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Life in the Georgian Court by Catherine Curzon [NF]

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Rowan
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Life in the Georgian Court by Catherine Curzon [NF]

Post by Rowan » Tue October 11th, 2016, 6:57 pm

Life in the Georgian Court a pared down overview of what life was like for the ruling elite of Europe and Russia. As with anything that gives a brief accounting of aspects of the royal lives, it's up to the individual reader to follow up with in depth reading of other sources to get the full extent of a detailed life. The book is divided into four parts: birth, marriage, scandal and death.

The stories begin rather sadly and progress to somewhat happier times, which seems rather odd to consider death as the happiest point of life to consider. However, when one takes into account the time period referred to as the Georgian Era, anyone who managed to reach adulthood and exist into what can be considered old age was fortunate indeed. For those precious few who managed to reach a marriageable age, there were, of course problems there as well. Arranged marriages were the only way to go, followed by a life more often than not lived with someone who might or might not have cared and often strayed. And then, of course, are the deaths. Some younger than we expect, yet still considered old for their time, and others who simply managed to buck the trend and live to an age we might consider old even today.

Catherine Curzon does not spare us any details in her storytelling. Whether it's just how scandalous a king could be with his mistresses or how horribly some of the royalty met their ends. However, in the case of the latter, she at least gives the reader fair warning before delving into the story at hand.

I definitely feel as though I've come away with a stronger knowledge about the period of history, one that's remained dark to me for a long long time. Most of the stories were new to me, even if the stories themselves were not, save for one: the story about the necklace commissioned by Louis XVI that was crafted, but never worn by his wife, the queen. I'll leave you to find the story for yourself in the pages of this book.

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Lisa
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Re: Life in the Georgian Court by Catherine Curzon [NF]

Post by Lisa » Wed October 12th, 2016, 5:32 pm

Thanks for the review Rowan, I didn't know of this book before and now I am curious! Now on my wishlist.

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Rowan
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Re: Life in the Georgian Court by Catherine Curzon [NF]

Post by Rowan » Wed October 12th, 2016, 6:30 pm

I was glad of the forewarning in some of the stories in the last section on Death. Some of them were a bit squeamish, but over all the book was enjoyable. I'd have to say the biggest thing I learned was how indecisive King Louis XVI was, which led to the Third Estate hating him and his downfall. Oh and I learned interesting bits about Catherine the Great, but I won't share them here lest I spoil anything for anyone who might have an interest.

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Re: Life in the Georgian Court by Catherine Curzon [NF]

Post by Misfit » Mon October 17th, 2016, 12:29 pm

Thank you for this, I hadn't heard of the book either.
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