The Queen's Lover: A Novel

Francine Du Plessix Gray

Jun 2012 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

A “spellbinding” and “deeply intelligent” historical novel about Marie Antoinette on the eve of the French Revolution (The Washington Post )

Through the untold love story between Marie Antoinette and Swedish aristocrat Axel von Fersen, acclaimed author Francine du Plessix Gray weaves history with romance in a captivating novel that also offers a fresh vision of the French Revolution.

Paris, 1774. The dashing nobleman meets nineteen-year-old Marie Antoinette at a masquerade ball. As their relationship deepens at Versailles, Fersen discovers the court’s secrets, even the startling erotic details of Marie Antoinette’s marriage. But this intimacy is disrupted when he leaves to join the American Revolution. When he returns in 1783, he finds France on the brink of disintegration. After the Revolution of 1789, the royal family is moved to the Tuileries and suffers increasingly harsh captivity. After a failed attempt to liberate them, Fersen goes home to Sweden where he soon meets his own tragic end: his fate is symbolic of the violent pace with which of the eighteenth century’s events transformed European culture.

Ratings and reviews

An interesting take on life behind the scenes in the palace of Louise XVI and Marie Antoinette. As a reader that limits her historical fiction intake, the "story" must grab me to make me forget that it takes place beyond our current times. From the summary, I was intrigued by the look at the French side of history, as I often read about the English kings. The addition of an affair and Marie Antoinette's obvious fame were definitely points to pull me in. Written from both the perspective of Axel, the queen's mister and his sister who is said in the prologue to have her chapters fill in the gaps, I loved hearing her take on her brother's life. I even learned a thing or two! Beyond learning what went on in the marriage between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, I was excited to read about France's role on the Revolutionary War and what a Swedish man's input was on behalf of the French in the war. The chapter written by his sister including letters he wrote from the states, including my home town of Williamsburg, VA, were informative and entertaining. A fan of historical fiction and those who love a little behind the royal scenes would enjoy this book.

My balls hurt

About the author

Francine du Plessix Gray is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, including Them: A Memoir of Parents, and has been a regular contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. She lives in Connecticut.