Adversity

I have been looking forward to reading this book for FOREVER, and it did not disappoint! Oh, the emotions! Oh, the changing of Fates! You know what's going to happen, and yet you just can't help but be engrossed and wondering just how everything will shake out. I think almost every American student studies the French Revolution, so I already knew what would happen with Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, her children, Lafayette, Marat, and Robespierre. I still learned new things. The era came alive to me in a way it never did during history class. Kudos to Michelle Moran!

This is by far Moran's most descriptive book, and I gobbled up every detail, particularly of Versailles. It has such a fascinating history! I also loved how Moran flooded the novel with tidbits about how Marie Tussaud (Marie Gorsholtz) lived, how she set up her museum, and how she monetized the news. It was intriguing watching her balance her business acumen with her principles. While we can't know today what the heroine's thoughts on the Revolution were, I think Moran did a great job guessing.

Sidenote: Moran's side characters were unique and just as complex as the heroine. Moran dedicated a lot of time and pages for this novel, and the effort shows. This is one of my favorite books by her.

What kept this from a 5 star rating for me was that the chapters often ended abruptly. I kept expecting more only to be thrown into a new chapter. Also, Marie Gorsholtz's character sometimes got lost in the flood of events. So much happened so quickly during the French Revolution that Marie became more of a reporter rather than a character with thoughts and feelings. I felt like Moran could've written her to be a little more present in her own story. ( )

It is ironic that I decided read this book now. I won it in contest eleven years ago and the author signed my hardback copy.

To read the life of Madame Tussade is get to know her through the author's eyes, to learn about how the wax figures were created by taking measurements with caliphers, making a mold, paint and adding hair and glass eyes. It was even crucial to have the furniture in the scene to be exact and the complexion of the faces perfect. Madame Tussade happened to be in France and asked to do Queen Marie Antoinette's face and figure, her husband,King Louie XIX and their children. Her skill must have amazing for her uncle who own the business was impressed by her artristy.

Her story thrusts us into the French Revolution, important political figures that she knew and later modeled into wax were: Marquette De Lafayette, Marate De Sade, Maximilian Robespierre among other. From other reading, I already knew that De Sade, was vile and perverse even more than I knew before, and Robespierre garnered no respect or pity from and I felt great sadness for Lafayette. The beginning, the middle developments and the Reign of Terror are depicted vividly in detail, so much that I wanted to turn away from the book but I did not. I felt the terror of the uncontrolled mobs and the horrible massacre of men, women and children, including innocent Jewish families I kept having flashbacks that mixed with those scenes and currently the January 6th insurrection in Washington, D.C. It was a taste of whatcould happen here!

It was truly a Revolution unhinged. This book needs to read now! ( )

I heavily enjoyed this book. It's like a history lesson but with true emotions and holds your attention until the very last page. ( )

Wow this book! I always love reading Michelle Moran's stuff (except for Nefertiti, but that was because I thought Nefertiti was a stuck up snob) but this was really good!
Marie Tussaud has learnt the art of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their wax museum, the Salon de Cire. Although many parisians are starving & can't afford bread, the wax museum is booming as it is one of the hubs of Paris that provides people with news, gossip & politics. As the Revolution gains momentum Marie finds heself in some unthinkable situations but her talent for wax sculpting ultimately saves her life.
At first I found it a bit hard to relate to Marie. In the start she is so overly focussed on the business & making money it's hard to see her as an actual person. As the story progresses & the situation in Paris worsens we see her starting to realise there is more to life than your ambition (I'm sure most of us know someone like that!)
Once I got past Marie's supersized ambition I found this book really easy to read. Michelle had me on the edge of my seat wondering what else could possibly happen?
Given the subject matter of the book I feel a bit wrong in saying I loved it (even though I did!) I had a really hard time putting it down though! ( )