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The book is absolutely engrossing. In its own way, since it is not in the same format as "The Agony and the Ecstasy", it is on par with it. It is non-fiction, a biography written in a coherent, flowing style and not what other biographies fall prey to: merely a dry, verbose chronology.
This, unfortunately, is the Achilles heel in the book, as too much time is spent on the politics of the day and some of it is dry stuff, indeed. She comes to life on the pages of this book.
The author does a remarkable job of creating a woman of flesh and blood out of all the documents and correspondence that she had to sift through and read in order to compile this eminently readable biography of a prominent and influential eighteenth century woman. It was like looking into another time and place.
This is much richer fare than the film adaptation of the book, which I saw before reading the book. Georgiana's place as a leader of that stratum of society is clearly delineated within the pages of the book and makes for fascinating reading.
The author paints a vivid three dimensional portrait of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, with all her positive attributes and foibles laid bare for the reader. The book also richly details the social mores of the eighteenth century, as well as the lifestyle of the rich and famous of that era.
Since Georgiana became a political animal and involved herself in Whig politics, the politics of the times holds a prominent place in the book. Still, the book is filled with so many interesting anecdotes of some of the most important personages of the time, whose lives intertwined with that of Georgiana's, that the reader will stay the course and come away with a feeling of having met one of the most interesting of women of the time.
Great book overall. Most women of her time did not have a voice in politics at all, but she did.
You feel transported into another time, another life, that of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. Amanda Foreman did a great job with this one.
If you think about it, that was a brilliant accomplishment for the Duchess. If you have seen the movie THE DUCHESS, but have not read this book, you are so missing out.
The two cannot compare, except that the movie was right on in regards to fashion, dress, and hair.The politics in this book do become a bit mind numbing, but it was part of her life and a big art of who she was. I read through this book at a steady Pace, was never bored, and was always enthusiastic to learn what would haPPen next.
I also recommend:-PRIVILEGE & SCANDAL, the remarkable story of Harriet SPencer, sister of Geogianaby Janet Gleason-THE TWO DUCHESSES (the story of Georgiana and Bess) by: Arthur Calder-Marshall(This is out of print, and may be hard to find, but worth it).
This is a wonderful biography that gives a vivid portrait of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. For this purpose, the author bases her research on history, letters, journals, and various sources. She is very skillful in depicting the social mores of the eighteenth century and in introducing many potent elements that make the book addictive, such as aristocratic milieus, marriage, sex, adultery, ménage à trois, gambling, politics, scandals, betrayals, jealousy, blackmail, fashion and theater. Joyce Akesson, author of Love's Thrilling Dimensions and The Invitation
But in the 18th century, those worlds tended to overlap, and Georgiana took her political canvassing to the streets, literally, while at the same time her understanding of the intricacies of party politics and her many powerful connections allowed the Duchess to wield considerable influence behind the scenes."Georgiana" paints a wonderful picture of aristocratic life in late-18th century England as it witnessed the War of Independence in America, the bloody Revolution in France, and tumultuous politics in England, made even bumpier by the intermittent mental illness of King George III. "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" won the Whitbread Prize for biography in Great Britain for its novice author Amanda Foreman, who wrote her doctoral thesis at Oxford on Georgiana before embarking on the book. Amanda Foreman focuses on the Duchess' personal relationships and political interests as revealed in many letters and diaries by and about her.The documents are incomplete, though, leaving the exact nature of some of the Duchess' activities to speculation. That came later, in the 19th century, when lines were also drawn between public and private spheres. The author tends to a romantic view in attributing Georgiana's character to childhood events and her innumerable miscarriages to lifestyle, which seem unlikely. They were heavily censored with black ink long after the Duchess' death by Victorians who were apparently allergic to aristocratic mores and women in politics.
Exactly what is going on and why between the opposition Whig party and the Tories may be obvious to British readers, but I'm afraid Americans require more explanation. Born Lady Georgiana Spencer (the same Spencers as produced Princess Diana two centuries later) in 1757, Georgiana married the Duke of Devonshire when she was 16 and he 24, becoming a Duchess whose charm, vitality and sense of fashion quickly made her a trendsetter in the haute monde and introduced her to politics, which would occupy much of her interest and energies until her death in 1806. The faults I find with the book are things that nagged at me for their absence. But enough remains to illuminate Georgiana's relationships with her doting and constantly chiding mother Lady Spencer, her long-suffering and devoted sister Harriet Countess of Bessborough, best friend Lady Elizabeth "Bess" Foster, a woman who envied Georgiana as much as she was dedicated to her, living with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire for more than two decades as the Duchess' constant companion and the Duke's mistress, and with her political allies, her many creditors, and her adored children.Letters are sometimes quoted, but "Georgiana" is generally written in narrative, leaving it to the author to interpret events. Foreman's intentions are not only to introduce us to the Duchess' vibrant personality and eventful life, but also to dispel the idea that male and female spheres were entirely separate in the 18th century. Charles Grey was Georgiana's great love, but we hear next to nothing about him.
But "Georgiana" does a great job of illuminating the Duchess' formidable personality and the times in which she lived.
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