This was my introduction to Moran's work and was largely unaware that her historical fiction titles feature powerful women in such a unique perspective. *Start the cheese* Generally weary of novels that feature such, I hate to say, gaudy cover art, I have finally learned that you should never judge a book by it's cover. *End of cheese*
Madame Tussaud, as you might have guessed, provides an intimate account of the life of one of the world's most well-known wax artists. Alongside a fierce desire to become a highly successful artist, who can support herself, Marie Grosholtz (Madame Tussaud) witnesses the start and end of the French Revolution. Marie cleverly plays her role in a struggle to survive. Morality, power, loss and art are themes explored quite heavily throughout the novel.
The novel loosely follows the progression of the revolution, showing numerous perspectives as Marie maintains contact with both the royal family and the leaders of the revolution. Blood, guts and gore, Marie must make gut-wrenching decisions, from creating wax molds of the heads of cadavers, to sneaking molds into the royal family while they're held captive. Events inspired from reality, Moran breathes life into this enigmatic female.
I found the novel most fascinating due to the fact that the storyline focused on a strong female character; one who possessed wit, intelligence and dedication to achieve stability in her life. Marie, forced to choose between domestic life and a career, faces the inevitable doubt that occurs when choosing one indefinitely. The novel, however, did not rely upon a budding relationship with her male counterpart, Henri, but focused on the political upheavel of the day, making the novel much more informative. For a female (and really any citizen in her position) during this period, it was incredible to see such a feat.
Madame Tussaud explores the intensely dark days of the French Revolution, and the disheartening extremes of humanity. I'd say that the novel isn't necessarily for those who detest violence and devious sexuality, but is worth the read due to the historical figures it presents. I've been on quite the historical hunt to find out more information about many of the individuals represented in the book.
If you enjoy historical fiction that presses you to find out more about the subject, Moran's Madame Tussaud is a perfect selection. Plus, a friend of mine let me borrow her copy of this book, so be sure to visit her site, Literature and a Lens, to see a more thorough review of the novel.
I haven't read Michelle Moran either (I have similar cover issues, especially involving models and historical fiction), but everyone keeps telling me how amazing she is. I think I want to start with her first book and work up to this one, even though they're not related. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteCarrie-
ReplyDeleteI actually had a Read It Forward ARC copy, so I managed to be able to carry it out without shame! I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why it seems like all YA novels have like model looking girls on every cover, no matter what the content. In some way, it makes them look really cheesy and cheap. That's just my opinion. I don't really read YA anyway. As for Moran, I really want to read her earlier work. I almost purchased a copy of Nefertiti a couple of days ago but decided against it because of my absurd TBR pile at the moment.
I've read lots of good reviews of this one, but your review is why I'm officially adding it to my TBR. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad! I'll be looking forward to reading a review from you in the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the blog mention! I'm glad you enjoyed the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually working on a post now about covers. You should check out the UK cover for Madame Tussaud if you think this one was bad. Completely misrepresents the novel with a tag line change and, once again, stereotypes women readers.
I've only read Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, but really did enjoy it. I'll be hunting out the rest of her books soon.
ReplyDeleteJenna, That sounds like quite an interesting post. And I'm definitely going to check out the UK cover-- I can only imagine. The US cover was so bright and fake looking. The book was great, though! Thanks for sharing it with me!
ReplyDeleteSam, I can't wait to get her other titles. I really loved this one. Couldn't put it down.
I've so many great things about her! Cleopatra's Daughter is in my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteI've not read anything by this author. I'm interested in the French Revolution, and would love to read a strong female character. Think I'll give it a go.
ReplyDeleteThe cover issue bugs me. It says so much about how 'they' view women and what women are drawn to.
I've seen this one around, but hadn't thought of picking up a copy of it, until now. Your review of this book makes me want to read it straightaway - it sounds like my cup of tea. So glad you posted about it, because just looking at the cover I had decided to not read this book and now after reading your post - I'm definitely going to be reading this one. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI know. I don't even know why I thought it'd be great to being with, certainly so far from what the cover suggests. I learned a lot (albeit indirectly) and that's something I really love about the genre. Hope you guys enjoy it just as much as I did!
ReplyDeleteWow, this sounds like a page-turner. I have to admit, I am not much of a guts and gore kind of reader, but I do love historical fiction. One a 1-10 scale, with 10 being "slasher" and 1 being "sweetness and light," where would you put this one? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCol,
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say it's too gory-- a mention of severed heads and some references to torture. It doesn't go into real detail, but it's there. I'd say it's probably a 3 or 4. So maybe I made it out to be a little more gruesome than necessary. I'm not completely opposed to reading about fictional violence, but just knowing that some things actually occurred is really disturbing and sad. I'd say go for it!