Reviews

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson

linzthebookworm's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette. I thought that the diary format made the story easy to read for the most part. I thought that Erickson's depiction of Marie Antoinette showed her beyond just the vain queen who was beheaded. I appreciated that even though she was not in love with her husband she did at least have a friendship with him, which I think would have been rare back in the time.

I would be interested in reading more historical fictions in this style, and more of Erickson's work. Marie Antoinette is not a figure I've read much on (academically or fictional), and this has definitely peaked my interest in her.

For my complete review check out: http://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-of-hidden-diary-of-marie-antoinette.html

willbefunorelse's review against another edition

1.0

For the full review (and to see the problems with plot and resolution), see the entry at That's What She Read.

elkiebear's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

stephaniells's review against another edition

2.0

Really puts the "fiction" in historical fiction. Not only does the author play fast and loose with historical events, they even went out of the way to fabricate entire characters (in the case of Eric and his wife Amelie) for the sake of scandal rather than focus on the actual scandals that already surrounded Marie Antoinette. The novel also completely omits hugely important events (most notably, the Affair of the Necklace) that give important contexts to the events that occur throughout France over the course of the book. I knew her actual perspectives, etc., would be fictionalized since it IS fiction, but I was surprised that the novel was more fanfiction than historically-accurate The book was a quick little read and, if you enjoy accounts of historical figures that aren't focused on accuracy, then this book would probably make for a fun read. But, if you're looking to learn about Marie Antoinette in a more accessible format, avoid avoid avoid.

char9222's review against another edition

4.0

I loved how this book was told from Marie Antoinette's own perspective rather than it being a regular story. It gave some kind of credibility to the story, even if it's fiction. Instead of being just a plain, historical character, the queen was human with her thoughts and feelings.
The way Marie Antoinette was portrayed seemed a perfect fit for the story; the reader saw her as she did herself while we were still shown how the people saw her. A strong dauphine and queen to some, a selfish one to others. I like this double portrayal - there are always two sides to the same coin. It seemed a bit weird how the fictional character would pity the poor and then spend a fortune on dresses and houses and parties. It was, after all, the way of living the life of a queen back then.
Overall, I liked how there are some graphic scenes - it made the book seem "closer" to the action and her life. The book had me crying at the end, even though I knew how their lives were to end, of course, as I still found myself turning page after page, hoping that she would get a happy ending, praying for the armies to come or the economy to turn. A great book that I very much recommend to anyone wanting to have a read in the form of a diary or read about Marie Antoinette (despite the historical inaccuracies).

missmegs13's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

3.5

heyalison's review against another edition

5.0

A very emotional ride. Her story is tragic yet magical

readcover2cover's review

3.0

It was actually better than I thought it would be based on the reviews. I enjoyed reading it. While I got angry at Marie Antoinet for her total lack of consideration for the poor, I couldn't dislike her completely. She was just totally clueless, but still sweet. It was like the adult version of the "Royal Diaries" about Marie Antoinet by Kathryn Lasky. I enjoyed them about the same amount. It wasn't my favorite historical fiction ever, but it wasn't bad and it did give me some insight into her life.

jijina's review against another edition

4.0

Viihdyttävä, järkyttävä ja erittäin uskottava kaunokirjallinen teos. Ripaus chick-lit:iä ja 1700 -luvun prameat juhlat ja puvut kruunaavat kaiken.

casaembrujada692's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of my books I treasure the most. I did read it the first time when I was sixteen, during a Language Exchange in Paris. It is historical fiction and of course the diary is not true, but what the book shows is that she (and her husband Louis) just had been children, too young to reign, just human beings with flaws but not evil to the bone. After that book I started my love for history and researched more about her and other famous people from the past. This book I would recommend more if you want to indulge yourself in a romance / history fiction, to get a view what were / could have been happened back in that time.