"Mistress of The Revolution" , by Catherine Delors.

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Hi, People!:

                             I'm very interested in this book. I wish I could afford it, since it's not translated into Spanish and, even if I can find it in the web (Amazon, Ebay and all) its price in dollars or Euros it's to expensive for me. Since our peso was devaluated, it costs three times its price.

                                 But I'm not writing here to complain, but wanting to know if someone had actually read "Mistress of The Revolution" and if it is worth to purchase it. I read some interviews  to its authoress, Catherine Delors at the net, and it seems it's an interestin work. Of course, it's a novel, but good novels are as good as History books, I think.

                                    My main interest in "Mistress of the Revolution" is that one of its principal characters is Coffinhal, the man who attacked Hanriot and threw it to a common sewer, accusing him of cowardice the night of 9-10 Thermidor. I should want to know if Hanriot is present in the book and if the authoress shows him under a favorable point of view, or, if  as ever, he is depicted as a drunkard and a wild person. 

                                       I've read that for her, Coffinhal is quite a possitive character in the book...A thing I didn't like, LOL...

                                          HanriotFran(Vanesa)

Comments

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I've read it, and given the fact that it's written from the point of view of an aristo, it's not half bad. It does imply that Robespierre was more important than I think it's fair to say he was, and yes, it does present Coffinhal in a largely positive light, but to be fair I think both of these might have to do with the protagonist's view point. (Considering especially that she is in love with Coffinhal.)

I don't believe any mention is made of Hanriot in the novel, but then, contrary to what the title might suggest, the bulk of it takes place before the Revolution, and many events during the Revolution get only cursory coverage. Again, to give the author the benefit of the doubt--something I like to do, considering she's one of the few novelists who does not attempt to demonize the Revolution in general and the Robespierristes in particular--this probably has more to do with the fact that the novel is about the life of its protagonist, who happens to live through the Revolution, rather than about the Revolution itself.

All in all, it is an interesting book, as you put it, but if you don't like Coffinhal you probably won't like it. (Also, reading about the "plight" of an aristocrat, however provincial and impoverished can grate on the nerves after a while...)

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your insight! Yes. I've read in her interviews that Catherine Delors presents Coffinhal in a rather possitive light. But, well..even if I don't like Coffinhal I suppose it must be a different sensation to read a point of view in which he is flattered. As far as I know, ANYONE likes Coffinhal. Pro-Royalist and Girondins, of course, hates him, but also authors who feels some emphaty with Jacobins and Robespierre. So, I wanted to have the new sensation of reading a possitive portrait of someone who everyone hates, LOL. Just magine a flattering book on Jack de Ripper!

It's somewhat odd that the book doesn't presents Hanriot in any way, since Coffinhal , Fleuriot-Lescot and himself were plotting to save Robespierre even before 9 Thermidor. And even if the details are not totally clear about it, there was a fight between Cofiinhal and Hanriot the 9th Thermidor after Robespierre fall injured at the jaw.

HanriotFran (Vanesa)

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

You're quite welcome. Yes, it is a rather unique perspective--though Coffinhal is presented as a pretty physically rough and imposing person, the kind it wouldn't be far-fetched to imagine attacking someone he believed was a coward, even if we don't actually see that scene take place.

The reason they're not in it is, as I said, there's very little detail in the book concerning events that the heroine is not personally involved in. The only Revolutionary she meets, aside from Coffinhal, is Robespierre. (It's actually somewhat cute the way that's portrayed--she's afraid of him, but of course, since he's in character, there's nothing frightening about him, and he's rather puzzled that she seems so intimidated.)

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Poor Maxime! Average history books always speaks about him as if he had something to be afraid of. A so nice guy..what a pity!

But Coffinhal was a very imposing man. Every book about French revolution I 've read shows him almost as a beast ready to kill someone. Fouquier-Tinville , who wrote his memories as a justification before he was send to guillotine, saids he didn't like Coffinhal at all. He was horrified hearing him shouting from his jail in Conciergerie - when Coffinhal was finally found, for he had managed to escape in Thermidor crisis - and acusing "stupid Hanriot" with all his might. I think Coffinhal was quite a frightening person. One never knows, but I don't think that I culd ever be in love with such a scaring , rough guy. I'm amazed that Mme. de Montserrat could have been in love with him. ..even if it is only in a novel. But well; here we uses to said that "love is blind".

HanriotFran (Vanesa)