Memoirs of a Dwarf: At the Sun King's Court [Hardcover]

Paul Weidner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2004

    Set in the over-scaled, decadent Versailles of Louis XIV, Memoirs of a Dwarf is the story of Hugues, an impoverished dwarf who maneuvers his way up into the very highest of court circles by clandestinely serving the needs of a mob of unscrupulous gamblers, of a priest notorious for saying black Masses at midnight, and—from under the gaming tables—of a number of sex-starved society women, including Louis's mistress.  Along the way, Hugues finally discovers the truth of his own identity, a revelation which is a political bombshell and which subjects him to a grisly turn.
    The story combines historical events and characters—Louis, his mistresses, his outrageous brother Philippe, and many other baroque personalities—with fictitious ones. Hugues’s tale reaches its climax during the famous affaire des poisons, the sexual and political scandal that thundered through the royal court and threatened wholesale destruction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A ribald twist on Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones, Paul Weidner’s Memoirs of a Dwarf: At the Sun King’s Court turns historical fiction on its head."—Brent Spencer, author of Are We Not Men?


"Hugues narrates the book with a controlled, steady innocence that makes for brilliant irony and dark humor of the sort Mark Twain achieved with the guileless Huck in Huckleberry Finn." —Fran Zell

From the Publisher

Terrace Books

Terrace edition for sale only in Canada and the U.S. and its dependencies.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 346 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press (September 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 029920510X
• ISBN-13: 978-0299205102
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,378,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction At Its Best, March 29, 2008

By 

Ray LeCara Jr. (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs of a Dwarf: At the Sun King's Court (Hardcover)

The point of any great story is not just entertainment, but the hope that it will invoke, on some level, a curiosity, an interest, in those things that make up the world in which we live. That interest may be in human affairs, society, one's own situation, and the like. If nothing else, Paul Weidner's MEMOIRS OF A DWARF: AT THE SUN KING'S COURT definitely accomplishes this.

Hugues, an uneducated, orphaned dwarf who begins his impoverished days in a squalid Versailles, is the story's narrator and protagonist. Throughout the book he recounts the tale of his rise in the court of Louis XIV. As a servant, his penchant for curiosity embroils him in some precarious situations. Appearances are everything as members of society's upper echelon are just as shady as those they look down on. Yet, the one fault of the book may indeed be that which propels it forward--the narrator's voice: How could an individual with no formal education learn to speak and write so ostentatiously? Still, as the tale unfolds, the reader can't help but be held captive by the seamless tapestry of events that blur fiction from historical events.

Upon finishing the book you're left wondering if such a character as Hugues ever existed, and/or if the Royalty's practice of having so many little people around was to hide (shelter) an actual family member born a dwarf.

Such is the curiosity and interest this story Weidner has created. It has been a year since I have read the book, and yet there are those with whom I shared the book who never cease from keeping an eye out for information connecting the fictitious events with the reality of the time.

Say what you will about the book, but should a book be spoken of so long after it has been read is the highest compliment an author can receive. It is, then, an example of a great story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memoirs of a Dwarf, January 11, 2005

By 

C. William Stewart (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs of a Dwarf: At the Sun King's Court (Hardcover)

Paul Weidner's MEMOIRS OF A DWARF is wonderfully original, stylish and most importantly a grand fun read. Viewed from the diminutive vantage of Hugues, the dwarf of the title, the ribald underside of Versailles, and the opulent and decadent court of Louis XIV are revealed. Weidner's detail and accuracy bring to life a colofully realized world with many outrageous and humorous characters. The plotting is exquisite, providing mystery, adventure and twists worthy of the best eighteenth century novels. This is historical fiction of the hightest order, lively and surprisingly droll.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History with a Story, October 26, 2004

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Memoirs of a Dwarf: At the Sun King's Court (Hardcover)

Many times the movies make the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV appear filled with lace, elegant people and glamor. In reality it was not such a nice place. It was a filthy, deadly (Do a search on The Affair of the Poisons) place.

This book is the autobiography of a dwarf named Hughes. He winds up at the court of Louis XIV, particularly as part of the household of his mistress Madame de Maintenon and eventually that of the kings mistress, Montespan. The story is filled with intrigue, sex, violence and mystery. As with most historical fiction, there is a mixture of fictional characters combined with the historical.

This is an easy way to learn history. A good novel gives you the truth about the historical parts and combines it with a story that doesn't leave you trying to memorize a never ending list of dates. The important part is that a good novel, as this one is, gives you a feeling and understanding for life as it must have been during these times.