Athenais: The Life of Louis XIV's Mistress, the Real Queen of France

by Lisa Hilton

Book Overview

As lovely and charming as she was shrewd and calculating, Athenais de Montespan became the most powerful noblewoman of her day by brilliantly manipulating her forbidden role as mistress of King Louis... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316084905
• ISBN13: 9780316084901
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Love

The book I recieved had a minor tear in the dust cover, but I'm completely fine with it. I have yet to read it but I can't wait! The cover in person is really pretty.

Cover Page

I haven't start the book although I can't wait, the cover already looks inviting BUT I'm just so disappointed. It is the third book I received with bended cover and is quite disappointing. The description good or very good described anything but bended cover. Among all the books I have bought here (this store), I had got some acceptable torn page, and here and there written or underlined but a bended cover page? Not happy. They should mention this, I would have bought the next tier if available.

The Complicated La Montespan

The life of Madame de Montespan was by no means simple. Lisa Hilton does an adequate job of portraying the many dimensions of this woman. Living your life in the public eye as a mother, a mistress, a musician, a writer, a muse, etc, is difficult. I have read and reread this book to pick up on any nuances I may have missed previously. I highly recommend this book, not only for the ease of reading, but also for the ability to gain insight about this truly fabulous character. If this woman were alive today, she would be a tabloid frenzy. Bravo!

Reasonable criticism- but still a great book!

In response to previous reviewers- yes, the author is biased. However, Athenais *is* the main character of the book, and the author is allowed to like her. Rather than getting a feeling that she was holding up Athenais as better than others, I felt like she was writing a work of apology. Even though she glosses over the flaws of her chosen heroine, it doesn't stand to reason that the other women were blameless either. Although I have read my fair share of history books, I prefer Tudor England, and this was really my first in-depth introduction to the Sun King's era. As such, I found it to be engaging, excellently paced and a good length. The author has a discerning eye for which details to include to really bring life to even the minor characters, but without becoming tedious or confusing. I certainly couldn't tell it was the author's first work, and I look forward to reading more from her!

I love this book

I've been reading some of the reviews here and I must say that I disagree with almost all of them. I don't think this work is meant to be read as a scholarly biography. I believe it reads like a novel. If you read it keeping that in mind, you will greatly enjoy the unfolding of this passage in history. I do agree that Lisa Hilton is beyond biased on the subject of this historical personage. One almost gets the feeling that she believes herself to be an Athenais of sorts. Whatever. That's not for me to judge. I greatly enjoy reading it every time- and that's what matters.

The Double Adultress Montespan

Louis XIV's lovers were many, ranging from the early adolescent infatuation with Mancini to the last puritanical stint with Maintenon (to whom he was secretly married). But with Athenais, the Marquise de Montespan, an emotional peak was reached. She was, for nearly all purposes, his artistic and physical equal; her beauty was simply astonishing and her sensuality magnetic - as even the most tepid of her portraits show. Louis's years with her as maitresse en titre also mark the high point of his political dominance and territorial expansion. Ultimately, however, a devout Catholic such as Louis was destined to pull his proverbial horns in as the years went by - especially since Montespan herself was already married, making the affair "double adultery." Thus, with the death of the Queen, Athenais's place was gradually supplanted by her pious governess, the Marquise de Maintenon. To make matters worse, legend has it that Athenais made a desperate attempt to use black magic to win back her King; there is enough on the record to substantiate at least some, if not all, of this story, known as the "Affair of the Poisons." A well-written, highly enjoyable yarn which often attempts to draw modern parallels.