Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

It is always the sign of a good book when you find yourself slowing down upon nearing the end instead of speeding up, reluctant to come to a close. All the more so when the book is the story of a life and, in slowing down, you somehow try to put off the inevitable death at the end. I definitely found that with this excellent biography of Marie Antoinette; knowing her fate from the outset I still found myself dreading the last few pages, utterly engrossed in this fascinating personality.

From the moment of her death Marie Antoinette has intrigued and beguiled, her true tender heart, kind nature and compassion for the poor and suffering utterly obscured by the myth of 'let them eat cake', replaced with an image of frivolity, empty-headedness and blithe obliviousness. In these pages Marie Antoinette comes across as a woman who would perhaps have been far happier without a crown, replacing a dead elder sister in the intended marriage to the Dauphin, a personality utterly unsuited to the life of political influence and intrigue intended for her, a woman who disliked the overwhelming pomp and ceremony of the French Court, who was far happier in simpler surroundings, with simpler clothes and ceremonies, a woman utterly devoted to her children.

Antonia Fraser's books are always a delight, and this one is no exception. Despite her claim to be casting a 'dispassionate' eye on Marie Antoinette, one feels she has a real affection for her subject, and this comes across on every page. I think I fell in love a little with Marie Antoinette, fell under her spell as almost all who actually met her tended to do, and I greeted the end of this book with a real pang.