Tales Of Passion, Tales Of Woe (1999) - Plot & Excerpts
After hearing about her incredible early years, in Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe focuses on Josephine’s most well-known years. And although she has gained a sort of infamous reputation from her supposedly numerous affairs while Bonaparte was in Egypt, this is not the way Sandra Gulland portrays her. You know what? This portrayal feels much more real, more authentic than the typical ‘immortal cheating harlot’ angle that Josephine is always portrayed from. In Gulland’s portrayal, we get to see how Josephine gradually does begin to care for Napoleon, how she soothes over the men in power so her husband may succeed and how she does her best to take care of her only two children by her first husband.Although I think pacing isn’t as important in historical fiction, this second book in the Josephine B. trilogy is more fast-paced than the first. Perhaps it’s because I actually know a little about the events that occur in the novel or perhaps it’s because it was Gulland’s second book and she got a better feel for pacing. Who knows? All I know is that the pacing and even the quality of writing, which was already high, has improved.Not only does Josephine come off as an incredibly strong woman, the other characters in the novel really popped out of the pages as well. Napoleon Bonaparte is portrayed in many different ways in movie, television and books but I’ve never really seen this portrayal of him: the awkward, graceless (yet handsome) Corsican who has no time for the nonsense of high society and who is oddly paranoid about poisoning. Having him around is a huge contrast to Josephine, who is graceful and takes to high society, even if she isn’t comfortable with it deep down. Bonaparte’s bizarre, ruthless family definitely doesn’t make it easy on poor Josephine or even Bonaparte himself! Having them around definitely added drama, but it’s not like they were the stereotypically evil in-laws because they had depth. They had real reasons for their actions, thank goodness.I give this book 5/5 stars.
Book #2 in the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy. This installment picks up where the last one left off: the day after Napoleon and Josephine's wedding in 1796. It ends at the beginning of 1800 when Napoleon and Josephine move into the Tuileries Palace.I can't remember how many times I thought, "Poor Josephine!" Those Bonapartes are a family to be reckoned with and they stop at nothing to foil Napoleon's marriage to her.This installment is probably going to end up being my favorite because it has my favorite character (so far): Captain Charles. The young captain is absolutely hilarious and adorable. I loved him.As with all historical fiction, there are some liberties taken, but I'm still learning a lot about a period of time I didn't know much about. These books were no doubt extensively researched, and it shows. Josephine is a strong woman who has been through a hell of a lot. Despite the limitations of women at the time, she uses her brains and charm to get things done.The world and characters in these books are exquisitely drawn up to where you feel like you're right there on the streets of Paris. The smells, colors and faces are clear as day.Josephine's story is only going to get more intense from here.
What do You think about Tales Of Passion, Tales Of Woe (1999)?
I have been saving up the reading of this second book of Sandra Gulland’s Josephine Bonaparte trilogy because I knew it would be great. I wasn't disappointed. I loved the feeling of intimacy while reading about the details of Josephine's day to day life. This is the most enjoyable way to learn history and I especially appreciated the footnotes and the enormous amount of research obviously done. Even with the journal style entries the writing flows beautifully and never feels choppy. I highly recommend this series.
—Lee
I regret not reading this second volume sooner after the first. Most of what I needed to remember was captured in passing mentions in this book, too. I loved this one. Could not put it down for story alone.Thus begins the story of Josephine (nee Rose) Bonaparte and her marriage to Napoleon. The position of this version of the story is that Josephine is not wildly in love with him. (I can't remember why she chose to marry him from book one, but I don't think it was for love. My notes indicate she was kinda tricked into it.) However, seeing him in action in this book, she grows to love AND need him. She is wildly distraught when his family leads him to think she is being unfaithful while he is away. I'm inclined to believe that they are partially driven together by the whole roller coaster of the political environment, her financial situation (as Napoleon and his family would not help Josephine with her debts early in their marriage) and the intense emotional situations that Josephine goes through in these few years. It is like she was walking on eggshells trying to protect her and her family's lives (not necessarily life/death life, some of it was lifestyle, too!) while witnessing this very driven man grow more and more powerful. After all that she has been through, after all that she is struggling through, I can't blame her for being a little bit attracted to that power. Although, it ends with a little bit of 'what have I gotten myself into?!'
—Jody
Sandra Gulland does it again in the second Josephine Bonaparte trilogy. Her mastery at character conversation is unrivaled. I am utterly transformed and absorbed by these historical fictions. All my senses are alive and in tune with what Josephine and all the other superbly developed characters are feeling. I enjoy the easy accessible flow of her writing style. One thing I have loved in the first two books is her attention to historical detail and her historically accurate footnotes. One thing I despised about part 2 is the advantage the Bonaparte family (including Napoleon himself) took of Josephine emotionally and financially. Josephine was a strong woman (one would have to be as the wife of Napoleon) however, there were unavoidable limits imposed on females at the time and in the culture. I would highly recommend these books. The reason I didn't rate them 5 stars is because to me that equates to perfection. While the first two are incredible, trans-formative, educational, enjoyable and well written I don't feel they are life changing - and at this stage in my life that is a part of perfection to me.
—Fourthemodicas
