Madame du Barry: The Wages of Beauty [Paperback]

Joan Haslip (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2005

Born the illegitimate daughter of a monk and a seamstress, Madame du Barry rose from poverty to become one of the most powerful and wealthy women of France. A courtesan, she became Louis XV's official mistress and was fêted as one of France's most beautiful women. On Louis XV's death she became vulnerable to those secretly longing for her downfall. Marie Antoinette had her imprisoned for a year, and in 1793 she was executed by the Revolutionary Tribunal for her aristocratic associations. Joan Haslip's classic biography shares the extraordinary and ultimately tragic story of du Barry's life and, in turn, illustrates the dazzling world of the eighteenth century royal court of France and the horrors of the Revolution.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Du Barry was the last in a long series of royal favorites doted on by the sexually voracious Louis XV. Her humble origins--she was the illegitimate child of a seamstress from Lorraine--made her unusual. Contemporaries often dismissed her as a mere whore, and most historians have treated her little better, calling her naive, frivolous, and vain. Haslip, author of previous biographies of Catherine the Great and Marie Antoinette, concludes that, except for her rare beauty, du Barry was a quite ordinary person who happened to be thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Despite occasional minor slips, the author's grasp of the Old Regime is generally reliable. Her book provides no surprises for specialists, but offers the general reader a clear, sure guide to life at the royal court of 18th-century France. Recommended for public libraries.
- T.J. Schaeper, St. Bonaventure Univ., N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

In this brief romantic biography of the last mistress of Louis XV, Haslip (Marie Antoinette, 1988, etc.), now 80, brings a special charm to the story of du Barry (1743-93), whose legendary beauty brought both rewards and penalties: power, wealth, envy, fear, and, ultimately, death. Illegitimate child of a French peasant, Jeanne Be‡u was educated in a convent until, at 15, she emerged a golden-haired, lisping beauty who worked as a hairdresser and a milliner's assistant--but who was, in fact, a prostitute. Discovered by Jean du Barry, a dissolute gambler and pimp to the aristocracy, she was introduced at Versailles, where Louis XV, 58, a widower, became infatuated with her. After her hasty and unconsummated marriage to Jean's brother, Guillaume, comte du Barry, Mme. du Barry became the king's official mistress and one of the wealthiest women in France, a wealth she shared with, among others, her beloved ``niece,'' Betsi, whom Haslip ``suspects'' may have been her illegitimate daughter. Mme. du Barry was also hated, especially by Marie Antoinette, who arranged to have her imprisoned after the death of Louis. Released after one year, Mme. du Barry recovered her jewels, her estate, and a series of lovers, including an English neighbor who ultimately rejected her--a ``little-known'' story that Haslip reveals. In the early stages of the Revolution, Mme. du Barry traveled often to England, possibly as a courier for ‚migr‚s but ostensibly to try to recover stolen jewels that had been impounded there. She returned to France only to be beheaded for her aristocratic associations. Although more extensive, scholarly, and even popular biographies of du Barry are available, this one has a particular appreciation for the decorative arts that women like du Barry cultivated--arts that included the remaking of themselves--and for the hazards of beauty when it comes close to political power. The lavish language recalls the style of Regency novels, for which this could serve as a reference. (Eight pages of b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tauris Parke Paperbacks (July 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185043753X
• ISBN-13: 978-1850437536
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings you back in time, January 11, 2007

By 

W. C. Sadovnick (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Madame du Barry: The Wages of Beauty (Paperback)

This is a stunningly told story of the most beautiful Madame du Barry, the last mistress of the notoriously desolute Louis XV. The author really brings you back to those times so much so that one can picture the scenario in all its splendor. Its the little known facts and nuances regarding the grandeur of the court and its crippling etiquette that opened up this this slice of history never to be repeated again. I was surprised by the simple sweet nature of the incandescent Madame du Barry given her humble but sexually active young life prior to coming to the court. For those who want a great story, with exquisite detail, and an eye for history, Ms. Haslip's book fits the bill. Ms. Haslip and Nancy Mitford (who wrote about Madame du Pompadour, Louis XV's other grand mistress of 20 years) have raised the bar on biographies of women whose spicy tale would otherwise be lost in a maze of dull facts.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a Kind-Hearted Woman, September 14, 2007

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Bravepen "brave" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madame du Barry: The Wages of Beauty (Paperback)

This book, especially when taken together with biographies of Marie Antoinette, Louis XV, and other of the king's favorites, creates a picture of a kind, generous woman, overwhelmed by a rapid cultural change she had no way of sensing. It was well-written; well researched and did not contain the annoying and outrageous "conclusions" reached by lesser historians.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Madame du Barry, August 14, 2006

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H. Zacamy "silver screen godess" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Madame du Barry: The Wages of Beauty (Paperback)

I agree with the other reviewer. I am over half finished this book, and the author does not offer any translation for words written in French that would be usefull. She does refer to Madame du Barry in many different titles that are confusing in the begining, but as you read on they are less confusing. A hard book to get into but progresses quite well. A worthwhile read if you are genuinly interested in her life story.