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Mistress of the Revolution: A Novel por…
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Mistress of the Revolution: A Novel (edição 2009)

por Catherine Delors

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View our feature on Catherine Delors' Mistress of the Revolution.An impoverished noblewoman, Gabrielle de Montserrat is only fifteen when she meets her first love, a commoner named Pierre-André Coffinhal. But her brother forbids their union, forcing her instead to marry an aging, wealthy cousin. Widowed and a mother before the age of twenty, Gabrielle arrives at the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in time to be swept up in the emerging turbulence--and to encounter the man she never expected to see again. Determined and independent, she strives to find her own freedom-- as the Revolution takes an ever more violent turn.… (mais)
Membro:CWGortner
Título:Mistress of the Revolution: A Novel
Autores:Catherine Delors
Informação:NAL Trade (2009), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 528 pages
Coleções:A sua biblioteca
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Mistress of the Revolution por Catherine Delors

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I'm not surprised that this was written by a lawyer, as it explored alot of the more technical ins and outs of what occurred during the French Revolution. ( )
  sydsavvy | Apr 8, 2016 |
Two parts romance novel, one part history textbook, I was unsure how to take Catherine Delors’ debut novel until nearly at the end, when both the story and characters managed to escape the French Revolution. Don’t get me wrong, the historical setting is the main reason I wanted to read this book, and Delors is a very intelligent, accurate author, but I have read so many novels about the Revolution, from Orczy to DuMaurier, that the protagonist and premise need to be either original or unusual to capture my interest, and Mistress of the Revolution is all too familiar. So the reason why the narrative seemed slow and even dull in places is probably because I’ve already been there and done that, as an aristocratic woman or a sans culottes peasant, in first person or third. Apart from the lack of originality, I think I would have been impressed.

The story begins in 1815, just after the reinterment at Saint-Denis of the bones of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. As an opening chapter, Delors couldn’t have crafted a more attention-grabbing, historically interesting and appropriate marker, and I was instantly drawn in. An émigré living in London, narrator Gabrielle de Montserrat is spurred into writing her memoirs upon learning of this ceremony in Paris, committing to paper an account of her life for her children. Born to a noble yet impoverished family in Auvergne, Gabrielle was raised by a country wet nurse, educated in a convent and then brought home to her dysfunctional family as a fifteen year old. After falling in love with a local doctor, Pierre-Andre Coffinhal (a real-life figure of the Revolution), Gabrielle is forced into marriage with a cruel baron twice her age. This sudden descent into an eighteenth century gothic novel jars with the more sedate and serious narrative of the introduction, and for readers of modern historical romance, Gabrielle’s abortive demonstrations of independence are probably just as difficult to stomach. But I applaud Catherine Delors for recognising the limited options of a young girl like Gabrielle, and not allowing her heroine an easy way out of her predicament.

After a brief but brutal marriage to the Baron de Peyre, Gabrielle is left widowed and virtually penniless with a young daughter, Aimée. The first of a series of convenient opportunities brings Gabrielle to Paris to be a companion to an aging Duchess, who nicknames her ‘Belle’ (after Beauty and the Beast) and introduces her to the court at Versailles. ‘Belle’ also meets the man who will become her lover and protector, the Count de Villers. At this point, the infodumps and romantic devices almost put me off, but the retrospective tone of the narrative – Gabrielle explaining the Old Regime to her children – and the realistic treatment of ‘Belle’s new life as a kept woman, or courtesan, adequately balance the clumsy dialogue and perfect praise of the heroine.

In fact, Gabrielle is a strangely nuanced character for this type of novel, and I enjoyed her naiveté and manoeuvring in equal measure. She reminded me of Katherine Windsor’s indefatigable heroine in Forever Amber, except that Gabrielle is less of a tart. She wants what is convenient for her at that moment, without a thought for the needs of others. Villers is much the same – he wants her to become his exclusive property, yet will not make an honest woman of her. Belle accepts his terms, grudgingly, when he lavishes his time and money on her, hires a governess for her daughter, and takes them both to his vast country estate by the sea. But when he changes his mind and wants to marry her, suddenly Belle is too taken with her ‘independence’ and runs away from him in a fit of pique when she learns he has a new mistress. Infuriating, yet Belle manages to make her motivations sound perfectly reasonable. She is the same with her first love, Pierre-Andre, when the two meet again in Revolutionary Paris. He smacks her across the face for propositioning him merely to save her own skin, in possibly the most literal example of ‘slap-slap-kiss-kiss’ I have ever read, but then takes her up on her offer.

Gabrielle, thanks to the stage-managed coincidences which feed the story, finds herself at the heart of the Revolution, but on the wrong side. Arrested again and again, narrowly escaping death in La Force and then thrown in La Conciergerie, she is quickly reduced from an impoverished baroness to a social and political outcast, even though she talks the talk about liberty and equality. Delors has done her research, and Gabrielle’s experience in La Force is possibly one of the most gruesome scenes I have read in this type of fiction. The novel spans the whole of the Revolution, with a historical cast of thousands (pro-Robespierre as per usual), and although Gabrielle’s exile to England is a foregone conclusion, the final few chapters are strangely more engrossing than the melodramas which form the bulk of the story.

Though far from ground-breaking and even formulaic in parts – Gabrielle, a beautiful redhead, is safely republican in her views – Mistress of the Revolution manages to convey the historical background and social turmoil of the Revolution in a simple yet powerful narrative. Delors also claims that she ‘strove to write this novel in the British English that Gabrielle would have used in 1815’, which is commendable if not entirely successful.

Definitely recommended for any readers of historical novels who are not jaded with this particularly chapter in French history! ( )
  AdonisGuilfoyle | Jan 31, 2011 |
MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION
Catherine Delors, Dutton, March 2008, $25.95,HC,464pp, 978-0-525-95054-7.

Mistress of the Revolution is the story of Gabrielle de Montserrat, a survivor of the French Revolution. Gabrielle, although of noble birth, is raised in a convent as her own mother turned her away. At the age of fifteen she is taken home to live with her brother and mother and although her mother loathes her, it soon becomes clear that her brother is enamored by her. During this time she loves to ride and during an outing meets Pierre-Andre Coffinhal a local commoner. They fall in love and plan to marry but when her brother the Marquis discovers the mismatch he is furious. As her guardian, without recourse, she is forced to marry a much older, cousin who beats her and treats her as nothing more than a common whore. He dies suddenly leaving her and her young daughter with no means of support. Desolate and alone, she accepts a generous offer to live in Paris with the Dutchess d’Arpajon who becomes her mentor, protector and confidant. She becomes a kind friend, but fearing her own death and what would certainly cause financial hardship for Gabrielle, the Dutchess encourages her to seek male companionship. Her future is bleak for a woman without means in Paris, but her beauty attracts many men with numerous proposals, although without a dowry, marriage is not an option.

Delors recounts compelling horror with terrifying details of this unsettled revolutionary period of time in France. The political turmoil of the day is the backdrop of Gabrielle’s story and it is through her eyes we witness this bloodbath known as The Reign of Terror.
The real historical figures in Gabrielle’s story are many including Marie-Antoinette, Louis the Sixteenth, Pierre-Andre Coffinhal, Robespierre, Lafayette and countless others. Gabrielle did not live, but her character is full of spirit and has a tenacious will to survive. Gabrielle’s existence is fragile at best and Delors uncovers the drama and tenuous journey women had to tread during the late 18th to early 19th century through her pathetic and unhappy story. This is a heartbreaking, tear brimming story with well researched details of the French Revolution which shouldn’t be missed.

Disclosure: I purchased this book for my own enjoyment.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011]. ( )
  WisteriaLeigh | Jan 18, 2011 |
This tale of Gabrielle de Montserrat and her first love Pierre-Andre Coffinhal is an engrossing historical epic. Gabrielle's life witnesses some of the pivotal events of the French Revolution and the heroine is often effected by the changing political currents.
The primary thing I found frustrating about this novel was how often the central character of Gabrielle found herself a victim of the men in her life. She is forced into an abusive marriage, and later has a lover who treats her poorly. While a likable character overall, I really wanted her to stand up for herself and take her fate into her own hands instead of simply appealing to another man. ( )
  wagner.sarah35 | Nov 20, 2010 |
I will not say that Catherine Delors is a bad writer, but I will say that I hated the Mistress of the Revolution. I'll tell you why. I was immediately drawn into the first 60 pages or so. Gabrielle falls in love with Pierre-Andre at the age of fifteen, but is forced to marry another. Eventually, according to the back of the book, Gabrielle will be reacquainted with Pierre-Andre. The back of the book also says that Gabrielle was supposed to be "more independent," a woman shaped by her experiences, when she meets Pierre-Andre. I was eager for her to change her incredibly docile attitude that she had toward her two husbands. However, while Gabrielle matures, she never really changes.

Okay, so I was incredibly disappointed because it wasn't even until the last 100 pages (out of a 500 page book) that she even encountered Pierre-Andre. But I tried to push through by telling myself that maybe Delores doesn't want a conventional story full of romance, so she is saving the meeting until the end. I wouldn't have minded reading the mundane life of a woman living in 18th century France if I had at least cared for Gabrielle in any way. However, Gabrielle had no personality, so reading about her going to the opera, gossiping (which fills, it seems, at least 50 pages of the book), hating her husband, and then loving him again was torturous. There are also way too many characters introduced that were hollow and undeveloped.

I finally got to the part where Gabrielle meets Pierre-Andre and became instantly confused. Pierre-Andre is absolutely like all the other husbands Gabrielle has had. Upon their first meeting, Pierre-Andre slaps Gabrielle with no remorse. There was even a part, which I loudly scoffed at, where Pierre-Andre strangles Gabrielle because she is lying! Their whole relationship is based on Gabrielle apologizing for speaking her mind and Pierre-Andre putting her in her place--"do not make requests to me!” Gabrielle pleads and begs and apologizes throughout the entire relationship. She will, occasionally, muster the courage to ask a favor of him, but only after apologizing for interfering with his business first. The only difference this relationship has with her past husbands is that she claims to love Pierre-Andre. Oh wait, no she claimed to love her second husband, too--and even took him back after he cheated on her. Now, I could have handled the book if the relationship was based on some historical character--then I might have understood the concept of the story. However, Gabrielle is completely made up. The back of the book was misleading, Gabrielle never becomes independent and Pierre-Andre is no different than the other husbands Gabrielle received and loved. I was also taken aback by Gabrielle's total of four marriages -- she seemed to go through men like the French's ever changing fashions. If Gabrielle had been based on a historical character, I would have understood the book. However, she is completely fictional and a character I would have preferred be sent to the guillotine. ( )
  coffee.is.yum | Jul 6, 2010 |
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View our feature on Catherine Delors' Mistress of the Revolution.An impoverished noblewoman, Gabrielle de Montserrat is only fifteen when she meets her first love, a commoner named Pierre-André Coffinhal. But her brother forbids their union, forcing her instead to marry an aging, wealthy cousin. Widowed and a mother before the age of twenty, Gabrielle arrives at the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in time to be swept up in the emerging turbulence--and to encounter the man she never expected to see again. Determined and independent, she strives to find her own freedom-- as the Revolution takes an ever more violent turn.

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