The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B (Sandra Gulland)

May the 8th, the year 2006:

Today I am reading a piece of historical fiction about the early life of Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon, that was written as a journal. This interesting (and overdone) historical character lived through the French Revolution, the Terror (when she was imprisoned as a member of the aristocracy), the Commune, and obviously Napoleon's rise to power. The dates and such are meticulously researched, I'm sure... i.e. what party she went to on what night and when she went to the country and etc. Kind of sad, really, the kind of research needed to write such a piece of absolute fluff.

May the 9th, of the year 2006:

Good gym reading. Napoleon character was quite curious and intriguing but only entered in the last 40 pages. The book actually ends on their wedding night, in bed, where her dog bites his leg and he stitches up the wound himself. Best scene of the whole damn thing. Turns out this book is only part one of two. I consider reading the second part simply because this one scene has peaked my interest so much. Will sleep on it.

May the 10th, of the year 2006:

What the hell are you thinking?! You only read this one because it was in the used book bin for $0.50! This "historical fiction" could be an advertisement for Snuggle--it's fluffy, soft, giggly and feminine but, in the end, all it does is leave behind a faint smell, and I don't mean roses. To see what I consider "real" and moving historical fiction, that actually informs the reader about social history, click here.