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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good read needed to understand the future and the past, June 11, 2003
This review is from: City of Darkness, City of Light (Paperback)
This is a good read. This is good history. This is great fiction. This is the honest story of the French revolution, told from the side of masses of working people, peasants, real French people, told from the side of women and men who live as we live. This is a story of people finding searching for truth and love. This is not about disillusion with revolution, disillusion with the great moments when masses of working people take the world in their hands, this is a celebration of it, of love. This is not about the tragedy of the French revolution, but about the glory of it, and the glory of working men and above all working women. When big fights will rage to turn back the Clinton-Gore-Bush Cheeny billionaire led attacks on the standard of living of working people, their wars against people around the world, the hideous lame, stupid repulsive culture that blares out of the television and the radio monopolies, books like this will be in the hands of the young women, the young men who will lead the changes. Read this book and feel that young power, look into the past and see our future.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but hard to get through, December 9, 2001
This review is from: City of Darkness, City of Light (Paperback)
I can't lay my finger on why, but this book was hard to get through. It usually doesn't take me that long to read a book. I keep thinking its because its seperated up into different characters perspectives---or because it is so detailed. As a historian, I am not too familiar with the French Revolution, so I can't tell you how "accurate" it is. I can tell you to, read the authors introduction, in which she states she superimposed our current culture onto the culture of the French people. IE it means she didn't mess around with historical jargon. I didn't mind that at all---especially since she explained that to us in the introduction. Some others find fault with it, I guess. It depends on what you prefer in historical fiction. Ms. Piercey tells the story of women from several different walks of life, as well as the story from some of the major players in the Revolution. I can tell you that after I finished this book, I went to the bookstore and looked through a general history of the Revolution and was able to identify everyone pictured in it, as well as all the scenarios and events. So---yes, its very detailed. I liked it, it was just hard to get through... Theres an actress, a chocolatier, Mme. Roland, whom I didn't care for, Nicholas Condorcet, who I did like, Danton and Robespierre. She shared all different walks of life for me, as far as I'm concerned. I appreciate that she took the time and effort to share with us the different aspects of the people, the very real people of the Revolution. She makes them so real. She is obviously a feminist, too, by her style. But using her feminist background, she was able to explain to us exactly how and why so much of the Revolution depended on THE WOMEN. And NOT the rich, "educated," women! Pretty good; Just expect to take it slow!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Political is Personal, December 17, 1999
This review is from: City of Darkness, City of Light (Paperback)
I have bought dozens of copies of this book and given them to everyone I know. It is a beautiful study of the French Revolution from a socialist feminist perspective. Piercy's growth as a writer is evident, she develops a political contextualization of the French Revolution that goes far beyond her earlier works. This book shows the process of how political movements develop and grow, and how various forces and factions affect the balance of power. This book reminded me of the flash of brilliance Piercy showed in Women on the Edge of Time and proved that the early Piercy has grown and matured. Many readers will not be able to sit through the description of political infighting and factional power plays. But for me that was the strength of the book. Piercy placed personal stories into a larger political struggle and actually brings her characters to life. One last point. When I was in Paris last summer searching for the memorial to the Paris Commune (there isn't one!) I realized how Piercy had really brought the people of Paris alive as a revolutionary movement struggling to be free. A beautiful book.
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