Review: Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow by Juliet Grey

Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow
Author: Juliet Grey
Published: May 15, 2012
Genre: historical fiction
Paperback: 400 pages
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty.

From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.

My Thoughts: One of my favorite historical figures is Marie Antoinette. I just find her fascinating. When you look at her life, it's pretty incredible what she did with what she was given. I mean, if you are married by 14, sent to the palace of the most opulent court in Europe, and then blamed for everything, I think that tends to make for an interesting person. This novel is the second is Juliet Grey's Marie Antoinette trilogy, focusing on the time period from Louis XVI's ascession to the throne to the rumblings that lead to the French Revolution. There was much covered in this book, some of it given ample time and consideration in the plot, where as other things were just too drawn out (for my liking, anyway).

For me, the biggest problem with this book were the characters. There were so many of them! Now, many of them were in the first book in this trilogy, but there wasn't much of a preamble when this book started. Grey gave little background information on the characters, so it took sometime to figure out who was who. There were also so many characters that it was hard to keep track of. I wish that Grey had included a character chart at the beginning of her novel so that you could flip back if you forgot who anyone is or their relationship to Marie (some people only show up a few times in the book, so you forget who they are). 

The storyline of this novel was pretty good, but there were some parts that dragged. Anything dealing with Axel von Fersen (Marie's lover) seemed very slow, which was odd to me because you think it would be more interesting reading about Marie and the man that she truly loved. I did love how Grey portrayed the Affair of the Diamond necklace. I think that's sometimes brushed over in Marie Antoinette novels because of the complexity of it, but this was a great summation of what happened.

If you are at all curious about Marie Antoinette, then I would recommend this series (the first book, Becoming Marie Antoinette). While it was a long book, Grey is a good writer and I look forward to reading her last book in this trilogy.

Review: Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

Becoming Marie Antoinette
Author: Juliet Grey
Published: August 9, 2011
Genre: historical fiction
Paperback: 453 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon. Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must changeeverything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.


My Thoughts: I find Marie Antoinette to be an interesting person and I often look for books about her life. When I heard about Juliet Grey's new trilogy about her, I was intrigued. After finishing this book, I can say that this is such a thorough explanation of Marie's life, with so much detail, that I was astounded and drawn into the story! This novel focuses on the time from Marie first learning of her engagement to the day that she becomes queen of France. Grey goes into so much detail about Marie's life, from her life in the Austrian palace to her preparations to become the dauphine, and yet the story never drags. I found it to be interesting and Grey's writing to be light, which, given the subject matter and knowing Marie's eventual fate, is quite nice.


There is a lot of depth in this book, with several pages talking about Marie Antoinette having braces placed on her teeth (can you imagine having braces put on during the 18th century?!? I couldn't even begin to imagine how primative they much have looked!) I really liked the pace of the novel and the depth. You are able to learn a lot about Marie and Louis. While it is a work of fiction, Grey has done a lot of research on her subject and it shines through.


I cannot wait until the second book in this series comes out (sometime in summer 2012). And even though I know what happens to Marie, reading Grey's take on it is refreshing. If you enjoy historical fiction, especially that during the French Revolution, then this is definitely a book that you should read! Just be careful ... it will leave you eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!