The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R. Audiobook (Unabridged)

" It was really well researched, but it showed. The author got mired in the history, and forgot to tell the actual story in a clear manner. "

" I just lived an entire lifetime in Paris. Beautiful and haunting story. Sigh! "

" I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. There were chapters that I loved, chapters that I skimmed, chapters that I hated, and chapters that made no sense. In fact, much of the book made no sense to me. It is beautifully written--as to prose style. It certainly creates the period in which it takes place. Its plot is buried--like a dog's bone in a closely planted garden--difficult to spot and even more difficult to dig up without harming the plants around it. I read to the end to find out what happens to our heroine--but that was not to be. The ending is as enigmatic as Eugenie herself and her life. I'm not sure that I would recommend it--and I think that I'm glad I read it. Give me some time to digest it... "

" Excellent story. The writing was good but a little too descriptive at times for my tired brain. "

" "Too many French words I didn't know - and no mention of a glossary until I came across it at the very end of the book! Obscure references to post-revolutionary days in France. Overall meh." "

" A very complicated historical novel about the changing role of women during the time of the Franco Prussian War. Eugenie, duped in love, pregnant, goes to Paris to find her lover. Life gets tangled from there, her daughter is placed in an orphanage and she spends a life time trying to find her while she survives the turbulent times. In some parts it reads like poetry, in other parts like history, and, still yet, parts are confusing. I think DeSanti tried to put too much into one novel. However if you read it, read the timeline in the back of the book first. If you don't know any French vocabulary, read that as well. "

" A lot of good historical data rag-tagged amidst the life of a young woman in Paris. "

" A good idea, but god, the execution was terrible. Sentence fragments were abundant and frustrating. I wanted to read this, but life's too short to parse this mess for meaning. "

" I wanted so badly to like this book. Ugh "

" I really wanted to love this one and was sure I would because of the setting, however it was a little slow for me. The ending was disappointing for me. "

" At moments I liked this book and then there were other times I was over it. It was an interesting commentary on the situation that women face when they can not control their own bodies/lives. Good historical research. "

" Eh. Long and involved with a disappointing ending. "

" I actually give it about 2.5 stars. I really, really wanted to like this. Most of it was beautifully written. But Eugenie, where were your unruly passions? I never connected with her and feel I never did get to know her. "

" the second half was worth getting through the first half "

" I enjoyed the historical backdrop of this story. "

" Read about 3/4ths of it..... was pretty good until that point - too much about the war and starts to drag a little.... "

" tedious and often a struggle to read "

" I loved the beginning of this book. By the middle, I was wondering when it was going to catch my interest again, and by the end I was forcing myself to finish it. The only question that kept me reading was Will she ever find her little girl? "