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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
What a glorious magical book. The story weaves together the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel with the story of French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force. The stories are engrossing, sad, depraved, surprising, and ultimately beautiful. Both focus on women trapped and limited by the circumstances of their births, and by being female in a society where women are not valued. It has been a while since I read an unputdowable book, and boy was it fun. Not all people are capable of following two related stories which dip in and out of one another (I recall some reviewers complaining about this with The Devil in White City, another book I loved.) If you are a person who can follow 2 simultaneous storylines, I am pretty sure you are going to love this book. If you require very clear linear plot development, this may challenge you.
This is a book of historical fiction, based on Charlotte-Rose de la Force and the fairy tale of Rapunzel. I found it to be a little long, and most of Charlotte-Rose's parts were tedious to me (at least until the end). I'm also quite grateful I didn't live in France during the setting of this novel. But read this for Rapunzel's story; it's very well thought out and interesting.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is a unique blend of historical fiction and fairy tale retelling mixing the story of Rapunzel with that of Charlotte - Rose de la Force, the French noblewoman who penned a version of the tale while in exile from the court of the Sun King Louis XIV as well as that of Selena Leonelli, a Venetian courtesan who was a muse to the artist Titian. I have never really read a book that blends these genres so successfully so I was impressed at how balanced the blend of magic and history felt and how well the author was able to weave fact and fiction together. The reader is transported to 16th century Venice as we learn of Selena, the daughter of a courtesan who later becomes a courtesan herself, obsessed with youth and beauty, so much so that she is willing to resort to witchcraft to achieve it. Also known as La Strega Bella, she becomes the witch in the Rapunzel tale we all know so well when she claims Margherita, the young daughter of her neighbours and locks her away in an isolated tower so that she can use her for the magical rituals she believes will keep her young.
In 17th Century France Charlotte-Rose is caught up in the pomp and ritual of the Royal Court but her propensity for getting herself embroiled in scandals including failed love affairs and her refusal to renounce her religion results in her banishment to a nunnery and a life far more simple that she is used to. While there she befriends one of the nuns and from her learns the story of Margherita and Selena, a story that inspires her to create a tale of her own that has stood the test of time. It is her story that anchors the book and she is the character the reader spends the most time with, and while it took me some time to connect with her, by the end of the book she had really grown on me. It is clear that the author invested a lot of time into her research and that pays off in the rich historical details and descriptions that helped to transport me to another time and place. The commentary on the historical struggles of women is clear and thought provoking but not overpowering, it is a thread that is deftly woven through all three tales that make up this book. This is a long book with a lot of detail and I will say that I did struggle to get to grips with it at first but once I was able to dedicate some time to it I soon found myself captivated by the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
In 17th Century France Charlotte-Rose is caught up in the pomp and ritual of the Royal Court but her propensity for getting herself embroiled in scandals including failed love affairs and her refusal to renounce her religion results in her banishment to a nunnery and a life far more simple that she is used to. While there she befriends one of the nuns and from her learns the story of Margherita and Selena, a story that inspires her to create a tale of her own that has stood the test of time. It is her story that anchors the book and she is the character the reader spends the most time with, and while it took me some time to connect with her, by the end of the book she had really grown on me. It is clear that the author invested a lot of time into her research and that pays off in the rich historical details and descriptions that helped to transport me to another time and place. The commentary on the historical struggles of women is clear and thought provoking but not overpowering, it is a thread that is deftly woven through all three tales that make up this book. This is a long book with a lot of detail and I will say that I did struggle to get to grips with it at first but once I was able to dedicate some time to it I soon found myself captivated by the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
4.5 Stars
This is a solid historical fiction novel from author Kate Forsyth. It’s part retelling of a the fairytale Rapunzel, and part the life story of Charlotte Rose de la Force, who is best known for her own version of Rapunzel (which is thought to have inspired the Brothers Grim one).
Anyway, this is a wonderful novel. Well written, very engaging, and well researched. I can’t recommend it enough, really.
There’s actually a fair amount that goes on in this book, far more than expected at a first glance. First, the main character, Charlotte-Rose, has her story told in two parts, past and present. And interlaced with her story are fragments of Rapunzel’s story as well as the witch who held her in the tower.
What makes the structure of this novel unique, is that only Charlotte-Rose’s storylines are told in the “traditional” manner where bits of the past are put in between parts of the present.
Rapunzel’s story isn’t doesn’t actually start until a bit into the book, but then it does sort of follow that format as well. But the witch’s perspective is just one section all together.
It’s an interesting structure for a novel, not particularly well balanced, but it serves the story very well.
I’ve never read any retelling of Rapunzel, so I can’t make any comparisons on that front, but I will put that my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast is The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross, which is also a very unique take on its source material and very well written.
The “locked in a nunnery” is not a new idea and reminded me very much of Milady by Laura Sullivan (a retelling of the Three Musketeers from the POV of Milady de Winter).
Another book that came to mind was A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir, also tells two storylines, both of them set in history, but that is the extent of their similarities, as Alison Weir is better known as a Tudor historian than a fairytale enthusiast.
It’s safe to say that while all of these books did come to mind because of tangential or chance similarities, I actually find Bitter Greens to be a very unique novel and definitely worth the read for anybody who enjoys fairytales or general historical fiction.
4.5 Stars
This is a solid historical fiction novel from author Kate Forsyth. It’s part retelling of a the fairytale Rapunzel, and part the life story of Charlotte Rose de la Force, who is best known for her own version of Rapunzel (which is thought to have inspired the Brothers Grim one).
Anyway, this is a wonderful novel. Well written, very engaging, and well researched. I can’t recommend it enough, really.
There’s actually a fair amount that goes on in this book, far more than expected at a first glance. First, the main character, Charlotte-Rose, has her story told in two parts, past and present. And interlaced with her story are fragments of Rapunzel’s story as well as the witch who held her in the tower.
What makes the structure of this novel unique, is that only Charlotte-Rose’s storylines are told in the “traditional” manner where bits of the past are put in between parts of the present.
Rapunzel’s story isn’t doesn’t actually start until a bit into the book, but then it does sort of follow that format as well. But the witch’s perspective is just one section all together.
It’s an interesting structure for a novel, not particularly well balanced, but it serves the story very well.
I’ve never read any retelling of Rapunzel, so I can’t make any comparisons on that front, but I will put that my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast is The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross, which is also a very unique take on its source material and very well written.
The “locked in a nunnery” is not a new idea and reminded me very much of Milady by Laura Sullivan (a retelling of the Three Musketeers from the POV of Milady de Winter).
Another book that came to mind was A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir, also tells two storylines, both of them set in history, but that is the extent of their similarities, as Alison Weir is better known as a Tudor historian than a fairytale enthusiast.
It’s safe to say that while all of these books did come to mind because of tangential or chance similarities, I actually find Bitter Greens to be a very unique novel and definitely worth the read for anybody who enjoys fairytales or general historical fiction.
I finally got a copy of this... and it was gorgeous! I wish I had gotten to delve into it sooner. This has become my favorite "modernized" fairy tale. I recommend it to everyone.
Loved this the way Kate has intermingled three women's stories made it really come alive.
4 1/2 stars. Enjoyed it more than most of my 4-* books, but I can't say it's truly in the same category as those I've rated 5-*.
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a gruesome, compelling, immersive book. The author deftly intertwines the story of a French nun exiled from the court of Louis XIV with a Venetian Rapunzel tale. Not for the faint of heart, this goes deeply dark into sex, violence, and witchcraft, with everything from gang rape to piles of plague-ridden corpses. Interesting themes of women's limited choices- "you can either be a wife, a whore, or a witch" and richly nuanced characters in fascinating settings. Emotionally disturbing and I am quite frankly glad to be done with it, but it was really good. Recommended for adult historical fiction readers with a high tolerance for gore.