List Based On Books The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1)
| Title | : | The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1) |
| Author | : | Sandra Gulland |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 448 pages |
| Published | : | August 3rd 1999 by Atria Books (first published 1995) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Cultural. France. Romance. Literature. 18th Century. European History. French Revolution |
Sandra Gulland
Paperback | Pages: 448 pages Rating: 4.1 | 15452 Users | 880 Reviews
Rendition Toward Books The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1)
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 Napoleon. From the heartbreak of lost loves to the horror of revolution to the hope of new days, it's an intimate epic any romance lover will love.Be Specific About Books During The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1)
| Original Title: | The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. |
| ISBN: | 0684856069 (ISBN13: 9780684856063) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Josephine Bonaparte #1 |
| Characters: | Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte |
| Setting: | Martinique Paris(France) |
Rating Based On Books The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1)
Ratings: 4.1 From 15452 Users | 880 ReviewsWeigh Up Based On Books The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (Josephine Bonaparte #1)
An interesting, fun and fast read.Written in diary form, this is the first part of a trilogy about the woman who would become known to the world as the Empress Josephine Bonaparte, spanning the eventful period from her childhood in Martinique throught first marriage and motherhood, the French Revolution, and culminating in her marriage to Napoleon. I have to admit, I knew nothing whatsoever about Josephine's life going into this, so I can't comment on how historically accurate the book is - but the author clearly did a lot of
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,
[image error]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:
This purports to be the diary of Josephine Bonaparte from the time she was a fourteen-year-old plantation owner's daughter in Martinique in 1777 to her marriage to Napoleon in 1796. That's its weakness and it's strength. The weakness, I think, being that diary format. There are novels told in diary form that I've found moving and riveting: Bridget Jones's Diary, Flowers for Algernon, and even, believe it or not, a Buffy novel, Go Ask Malice. I think what all of them have in common are very
Entertaining to read, especially with the wealth of historical details, but this Josephine is a toothless woose, a good girl who just falls into an amused marriage with Napoleon. where is the indulgent, decadent, experienced older woman who toys with Bonaparte's heart? Disappointing that the protagonist didn't bloom into someone with more character. A story that showed the good - girl-gone-bad evolution would be a Josephine novel I personally would love to read. As it was this seemed like a
History is Fiction. - Robespierre This entire book was written in epistolary format, which does not always work for me. In fact I think I may have read this a great deal sooner had my daughter not told me that the story unfolded as diary entries. That would have been my loss as the writing here is sublime. Every sentence just flows into the next and I feel as though I am a fly on the wall looking over Josephines shoulder as she writes. To be accurate though I cannot yet call her Josephine. I
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