Well, would you?

A well-researched novel using fiction wherever there are gaps in historical fact (or difference of opinion amongst historians).

Written from the perspective of someone else... a woman... probably a friend or perhaps servant, so we'd also see life during the revolution from another perspective as well...

Ta guys

Sure. I find her fascinating.

No, I know how the story ends, and it's all a bit grim from every angle.

Yep. It'd have to be top shelf stuff, though. There's a hell of a lot of mediocre historical fiction out there.

No, I would prefer to read a non-fiction book about Marie Antoinette with the differing opinions of the historians included.

There must be several of them already. I've read one that at least partly fits the bill but it read like fan fiction. Lame bodice ripping sort of stuff. Not my thing.

Would, and have.

I was asking as I really enjoy historical fiction and am going to begin a course at uni at the end of May to become a writer... and Marie Antoinette is a character I've yet to find a good book about. Plenty of, as you say PP, bodice-ripping, but nothing actually terribly interesting or well-researched.

It's all just a fleeting thought at the moment... but figured I'd ask anyway.

Only if its at LEAST as hyper-violent and pulpy as, you know, the actual history of Marie Antoinette. I don't read historical fiction to be bored.

I'm not a fan of "creative interpretations" of historical figures. I'd rather read either straight fiction with fictitious characters or a well-researched, unbiased biography. Those Phillippa Gregory books have a lot to answer for...

Well what research have you done about your target market OP? There are many many novels about Marie Antoinette which obviously have been read. There are also many novels from the perspective of her servants and confidantes. What attracts you has attracted many other writers.

How are you going to do your research from suburban Australia? Secondary sources?

What's your selling point? What is going to make your novel compelling and able to compete in the market?

Yep, I would definitely.

I love Phillipa Gregory I know it's not all true, but it makes history come alive for me (and, judging by her success, many others). It makes factual things more memorable and aside from that the story themselves have been great (The Other Boleyn Girl was the best IMO and one of my favourite novels).

Sorry for the PG comparison, OP, but I guess you'll always get that!

i would if it had funny cartoons in it.

Can you do her life as a comic strip? I would read that.

I like the idea of the servant telling the story. Perhaps make it more her story than Marie Antoinettes. That way you can keep more to historical facts when needed, but have creative license in the servants story and it could give a much wider view of the revolution as a servant would see more of what was happening on the ground.

I did a writing major at uni and loved it. Still waiting for the right time to write my masterpiece

I enjoy reading historical fiction BUT for someone like Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great or Elizabeth I I prefer to go to a decent historical biography and read about their lives that way.

Historical novels which feature these very interesting women just really annoy me as they usually focus on one small facet of the woman and get it totally wrong.

Antonia Fraser's book is great



http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/97807...ldescription-20

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OP are you familiar with the writer Tracey Chevalier? She wrote Girl with a Pearl Earring and many other works of historical fiction. I really enjoy her books.

The key to good historical fiction seems to be research, research, research.

I love historical fiction......so I would definitely read it!

Some HF I have read:

I read a Jean Plaidy years and years ago about MA which was good.
Carolly Erickson's The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette......not good (included a holiday to Sweden to visit Fersen!)
Farewell, My Queen by Chantal Thomas - from the view point of her reader. Quite good..... Versailles was a stinky place apparently.
Trianon by Elena Marie Vidal - strong Catholic viewpoint but good .

I also have a good select of NF on my shelves about her.

One of my favourite authors.

The Other Boleyn Girl was the best she did - and I think she got away with it because there isn't a lot of info out there about Mary Boleyn so she could just make it up.

I am a bit partial to Sharon Penman.

I would love to. I've seen the movie with Kirsten Dunst, which I really enjoyed, plus her life history is fascinating.

She is great! Looking forward to her next one - Lionheart. Richard I, crusades, Eleanor of Aquitaine.....

Elizabeth Chadwick is great too. She sticks firmly with her medieval period, and is passionate about getting things right in historical details.

Maybe a dual storyline of two women - Marie Antoinette and someone less fortunate born on the same day and in the end they are brought together ie through the execution, prison, sacking of the palace.

I went to the Versailles Palace as i am a "fan" of Marie Antoinette and it was an amazing place and i could understand why the "peasants revolted". I think to understand the life of Marie Antoinette you need to visit the places she lived in - ie her home in Vienna to her place of execution.

I always thought that Katherine Howard, Henry the VIII's fifth wife wold make a fantastic story. She was 22 (roundabouts) when she was beheaded and I really feel that she had an unfortunate life. She is also considered the most unimportant wife and i always thought the title of a book about her would be great if it was called "The Insignificant Wife".

I have read an excellent non-fiction book about her so don't think I would bother reading fiction. Generally I would prefer to read non-fiction about real people. I really like Allison Weir's books on Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Wives of Henry VIII etc for example.

If you are interested in writing this kind of historical fiction, why not go for someone less well known or entirely fictional. I think Posie Graeme-Edwards (of Hi-5 fame!) took this approach with those books of hers. I think the first one was called The Innocent.

If it were good, yes. I enjoy Chevalier's books and also enjoyed reading Sandra Gulland's books about Josephine Bonaparte.

Hell yes, because when you look into it it's quite the story. I studied it briefly at uni as part of a history course called 'Sex and Scandal' ( BEST EVER!!) The hard part will be to decide which version to take. The one perpetrated by the media or the most likely truth. As erotic fiction and porn was black market at the time people had a hey day with the stories. As the revolution inreased momentum so did the stories. The lovers increased, as did the details, with detailed diagrams to boot!

The 'piece de resistance' was when they accused her of incest with her young son!!

So yea, i'd read it. It would be a mighty interesting read to see how it all plays out and what parts you decide to include!

If you do pm me and I will try to track down the course reader and give you some referances to track down.