Desiree, Annemarie Selinko – Review

THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS:Desiree

BY ANNEMARIE SELINKO

Find & buy on

Fourteen-year-old Desiree, a merchant’s daughter living at the time of the French Revolution, meets a dashing young military officer, Napoleon Bonaparte. They become engaged and, though they part, the emotional bond between them never completely breaks. This book, first published in the 1950s and made into a movie, combines romance with a look at a colorful period of history.

The novel is written in the form of Desiree’s diary from 1794 to 1829. The author paints a vivid picture of France during the later years of the Revolution as well as Napoleon’s reign and its aftermath. The heroine is likable and we see her evolve from girl to woman. Her naïve idealism, including her belief that the Rights of Man will shortly be society’s guidepost and her uncritical love for Napoleon, give way to a more realistic and mature take on the world. We get to meet Napoleon’s family, for the most part a fascinating bunch of avaricious parasites. We see Napoleon plunge Europe into war, and, on the home front, dump Josephine. Meanwhile, Desiree comes to see the true merit of a man who loves her, Bernadotte, the future king of Sweden.

Annemarie Selinko could write a touching romantic scene. She also had a sharp eye for political reality, which makes this book more interesting than most historical romances. To me, the best part of this novel was the portrait of Napoleon, a ruthless and tragic figure, who at the same time is charismatic and in some ways likable, a fully rounded fictional character. The style is clear and straightforward, and fairly modern. It takes a leap of faith to imagine you are reading a diary written in the Napoleonic period, but I highly recommend this novel for its well drawn characters and absorbing story.

Book Review: Désirée by Annemarie Selinko

FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER, 2010 BY KNITTINGMOMOF3 

Rundpinne
Title: Désirée
Author: Annemarie Selinko
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Reprint edition
Publication Date: October 1, 2010
Paperback: 608 pages
ISBN: 978-1402244025
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

To be young, in France, and in love: fourteen year old Desiree can’t believe her good fortune. Her fiance, a dashing and ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte, is poised for battlefield success, and no longer will she be just a French merchant’s daughter. She could not have known the twisting path her role in history would take, nearly breaking her vibrant heart but sweeping her to a life rich in passion and desire.

A love story, but so much more, Désirée explores the landscape of a young heart torn in two, giving readers a compelling true story of an ordinary girl whose unlikely brush with history leads to a throne no one would have expected.

An epic bestseller that has earned both critical acclaim and mass adoration, Désirée is at once a novel of the rise and fall of empires, the blush and fade of love, and the heart and soul of a woman.

My Review:

Delightfully enchanting, Désirée by Annemarie Selinko is an exquisite book based on the fascinating life of Désirée Clary. Selinko chose to write her narrative through diary entries of Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary beginning in 1794 when she was 14 years old and meets and becomes engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte, and ending on August 29, 1829 as she is crowned Queen of Sweden, and the 35 years in between. Most have heard of Napoleon Bonaparte and some know he was first engaged to Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary, but many do not know her full story, for which Selinko does an extraordinarily detailed job chronicling, from her family life to friends and extended parties including the rich and detailed description of the court of Napoleon Bonaparte to the Swedish courts, which she is not as fond of as the French courts. Désirée is rich in vivid detail and imagery, taking the reader back to the world Bernardine Eugenie Désirée Clary inhabited and the numerous conflicts that surrounded her life and the turbulent times she lived. The characters are well developed and I found myself extremely intrigued by Josephine de Beauharnais and will be looking for a book from her perspective next. Selinko masterfully writes not only an unforgettable love story but also an in-depth historical tale, which draws the reader in from the very first page and keeps the reader’s rapt attention until the last word is read. To say I enjoyed this book immensely would be an understatement. I found myself riveted to my seat from beginning to end and could not help but care deeply for Désirée Clary. This is one of the best historical fiction novels I have read and I recommend without hesitation Désirée by Annemarie Selinko to all readers.

I received a complimentary copy ofDésirée by Annemarie Selinko from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Books Like Breathing Review

Monday, December 20, 2010

Desiree by Annemarie Selinko

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 1402244029
Pages: 608 pgs
Genre: Historical Fiction/French
Challenges-Read’n’Review Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge
Rating:





Summary from Publisher:

To be young, in France, and in love: fourteen year old Desiree can't believe her good fortune. Her fiance, a dashing and ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte, is poised for battlefield success, and no longer will she be just a French merchant's daughter. She could not have known the twisting path her role in history would take, nearly breaking her vibrant heart but sweeping her to a life rich in passion and desire.

A love story, but so much more, Désirée explores the landscape of a young heart torn in two, giving readers a compelling true story of an ordinary girl whose unlikely brush with history leads to a throne no one would have expected.

An epic bestseller that has earned both critical acclaim and mass adoration, Désirée is at once a novel of the rise and fall of empires, the blush and fade of love, and the heart and soul of a woman.

My Review:

I've been rather review silent this week. I got sick with the flu and my brain was not capable of even writing my own name for most of the week. I'm lucky I got my go-round with the flu over with early because I get it once every year and it sucks.

I am a huge historical fiction junkie. I have read about almost every period…but never about French history or Napoleon. I have never been interested in this period much but I loved the Marlon Brando version of Désirée and decided that I must read the novel.

I loved almost everything about this book. I am used to historical fiction novels where the historical characters seem a bit flat but Désirée was really a well rounded and interesting character but I did think that there was an issue with her voice. She sounded the same in her youth as she did when she was an older and mature queen. I like it when there is a progression in the voice as well as the maturity of a character as we watch them get older. I never thought her voice reflected her age and maturity and it got a bit frustrating.

I did love how the story was told. Ever since I read The Diary of Anne Frank when I was 9 years old, I have loved books in the journal format. I also loved that this wasn't so much about the romance between Napoleon and Désirée but it was more about history and politics. I really loved this book. If there had not been the issue with the voice, it would have been perfect.

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review. My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the blog.