If by "Hilary Mantel brings the revolutionaries to life [...] most especially through their women" the reviewer means the women are real characters - since in some historical novels focused on political figures they're not - I can understand what s/he means. Otherwise, WTF, seriously.
I didn't really have too much of a problem with the way Gabrielle was portrayed, but that's probably because she didn't stand out much and I haven't read the book in a long time.
None of the (especially female characters) have very good motivations. As you point out, it's never really explained why Lucile starts sleeping around.
Éléonore's motivations are even more lacking. She doesn't do anything so drastic as claim to be pregnant - probably if only because there's no way Robespierre wouldn't have married her if she had done that and I suppose she didn't want to change the historical record on something so obvious - but she does seem to be sleeping with him with that aim. And why else would she be? In this characterization, neither of them enjoy it, and it's not as if it's a social obligation, since they're not married. M. Duplay is actually, disturbingly enough, the one who encourages Éléonore in that direction. It's clear Éléonore wants Robespierre to marry her here, but it's not really clear why. I mean, there are a few clues here and there, but nothing particularly coherent...
But take a look for yourself. I've compiled all the scenes Éléonore appears in over at my LJ (Part 1: http://estellacat.livejournal.com/37971.html#cutid1, Part 2: http://estellacat.livejournal.com/38382.html#cutid1, Part 3: http://estellacat.livejournal.com/38452.html#cutid1 I've since partially revised the theory I give in Part 3, because all the female characters are disagreeable, not just the Duplays). You'll see what I mean.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-02-13 04:35 pm (UTC)I didn't really have too much of a problem with the way Gabrielle was portrayed, but that's probably because she didn't stand out much and I haven't read the book in a long time.
None of the (especially female characters) have very good motivations. As you point out, it's never really explained why Lucile starts sleeping around.
Éléonore's motivations are even more lacking. She doesn't do anything so drastic as claim to be pregnant - probably if only because there's no way Robespierre wouldn't have married her if she had done that and I suppose she didn't want to change the historical record on something so obvious - but she does seem to be sleeping with him with that aim. And why else would she be? In this characterization, neither of them enjoy it, and it's not as if it's a social obligation, since they're not married. M. Duplay is actually, disturbingly enough, the one who encourages Éléonore in that direction. It's clear Éléonore wants Robespierre to marry her here, but it's not really clear why. I mean, there are a few clues here and there, but nothing particularly coherent...
But take a look for yourself. I've compiled all the scenes Éléonore appears in over at my LJ (Part 1: http://estellacat.livejournal.com/37971.html#cutid1, Part 2: http://estellacat.livejournal.com/38382.html#cutid1, Part 3: http://estellacat.livejournal.com/38452.html#cutid1 I've since partially revised the theory I give in Part 3, because all the female characters are disagreeable, not just the Duplays). You'll see what I mean.