Surprising
I really enjoyed this book. My curiosity about Axel had been piqued when I saw the film with Tyrone Power playing Axel...it left a lot to the imagination and this book fills in the gaps. The author portrays the court with great detail and makes her characters live. I heartily recommend this to all who enjoy Historical Fiction with a love story as a bonus.
Rated of 5
by Patricia S. (New Canaan, CT)
A diary of loves and revolutions
I hadn't expected to read a book so rich in history - spanning the American, French and Swedish revolutions - written in diary form by Axel von Fersen and his sister Sophie. The author has brought history to life as she weaves the story of Axel falling in love with the young Marie Antoinette, his 'Toinette, a love which propelled him throughout life as he sought to make her life easier and to save her from the guillotine. Despite other loves along the way, Axel remains true to 'Toinette and the royal family, even at the expense of his own family in Sweden. Francine Du Plessix Gray has written a book which will appeal to many types of readers and has a story that won't leave you for a while. If only she'd written this years earlier, I would have loved my European history classes more and understood the complexities of social history in those times.
Rated of 5
by Linda P. (Rockport, ME)
The Queen's Lover
As I read and very much enjoyed the story of Marie Antoinette’s Swedish lover, Count Axel von Fersen, I kept wanting to label the genre of the book as Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction, rather than Historical Fiction. The author has done exhaustive research to bring to life the details of the French Revolution, the tragedy of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, the role von Fersen played in their lives, and his own ironic fate in Sweden where a similar revolution took place.
The Queen’s Lover is very well written and paints a detailed picture of events that have been shoddily addressed by other authors. I came away with a much better understanding of the political climate surrounding the French Revolution. My only critique of the novel is that the author seems to do more “telling” than “showing”, but that by no means detracted from the brilliant portrayal as seen through the point of view of Axel von Fersen and his sister, Sophie. Highly recommended for lovers of late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth century European history.
Rated of 5
by Constance C. (Manchester, New Hampshire)
The Queen/s Lover
This historical novel is based on the untold love story of Marie Antoinette and Count Axel von Fersen. Due to the excess amount of details I can only rate it as good. Some of the descriptions are very interesting. I did not care for the main character. Count Alex. But found myself sympathetic to the royal family, their reputations have not been very good thru the years. This pictures them as loving parents, and much nicer individuals. The book is beautifully written, and researched with a different vision of the French Revolution. That said, I found myself losing interest due to the excess details.
Rated of 5
by Suzanne G. (Bremerton, WA)
Like a sweet dessert
This book is brief for a historical novel, with little of the biographic and period detail one might expect.
Du Plessix Gray is a fine writer who sneaks in sideways glances at the truth of her characters. Our poor hero, Felsen, for example, is so besotted by Marie Antoinette he can't begin to comprehend why the people hate her even as he describes her unimaginable excesses, which he sees as adorable.
With lush prose, Gray presents an original view of Paris and Versailles during the Revolution. This is an enjoyable book for lovers of royalty.
Rated of 5
by Sally M. (Honolulu, Hawaii)
The Queen's Lover
This book would appeal to lovers of historical novels. It is clear that the author did extensive research into the life of Count Axel von Fersen and the historical period of the French Revolution. I found it hard to keep reading the book, however, as I never got inolved with the hero. I did find interesting historical tidbits, especially concerning Sweden during this period.
Rated of 5
by Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL)
Learning History
I enjoyed this book as I had very little knowledge of Scottish history and French history. Good historical book with plenty of intrigue.
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