering its short length.

However, despite going into this with background knowledge and a strong interest in Madame de Pompadour, I found it incredibly hard to read.

One part of that may have been the actual print, which was bulky and tightly squished on the page.

Yet even with the careful commentary and thoughtful insights the author included, it just felt like a slog much of the time. The book was not poorly written or full of useless additions, so it's very hard to pinpoint the issue.

Nonetheless, I will give it a positive 2.5/3 stars because what’s included is an excellent and full look at a powerful yet oft forgotten woman, even if the presentation was sorely lacking.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew basically nothing about this woman, which is why I read a book about her. She was fascinating. I knew she was the king's mistress and ran the country for a time (though the author didn't pull punches on how her rule wasn't great, as she was spectacular at court politics, but war and international relations were not something she excelled in). I did not realize how she disliked sex but still managed to retain her power fully, even when her role of mistress became that of a favorite wife whom he didn't fuck.

I was reminded, however, why I don't know a ton about French history, too many King Louis (and too many revolutions but that wasn't as relevant here). I can never keep them all straight.

[Silvia Cavazzuti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si tratta di una biografia molto ben documentata e ben scritta, non di un romanzo. Questo per me è un aspetto fondamentale per apprezzare un testo storico. il testo é organizzato in capitoli che ripercorrono i fatti salienti della vita di M.me de Pompadour e la lettura non è mai noiosa. L'unica pecca, a mio avviso, è la "trama" stessa: una classe prigioniera delle proprie tradizioni, cieca ed impermeabile ai cambiamenti che di lì a pochi anno avrebbero poi portato alla Rivoluzione

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very comprehensive and well-researched. I never realized how deep into things Pompadour got, how involved in politics and court protocol. (My only problem is that I always have issues keeping track of nobles who change names left and right as well as the French names but that is totally my own glitch where I have to keep checking my own list.)

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a lush chronological biography, heavy on personal relationships and court intrigue. However, I was hoping for a bit more critical analysis of Mme De Pompadour's political contributions, and her role in the development of the Enlightenment. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it's lacking the meat I was looking for, and will hopefully find in a future biography.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but at times an absolute grind to get through.

[Yuri 🌊 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on Madame de Pompadour I’ve read 🥰

[Manny Villa]

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[Jen Pendragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

very interesting life, but the writing was a little choppy and repetitive. there were passages that focused way too much on tertiary figures in the marquise's life, and i could have done with a family tree to help sort out the royal figures.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madame de Pompadour was born a middle class woman. She used her beauty and gutts to become Louis XV's mistress while herself, although a mistress, had risen to become one of the legendary women in 18 century France. Although she became powerful and had the love of Louis XV, she respected his Queen and the royal family, and she respected everyone else at court, it trully shows that being a human, you have to be nice and respect the people around you, for you never know who is going to rise above you and no one in this world will hate a person with gratitude and respect. and one less enemy means one more friend, that's the rule of human world. Although Madame de Pompadour had to try extremely hard to please Louis XV in every way possible, because as king, he was easily bored and when he was bored, he wanted new mistresses. To please the king, she sacrificed her own health and in order to meet up his demand, she had pushed herself to the point of craziness. It showed how hard it is for a relationship that was built on lust, not love. ALthough later Louis XV got other mistresses and dismissed her as his mistress, she continued on to become his friend, which was more valuable than being his mistress. It also showed that Louis XV didn't love her anymore, he could not cast her aside because her political influence and the fact that she was involved in his political affairs. It is true that a woman has to be independent, to rely on other people can never get you anywhere. It is you yourself that can keep you happy and alive. Other people will respect you for your knowledge and independence, not your face.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

While vast in scope, Madame de Pompadour did not quite match the historical narrative I was hoping. Although Evelyn Lever does a thorough job highlighting the intrigues of the royal court, in many ways I felt the book veered in too many inconsequential directions. At times, the book details facts which only the most interested and astute French scholar may appreciate.

The book does succeed in exploring the passionate leanings of the most powerful French woman of her time and delves into the unlikely pairing of Louis XV and his bourgeois favorite. This relationship, while deeply rooted in affection, if not love, planted the seeds for discord in 18th century France. In many ways, the Marquise's influence on French politics during her tenure as royal mistress led to the underpinnings of the monarchy's subsequent downfall several years later.

Ultimately, I was hoping for a more balanced look into Madame Pompadour's life and it's effect on French history. While the book successfully highlights how the role of favorite ultimately led to her demise, the book left me wanting more analysis of how her "reign" affected not only those close to her, but France, itself. In that regard, I felt the book fell somewhat short.

[F.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because I knew the name Madame de Pompadour, but knew absolutely nothing about the woman herself. Having now read the book I find myself au fait with the details of her life, but finding the character of the woman quite elusive.

This may be more a indicator of how scheming she was and how she wore a mask to protect her position rather than a quality of the prose, although a debate could be had as to how you could truly understand and build up a true psychological profile of someone who died so long ago.

The translation is fairly bland (and the amount of exclamtion marks would never have made it past Elaine Benes had she been editing), there's just a sense at the end that there's a lot of one event following another and just too little insight.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great deal of interesting historical detail, but this book reads more like a laundry list of facts than a true narrative. The author lists everything that happened in the life of Madame de Pompadour but analyzes none of it. Some people might find this refreshing, since there is no bending of facts to fit the pet theory of the writer, but it can also leave the reader without any clear entry point into or way to engage with the book. Additionally, it would have been nice to have more of the primary sources quoted directly, particularly Madame de Pompadour's own writings.

It should be noted that the book was translated from the original French, and often, translators are forced to sacrifice artistry for accuracy or vice versa. This might explain the dry tone of the book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the beginning of the book- it was a delightful and charming treatment of Pompadour's early life, her rise, and how she maintained her grasp on the king. And then, we have ze politics in the second half. This section I would give 2 stars. It's a short book, so it is difficult to fully grasp all of the names that are thrown at you and their significance.

So, on average with some rounding, 3 stars. I would try and find another book- might try Mitford's treatment.

[Martina Keller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I would read this in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Paris. It was interesting that at one point she was neither his wife nor his lover, but still managed to run Louix XV's realm. The treatment was rather sympathetic and seemed to gloss over the fact that Louis XV was one of the most debauched of the French kings who contributed heavily to the ultimate demise of the French monarchy. I think the book added enough flavor to enhance my visit to Versailles!

[Jos dujardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book to understand what a grande dame this lady was. Away are the ideas of a simple courtisane, she is and still is the only female premier minister of France. She was instrumental in overturning a century old alliance balance in Europe, faut le faire ! She worked for 20 years in an environment that was hostile to her and she had to study every pass, every conversation. Evelyn Lever made this lady come to life.

[Elo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great Lady behind the "men" of France. You wonder how they would do without them...

I always love reading about French Courts. First because I love history and their participants and second, the Court moved around a lot around where I live and I love reading about the places and imagining them there ;)

[Sara Giacalone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this 2.5 stars - strong opening and moved along briskly (makes sense, given the material I guess). By the end though, the book seemed to drag a bit. Still, interesting material about the court of Louis XV and the "second queen".

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! I found this at the Pulp Fashion exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum and decided to take a little historical detour from my French Revolution frenzy. Very fun, and useful background knowledge.