really terrible historical fiction

[camille-love.livejournal.com]

...so, in lieu of reading for my exams (what's WRONG with me?!), I've been trying to clear my head by skimming through a historical novel published about a year ago, simply titled Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly. First of all, it's technically for "young adults" (the protagonist is a high school senior). Second of all, its perspective on the Revolution is (surprise) very naive and, well, high school. I started reading it last night and I'm almost done now. But, for all its flaws and blatant royalist sympathies, I can't deny that part of me kind of enjoys it. It's kind of like, The Da Vinci Code only with the French Revolution. So, even while I'm groaning over the history and politics, I can't stop reading because it's a page-turner and I'm hooked on the silly plot! Below is the description from Amazon.com:

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
 
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
 
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

If you have some time to waste (not likely, given that you all seem like intelligent, productive people) and are in the mood for some very lightweight, very not-to-be-taken-seriously fiction, then go for it.

EDIT:  Please forget that I ever suggested reading this book (unless you're reading it in order to write a vehement, public rebuttal of its contents).

Comments

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Well, I like cats too...But the historians who compared Robespierre to a cat, didn't seems to like cats so awfully much. The way in which they said he was similar to one of those animals is ver disdainful. People who didn't like cats (not my case, since I LOVE them) claims they are traitors and couldn't be faithful to their owner (which is false...One of my cats was 1000 times more faithful than any of the dogs I had). Some of these historians, depicts Robespierre's behavior toward his ennemies as a cat playing with the innocent mouse he's certain to kill. So, it's not Robespierre's supposed similarity to cats that bothers me, but the negative intention that underlines over the whole thing. They didn't like cats-They didn't like Robespierre. So, they identifies Robespierre with cats.

Of course, the problem with Lucile and Camille's love is not their true relationship , but the use the historians made of it to turn Camille into a Saint...

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I figured that they probably did not like cats if they viewed it as such an awful thing to be like one. I just find it ironic, given how much I like cats.