[books 2011] Affair of the Poisons
Dec. 28th, 2011 05:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inulro79. The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV by Anne Somerset
Wikipedia explanation of the episode in question is here
I found that it was neither as good as the title suggests (I read enough history that I expected this to be the case) nor as bad as I was told it is. A good quarter of it is taken up describing the court of Louis XIV, but as this isn't exactly my area of expertise, this was a Good Thing.
The book is a good, straightforward explanation of what happened, but was a little short on analysis for my taste. The writing is neither dreadfully boring nor particularly exciting.
I've been saying I should read more about early modern Europe for a while, so now I have. When it comes to early modern Europe, the continent divides politically, culturally and artistically into France and Everywhere Else. I've recently been reading about other places during the period, and now I see that difference more clearly.
Wikipedia explanation of the episode in question is here
I found that it was neither as good as the title suggests (I read enough history that I expected this to be the case) nor as bad as I was told it is. A good quarter of it is taken up describing the court of Louis XIV, but as this isn't exactly my area of expertise, this was a Good Thing.
The book is a good, straightforward explanation of what happened, but was a little short on analysis for my taste. The writing is neither dreadfully boring nor particularly exciting.
I've been saying I should read more about early modern Europe for a while, so now I have. When it comes to early modern Europe, the continent divides politically, culturally and artistically into France and Everywhere Else. I've recently been reading about other places during the period, and now I see that difference more clearly.
