Customer Reviews

The Wicked Queen: The Origins of the Myth of Marie-Antoinette

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a college student majoring in History and I thank Chantal Thomas for writing this excellent work. I first ran across her name when researching the propaganda against Marie Antoinette (I wrote my thesis on this during the semester). I have found her to be the authority, at the present time, on the pamphlets, propaganda, etc. written against MA. If you are interested in reading about this, I strongly recommend this book. She includes copies of the actual phamplets written and they are truely fascinating. One can see the fervor of the Paris mob on the pages of these vile, xrated pieces. If you love French history or women's history, buy this book today!

"The Wicked Queen" by Chantal Thomas is a thoughtful, well-researched book that explores the role of the queen in France, as well as how, through the power of the propaganda hate machine, the public image of Marie Antoinette was morphed from the sweet, fresh-faced Dauphine that the people adored upon her arrival in France, to the sexually deviant, murderous queen they accused her of being as the revolution took hold.

As a bonus, in the back of the book are a handful of the original pamphlets of the day, fully translated into English. These are quite interesting, as I've always wanted to read some of the infamous pieces of propaganda (some of which are often referenced in various biographies of Marie Antoinette), complete and unedited. One can almost feel the sadistic glee infused by its authors into the writing, which was specifically crafted to tap into the public's rage and despair over the prevailing social order, using one woman as a scape-goat for all evils. As such, the pamphlets' content is quite crude and blunt . . . so if you're not entirely interested in the disgusting specifics of the accusations hurled at the queen, you may easily skip that section of the book (which is pretty much a separate entity, buried behind Author's Notes, etc.).

All in all, if you're interested in the origins of the generally accepted -- and mostly false -- pop-culture image of Marie Antoinette (as the unsympathetic tart who flippantly proclaims "Let them eat cake!"), I definitely recommend this book for an interesting, informative read.

Unfortunately publishers feel that a book on Marie Antoinette will sell every couple years, so like clockwork we see an avalanche of pro royalist, sympathetic, out of context garbage. Most of them repeat the same legends...They base their accounts of the flight to Varennes on Carlyle and talk about her martydom...With the exception of Le Notre not one of her biographers has also done a biography of one of the leaders of the Revolution. Most demonstrate an alarming lack of understanding of basic events such as the the Bread March on Verseilles, September Massacres, the Necklace Affair or even how official Court appointment were made.

This is the first book in sometime that has put Marie Antoinette back into the context of her time...unfortunately for Royalist Mythology she was commonly referred to as the Austrian .... By her actions she precipitated the Revolution...she was provocative and weak...a flammable combination.

As for the reader who's sensibilities are offended by the "riding the penis" cartoon...you obviously haven't seen the several thousand cartoons of time that are available...the one you refer to IS tame...you should see the ones where she is dressed like a nun....You should also read the pamphlets sold at the Palais Royale...

While Hebert did indeed make things up in her indictment, it is hard to get around the fact that she has to shoulder a lot of responsibility for the revolution...

I recommend this book as one of the best books on Marie Antoinette in last 20 years...it has also prompted me to seek out the author.

I think the book is well researched, devoid of sentimentality and attempts to place Marie Antoinette back into the context of the tapestry of her times.

Michael La Vean
Fellow, International Napoleonic Society

This book was a disappointment. I ...was very interested. I am a 'fan' of Marie Antoinette and have been fascinated with her life since reading Castelot's biography of her.

This book however, though it has some interesting pamphlets of historical interest, is more like a scrapbook. The writing is poor and has no direction. The pamphlets reproduced in the book are mostly pornographic lyrics and droll poetry of the Queen. The worst of which is Marie Antoinette riding an erected penis as if it were an ostrich.

If you want to learn about the Queen, her children, or the French Revolution, this is not the book to find it in. If you are very familiar with the Queen's life, this may offer you a little insight as to the people's attitude at the time, but that's it. I read it once, and it has been on the shelf since.

For a truly amazing book about Marie Antoinette, I suggest 'The Fatal Friendship'.

I have long been obsessed with Marie Antoinette. I am, in fact, writing a book set in the court of Louis XVI. You can imagine my delight when I was informed about the pending release of Ms. Thomas's book. I had hoped her book would provide many examples of libel against the queen. I was hoping this book would detail who wrote what and when. I found this book to be an excuse to print a lot of nasty words. Ms. Thomas's views, while educated, were tired and repeated over and over again. Nothing in this book was thought-provoking or fresh. It did not illuminate or entertain. Very little was devoted to the effects of the words against the queen. How did this effect MA emotionally, physically? What did it do to the marriage of the King and Queen? What were the long-term impacts of these libelous ditty's? How did they effect journalism as we know it today? How did they contribute to the Revolution? All in all, a disappointment.

Another book regarding Marie Antoinette, hmmmm, the Queen must be experiencing a revival of popularity? Too bad she isn't here to enjoy it (sarcasm). I'd first like to comment that I was shocked when I read the publisher's review of this book. Friends, Marie Antoinette was not betrothed to Louis XV, but his grandson, Louis XVI. She did not come to France in 1771, but 1770. How embarrassed you should be! How poorly you serve both author and subject! As to that author, Chantal Thomas: while it is indeed unique to devote an entire book on the pamphlets and propaganda used as an attack on the monarchy through the reputation of the Queen, I hardly think it necessary. The subject matter makes an interesting college thesis, nothing more. The slander and hatred directed at Marie Antoinette, its effects on the monarchy's demise, blah, blah, blah, have been adequately covered by numerous authors, notably Simon Schama in his wonderful account of the French Revolution, "Citizens".

Stanley Loomis, Andre Castelot, and many more biographers of the Queen have all made clear the nature and consequences of "The Pamphlets". I resent when an author is lauded with praise for a "discovery" that was hardly their's! The pamphlets are kept in a special room of the Archives called "l'enfer", a name which aptly describes its contents. I have a laundry list of biographers and scholars who have made use of the same documents kept there just as Thomas has. These printed attacks on the Queen and their importance in any understanding of Marie Antoinette or the French Revolution have long been recognized. Really. Printing a few examples of this filth and belaboring the point does not a scholar make. It's a pity that publishers and authors don't read these consumer reviews... Please, wake me from my sleep when something truly new, and relevatory is published about Marie Antoinette.

I read and reread this and I never could make myself like it. It's pretty bad. But for those not wanting to know that much about the human Antoinette and more interested in her in the metaphysical sense, this is the book for you. It's crap to me right now. But who knows....I might find gold in it a decade down the road. Maybe there's insight I've yet to understand. Hence, I'm not placing it in a garage sale...for now.

I thought this book was thought provoking and sencible. It is about the painful struggle of Marie Antionette, queen of France and what her people thought of her. I strongly suggest that who ever is interrested in her life and the people around her read this book for research or just for fun. I had to submit a report on Marie and her life and influencial expansion. I am a third year college student at UMass and I recieved a B+ on my paper in French History seminar/class. I got the most of my reserch in this book and found it a little shocking,to say the least. Most of the book talks about her life and the leading up time to her reign as queen. It speaks specifically of how she was misrepresented and blaimed for incidents beyond her control. My personal favorite chapter is that of chapter six when the reader learns of her blaim in her husband being unable to father her children. If you have an important report to write, I strongly recommend this book.

I regret I did not read these reviews before I bought this book.
The digressions were very distracting. I was greatly offended by the
vulgar language of the phamplets. I had to throw the book out to prevent any one else being offended. At the time I bought this book I bought another that was more informative.

The author should study her history and get the facts!
This book was a joke. I was rather furious and more than disappointed. Marie Antoinette's name was drug through the mud over 200 years ago based on hearsay and false accusations.

Isn't it time she is given the credit due her by now?
Read your facts author!