Princess Victoria Melita: Grand Duchess Cyril of Russia (1876-1936)

Princess Victoria Melita: Grand Duchess Cyril of Russia 1876-1936 is a 2004 biography on Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by the Rhine and then later Grand Duchess Cyril of Russia by John Van der Kiste.

Born on November 25, 1876, Victoria Melita was the second daughter of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, only daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by the Rhine. She was named Victoria after her grandmother and Melita because she was born in Malta. In the family she was known as "Ducky". Only a year younger than her elder sister, Marie "Missy", many mistook Victoria Melita to be elder of the pair because she was taller and more serious of the two. Both sisters were opposites in both appearance and personality. Marie was blonde and care free while Victoria was dark haired and broody. Both remain devoted to each other for the rest of their lives.

Victoria Melita's parents marriage was unhappy, the only happiness in Maria Alexandrovna's life was children. She was a strict parent who raised her children with an iron fist but it was apparent to all that they were the joy of her life. In 1889, the family moved to Coburg where Alfred was heir to his childless uncle, Ernest, (he would eventually succeed in 1893). Maria Alexandrovna, who blamed all her woes in her marriage on Great Britain, became a complete Germanophile and forced her beliefs on her daughters. None of her daughters appreciated it. Maria Alexandrovna decided to marry her daughters off while they were young before they could "properly think". After marrying Missy off to Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania, it was decided the Ducky should marry her first cousin, Grand Duke Ernest of Hesse and by the Rhine.

The marriage started off harmoniously and the couple managed to produce a daughter, named Elisabeth. The couple threw magnificent parties and their household was the considered the merriest house in Europe. But it was all a facade. Ducky and Ernest fought continuously about her inattention to duty and his lack of affection., the fights often becoming violent in nature. The couple did try to rekindle the earlier happiness of their marriage but the result was only a stillborn son. Queen Victoria felt bad for the unhappiness of the couple but refused to grant them a divorce for Elisabeth's sake. The old Queen's death in 1901 but an end to any opposition to the divorce. Elisabeth, who was devoted to her Father, had a dislike of her Mother saying, "Mama says she loves me, but you [Ernest] do love me". Elisabeth's death in 1903 severed any link between Hesse and Victoria Melita.

Ducky had first met Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovna of Russia in 1891 while attending the funeral of Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia. It was there that they fell in love and after her divorce, she began visiting him regularly. His parents disapproved of the whole affair and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna told her son to end it. In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese war, Cyril was on active service when his ship was blown up at Port Arthur. He was one of the few survivors and the experience made him more determined than ever to have Ducky. Against the expressed wishes of the Tsar, whose wife, Alexandra, was the sister of the Grand Duke of Hesse, he married Victoria Melita on October 8, 1905. Cyril subsequently lost his place in the succession and his rights and property in Russia. Their two daughters, Maria and Kira, were born during their exile in France.

Nicholas II was eventually forced to reinstate Cyril in the line of succession, who became third in line for the throne upon his return in 1910. Ducky was now Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia. Ducky held great parties in St. Petersburg and eventually formed a rival court to that of the Tsarina. When the first World War broke out in 1914, Victoria Feodorovna worked as a nurse for the Red Cross. As the war began to turn south for Russia, Ducky joined a movement to have the Tsarina dealt with and to save the monarchy. It was too late; the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917 and a year later Tsar, his wife and five children were murdered at Ekaterinburg. The then pregnant Victoria Feodorovna fled with her family abroad - escaping that terrible fate.

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia was born on August 30, 1917, while his family was staying in Finland. The family of five would have difficulty finding a home for the next decade. In 1923, Cyril suffered a mental breakdown. To get him out of his stupor, Victoria supported him in claim for the Russian throne, it was met with a cold reception by the rest of the Romanov family. Still, the couple remained devoted to each other and were happy in their family unit. Then in 1933, Ducky discovered that Cyril had had an affair while in Paris. She was heartbroken and never forgave him for it. Victoria Melita died in 1936 after suffering her stroke. While her husband had been unfaithful, he was devastated by her loss. He died only 2 years later.

I give this book a 2/5. This book was not one of John van der Kiste's best. The book hardly touches on Ernie's alleged homosexuality and it marginalizes little Ella (which might actually be how Victoria Melita truly did feel about her daughter from her first marriage). I can't say much to this book whether for or against it. All in all, rather dull and plain, something hardly worth noticing.

Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings 1863-1974

Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings 1863-1974 is a book by John van der Kiste on the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg dynasty that ruled Greece for nearly 100 years; from the first King of the Hellenes, George I, to the last, Constantine II.

In 1821, having just gained independence from the Ottomen Turks, the fledgling nation of Greece reached out to the European powers for a King. Prince Otto of Bavaria, King Otho of Greece, was chased out by 1862 and the nation was again looking for a ruler. Many in Greece wanted Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria, but he was already designated as the future Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The crown fell into the hands of the Danish Prince, William, who took the name of George upon his ascension.

George's reign would prove to be a successful one when compared to his predecessor. While Otto believed that the King's power was absolute, George was a constitutional king who signed documents before he even reads them. Another aspect where George succeeded and Otto did not was in producing a dynasty. In 1867, George married Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia. The happy marriage produced 8 children. During George's long reign, he expanded the nations borders by winning wars against the Turks in the first Balkan War  and then defeating Bulgaria in the second Balkan War. On March 18, 1913, 2 weeks short of his being on the throne for 50 years, George was assassinated by Alexandros Schinas.

George's eldest son, named Constantine after the last Byzantine Emperor, ascended the throne 44. A studious man, Constantine had already won the hearts of the Greek people during the Balkan Wars. In 1914, the first World War broke out across Europe. Constantine wished for Greece to remain neutral putting him in conflict with his minister,Venizelos, who was pro-German. The Kings neutrality also put him at odds with the Allies who repeatedly threatened him to join their cause and slandered his wife, Queen Sophie, for being the German Kaiser's sister. In 1917, King Constantine and Queen Sophie left Greece after the Allies threatened to bombard Athens, leaving their second son, Alexander, as king (his elder brother, George, was deemed too German for the government's tastes).

Alexander was a puppet King and his reign was a short one. In 1919, he married Aspasia Manos, the daughter of the Master of the Horse. All of Greece was scandalized, not least his parents, but he was happy and months later she was pregnant. Alexander died after infection set in from a monkey bite. Despite his parents pleading, the government would not let them see their son before he died on October 25, 1920. Alexander's daughter, Alexandra, was born 5 months after his death.

Constantine was brought back to Greece, welcomed back with open arms. His popularity soon waned as the Greece continued its disastrous war in Asian Minor against the Turks. After an army revolt in 1922, Constantine left Greece for the second time. He died of a broken heart in 1936 in Palermo, Italy, having never returned to Greece. George II was married to Elisabeth of Roumania, while his sister, Helen, was married to King Carol II of Roumania. Neither marriage was happy and George's marriage was childless. During the second World War, George left Greece after an increasingly intolerable communist republican government and his brother, the third son of Constantine I and Sophie of Prussia to wear the crown, Paul, succeed him in 1947. The republican kept growing as King Paul and Queen Frederica, born Princess Frederica of Hanover, were criticized for meddling too much. Paul died of cancer in 1964 and was succeeded by his eldest son.

Constantine II would be the last Greek King. He was forced to leave Greece in 1974 after a failed coup against putschist government. He and his wife, Anne Marie of Denmark, currently reside in London.

I give this book a 2/5. The book focuses heavily on George I's reign and how the kingdom was born while neglecting Paul and Constantine II's and how the monarchy was abolished. John van der Kiste's odd usage of names do not help this book at all. He will say "Alice said this" without ever having mentioned her before. It didn't matter too much to me seeing as I had some knowledge of the Greek royal family but to a beginner they would have certainly been lost. With not enough information for a season historian but too specific for the proverbial "noob", this book is rather lack luster.

The Last Romantic: A Biography of Queen Marie of Roumania

The Last Romantic is a 1986 biography written by Hannah Pakula on Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Roumania.

In 1871, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, is introduced to Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, only [surviving] daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (nee Princee Marie of Hesse and by the Rhine). Having already been scared off by Elisabeth of Wied, the second son of Queen Victoria proposed to the Grand Duchess, against the wishes of both his Mother and hers. They married on January 23, 1874. Maria Alexandrovna's was an unhappy in England where she was placed behind the Princess of Wales in order of importance, despite Maria Alexandrovna being the daughter of an Emperor (styled Her Imperial Highness) while Alexandra was only the daughter of the King of Denmark (styled Her Royal Highness). The Duchess of Edinburgh was also unhappy in her marriage, once referring to herself as "[Alfred's] official mistress". Her one comfort in such a life was her children.

Marie Alexandra Victoria, nicknamed "Missy" in the family, was born on October 29, 1875, Alfred and Marie's second child and first daughter. She was preceded by her parents only son, Alfred ("Young Affie"), and three younger sisters, Victoria Melita ("Ducky"), Alexandra ("Sandra") and Beatrice ("Baby Bea"). Raised first in England, Marie never lost her love for the country. Because of her Father's naval career, Missy often spent time abroad, particularly at Malta where her cousin, George, Duke of York, was stationed. George fell in love with the prettiest of the Edinburgh girls and sought her hand in marriage. Alfred and his older brother, Edward, agreed but their wives did not. Before Missy could make any decisions for herself, Maria Alexandrovna planned for Missy to meet Crown Prince Ferdinand of Roumania.

Ferdinand Victor Albert Meinrad, or "Nando" as he was known in the family, was born on August 24, 1865, the second son of  Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Infanta Antonia of Portugal. His uncle, King Carol I of Roumania, had been married to Elisabeth of Wied (the same woman Alfred had rejected all those years ago), for a number of years but the only fruit of their union, Princess Marie of Roumania, had died in 1874, so he needed an heir. Having become familiar with the situation in Roumania, Ferdinand's older brother, William, renounced his rights to the Romanian throne in favor of his younger brother. Unaccustomed to life in Roumania and lonely, Ferdinand grew close to his Aunt's lady-in-waiting, Elena Vacarescu. Elisabeth, believing Elena to be the reincarnation of her deceased daugther, encouraged the romance, knowing full well that such a match would never be permitted by the King. Once Carol discovered what was going on between the Crown Prince and the cout lady, he had the Queen exiled to Neuwied and Elena to Paris. Ferdinand was duly sent to Europe to find a bride. The 27 year old Crown Prince married the 17 year old English Princess on January 10, 1893.

If Missy and Nando had little in common before their marriage, things became even worse after they married. Nando was a timid man who never stood up for his wife against his Aunt. Missy gave birth her first child, a boy named Carol after his great-uncle, on October 15, 1893. A girl, named Elisabeth, came the next year. Both children were snatched up by Queen Elisabeth, often known by her pen name as Carmen Sylva. In 1897, while Ferdinand was recovering from an illness, Missy was given a new aide-de-camp by the name of Zizi Cantacuzene. The two subsequently began an affair and like the Elena Vacarescu affair, King Carol ended it quickly. Pregnant, Missy demanded to give birth in Coburg - where her Mother was now Duchess. Missy gave birth to Marie ("Mignon") on January 6, 1900.

In 1899, Young Affie died in Meran after living a wasted life. The next year, Missy's Father succumbed to lung cancer after years of dissipation. The following year, Queen Victoria died to be reunited with her beloved Albert. Ducky had been married to Grand Duke Ernest of Hesse since 1894, a plan that had gone according to the wishes of the Duke of Edinburgh, but the two were illmatched and had long hoped for a divorce. Now that the chief opposition to the divorce was gone, the couple duly separated and Victoria Melita went to the open arms of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia. Unfortunately for Ducky and her main man, Ernest sister was Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia who had her husband strip the Grand Duke of his title. Missy named her next child, a boy, Nicholas after the Tsar to try and placate him. There were rumors that Nicholas was the son of Missy's close friend, Waldorf Astor, although Pakula refutes this.

Missy began an affair with Barbo Stirbey at the beginning of the century, a love affair that would be the loves of both their lives. Missy's favorite child, Ileana, was born in 1909 and there were many rumors abound that her biological father was Stirbey but Pakula says otherwise. The matter is entirely different when it comes to Prince Mircea who was born in 1913 - whom it is generally assumed among historians that Stirbey is the Father. Mircea was born just before the outbreak of the First World War.

Roumania had earned itself some recognition in the first and second Balkan Wars but it was no where near ready for a full scale war. As with many royal families, the Great War divided the Romanian royal family in two. Carol and Elisabeth both avowed German while Missy stayed true to her roots. Romania, however, stayed neutral for the first few years of the war. Carol's sudden death in 1914 made Ferdinand King but it was plain to all that the actually ruler of Romania was Queen Marie. Despite going against his bloodline and heritage, Ferdinand joined the war on the sides of the Entente. The war was a great hardship on the Romanian people, Missy too was effected. Mircea died in 1916 and his death absolutely devastated his Mother. Marie focused all her attention of her country and was a symbol of strength and resilience to the Romanian people. She chose correctly; the Entente was triumphant and the war ended on November 11, 1918.

Now that the war was over, the trouble in Missy's life stemmed from Carol, her eldest son. Like his Father before him, Carol fell in love with a Romanian girl, Jeanna "Zizi" Lambrino. Knowing full well that if he married her he would forfeit the throne, he married her in August 1918. Missy and Nando were furious and declared the marriage illegal. Despite pledging his eternal love for Zizi, Carol eventually grew tired of her and went along with his parents in having the marriage annulled. In 1921, in a double marriage between two sets of brothers and sisters, Carol married Helen of Greece and Elisabeth married Crown Prince George of Greece. Zizi gave birth to Carol's son, Mircea, in 1920. Helen gave birth to Carol's son, Michael, in 1921. In 1922, Mignon marrried King Alexander of Yugoslavia, completing the three marriages that would earn Missy the nickname of "GrandMother of the Balkans".

Helen, or as she was called by close friends "Sitta", and Carol's marriage soon broke down after Carol's relationship with Elena Lupescu came to light in 1925. They divorced in 1928. Missy felt rather sympathetic to her daughter-in-law's plight but disliked the way she kept Michael isolated from his family. Rather than give Lupescu up, Carol renounced his rights to the Romanian throne. In 1927, Nando died and Missy's five year old grandson ascended the throne. His reign was a short one because Carol returned in 1930 and proclaimed himself king while factions ofI the royal family fought over the regency. He had his wife place practically under house arrest and his Mother found herself increasingly under greater supervision. Wishing to rid himself of all perceived threats he used his siblings marriages to chase them away.

Marie died on July 18, 1938, aged 62 - before the fall of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, whose path to destruction sprung from her own son's rule, and the rise of the Communist party in her beloved Romania.

I give this book a 4/5. Having already read Pakula's other work An Uncommon Woman I decided to give this book a shot. Now I'm not necessarily a fan of Missy, I've always been a bit of prude when it came to who I emulated (preferring people such as Victoria, Princess Royal and Alix of Hesse etc.), but Hannah Pakula does the romantic Queen of Roumania justice. The book was engaging and well written and I commend Pakula for that. I had a giggle or two with some outdated facts but then again this book was written almost three decades ago so that can't be helped. The one disappointment that I had with the book is its lack of overall...romance. I was expecting a little more on Zizi Cantacuzene affair because she muddles up Marie's pregnancy in 1897 and Mignon's birth in 1900. And I know that the book would mostly focus on the bane of Marie's life, Carol, it was a little lacking with her other children. I wanted to read a bit more about her relationship with Mignon and Elisabeth, who was a terror in and of herself. All in all a good read and yes, I'd recommend it to people.

The French Mistress

The French Mistress is a 2009 book written by Susan Holloway Scott on Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland's french mistress, Louise de Kerouaille.

Louise Renee de Penancoet de Kerouaille is the daughter of an improverished nobleman from the french province of Brittany whose parents send her to Court to serves as a maid of honor to Henrietta Anne of England, known as Madame in the French court. The Duchess of Orleans forms a close friendship with the innocent maiden and gives Louise privy into the terrible state of the Orlean marriage. Henrietta Anne is abused by her husband, Phillip, Duke of Orleans, likewised called Monsieur, who repeatedly rapes her and flaunts his lover the Chevalier de Lorraine before her, motivated by his suspicions of her close friendship with his brother, Louis XIV of France. There is nothing Henrietta desires more than seeing England and her beloved older brother, Charles II of England and even the pregnancy and birth of Anne Marie d'Orlean, forced on her by Monsieur, will stop her.

In 1670, Louise accompanies Madame to Dover to be reunited with her brother. The true reason for the visit was to secure an alliance with England and on June 1,1670, Charles signs the Secret Treaty of Dover, promising to convert to the Catholic faith in order to gain support from Louis XIV. But it's not all serious business for Charles because during the trip, he becomes besotted with the baby faced Louise despite his mistress, Barbara Palmer, presence at Dover. Oh but the month passes by so quickly and the two go their separate ways.

Henrietta Anne's health has never been good but her sudden death on June 30, 1670 came as a shock to everyone. Because she died shortly after drinking rumor has it she was poisoned by her husband. With the death of the Duchess of Orleans, Louise de Kerouaille is left without a protector. With the task of being Louis XIV's spy, Louise departs for England under the guise of being a maid of honor for Charles's Queen, Catherine of Braganza, but in actuality to seduce the king himself.  She cleverly yielded the King's advances until she had a firm grip over his affections and was indispensable to him. Louise gave birth to Charles Lennox on July 29, 1792.

Despite his great affection for his "Fubbs" as he called Louise, Charles II of England was not a faithful man and Louise had much competition. The greatest of which came from a woman the complete opposite Mademoiselle de Kerouaille. Nell Gwyn "Pretty Witty Nell" born to the lower order of society, rose to fame as an actress before catching the eye of the King. Portraying herself as the very picture of what it was to be English, Nell often made the French Louise the butt of her many jokes, referring to her rival as "Squintabella". Hortense Mancini temporarily supplanted Louise in Charles' favor but her promiscuity to Louise's comparative innocence drives Charles right back to his favorite French woman. Her greatest sadness of all was catching a venereal disease from her beloved. But for all her lows, Louise de Kerouaille also had her highs. In 1673, she is made Duchess of Portsmuth and in 1675, her son is made Duke of Richmond.

As a Catholic, Louise was subject to much suspicion during a period in British history where the religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants was at the very heart of the government. The people cannot tolerate a Catholic King and are incensed when Charles's younger brother and heir, James, marries the Catholic, Mary of Modena. Likewise, Louis XIV of France was greatly angered upon hearing the news that James' daughter, Mary, was to marry the Protestant William of Orange to settle the feud between the English and the Dutch. Louise comes under fire during the Popish Plot instigated by Titus Oates but her position with the king is strong enough to withstand all. Charles II died on February 6, 1685 and it is due to Louise that he converts to Catholicism and receives the last rites.

I give this book a 2.5/5. As far as the many mistresses of Charles II goes, Louise de Kerouaille is near the bottom of my list of favorites. A classical Nell Gwyn girl myself, I find Louise de Kerouaille to be greedy and scheming, but The French Mistress does make me see Louise de Kerouaille in a new light and I'll give the book that. However, when one is writing a book on a highly controversial figure and tries to make them seem sympathetic to the reader, there is a right way to do it and then there is a wrong way to do it. Scott was on the fence throughout the book on Louise de Kerouaille, one moment she's the innocent victim whose name is wrongly blackened in history and the next she's the ambitious woman that we know and hate. The book is called a "Novel on the Duchess of Portsmuth and Charles II" but the 2 years that Louise spends with Henrietta Anne is nearly half of the entire book. Also I felt that the story was lacking the more interesting parts of Louise's story. It could have done more with how Louise strung Charles along or more interactions with Nell Gwyn. Foreshadowing is a good thing, it builds the suspense but Scott gave a little to many wink-wink-knudge-knudges and it became very very annoying. I'll be going for another read of The King's Favorite thank you very much.

Reluctant Queen

Reluctant Queen is a 2010 novel by Freda Lightfood on the marriage of Henry IV of France, his first wife Margot of Valois and his chief mistress, Gabrielle d'Estrees. This is the second book in Freda Lightfoot's book series on Henry IV. It is proceeded by The Hostage Queen and followed by The Queen and the Courtesan.

In 1578, after more than two years apart, King Henry III of Navarre is reunited with his wife, Princess Margot of France. Their marriage came on the heels of the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre. During her absence, he found comfort in the arms of other women. However, she is undisturbed because she too has found lovers to amuse her. The two remain good friends until Henry becomes besotted with La Fousseuse and Fousseuse becomes pregnant. Margot agrees to help Fousseuse deliver the child but the child is stillborn and Henry blames Margot. To escape his wrath, Margot decides to return to her native France, to reunited with her brother, Henry III of France, mother, Catherine de Medici, and more importantly, her lover. Her stay in her brother's court is short.

After rumors begin to circulate that Margot is pregnant by her lover, Henry Trois orders his sister to return to Navarre only to have her searched and detained. Henry of Navarre at first refuses to take back his wife but eventually agrees to her return when he is given territory as a settlement. The death of her beloved brother, the Duke of Alencon, leaves two only two candidates for the French throne: the protestant, Henry of Navarre, and the Catholic, Henri, Duke of Guise. In 1585, Henry became besotted with Diane d'Andouins, nicknamed "La Belle Corisande", who pressures him into divorcing Margot so that he can marry her instead. Margot once again flees Navarre, this time raising her banner in support of the Duke of Guise, her one true love, setting up base at Agen, taking a soldier named D'Aubiac as her lover.  After being forced out by the townspeople, she moves to the fortress of Carlat but her luck runs out and she is caught by her husband. D'Aubiac is executed soon after.

In 1588, Henri, Duke of Guise, defying the word of King Henry III of France, comes to Paris to seek an audience with the King. Alarmed at Guise's presence, Henry Trois calls him the Swiss Guard, leading tot he Day of the Barricades as the people of Paris show their open support for Guise, forcing the King of France to flee. Henri's moment of glory does not last long when on Decemer 23, 1588 he is assassinated by Henry Trois's guard as the King looks on. Henry himself is assassinated by a friar conspiring with the Catholic League less than a year later. Henry of Navarre is the only legitimate heir yet because he is a Protestant in a Catholic country, he must first fight for it.

During his struggle with the Catholic League to claim his throne in the early 1590s, the now Henry IV of France, a man who can not live without love, falls head over heels, yet again, for umpteenth time - this time to the beautiful Gabrielle d'Estree. But she has no interest in him as she is already in love with another. However, after becoming his lover and the insistence of her Father, she grows to love Henry of Navarre and she eventually bears him three children. Born a Catholic, Gabrielle convinces Henry to convert to Catholicism which he does and soon after his conversion, Henry is crowned King. Henry grants her many titles and showers her publicly with his affection but the people of France share a different view of the new Duchess of Beaufort, calling her the Duchess of filth.

Henry's sister, Catherine, had long fostered the hope of marrying her Catholic cousin, the Count of Soissons, but Henry has other plans for her and in 1599 she is married, very much so against her will to, to Henry II, Duke of Lorraine.

In 1599, Henry's marriage to Margot looked likely to be annulled at last and so Henry proposed to Gabrielle, who was pregnant with their fourth child. On April 9th, after having a drink at a friend's house, she suddenly falls ill and gives birth to a stillborn son. She died the very next day in Henry's arms. The word "poison" is on everyone's lips.

I give this book a 3/5. The inside flap suggests the book is entirely about Gabrielle d'Estree but as you can tell from my summary of the book, Henry IV's famous mistress is only there for the latter half of the book. So who exactly IS the Reluctant Queen? I adapted to this lack of a formal protagonist in latching onto Margot of Valois but after the introduction of Gabrielle, Margot is hardly ever mentioned again and I felt that this was a bit of a let down, considering how attached I was becoming of her. Gabrielle's origin story was a little bland, with a somewhat cliche ring to it. The book was jerkily written with a plot a little hard to follow. It has no chapters...just long long long segments.

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina is a 2012 film directed by Joe Wright based on the novel by the same name written by Leo Tolstoy 1877.

Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina

Jude Law as Alexei Karenin

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Count Vronsky

Domhnall Gleeson as Constantin Levin

Alicia Vikander as Kitty

A theater curtain is raised and the film begins. Anna has just received a letter from her brother Stiva to help him reconcile with his wife, Dolly, who has banished him from seeing her or their children after she discovered that he was having an affair with the children's governess. Before she leaves, her husband, Alexei Karenin, warns her about fixing the problems of others. On the train of Moscow, Anna meets Countess Vronskaya, who is known throughout all society as an adulteress, but finds the subject of her reputation trivial because of her old age. She is instead more focused on her son, Count Vronsky. At the station, Anna meets Count Vronsky and the attraction between the two is felt immediately. As they prepare to leave, a worker is caught beneath the train tracks and is killed. To impress Anna, Vronsky decides to give money to the deceased man's family.

In Moscow, Stiva's meets up with his friend, Konstantin Levin, who professes his love for Stiva's sister-in-law, Kitty, and seeks his advice on what to do. Levin proposes to Kitty but she refuses, believing  that a match with a handsome cavalry officer named Vronsky will be is imminent. Levin then goes to visit his elder brother, Nikolai, who has abandoned all the grandeur of the aristocracy for the life of a poor man. He takes a prostitute as his wife and bids that Levin should do the same and marry one of the peasants working on his estate. Drained by these events, Levin returns to his country estate.

Anna convinces Dolly to take Stiva back. At the ball, Kitty truly earns her title as the "Belle of St. Petersburg Society", looking radiant in white, until Anna shows up, dressed in black. Kitty must dance with the men in her dance card, while Anna and Vronsky dance the night away, upsetting Kitty. Anna notices this and decides to leave feeling that she has upstaged Kitty. Anna boards a train back to St. Petersburg and at a rest meets Vronsky who boldly declares his love for her. Anna tells him that can not be together and but Vronsky will not take no for an answer. Vronsky begins appearing wherever Anna does. During a soiree held by Princess Betsy, people are abuzz with gossip and Anna and Vronsky. Vronsky begins to flirt openly with Anna and these interactions are seen by Karenin, who warns Anna not to give people a reason to talk. Anna denies the rumors and shortly afterward meets Vronsky at a hotel and they make love.

Anna and Vronsky are staying at a country estate when Anna tells Vronsky that she is pregnant with his child. At the horse races, Vronsky suffers a fall from his horse causing Anna to scream in shock, this reveals the true nature of their relationship to the whole of society. Karenin takes his wife home where she confesses to him that she is indeed Vronsky's lover. Vronsky demands that she and Karenin divorce but Karenin does not allow her to and knowing the consequences tells him that they will find a way.

Levin returns to Moscow where Stiva urges him to propose to Kitty again, since a match between her a Vronsky is not out of the question, but Levin is hesitant considering what happened last time. He leaves to his summer estate and spends his days out of the fields, helping his men plow the land. One morning, before work has started, he catches a glimpse of Kitty with her head out of the window in a carriage, looking serene and angelic. They are then reunited at Stiva's house where they profess their love for each other. They marry.

Karenin catches wind that Vronsky has been at his house despite what Karenin has said about him not being allowed to be there. He searches through Anna's desk and finds love letters. He declares that he will divorce her and take away her son. While staying at Stiva's place, Karenin receives a letter stating that Anna is dying in childbirth. She begs his forgiveness and berates Vronsky for being nothing like Karenin. He readily forgives her, asking her to forgive him for the way he treated her. Anna survives but immediately returns Vronsky.

One day, Levin returns home to discover that his brother, Nikolai, is sick and is being nursed by his prostitute wife. Levin is quick to banish the fallen woman believing that Kitty will be outraged to be in such a woman's presence but on the contrary, Kitty goes to nurse Nikolai alongside Masha. Levin comes to realize that Kitty has indeed grown up and that innocent love can bloom into something more.

Anna decides to go the opera despite Vronsky's warnings. At the opera, attendees look at her in disgust and one of the atendees makes publicly insults Anna and leave and Anne begins to understand that society does not accept her. Anna remains composed for the rest of the opera but cries upon returning back to the hotel. Vronsky is able to sooth Anna with a mixture of laudanum and water. The next day Anna has lunch at a restaurant but is ignored by everyone except Dolly. When Anna sees Vronsky being picked up by Princess Sorokhina, she loses her grip on reality and she kills herself by throwing herself in front of a train screaming "OH GOD FORGIVE ME"

Levin returns home in the rain to find Kitty giving their newborn son a bath. Kitty asks him what is, and Levin cradling his baby boy in his arms looks at her, with tears in his eyes.Stiva and his family eat with Levin and Kitty, and Stiva looking weary and sad, goes outside lights a cigarette, mourning the loss of his sister.

Karenin is seen enjoying a book in the meadow where Serozha and Anna's illegitimate child, Anya, playing among the daisies growing in the field. It ends with a wide shot, it is revealed that the field is on a theater stage where the film began. Thus the whole film's concept of the Russian aristocracy living their lives as if on a stage.

I give 3.5/5 and ma femme, who also saw the movie, gives it a 2/5. Oh what a surprise, Keira Knightley in another period piece... but we here at Gatchina Palace love her it. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING VISUALS. Wright's decision to stage the movie on a play didn't disturb me as it did ma femme and I thought it LOOKED beautiful. Costumes were great and I believe whole heartedly that they deserve the Academy Award and NOT Snow White's and the Hunstman - sorry Kristen Stewart fans. Story wise: Meh. Anna Karenina is comprised of two stories; love coming together with Kitty and Levin and love falling apart with Anna, Karenin and Vronsky. Kitty and Vronsky's story paled in comparison to Anna's so I wasn't particularly attracted to either character (although I'll admit that their love confession was undeniably cute). Another Keira Knightley with a similar theme of adultery is The Duchess which I prefer to this movie because unlike the Duchess where Knightley's husband cheated on her and raped her, Karenin was a good guy and I, being recently engaged and everything, do not like adulterers who cheat because they are just bored. I thought Jude Law was great in the role and added a depth to the character to Karenin that I couldn't get from reading the book. In short, this movie is for those artistically inclined than the average movie goer.

Les Miserables

Les Miserables is a 2012 film based on hit musical by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alan Boublil, which in itself is based on the 1862 novel by the same name by Victor Hugo, directed by Tom Hooper.

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean

Russell Crowe as Javert

Anne Hathaway as Fantine

Amanda Seyfried as Cosette

Eddie Redmayne as Marius

Samantha Barks as Eponine

In 1815, convict Jean Valjean is released on parole by prison guard Javert after serving a 19 year sentences, 5 years for stealing a loaf of bread and the rest for repeatedly attemting to escape. Valjean is taken in by the Bishop of Digne but steals his silver during the night. When he is caught by the authorities, instead of condemning Valjean, the bishop lies and says that he gave the silver to Valjean. This act of kindness causes Valjean to turn away from his life of crime for a more honest one.

Eight years later, Jean Valjean, under a new name, is a factory owner and mayor of a small town. One of his workers by the name of Fantine, works so that she can pay for the upkeep of her illegitimate daughter, Cosette. Once her secret is exposed, Fantine is fired by the foreman. With the Thenardiers, whose care Cosette is under while Fantine is away working, demanding ever more money, Fantine sells her hair, two of her teeth and eventually resorts to prostitution to pay for her Cosette's upbringing. During an argument with a customer, Fantine is arrested by Javert but Valjean intercedes.

Later, Valjean learns that another man has been identified as the "real" Jean Valjean. Unable to condemn an innocent man, Valjean reveals his true identity to the court before going to the hospital to see a dying Fantine. He promises the woman that he will care for her daughter as if she were his own and Fantine dies peacefully knowing that her daughter is in safe hands. After escaping from Javert, Valjean visits the Thenardier's to collect Cosette, who has been abused under their hands while their daughter, Eponine, is spoiled, after paying a hefty bill to get her. 

Nine years later, General Lamarque, a general popular with public for his sympathies with the poor is dying. Enjolras, a student, begins to talk of revolution with the street urchin, Gavroche, and his friend, Marius Pontmercy. One day Marius catch a glimpse of Cosette, now a beautiful young woman, and is immediately smitten. He employs the service of his friend, Eponine, to help him find Cosette, not realizing that Eponine herself is in love with Marius. During an attempt to rob Valjean's house, Jean Valjean believes that Javert has discovered his hiding place and he decides to flee with Cosette to England. Heartbroken at Cosette's departure, Marius decides to join the fight. Javert poses as a revolutionary to spy on them but is spotted by Gavroche. During a gunfight, Eponine saves Marius's life by taking a bullet for him. She professes her love to him before she dies.

Valjean discovers Marius's letter of love to Cosette and is determined to save him from death. After saving Enjolras from a sniper, Valjean is accepted into the revolutionary ranks and is allowed the honor of executing Javert. Valjean instead frees Javert much to the confusion of Javert. With dawn, the students realize that the Parisians will not join their cause and prepare for the final battle. Enjolras and the rest of the students are kille. Marius is saved byValjean, who carries him through the sewers. At the end of the tunnel however Valjean is confronted by Javert. Conflicted by Valjean's generosity and his duty, Javert kills himself.

 Marius is reunited with Cosette and the two are set to be married. Knowing that as
long as he is with them he is placing them in danger, Valjean decides to leave. At the wedding of Cosette and Marius, the Thenardier crash the party and threaten to reveal the identity of Valjean to everyone. Monsieur Thernardier shows Marius a ring as proof of Valjean's terrible past not realizing that the ring is actually Marius's. Marius and Cosette rush over to the church where Valjean is dying and spend his last moments with him. Valjean is led by Fantine to heaven and is joined by Eponine, Enjolras and Gavroche.

I give this movie a 4.5/5. An absolutely stunning movie with amazing visuals and spectacular cast. I came into this movie with the mindset that it was a good way to pass time (I read the story in my formative teen years) with my best friend and that Russell Crowe was a terrible singer. Both turned out to be false. Yes, Russell Crowe is not the best singer in the world but he gets the movie along. But no, the movie was fantastic.  Someone who particularly stood out to me was Anne Hathaway who somehow managed to make me cry every time she appeared, I was literally bawling in the theater, gripping as tightly as I could on my best friend's hand when she sang "I dreamed a dream" and "Come to me". I'm happy to learn that she has just been nominated for best supporting actress at the 85th Academy Awards, she surely does deserves it. Shoutouts to Samantha Barks as Eponine, Amanda Seyfried as Cosette and Eddit Redmayne as Marius. For me, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras was the much better hearthrob which is in no way Redmayne's fault and more the fact that I have never particularly liked Marius. Tveit was handsome and charismatic, which is perfect in my book. My one gripe with the movie is Javert's suicide scene. Now the movie did seemed a bit rushed to me as the books seems to play things out a bit longer but I was perfectly fine with it through most of the film. However, Javert's suicide was something I couldn't get into, it seemed rush. And of top of that, when Javert falls to his death you hear this horrible snapping sound that completely took me out of the movie and in that moment the film lost its artistic viewpoint and I just did not like that, it was not poetic. Otherwise, a very good movie and I would tell you to get to the theaters as fast as you can......but make sure you bring a box of tissues with you!