Alison (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
landofnowhere) wrote2023-07-05 07:23 pm
landofnowhere) wrote2023-07-05 07:23 pm
wednesday books has finished an epic
La Comtesse de Rudolstadt, George Sand. After about 1600 pages (on my tablet, but they are similar in size to book pages), I have finished the story of Consuelo, and what can I say but, that was a trip! I'm not sure that I would recommend it to people who aren't in the habit of reading lengthy novels in French for fun, but I was entertained the whole way through.
(I don't know how the translations are -- there are multiple from the 19th century, and a recent translation of La Comtesse de Rudolstadt, which can be read on its own, though I'd mainly recommend that if you want to start with the Frederick the Great fanfic and don't mind that the story leaves his court 1/3 of the way through and never come back).
Last post I was worried the story wouldn't wrap itself up in a satisfactory way, but it actually did a pretty good job -- the story proper ends with Consuelo's initiation into the secret society and wedding, which is celebrated with the Best Party Ever. All the Cool Guys are there! -- or at least all the cool guys who have been initiated into the secret society, sorry Joseph Haydn -- like the Chevalier d'Eon, who it turns out had befriended Consuelo back in Berlin, George Sand had just forgotten to mention it earlier! Despite my previous reaction "run! it's a creepy cult!", the Secret Society of the Invisibles grew on my somewhat, due to their having a good recruiting pitch and also to one of the members turning out to be Consuelo's supposedly dead mother-in-law (being buried alive runs in the family), who is badass and who also gives Consuelo some useful relationship advice -- which Consuelo ignores, but it's OK as her love triangle isn't actually a triangle after all.
Anyway, after that ending with a very strong "one brief shining moment" vibe, there is a lengthy epilogue, in which the narrator explains that the historical record on Consuelo becomes much more patchy after this point. This allows the epilogue to wrap up the various loose plot threads fairly expeditiously, and give a couple of peeks into Consuelo's later life.
(There is way more I could say about this book, but I'll leave it here.)
King Lear -- we finished the read-aloud, the second half is more exciting than the first, the language is beautiful, but didn't leave that much of a mark. I suspect it's more compelling when done visually on stage.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, Brandon Sanderson. Going from a 19th century bestselling author to a 21st century bestselling author here. So far this is entertaining fantasy about two 19-year-olds from different planets in the same solar system who have got some sort of a body-swap/travel to each others' worlds thing going on. I think this one is doing something interesting with the worldbuilding but I'm not sure where it's getting to yet.
(I don't know how the translations are -- there are multiple from the 19th century, and a recent translation of La Comtesse de Rudolstadt, which can be read on its own, though I'd mainly recommend that if you want to start with the Frederick the Great fanfic and don't mind that the story leaves his court 1/3 of the way through and never come back).
Last post I was worried the story wouldn't wrap itself up in a satisfactory way, but it actually did a pretty good job -- the story proper ends with Consuelo's initiation into the secret society and wedding, which is celebrated with the Best Party Ever. All the Cool Guys are there! -- or at least all the cool guys who have been initiated into the secret society, sorry Joseph Haydn -- like the Chevalier d'Eon, who it turns out had befriended Consuelo back in Berlin, George Sand had just forgotten to mention it earlier! Despite my previous reaction "run! it's a creepy cult!", the Secret Society of the Invisibles grew on my somewhat, due to their having a good recruiting pitch and also to one of the members turning out to be Consuelo's supposedly dead mother-in-law (being buried alive runs in the family), who is badass and who also gives Consuelo some useful relationship advice -- which Consuelo ignores, but it's OK as her love triangle isn't actually a triangle after all.
Anyway, after that ending with a very strong "one brief shining moment" vibe, there is a lengthy epilogue, in which the narrator explains that the historical record on Consuelo becomes much more patchy after this point. This allows the epilogue to wrap up the various loose plot threads fairly expeditiously, and give a couple of peeks into Consuelo's later life.
(There is way more I could say about this book, but I'll leave it here.)
King Lear -- we finished the read-aloud, the second half is more exciting than the first, the language is beautiful, but didn't leave that much of a mark. I suspect it's more compelling when done visually on stage.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, Brandon Sanderson. Going from a 19th century bestselling author to a 21st century bestselling author here. So far this is entertaining fantasy about two 19-year-olds from different planets in the same solar system who have got some sort of a body-swap/travel to each others' worlds thing going on. I think this one is doing something interesting with the worldbuilding but I'm not sure where it's getting to yet.
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As this is somewhat relevant to my interests and as your narration was delightful, I just googled a summary and chortled when I saw George Sand included Trenck and Amalie among her historical support cast. Trenck's memoirs (or "memoirs") are among the delightfully nuttiest 18th century writings, so I'm not surprised Sand used them. If you want a short summary, I'm providing one here and here a summary of the debunking by historians (the reality being nearly as nutty, though, just in a different way).
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Trenck is a really fun character in the books (he shows up in the first book also, midway through the Consuelo/Haydn road trip). Amalie was also cool, though I felt like she was underutilized -- one of the weaknesses of the books is that Consuelo doesn't get to build any deep female friendships onscreen, so after the delightful secret dinner party with Amalie and the Countess Von Kleist there's not really any payoff -- though we are told in the epilogue that some of Consuelo's secret society work involves influencing Amalie.
(There's also a bit where Consuelo is in prison and learns that there is another woman in the prison named Amalie -- and she's like "I know two Amalies, the princess and my husband's cousin, it could be either or neither of them". A sketchy guard offers her the opportunity to visit this Amalie and sing to her, but this is derailed when Amalie said "I recognize Consuelo's voice -- that woman has ruined my life and I never have to see her again". Consuelo should think at this point "well, this doesn't actually help disambiguate between the two!" but instead goes "oh, no, Princess Amalie must think I betrayed her to Frederick the Great" -- she's wrong, it's actually her husband's cousin Amalie, who was seduced by Consuelo's ex-fiance.)
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Amalie in Rl
So here are some quotes from Lehndorff's diaries on Amalie through the years. Background for the first is Amalie and her mother Sophia Dorothea not getting on at all. Lehndorff sides with Mom.
1757, 16th January: Her Majesty the Queen Mother is very unwell. (...) She alone is the one holding the royal house together and holding up dignity at court. It has to be said that Princess Amalie bears much blame for her distress, she who often curses the coincidence of being born a Princess at night, and makes her environment feel she's a princess regardless by her arrogance and her moods. (...) Truly, the behavior of the Princess Amalie is unqiue. The waves of the ocean are not more unruly than her manners. Good and evil, philosopher, citizen of the world and pious prig, she's all this in turn and more; ten times a week she's content and discontent. This moody creature is of course a pain to her environment. She feels best when everything is upside down.
26th January: After watching a comedy, I go to the antechamber of the queen mother to ask about her health. Her distress causes universal grief. It is said that the main cause of her sickness is the anger which Princess Amalie causes in her. The most wonderful Queen was so upset that she's forbidden the Princess to appear in front of her. All the world is disgusted by the later.
28th January: The quarrel between the Queen Mother and Princess Amalie continues. Her Majesty has now forbidden that her kitchen should continue to supply the princess with meals. Now the Princess must either invite herself to other tables or grill chicken at her fireplace. Thus, she asks me to hire a cook for her. One sees that the great ones are as prone to human weakness as the lowest mortals.
Whereas a year later, Amalie comes across very sympathetic. Mom is dead, the Queen is Elisabeth Christine, Lehndorff's nominal boss:
6. Princess Amalie back from Schwedt. She shows a very polite behavior. We will see whether this friendliness towards her fellow creatures will endure. I take my little brother-in-law with me to Schönhausen and show him all the sights of Berlin.
9. The Queen arrives in Schönhausen. She manages to make the stay there, which could be delicious, incredibly boring by entering all conversations without having anything interesting to say.
10. Dinner with Princess Amalie, who is infinitely benevolent. Since she's returned from Schwedt, she shows a kindness that delights everyone. May it keep! My little brother-in-law seems to like it here. He is dreading the day of his departure.
July: Princess Amalie, surprising in all things, has just managed to commit the most beautiful, the oddest and the most generous deed. Frau v. Maupertuis, has just learned that the state of her husband who is lying sick in Basel has become so much worse that she has decided to go to him to nurse him. HRH the Princess Amalie gives her 2000 Taler for the journey, as well as a diamond ring, and so that the staff of Frau v. Maupertuis is not neglected, she calls the lady's maid and tells her: "My child, be as good as to help me out of my dress." This happens, and she gives the maid the dress as a present, as well as a silver coffee ensemble.
(>This all happens during the Seven Years War, which the Prussians have realised won't end any time soon, so Amalie providing Madame de Maupertuis with the means to go to her husband really is a big deal.)
And this is Lehndorff describing Amalie's death in 1787, decades later:
30th. Around 5 pm, I want to drive to the Princess Sacken. When my people open the carriage for me, they call: "The Princess Amalie has died!" In my first shock, I have to think about the passage in Flechier where he describes the universal horror which the death of the Princess Henriette caused in France, and where he says: Night of horrors in which one heard the call: Madame is dead! Madame is no more!" Deeply sad, I arrive at the Princess Sacken's. The news I bring, no one wants to believe; one doubts and sends enquiries. But unfortunately, the sad news is confirmed. I would have gone immediately, but I had an invitation to the Queen Widow's, and so I go there. But at the foot of the stairs I already meet a servant of the Queen's, who tells she was deeply shaken and unable to receive anyone.
I meet up with old Count Podewils and bring him to the Gusow Podewils'place while I hurry to the mourning place. I find Madame de Maupertuis, the Fräuleins of Zerbst and v. Dönhoff and all belonging to the house in deep pain, added to which is the shock about the sudden death. At lunch the Princess was still doing well. Since eight days, she was complaining about a strong cough, but no one assumed a serious danger. Around 3 am Madame de Maupertuis was called, and she found her already without consciousness. Now the entire royal family was notified, and everyone rushed to her. But she was already gone. There was hardly any death struggle; she died in the arms of her first chamber woman, Fräulein Hartmann, in her 64th year of life. My pain is great. I've known her since forty years, and have been in her particular favor. She had very much esprit, but also many excentricities, and at any rate she had the mindset of a great princess, one can say, the Brandenburg mindset, which is very characteristic.
After having cried hot tears in the first floor, I went to the chamber women. They told me about several traits of the Princess and led me to the chamber where the royal corpse was lying. At such an opportunity, one can only exclaim: Vanity, vanity, all is vanity! This Princess, who had so many rich spiritual qualities, who had a great nature, a high flowing mind, she awoke the respect in everyone which her high birth alone would not have produced. There she lies stretched on a bed and regarded with melancholy by everyone. One only talks of the weakness of her body, which has housed such a beautiful soul. Since twenty years, she has been sick, and getting sicker. The food she ate had to be cut for her, since she had become paralysed. Morever, she had ordered a sick eye to be removed and did this with an amazing stoicism. Despite all this, she did not want to be at rest. Eighteen years ago, she had all the trees removed from her garden because she wanted to have an English Garden. People hinted she would not live to see the new garden, given her bad health, but her strong will kept her going, and I have seen her walk among the new plants.
BTW, Amalie ordering a sick eye to be removed in the 19th century has become Amalie destroying her own face for love of Trenck, which tells you something, but not about Amalie.
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Also Consuelo's mother-in-law tells her that she has to choose between two outfits for her initiation ceremony -- a bridal outfit, and a mourning outfit -- and which one she chooses will signify her choice in the love triangle, but she's not going to tell Consuelo which is which! Which is totally just messing with Consuelo -- not to mention that she (and everyone else in the know) is perfectly aware that Consuelo's husband and lover are the same person!
I did also wonder what would have happened if Consuelo had made the other choice? There's a lot of interesting complexity in the situation that could have been explored but is discarded in favor of a pat resolution.