Lost in a morass of endless, unfocused detail lies the dramatic story of Caroline, the Princess of Wales, whose marital strife and mass popularity rival that of Princess Di. The life of Queen Caroline (17681821), filled as it was with private and public scandal, despair, and drama, is certainly a subject worthy of a modern biographer. Born a Brunswick princess, she was paired off with her cousin George, Prince of Wales, in 1795, in what was from the start an insufferable marriage. Not only were the two ill-matched (he was fastidious and claimed that she smelled), but George also brought with him the scandal of a possible previous marriage. Add to the mix George's sundry lovers and the punitive restrictions on his wife's personal freedom, and the marriage was doomed to spectacular conflict. Within weeks the two were living apart, although they managed to produce a child, Princess Charlotte. Caroline, portrayed by Fraser (Emma, Lady Hamilton, 1987) as more the spirited fighter than the submissive victim, creates her own world, one that includes numerous scandals, romantic liaisons, and continental travel. An amalgam of the three (extensive residence in Italy in the company of an Italian lover once in her service) finally brings about her undoing but also garners her public support. The current royal family's annus horibilis appears tame in comparison to the year 1820 in the life of Queen Caroline: She is tried for adultery and, though acquitted, is subsequently denied admission to the coronation of her husband, King George IV. She dies soon after. How could you go wrong with such material? Alas, Fraser snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. Vast masses of detail clutter a narrative that lacks a framework and focus. ClichÇs make tiresome reading even more disheartening. Still, for the reader willing to toil through the text, this offers a valuable perspective on the past and present drama of British royal families. (16 pages color photos, not seen)
Pub Date: May 14, 1996
ISBN: 0-394-56146-5
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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