The Second Empress: a Novel of Napoleon's Court
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Fiction » Love & Romance
Miko says:
I was disappointed at the banality of the story and writing, since Napoleon and his family are such dynamic characters -- kind of like the Clintons, if Bill were a little more bellicose. In this audio book, at least 3 narrators told the story, each with a different kind of French accent. So, not only were thinks difficult to understand, but rather distracting as well. I don't think this history trusted the power of the last 6 years of Napoleon's reign to tell a fascinating story. As a ...result, there was a flatness to these characters.
Toltec says:
3.5 stars.An enjoyable read, although the title is a misnomer since only 1/3 of the story is about the Empress. This is the first time I have taken an interest in Napoleon, and the story captivated me. I appreciate how thoroughly Moran researches her subject and brings in both fact and fiction to the story. I think the 3 way POV split for the story was both a hit and a miss. The POVs were interesting, but it felt as if the characters and the story were left underdeveloped because of the constant switching. The only thing that remained constant throughout was Napoleon's mercurial personality. The history of the last 5-7 years of Napoleon's reign is a bit glossed over, which was a bit of a disappointment. There were so many important moments of European history that were ignored with the POV switching. I would have loved to know more about how the Empress handled being the Regent during Napoleon's time in Russia, but alas...Overall, a good, easy, informative read, but underdeveloped.MoreLess
I was disappointed at the banality of the story and writing, since Napoleon and his family are such dynamic characters -- kind of like the Clintons, if Bill were a little more bellicose. In this audio book, at least 3 narrators told the story, each with a different kind of French accent. So, not only were thinks difficult to understand, but rather distracting as well. I don't think this history trusted the power of the last 6 years of Napoleon's reign to tell a fascinating story. As a ...result, there was a flatness to these characters.
Toltec says:
3.5 stars.An enjoyable read, although the title is a misnomer since only 1/3 of the story is about the Empress. This is the first time I have taken an interest in Napoleon, and the story captivated me. I appreciate how thoroughly Moran researches her subject and brings in both fact and fiction to the story. I think the 3 way POV split for the story was both a hit and a miss. The POVs were interesting, but it felt as if the characters and the story were left underdeveloped because of the constant switching. The only thing that remained constant throughout was Napoleon's mercurial personality. The history of the last 5-7 years of Napoleon's reign is a bit glossed over, which was a bit of a disappointment. There were so many important moments of European history that were ignored with the POV switching. I would have loved to know more about how the Empress handled being the Regent during Napoleon's time in Russia, but alas...Overall, a good, easy, informative read, but underdeveloped.MoreLess
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