List Books Supposing The Oracle Glass
| Original Title: | The Oracle Glass |
| ISBN: | 0449910067 (ISBN13: 9780449910061) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan, La Voisin |
Judith Merkle Riley
Paperback | Pages: 528 pages Rating: 3.89 | 3786 Users | 387 Reviews
Narration Conducive To Books The Oracle Glass
With imaginative verve, intelligence, and exceptional detail, The Oracle Glass captures the rich tang of one of history's most irresistible eras. Spinning actual police records from the reign of Louis XIV into a darkly captivating story, it follows the fortunes of Genevieve Pasquier, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been transformed into an imperious, seemingly infallible fortune-teller... Genevieve is a skinny, precocious little monkey with a mind full of philosophy and the power to read the swirling waters of an oracle glass - for a demimonde who will believe anything. Left for dead by her family, Genevieve is taken in by La Voisin, an ingenious occultist and omnipotent society fortune-teller. La Voisin also rules a secret society of witches - abortionists and poisoners - who manipulate the lives of the rich and scandalous all the way up to the throne. Tutored by La Voison, Genevieve creates a new identity for herself - as the mysterious Madame de Morville, complete with an antique black dress, a powdered face, a cane, and a wickedly sarcastic streak who is supposedly nearly one hundred fifty years old. Even the reigning mistress of the Sun King himself consults Madame de Morville on what the future holds for her. And as Madame de Morville, Genevieve can revel in what women are usually denied power, an independent income, and the opportunity to speak her mind. Beneath her intelligence and wit, what drives Genevieve is a private revenge - but what she doesn't expect is for love to come in the bargain.
Describe Of Books The Oracle Glass
| Title | : | The Oracle Glass |
| Author | : | Judith Merkle Riley |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 528 pages |
| Published | : | October 17th 1995 by Ballantine Books (first published 1994) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fantasy. Fiction. Cultural. France |
Rating Of Books The Oracle Glass
Ratings: 3.89 From 3786 Users | 387 ReviewsEvaluation Of Books The Oracle Glass
One of my favourite historical fiction reads, set in Paris of Louis XIV's reign. Genevieve is witty, smart -- and marked for murder. When she is unexpectedly saved by none other than arch-poisoner Catherine Voison, Genevieve finds that her life takes on a very unexpected twist. I've read this one about a half-dozen times and find out something new each time. It's smart, entertaining and great good fun. Recommended for anyone who is sick of historical romance and wants something different. ForThis was a book that started out terrifically well. I was instantly absorbed in the protagonist's story and felt as though I'd travelled back it time to Genevieve's Paris. At exactly the 50% mark on my Kindle it got really...dull, confusing, boring, tedious. But every time i got to the point of deciding to put it down the story got interedting again for a brief bit, only to once again drag into the slough of drear. In doing some outside research I realised after the fact the nature of the
The Oracle Glass has a very intriguing premise, but the execution, while not bad, is a little unexciting. The novel follows Genevieve, an intelligent girl who is able to read the future in a water glass. After escaping her abusive family, she is taken in by La Voisin, who teaches her how to use her power to gain popularity and power among the rich, and who introduces her to a society of witches. Genevieve is a likeable heroine, she is intelligent and learned but she is also very young, which
Another book I'm unfairly fond of, so don't come here for a review on the technical merits. Oracle Glass does have its flaws. It's loosely based on the real life Poison Affair, during the time of Louis XIVGenevieve is born to a family of middling rank during the illustrious reign of the sun king, her father is a failed financier who has retreated into intellectual things, her mother of distant noble blood, grasping at rank and beauty as she tries to save her fading youth. Premature and deformed,
its beautifully written, but very slow. Its definitely very duma-esque which is why i in fact gave it 3 rather then 2 starsbut to be honest, the story doesn't really unfold till right the end and the romance is non existent and then suddenly awkward.
I know there are several reviews for this novel about the slow beginning, but I found it quite enjoyable and was disappointed by the abrupt ending. Judith Merkle Riley presents a novel dripping in the occult, but as it is so enfolded into the everyday life of the Paris in which the novel is set, one is not overwhelmed by it. Her trick in this presentation is to present a world that is factual within the unlimited realm of fiction. Through her historical research she has presented a world in
I looooved the concept of this. A secret coven of sorceresses and fortune-tellers working in 18th century Paris, double-crosses, poisonings, court intrigue at Versailles, a hint of magic, and super tactile, rich writing that gives the whole thing a dense atmosphere of grime and decadence. There are tons of characters in here whose names I couldn't always keep apart, and the story takes a bit to get where it's going, but I may just have not been in the mood during the second half. Overall kinda
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