The Queen's Lover: A Novel Audiobook

" Meh. I was jazzed when I started reading the book...LOVE reading about this era of European history. However, as the book d.r.a.g.g.e.d on, I became increasingly disenchanted with the main character, Axel von Fersen. Although he had his moments, I just couldn't feel any real affection for the character...he was way too hung up on being Axel, for my taste. I also didn't think the author was able to clearly distinguish the voices of Axel and his sister Sophie, who also narrated part of the story. Not a total loss though...the history lesson imparted was interesting and, I believe, fairly accurate (from what I've seen on Wiki). "

" The Swedish Count Axel von Fersen, alleged to be the lover of Marie Antoinette, is the principal character in this fictionalized retelling of the onset of the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy. The author has used real correspondence and other primary sources to construct the story. In doing so, the story gains the reader's credibility, but seems to lose the energy of the primary story line. Still, well written and worth reading, just not as gripping as some similar works. "

" First Read Win. This to me was a disappointment. I love historical books, and this was just not what I am interested in. The only thing that was remotely interesting was that it was supposedly based off of notes or letters from Count Axel von Fersen, the Swedish diplomat with a romantic attachment to Marie Antoinette. I can give it some props. The writing style was in the form of a memoir. I loved the writing. I just felt it was really thought out. "

" This historical novel is about Count Ferson, Marie Antoinette's lover. It's written in two voices, that of the Count and his sister Sofie. The author used actual letters to add authenticity to the story. It provides an interesting perspective of the French Revolution and the true horrors committed by the people of France in the name of freedom. Though Count Ferson escaped from France, years later he met with an equally horrible death at the hands of Swedish revolutionaries. He is an interesting character, vain and yet principled. "

" Boooooorrrrring "

" I should have picked up a history book instead. The historical nature of the book (the life of Marie Antoinette as queen) intrigued me, and that was interesting, but the framework (narration by, mostly, her foreign lover) was far from compelling. "

" Full of great history and the time period of 1780. Really liked it. "

" Good book! really explained what happened to Marie Antoinette and the man who tried to save her. "

" It was an okay read. The writing was stilted though and made it hard to really get into it. "

" It was a very good historical fiction. Most of the book was taken from journals and letters. There were a couple of his sexual encounters that were very brief but overly descriptive. "

" This is fiction? I've read non-fiction less dry than this. Not compelled to finish. "

" I loved this book! Who knew this side of Marie Antoinette? And seeing the French Revolution from another angle was fascinating. "

" This reads with the emotion of a DIY kit from IKEA. I gave up after 50 pages. "

" very slow book. the facts were good but i just was not as enthralled as i'd hoped. "

" The beginning held me, but I was drowned in detail for the last 2/3ds. I've read enough about M. Antoinette to think she was very misunderstood by the citizenry in this horrible and cruel revolution. "

" I enjoyed seeing Marie Antoinette through the eyes of her lover. Lots of interesting stuff about Fersen's life apart from her, about which I knew next to nothing prior to this. "

" An enjoyable romp with Marie Antoinette brought to you by a student of Black Mountain College. "

" Great read if you want a blow by blow account of the downfall of the French monarchy and like reading large snipets of letters. Terrible read if you were looking for a spellbinding romance. No character development, no relationship development, by the end, I was begging for the author to be beheaded "

" I have to say I was a little disappointed. I love books about the French Revolution as it is one of the most fascinating periods in history, however, I didn't love this one. I found it quite slow and just didn't connect with the characters. "

" I received this book for free from Penguin Canada as part of their exclusive reads program. I enjoy historical fiction however this book was not the best historical fiction I have read. "

" This book is so confused about whether it's a novel or historical text. I love historical fiction, but you actually have to write some prose in order for it to be considered fiction! You can't just paste in letters and retelling of battles. "

" I made it about 1/3 through this book. Then I got bored and gave up. Life is too short to read bad books! "

" Beautiful imagery and descriptions of life at Versailles, but histrionic storytelling. I wanted so much to enjoy it. "

" Really wish this was better "