Marie Antoinette: The Journey

 

Summary (from the publisher): France’s beleaguered queen, Marie Antoinette, wrongly accused of uttering the infamous “Let them eat cake,” was the subject of ridicule and curiosity even before her death; she has since been the object of debate and speculation and the fascination so often accorded tragic figures in history. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted, privileged, but otherwise unremarkable child was thrust into an unparalleled time and place, and was commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in history. Antonia Fraser’s lavish and engaging portrait of Marie Antoinette, one of the most recognizable women in European history, excites compassion and regard for all aspects of her subject, immersing the reader not only in the coming-of-age of a graceful woman, but also in the unraveling of an era.

Review: In great detail, Antonia Fraser illuminates the life of Marie Antoinette, wrongly maligned and ridiculed throughout her many years as queen of France. Born in 1755, Marie Antoinette was the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of the Hapsburg Empire and Francis I, the Holy Roman Emperor. Her mother negotiated her marriage to the Dauphin of France, Louis-Auguste; Marie Antoinette had no choice in the matter. The marriage was not an overwhelming success. From the start, Marie Antoinette had limited political influence over her husband, to the disappointment of her relatives back home. Even worse, the marriage was left unconsummated for the first seven years of their marriage due to her husband's sexual diffidence and dysfunction. However, they would go on to ultimately have four living children together, although two died young. Although everyone at court was guilty of extravagance, Marie Antoinette bore the blunt of the country's criticism and was the scapegoat in much of the civil unrest building up to the French Revolution. The final years of her life were unhappy ones spent in confinement before her unfortunate end at the hands of the guillotine. 

Fraser has painted a compassionate picture of her subject who she records as being an empathetic, loving woman who was merely a victim of her time period and family dynastic connections. A less than stellar pupil, she was never an intellectual and instead was inspired by her love of children and animals. She was a devoted mother and felt keenly whenever she witnessed anyone in distress. Despite her gentle nature, she was blamed with the worst atrocities including exorbitant excesses, having lovers besides the king father her children, and the famous "let them eat cake" line that Fraser details was most assuredly not said by Marie Antoinette. 

Although dense and rich in detail, Fraser provides the type of detail that adds life and interest to this biography. Everyday life at Versailles is richly described, including the daily habits of her subjects and the alarming lack of security about the palace, which allowed anyone to walk in off the streets. Fraser does an excellent job of describing a woman who largely spent her life doing as she was bid - first by her mother and later by her husband - and still was blamed when anything went wrong; in short, she became the "scapegoat for the weaknesses and failures of the monarchy as a whole" (295). A very sad tale with an even sadder ending, as even her children, who she waited for for so long and loved so deeply, had sad and unhappy lives after her tragic death. 

Stars: 4