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Juliette Benzoni

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Miss Moppet
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Post by Miss Moppet » Thu August 19th, 2010, 8:07 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]Just found another cover for Marianne and the Masked Prince. Glad my copy was a plain hardback.

Image[/quote]

Looks a bit like Marianne is a store dummy and he is trying to put her back on her plinth.

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Thu August 19th, 2010, 8:32 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]Looks a bit like Marianne is a store dummy and he is trying to put her back on her plinth.[/quote]

Yes it does. Slooooow workday so I've been hunting down covers for future reviews.
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At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

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Post by Misfit » Thu August 19th, 2010, 9:01 pm

Still bored, found a few of the French versions. There were a couple others but the image was very fuzzy. Looks like the same pose in each with a different background.
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At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

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Post by Miss Moppet » Thu August 19th, 2010, 11:34 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]Still bored, found a few of the French versions. There were a couple others but the image was very fuzzy. Looks like the same pose in each with a different background.[/quote]

The woman at the front is Mme Recamier I think.

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LoobyG
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Post by LoobyG » Fri August 20th, 2010, 2:34 pm

This is the cover of the first 'Catherine' novel which I'm currently reading. Sorry it's a bit small, I can't work out how to enlarge it :o The blurb reads 'first in a tremendously exciting new series of historical novels - introduces Catherine Legoix, a heroine much in the mould of Angelique and Desiree but living in the turbulent Paris of the 15th century. Cathrine grows into a woman of dangerous beauty. Violet eyes and a mane of golden hair win her the love of a duke and the admiration of a stupendously wealthy husband; but thy cannot hold the one man whose love she needs above all...' I've never heard of Desiree, has anyone else? Thankfully this cover is not too bad, I can read it safely in the staff room without comment :p
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Post by Misfit » Fri August 20th, 2010, 2:47 pm

Thanks for posting that. I think we've all become cover sluts thanks to Tanzanite :p
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

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Post by Miss Moppet » Fri August 20th, 2010, 3:38 pm

[quote=""LoobyG""]This is the cover of the first 'Catherine' novel which I'm currently reading. Sorry it's a bit small, I can't work out how to enlarge it :o The blurb reads 'first in a tremendously exciting new series of historical novels - introduces Catherine Legoix, a heroine much in the mould of Angelique and Desiree but living in the turbulent Paris of the 15th century. Cathrine grows into a woman of dangerous beauty. Violet eyes and a mane of golden hair win her the love of a duke and the admiration of a stupendously wealthy husband; but thy cannot hold the one man whose love she needs above all...' I've never heard of Desiree, has anyone else? [/quote]

I think they mean the heroine of Annemarie Selinko's Desiree, a 1950s novel about Desiree Clary, the merchant's daughter who was briefly engaged to Napoleon and eventually became Queen of Sweden.

Desiree is not really similar to the Catherine books although it's worth seeking out - it is told in first person diary format and is about a real historical figure rather than a fictional heroine (although sugared up a lot). There are some reviews on here I think, including mine. But, it was a major bestseller so this is typical publisher hype: 'This novel is exactly the same as the last six bestselling novels you loved so much! Only different!'

I grew up with the Catherine series and loved it so much I bought copies in French, which come with an 'extra' - Juliette Benzoni's account of how the books came to be written - so if anyone is interested I will summarise/translate.

ETA: This is the Desiree review thread - it's also discussed elsewhere on the boards, just do a search for Desiree
Last edited by Miss Moppet on Fri August 20th, 2010, 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Fri August 20th, 2010, 3:53 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]I think they mean the heroine of Annemarie Selinko's Desiree, a 1950s novel about Desiree Clary, the merchant's daughter who was briefly engaged to Napoleon and eventually became Queen of Sweden.

Desiree is not really similar to the Catherine books although it's worth seeking out - it is told in first person diary format and is about a real historical figure rather than a fictional heroine (although sugared up a lot). There are some reviews on here I think, including mine. But, it was a major bestseller so this is typical publisher hype: 'This novel is exactly the same as the last six bestselling novels you loved so much! Only different!'

I grew up with the Catherine series and loved it so much I bought copies in French, which come with an 'extra' - Juliette Benzoni's account of how the books came to be written - so if anyone is interested I will summarise/translate.[/quote]

I'd love to read that if you have time. I agree about Desiree not being similar at all. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. It is being republished later this year, just found a cover,

Image

Edit, and look at this old one I found,

Image
At home with a good book and the cat...
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LoobyG
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Post by LoobyG » Sat August 21st, 2010, 7:32 pm

Thanks for that, it does look worth a look. I sometimes find it hard to get into novels written in a diary format, but I'm feeling in very much a Napoleon mood at the moment! I do like the new cover too. If you do get chance Miss Moppet, I'd love to read Juliette Benzoni's account too :)

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Post by Miss Moppet » Sat August 21st, 2010, 10:34 pm

[quote=""LoobyG""]Thanks for that, it does look worth a look. I sometimes find it hard to get into novels written in a diary format, but I'm feeling in very much a Napoleon mood at the moment! I do like the new cover too. If you do get chance Miss Moppet, I'd love to read Juliette Benzoni's account too :) [/quote]

I will have a look for it - the books aren't where I thought they were, which probably means they're up in the loft...

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