For the King: the paperback is coming to a bookstore near you!
On July 5, on the day after my birthday! Here is a preview of the trade paperback cover, very similar to that of the hardcover. And a link to the book trailer. More news soon
Archive for the ‘Books & Films’ Category
Voltaire’s Hideouts: Cirey and Ferney, a guest post by Laurel Corona
François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire was, to use a term not well translated into English, a provocateur. To Voltaire, most people did not “dare to think,” and his contempt was in equal parts for them and for powerful individuals and institutions that took advantage of people’s disinclination to use their minds. “Ecrasez l’infame!” was his motto, [...]
Eleanor of Aquitaine and My Love Affair with Paris
Another guest post by my friend and fellow historical novelist Christy English, whose new book, TO BE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF THE EARLY LIFE OF ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE, was just released. Heartfelt congratulations to Christy, and best wishes for this new novel of the great Alienor! ================================== I loved Paris before I ever saw it. [...]
Academy Awards: For the King, Colin Firth and Natalie Portman
Due to the time difference, I was in bed while the big show was going on. So please tell me: how did Anne Hathaway and James Franco do? For me, THE Oscar host will always remain the great Billy Crystal, but I should probably get over the fact that he doesn’t want to do it [...]
Black Swan, Hamlet, The Banquet
Yes, another post about film, but these are after all the last days before the Oscars. I have been thinking again about Black Swan, and been reminded of Shakespeare’s most famous lines: A tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing. And, as often, thinking of the Bard made me think about [...]
The King’s Speech: Jane Austen, Winston Churchill, the airbrush and the Vaseline
Warning: this is not a proper film review, just a few thoughts on Jane Austen and on the ethics of historical fiction. For one thing, I must say that found watching The King’s Speech wonderfully satisfying, as a sort of anti-Black Swan experience. A careful, unobstrusive direction, the compelling story of a man overcoming the [...]
An interview of Elena Maria Vidal, author of Madame Royale
CD: Welcome back to Versailles and More, Elena, and thank you for kindly agreeing to discuss your book, Madame Royale, for our readers. The novel begins during Madame Royale’s exile in England. This works very well from a dramatic standpoint, and selfishly, I was delighted to see your book begin where and when mine ended. [...]
Madame Royale, a novel by Elena Maria Vidal
The French Restoration (1814-1830) is an era woefully neglected by historical novelists. Fortunately, Elena Maria Vidal helps fill this void with her Madame Royale. Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte de France, Duchesse d’Angoulême, was the eldest child of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, and later the last Queen of France, albeit for a few minutes, until her husband’s abdication on [...]
Love cake recipe, courtesy of Peau d’Ane
Peau d’Ane, Donkey Skin, is my favorite Perrault fairy tale, and a full post here on this powerful story of lust, incest, love and morality is long overdue. In the meantime, Valentine’s Day gives me this opportunity to link to this excerpt of the wonderful musical adaptation by Jacques Demy, starring Catherine Deneuve as the [...]
Black Swan: odd bird
For the longest time I couldn’t visit the New York Times website without an ad for Black Swan popping up to the right of the article I was reading. Irritating, but it worked. I was intrigued by all the hooplah and finally saw the film. Thanks for the publicity barrage, everyone must have heard the story, [...]
