These are two fictionalized novels of the French Revolution, but nonetheless very enjoyable (well, debatable of the latter one in the end of it): Quatrevingt-Treize or Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo, published in 1874, so it's also code for the Paris Commune of 1871, as Victor Hugo has a tendency to do that (Les Miserables has a ten-page segment just about the barricades of 1848 when the barricades in the book are in 1832). Ninety-Three is considered one of his best works, and well, he has this amazing scene in the middle of it that just is amazing.
The second fictionalized novel that I would recommend is A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel. Compared with other novels about the French Revolution out there, it's not terrible, though it does rely a little too much on rumor. However, it is still one of the better novels out there about the time period.
Some would recommend Tanith Lee's The Gods are Thirsty. Please, whatever you do, don't read this. You will be confused (the author certainly is, and whenever this author gets confused, she reflects it by making her protagonist drunk. You will end the book halfway through despising all the characters).
As for non-fiction about fashion or day-to-day life? Well, you can try The Making of Revolutionary Paris by David Garrioch. Also, try getting Keith Baker's The Old Regime and the French Revolution, which is a book of speeches, pamphlets, petitions and essays from the time period, as well as Peter Jones' The French Revolution in Social & Political Perspective, which has a lot of the historiography and the historiographical debates.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-10-17 05:02 pm (UTC)The second fictionalized novel that I would recommend is A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel. Compared with other novels about the French Revolution out there, it's not terrible, though it does rely a little too much on rumor. However, it is still one of the better novels out there about the time period.
Some would recommend Tanith Lee's The Gods are Thirsty. Please, whatever you do, don't read this. You will be confused (the author certainly is, and whenever this author gets confused, she reflects it by making her protagonist drunk. You will end the book halfway through despising all the characters).
As for non-fiction about fashion or day-to-day life? Well, you can try The Making of Revolutionary Paris by David Garrioch. Also, try getting Keith Baker's The Old Regime and the French Revolution, which is a book of speeches, pamphlets, petitions and essays from the time period, as well as Peter Jones' The French Revolution in Social & Political Perspective, which has a lot of the historiography and the historiographical debates.