The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette [Hardcover]

Carolyn Meyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2010

History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler. Perhaps no other royal has been so maligned—and so misunderstood—as Marie-Antoinette.

From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette. She tried to please everyone—courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French people—but often fell short of their expectations. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman can’t help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions, and unimaginable luxuries. But as Marie-Antoinette’s lifestyle gets ever-more recklessly extravagant, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing poverty—and becoming outraged. They want to make the queen pay.

In this latest installment of her acclaimed Young Royals series, Carolyn Meyer reveals the dizzying rise and horrific downfall of the last queen of France. Includes historical notes, an author’s note, and a bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9 This novel about the ill-fated queen covers her life from age 13 when, as an Austrian princess, she prepares to marry the French dauphin to her death by guillotine in 1793. The final section is told by her daughter Marie-Therese, the only family member to survive the Revolution. Meyer writes in a lighthearted, casual style, vividly portraying the historical era and aptly defining unfamiliar vocabulary. However, Marie-Antoinette's occasional sympathy for the poor and interest in politics is inconsistent with her flighty, self-indulgent character as presented in most of the book. (Frankly, she comes across as a total airhead.) In addition, after the first 100 pages, The Bad Queen turns into a speedy recitation of events, skipping through years at a time with little insight or development and little spark or personality from the narrators. Kimberley Brubaker Bradley's fascinating novel The Lacemaker and the Princess (S & S, 2007) features Marie-Therese and does an excellent job of integrating events leading up to the French Revolution with life at the palace of Versailles. Although it doesn't have as much material on Marie-Antoinette, it's more interesting and better written. Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
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From Booklist

In this latest Young Royals tale, Meyer portrays the teenage Austrian princess “dealt” to France in marriage by her mother—might there be a sympathetic figure behind the persona of the woman mainly known for her extravagance and gruesome end? With the gorgeous clothes, sumptuous surroundings, and seemingly limitless wealth, Marie becomes a prisoner of royal pomp and circumstance with no concept of governance or political savvy as France descends into a revolutionary bloodbath. Historical-fiction fans will be swept up in the cruel fates of the monarchs and political forces, particularly as the drama escalates into horror. Grades 7-10. --Anne O'Malley

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152063765
• ISBN-13: 978-0152063764
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My first book, MISS PATCH'S LEARN-TO-SEW BOOK, published more than forty years ago, was intended to teach young girls how to knot thread, make a neat stitch, and sew simple items. The main character of my next book, CLEOPATRA CONFESSES, coming in June 2011, is a far cry from the roundish, gray-haired lady with a needle in her hand and spectacles on her nose. Since the thrill of seeing that first book in print, I've written over fifty more books, non-fiction and novels (most recently, historical fiction). In the process I've learned more about writing and a lot about history, a subject that was not my favorite when I was a young student but has become my passion--a passion I love to share with readers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Hair and All!, March 14, 2010

By 

JK8 (Salem, NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

The Bad Queen is the story of Marie-Antoinette, the queen of France who was married to King Louis XVI and ultimately was guillotined when the French Revolution happened. The story takes us from her beginnings in the Austrian Hapsburg court of Empress Maria Theresa who was Marie's mother. Marie's real name was Maria Antonia, but she had to change it to a French-sounding name when it was decided that she would be a match for the dauphin of France. She had to stop speaking German and had voice lessons in French.

This is the full and complete story of Marie and I am sure that basically the facts are true although Marie's feelings and some of her acts in this novel have been dramatically padded out - but in any case it is a good read. It details all the tutoring and practicing Marie endured before she was sent to France to be the dauphine. She had to have her teeth straightened (by wearing golden braces on her teeth) and having her hair done so that her low hairline did not make her appear unattractive (ultimately her hairdressers decided she should wear her hair up, of course). She was groomed for being queen of France before she was a mature adolescent, and every month she waited breathlessly for the onset of puberty. These parts of the story - her puberty, her wishing to grow breasts and become a woman, her attempts to become pregnant and bear a child to inherit the throne - are all handled very sensitively so that the book is suitable for young adults.

The chapters of the book are the list of dos and don'ts listed by her mother the Empress before she left for France. Some of the rules she obeyed, and some she decided to not pay attention to. She felt since she was Queen she had to put up a good front, so she spent a great fortune on her hair, her jewelry and her dresses, as well as sprucing up the palace at Versailles and making it her own. She kept spending a lot of money even though she knew that the peasant population of France was having trouble feeding itself. In the end of course she takes the blame and is executed. Overall this is a well-told story and enjoyable to read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not The Best, March 19, 2010

By 

K.Warner "Underage Bookworm" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I have always loved Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals series since being introduced to it when I was about ten or eleven. As a fan of historical fiction and European royalty, these books are my cup of tea. The Bad Queen is no exception- tracing the story of Marie Antoinette, the last true and recognizable queen of France, the book is a nice break from paranomal and fantasy. However, I don't think The Bad Queen is the best in the Young Royals series- it actually ranks toward the bottom for me. I noticed when reading Meyer's In Mozart's Shadow that her writing was getting less and less impressive. For one thing, Meyer switched the POV two-thirds of the way through the story for no apparent reason, which actually harmed the overall effect of the book. Some things were delved into with great detail, while others were just skimmed over. Case in point: In The Bad Queen, there is a short chapter about the diamond necklace scandal. Nothing really happens during the chapter; it reads like a history book. I almost feel as if Meyer took Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette film (which she says gave her some inspiration for exploring Marie Antoinette's story) and condensed it, putting a sympathetic spin on the infamous queen. That isn't a bad thing, only the end result was a novel that read like a history book. For someone wanting to read good historical fiction about European royals, I'd recommend Patience, Princess Catherine or Duchessina before this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A clever & interesting narrative of Marie Antoinette's life - not deep, but very interesting!, March 9, 2010

By 

randomartco "period film aficionado" (Greater Washington D.C. area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I must say I really enjoyed this book ~ this is my first read of any of Carolyn Meyer's 'Young Royals' Series, and this one, 'The Bad Queen', is a fun, young-perspective narrative of the life of Marie Antoinette. Throughout the entire book, I could really see that the author was a big fan of Sophia Coppola's film, which this book seemed to follow along those lines much of the time: the life & struggles of Marie Antoinette are told through short chapter diary entries, in which a rule that she must follow is laid out by others, and then the chapter narrates her life at that point, and how she did or did not follow that rule:

A clever & interesting interpretation of how Marie Antoinette lived, using historical facts as back-up, this book is written in such a way to make it interesting to younger readers or readers of romantic historical fiction: I would not recommend this to anyone in search of a biography or detailed historical fiction, nevertheless, I truly enjoyed this read & would be happy to read more from this author: I have read much about Marie Antoinette in the past, and the freshness of the way this is written, makes it compelling & fun to read: I really liked it!