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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the Empress Josephine. Webb painted a beautiful portrait of the rise and fall of Josephine. The detail of this period of French history was amazing. This is a must read for historical fiction fans.
I received a free copy from the publisher.
A 2013 favorite!
I received a free copy from the publisher.
A 2013 favorite!
One of my all-time favorite trilogies is Sandra Gulland's series about Josephine, which turned me into a full-blown Josephine fangirl. I must confess I started this novel nervously, afraid it wouldn't satisfy.
My anxieties were for naught.
Webb's Josephine is a fully realized heroine, steely and soft in equal part, a character who grows from a girl to a woman in the course of the novel, and it was a delight being with her. As with my favorite heroines, I miss her now that I'm finished with the novel!
Written in first person, the novel spans 1779, when Josephine -- then Rose Tascher -- is a teenager in Martinique to 1814, the year of her death. Brisk and plotty, the story races through the tumultuous events of Josephine's life without ignoring our heroine's development. From the first page, Josephine's charming and winsome personality shines through, making me fall as easily in love with her as her many admirers and friends. (I'm a stickler about that: if we're told a character has X trait, I want to see it demonstrated, and Webb more than once revealed a woman of grace, resolve, and passion.)
For those unfamiliar with Josephine's life outside of her role as Napoleon's wife, Webb's novel is a marvelous introduction. The events of her life -- her marriage to a handsome rake, her imprisonment during the French Revolution, her life as an arms dealer -- are brought to life with the kind of effortless historical detail that makes me love this genre. (As a tarot aficionado, I was delighted by the competent and respectful inclusion of the occult elements of Martinique in Josephine's story; it felt natural to the character and the era.)
Near the end of the novel, Webb's Josephine says, "Who I had become, where I longed to be, eluded me." (p298). It was a line that hit me emotionally; I felt very strongly that I knew who she had become, and yet, I felt acutely her own sense of being unmoored.
My only complaint is that I wished the novel was longer; at 300 pages, it reads quickly, and more than once I wished the story could have lingered or delved more deeply into Josephine's life. But then again, I'm rapacious when it comes to Josephine.
A wonderful debut, this novel is a marvelous introduction to Josephine and a welcome reunion for those who know her already. Francophiles and fans of royalty fic will want this book as well as anyone who likes a rags-to-riches story. If you want mood and an unforgettable heroine, grab this and book yourself a weekend to read -- you want want to put it down.
My anxieties were for naught.
Webb's Josephine is a fully realized heroine, steely and soft in equal part, a character who grows from a girl to a woman in the course of the novel, and it was a delight being with her. As with my favorite heroines, I miss her now that I'm finished with the novel!
Written in first person, the novel spans 1779, when Josephine -- then Rose Tascher -- is a teenager in Martinique to 1814, the year of her death. Brisk and plotty, the story races through the tumultuous events of Josephine's life without ignoring our heroine's development. From the first page, Josephine's charming and winsome personality shines through, making me fall as easily in love with her as her many admirers and friends. (I'm a stickler about that: if we're told a character has X trait, I want to see it demonstrated, and Webb more than once revealed a woman of grace, resolve, and passion.)
For those unfamiliar with Josephine's life outside of her role as Napoleon's wife, Webb's novel is a marvelous introduction. The events of her life -- her marriage to a handsome rake, her imprisonment during the French Revolution, her life as an arms dealer -- are brought to life with the kind of effortless historical detail that makes me love this genre. (As a tarot aficionado, I was delighted by the competent and respectful inclusion of the occult elements of Martinique in Josephine's story; it felt natural to the character and the era.)
Near the end of the novel, Webb's Josephine says, "Who I had become, where I longed to be, eluded me." (p298). It was a line that hit me emotionally; I felt very strongly that I knew who she had become, and yet, I felt acutely her own sense of being unmoored.
My only complaint is that I wished the novel was longer; at 300 pages, it reads quickly, and more than once I wished the story could have lingered or delved more deeply into Josephine's life. But then again, I'm rapacious when it comes to Josephine.
A wonderful debut, this novel is a marvelous introduction to Josephine and a welcome reunion for those who know her already. Francophiles and fans of royalty fic will want this book as well as anyone who likes a rags-to-riches story. If you want mood and an unforgettable heroine, grab this and book yourself a weekend to read -- you want want to put it down.
This story is beautifully written, with lots of emotion and fantastic descriptions. This author writes historical fiction so well it was hard to put the book down! I finished in a day!
With the exclusion that Josephine was married to Napoleon Bonaparte I knew next to nil about this historical figure. I instantly fell in love. The descriptions were vivid, the story sweeping, and immediately rooted for Josephine. She led a very interesting life with difficulties that could have caused her to roll into a ball and huddle in the corner, waiting until the coast was clear, but she stood tall. It this regard she reminded me of Scarlet O'Hara and her gumption. Perhaps it is just my love for the novel, but I could see Josephine creating a dress out of curtains to seduce a Rhett Butleresque character if it would be to her benefit.
While I enjoyed Heather Webb's novel from beginning to end the section that most caught my attention was Josephine's time at Les Carmes prison. I found her stint there to be revealing, not only of the strength of her character but also how much her story had gripped me, I needed to read this book like I needed to breath oxygen. To be cliche, I was spellbound.
After a tantalizing time the meeting and eventual relationship between Napoleon and Josephine emerges. The moment that had been just beyond the horizon had come and frankly, I was indifferent. Bonaparte encompassed a spoiled toddler going through the "terrible twos" and the peripheral was family squabbles. It was still a very interesting soapbox with Josephine coming off as Mother Teresa. I think, because said relationship is all I knew about the heroine I was expecting some big bang and instead was only as large as Bonaparte. Even still, I was in rapture by the storytelling, only this time I slowed down a bit and enjoyed the view.
Overall, Becoming Josephine was a worthwhile read and captured my imagination long after my Kindle had been switched off.
While I enjoyed Heather Webb's novel from beginning to end the section that most caught my attention was Josephine's time at Les Carmes prison. I found her stint there to be revealing, not only of the strength of her character but also how much her story had gripped me, I needed to read this book like I needed to breath oxygen. To be cliche, I was spellbound.
After a tantalizing time the meeting and eventual relationship between Napoleon and Josephine emerges. The moment that had been just beyond the horizon had come and frankly, I was indifferent. Bonaparte encompassed a spoiled toddler going through the "terrible twos" and the peripheral was family squabbles. It was still a very interesting soapbox with Josephine coming off as Mother Teresa. I think, because said relationship is all I knew about the heroine I was expecting some big bang and instead was only as large as Bonaparte. Even still, I was in rapture by the storytelling, only this time I slowed down a bit and enjoyed the view.
Overall, Becoming Josephine was a worthwhile read and captured my imagination long after my Kindle had been switched off.
I have a love-hate relationship with historical novels. I am fascinated by the opportunity to learn about historical events through this genre of writing, but I struggle with the fictional events that the author must add to create an interesting book. These fictional events create a power struggle in me; the desire to be entertained versus the desire to treat a real person with the respect that their life deserves.
I struggled with Rose/Josephine's use of her sexuality, although it would appear that she was not unusual in her sexual activity; sometimes to satisfy her personal desires and other times to achieve wealth, power and control. She definitely was a survivor but at tremendous cost.
I struggled with Rose/Josephine's use of her sexuality, although it would appear that she was not unusual in her sexual activity; sometimes to satisfy her personal desires and other times to achieve wealth, power and control. She definitely was a survivor but at tremendous cost.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I had a feeling that BECOMING JOSEPHINE was going to be a good read, but I didn't know it was going to be this good! I am utterly impressed that this was Webb's debut novel; I would never had guessed it.
The imagery in this novel was so beautiful. You could clearly picture every scene with detail in your mind.
There's a bit of gore in the novel, as one could aspect when the setting was revolutionary France. Webb didn't skirt away from the violence and poverty. At times, it could be quite disturbing since the novel was written in first person from Rose | Josephine's point of view.
Speaking of which, I don't like first person. But it was a good choice for BECOMING JOSEPHINE. It placed the reader in Rose | Josephine's state of mind so well, much better than third person could have done.
The character development was phenomenal. There's no other word for it. In the beginning, Rose | Josephine is sixteen years old and believed that one should only marry for love. But, when she was forced into an arranged marriage with Alexandre, a typical 18th century man who had a wife but several mistresses on this side, Rose | Josephine had to grow up and do it fast. She saw that life, especially high society life in Paris was so superficial and it sucked to be a woman with a husband who could care less about you. But, in this novel, Webb amazingly shows how she rose above all that. Yet at the same time, you want to just yell at Rose | Josephine for her way of thinking, attitude and her hypocrisy for later becoming the mistress and not caring a lick about the man's wife. But that's exactly what I love about this. Webb didn't make this a story in which Rose | Josephine was close to godliness heroine. She had flaws, beautiful flaws and it was amazing. I loved the moment, on her wedding night when she realized that she was a wife. The precious moment was captured so perfectly and it was something anyone can understand and relate to.
As a history buff, I loved the historical accuracy of this book. I thought it showed that Webb put a great deal of research into this. I adored a quick conversation at one point in the book where a group of women were discussing the latest fashions of men's wigs!
Really, one of the only things I disliked about the novel was the transitions between scenes. I thought that they went by very quickly. Sometimes, I would get confused at where the characters were and how much time had passed since the last scene.
Something I would like to add that as a self-proclaimed slow reader, this book did not take me long to plow through. It was a little intimidating sporting over three-hundred pages, but wow, I speed through this book!
I look forward to any upcoming novels by Heather Webb. I hope enjoy them as I did BECOMING JOSEPHINE.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I had a feeling that BECOMING JOSEPHINE was going to be a good read, but I didn't know it was going to be this good! I am utterly impressed that this was Webb's debut novel; I would never had guessed it.
The imagery in this novel was so beautiful. You could clearly picture every scene with detail in your mind.
"Banana trees bowed beneath the weight of water driving from the swollen sky.
There's a bit of gore in the novel, as one could aspect when the setting was revolutionary France. Webb didn't skirt away from the violence and poverty. At times, it could be quite disturbing since the novel was written in first person from Rose | Josephine's point of view.
Speaking of which, I don't like first person. But it was a good choice for BECOMING JOSEPHINE. It placed the reader in Rose | Josephine's state of mind so well, much better than third person could have done.
The character development was phenomenal. There's no other word for it. In the beginning, Rose | Josephine is sixteen years old and believed that one should only marry for love. But, when she was forced into an arranged marriage with Alexandre, a typical 18th century man who had a wife but several mistresses on this side, Rose | Josephine had to grow up and do it fast. She saw that life, especially high society life in Paris was so superficial and it sucked to be a woman with a husband who could care less about you. But, in this novel, Webb amazingly shows how she rose above all that. Yet at the same time, you want to just yell at Rose | Josephine for her way of thinking, attitude and her hypocrisy for later becoming the mistress and not caring a lick about the man's wife. But that's exactly what I love about this. Webb didn't make this a story in which Rose | Josephine was close to godliness heroine. She had flaws, beautiful flaws and it was amazing. I loved the moment, on her wedding night when she realized that she was a wife. The precious moment was captured so perfectly and it was something anyone can understand and relate to.
"Wife. I am wife."
As a history buff, I loved the historical accuracy of this book. I thought it showed that Webb put a great deal of research into this. I adored a quick conversation at one point in the book where a group of women were discussing the latest fashions of men's wigs!
Really, one of the only things I disliked about the novel was the transitions between scenes. I thought that they went by very quickly. Sometimes, I would get confused at where the characters were and how much time had passed since the last scene.
Something I would like to add that as a self-proclaimed slow reader, this book did not take me long to plow through. It was a little intimidating sporting over three-hundred pages, but wow, I speed through this book!
I look forward to any upcoming novels by Heather Webb. I hope enjoy them as I did BECOMING JOSEPHINE.
I reviewed this book for www.luxuryreading.com.
Growing up on the dense, lush island of Martinique, young and naive Rose Tascher longed to leave behind the disapproval and constraints of her home and sail away to the excitement and freedom of Paris. Witnessing the unhappy and unfaithful marriage of her parents, Rose resolved to marry for love or not to marry at all: she will settle for nothing less than pure devotion and adventure. Yet the reality she finds herself in is far from her ideal.
What she hoped would be a marriage of mutual adoration and appreciation quickly becomes one of loneliness. Her handsome, sophisticated soldier husband, Alexander, proves to be a cruel, adulterous and inattentive husband who refuses to accompany his young wife around Paris and soon enough abandons her with two small children. Forced to learn how to support her family, Rose uses her wits, connections and learned refinement to advance herself within the Parisian elite and charm various men in order to survive. Then the horrors of the French Revolution come crashing through Rose’s circle of privilege and she finds herself near death in a Parisian prison.
When the political tides turn once again Rose is released, barely having survived the inhumane conditions and humiliations. Now charged with a renewed appreciation for preservation and independence she resolves to do whatever it takes to make sure her and her children’s futures are secure. But amidst finding that freedom she comes into contact with an arrogant, unnervingly intense man who nonetheless finds a way to capture her heart: Napoleon Bonaparte. Marrying this passionate yet demanding man, Rose reinvents herself as Josephine Bonaparte and finds herself at the pinnacle of success as the Empress of France, with all the security and wealth that entails. But the balance between power and freedom, love and loss, will prove difficult for Josephine and she will have to decide what she is willing to live with and what she will have to fight for.
Having very little knowledge of the history of France after the French Revolution, I found Becoming Josephine to be a vivid, close up look at not only the shifting tides of power before, during and after the French Revolution but an in depth study of the woman who was Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife. Told from Josephine’s point of view the reader gets to see the precarious position a woman of Josephine’s status lived in and the fight such a woman would have to find security, freedom and faithful love in one man. While Josephine came off at times as slightly selfish and spendthrift, I couldn’t help but ache for her as she continued to be hurt and used by men with little recourse. She wanted more than anything a true and faithful love but seemed to have the worst time finding it. The roller coaster highs and lows she experienced during her life were simply mind boggling and her sheer determination to survive and ultimately find happiness in the life she had worked so hard to cultivate was mesmerizing and inspiring.
Becoming Josephine is a superbly written historical novel highlighting a woman seemingly relegated by history to the shadow of her power hungry husband. I found it utterly fascinating and I’m excited to read more about this captivating woman.
Growing up on the dense, lush island of Martinique, young and naive Rose Tascher longed to leave behind the disapproval and constraints of her home and sail away to the excitement and freedom of Paris. Witnessing the unhappy and unfaithful marriage of her parents, Rose resolved to marry for love or not to marry at all: she will settle for nothing less than pure devotion and adventure. Yet the reality she finds herself in is far from her ideal.
What she hoped would be a marriage of mutual adoration and appreciation quickly becomes one of loneliness. Her handsome, sophisticated soldier husband, Alexander, proves to be a cruel, adulterous and inattentive husband who refuses to accompany his young wife around Paris and soon enough abandons her with two small children. Forced to learn how to support her family, Rose uses her wits, connections and learned refinement to advance herself within the Parisian elite and charm various men in order to survive. Then the horrors of the French Revolution come crashing through Rose’s circle of privilege and she finds herself near death in a Parisian prison.
When the political tides turn once again Rose is released, barely having survived the inhumane conditions and humiliations. Now charged with a renewed appreciation for preservation and independence she resolves to do whatever it takes to make sure her and her children’s futures are secure. But amidst finding that freedom she comes into contact with an arrogant, unnervingly intense man who nonetheless finds a way to capture her heart: Napoleon Bonaparte. Marrying this passionate yet demanding man, Rose reinvents herself as Josephine Bonaparte and finds herself at the pinnacle of success as the Empress of France, with all the security and wealth that entails. But the balance between power and freedom, love and loss, will prove difficult for Josephine and she will have to decide what she is willing to live with and what she will have to fight for.
Having very little knowledge of the history of France after the French Revolution, I found Becoming Josephine to be a vivid, close up look at not only the shifting tides of power before, during and after the French Revolution but an in depth study of the woman who was Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife. Told from Josephine’s point of view the reader gets to see the precarious position a woman of Josephine’s status lived in and the fight such a woman would have to find security, freedom and faithful love in one man. While Josephine came off at times as slightly selfish and spendthrift, I couldn’t help but ache for her as she continued to be hurt and used by men with little recourse. She wanted more than anything a true and faithful love but seemed to have the worst time finding it. The roller coaster highs and lows she experienced during her life were simply mind boggling and her sheer determination to survive and ultimately find happiness in the life she had worked so hard to cultivate was mesmerizing and inspiring.
Becoming Josephine is a superbly written historical novel highlighting a woman seemingly relegated by history to the shadow of her power hungry husband. I found it utterly fascinating and I’m excited to read more about this captivating woman.
What a fabulous debut novel! I found myself thinking...when I was not even 50 pages in...how well-written it is. Coming in at only 300 pages, this novel packs a lot of punch. It easily rivals any of its more chunky counterparts.
Reading a book centering on Josephine was so refreshing. I have not, as of yet, read any historical novels about her. I was surprised by what an illustrious life she led. Not having read much non-fiction-wise about her, I have no way of determining how accurate Ms. Webb's story is, but I think it's safe to say that it is accurate and impeccably researched at that. I will now be in search of an excellent non-fiction book about Josephine. Any recommendations?
What Ms. Webb did best, in my opinion, was completely capture Napoleon's character as I imagined he would be. Such a passionate and intense person. Despite his faults, I found reading the parts involving him utterly fascinating.
Again, a strong debut novel here. An engaging and exciting story that will clearly delight even non-regular readers of historical fiction. I look forward to future offerings by Heather Webb. I hope I won't have to wait too long.
Reading a book centering on Josephine was so refreshing. I have not, as of yet, read any historical novels about her. I was surprised by what an illustrious life she led. Not having read much non-fiction-wise about her, I have no way of determining how accurate Ms. Webb's story is, but I think it's safe to say that it is accurate and impeccably researched at that. I will now be in search of an excellent non-fiction book about Josephine. Any recommendations?
What Ms. Webb did best, in my opinion, was completely capture Napoleon's character as I imagined he would be. Such a passionate and intense person. Despite his faults, I found reading the parts involving him utterly fascinating.
Again, a strong debut novel here. An engaging and exciting story that will clearly delight even non-regular readers of historical fiction. I look forward to future offerings by Heather Webb. I hope I won't have to wait too long.
I have to admit I was rather disappointed by this book, and thus the rather harsh (for me) rating.
It started off with potential and while not a masterpiece I thought it was still enjoyable, if poorly written. Had it built on that potential it may have received three stars but unfortunately it remained shallow throughout the whole novel, which was a disappointment.
The title indicates that there will be some kind of journey of the character; it felt to me that the only transformation Rose undergoes is changing her name to Josephine and rising in rank. For someone who suffered so much, she doesn't seem to change at all. Characterisation is not a strong point in this novel at all, and all the characters fell flat.
I am very much used to reading historical chick-lit, if you like, and I've read some really atrocious ones. Unfortunately this one can't be said to be much better, considering the appalling uses of modern language - 'cookies', 'vacations' and 'duvets' didn't exist in 18/19th century France, just the beginning of a whole host of anachronisms. The dialogue and character thoughts are often so inane I cringed on multiple occasions. I found it incredibly difficult to sympathise fully with this interpretation of Josephine, portrayed as she is (unintentionally, I'm sure, but that's how it appeared) as a spend-thrift, frivolous and completely shallow.
Another quibble I have with it is that for much of the latter half of the novel Josephine "cannot breathe" without Napoleon and is completely in love with him... Who calls the love of their life by their surname the whole time? Napoleon is mostly referred to, even by his devoted wife, as 'Bonaparte'. It was jarring and completely undermined the fact they were supposed to be in love - a fact which is unclear until the author realised she'd given their love story absolutely no depth at all and started slapping you in the face with "Lord, I loved him so much" every other page just to make it clear that they're in love now. Because aside from those comments, there's absolutely no coverage of how they fell in love and that was a huge disappointment, considering the author wanted to "know [Josephine's] heart". Well, surely covering that love story is a good place to start?
I won't complain about the use of French in the novel - I'm not usually averse to it, but even I found some of the usage here strange. It didn't detract but neither did it really add much, so it's a bit of a moot point.
Overall I really found this book rather tiresome - I so wanted to like it as I find Josephine completely fascinating, as well as the time period - but was all together too pleased when it ended. If I'm completely honest the only thing I found to really commend it is that the basic history was exciting and compelling and much of the reason I continued reading was to find out what happened next - not because I cared particularly about the characters but because I was interested in the history. All I can say is at least it wasn't boring but I do wish I'd got it from the library rather than spending money on it.
(And this is perhaps the harshest review I've ever written. Woops.)
It started off with potential and while not a masterpiece I thought it was still enjoyable, if poorly written. Had it built on that potential it may have received three stars but unfortunately it remained shallow throughout the whole novel, which was a disappointment.
The title indicates that there will be some kind of journey of the character; it felt to me that the only transformation Rose undergoes is changing her name to Josephine and rising in rank. For someone who suffered so much, she doesn't seem to change at all. Characterisation is not a strong point in this novel at all, and all the characters fell flat.
I am very much used to reading historical chick-lit, if you like, and I've read some really atrocious ones. Unfortunately this one can't be said to be much better, considering the appalling uses of modern language - 'cookies', 'vacations' and 'duvets' didn't exist in 18/19th century France, just the beginning of a whole host of anachronisms. The dialogue and character thoughts are often so inane I cringed on multiple occasions. I found it incredibly difficult to sympathise fully with this interpretation of Josephine, portrayed as she is (unintentionally, I'm sure, but that's how it appeared) as a spend-thrift, frivolous and completely shallow.
Another quibble I have with it is that for much of the latter half of the novel Josephine "cannot breathe" without Napoleon and is completely in love with him... Who calls the love of their life by their surname the whole time? Napoleon is mostly referred to, even by his devoted wife, as 'Bonaparte'. It was jarring and completely undermined the fact they were supposed to be in love - a fact which is unclear until the author realised she'd given their love story absolutely no depth at all and started slapping you in the face with "Lord, I loved him so much" every other page just to make it clear that they're in love now. Because aside from those comments, there's absolutely no coverage of how they fell in love and that was a huge disappointment, considering the author wanted to "know [Josephine's] heart". Well, surely covering that love story is a good place to start?
I won't complain about the use of French in the novel - I'm not usually averse to it, but even I found some of the usage here strange. It didn't detract but neither did it really add much, so it's a bit of a moot point.
Overall I really found this book rather tiresome - I so wanted to like it as I find Josephine completely fascinating, as well as the time period - but was all together too pleased when it ended. If I'm completely honest the only thing I found to really commend it is that the basic history was exciting and compelling and much of the reason I continued reading was to find out what happened next - not because I cared particularly about the characters but because I was interested in the history. All I can say is at least it wasn't boring but I do wish I'd got it from the library rather than spending money on it.
(And this is perhaps the harshest review I've ever written. Woops.)