Farewell to the Queen

Writing of the novel

For this novel, Chantal Thomas is inspired by the play in five acts by Gabriel Brizard The Imitators of Charles IX or the Lightning Conspirators ^{[ref. necessary]} published in 1790 .

Summary

This novel portrays Marie-Antoinette and her entourage at the beginning of the French Revolution , according to the point of view of one of her readers, Agathe-Sidonie Laborde. The courtiers present at Versailles leave the place hearing the rumors about the taking of the Bastille and leave the royal couple almost alone.

Protagonists

The protagonists are presented in order of appearance in the novel:

• Agathe-Sidonie Laborde, Queen’s assistant reader, lead protagonist;
• Monsieur de Montdragon, ordinary butler of the court;
• Monsieur de Laroche, captain-guardian of the menagerie of Versailles ;
• Honorine Aubert, first lady’s maid of La Tour du Pin ;
• Jacob-Nicolas Moreau , Historiographer of France;
• Countess Diane de Polignac ;
• The Duke de Polignac , Diane’s brother;
• Gabrielle de Polignac , favorite of the queen, wife of the Duc de Polignac;
• Henriette Campan , first lady’s maid;
• Madame de Rochereuil, Queen’s business chair holder;
• Monsieur de Castelnaux, “the lover of the queen”;
• The Prince de Ligne ;
• The Comte de Vaudreuil ;
• The Duke de Coigny ;
• The abbot Cornu de La Baliviere , ordinary chaplain to the king;
• Madame de Gramont , daughter of Gabrielle and Jules de Polignac.

Editions

• Editions du Seuil , 2002, ( ISBN  2020414775 )
• Collection Points , n ^o P1128, Seuil , 2003 ( ISBN  978-2020617093 )

Cinema adaptation

The novel by Chantal Thomas has been adapted to the cinema under the title Farewell to the Queen by Benoît Jacquot in 2012 ¹ .

Translations

The novel Farewell to the Queen has been translated into English, German, Spanish, Dutch, Bosnian and Japanese ² .

Notes and references