The Accidental Empress

Love it! A part of history I was ignorant about and well written and absorbing. Perfect for 3am insomnia habit!

I found this to be an easy, enjoyable read. I would say this novel is more for those who do not already know much about Empress Elisabeth rather than those who know a lot and wish her character to be explored more deeply. I fall into the former category so for me it was interesting to learn of who "Sisi" was and what she went through as Empress of the largest empire in Europe in the nineteenth century. In many ways the beginnings of her story reminded me of an early Marie Antoinette. Sisi had to learn the strict protocols of Austrian etiquette and her life was dictated to her in a series of writings that told her what to do, how to act and what to say during almost every single second of her day. Sisi rails against this and therefore finds herself pushed aside from the Hapsburg inner circle by her overbearing mother-in-law Archduchess Sophie. Sophie implies to the court that Sisi is therefore too young and naive to take care of herself properly, subsequently leading to her complete ostracism from rule and her children being taken away to be raised by their grandmother. One cannot help but feel sorry for Empress Elisabeth. However, Sisi eventually gains self confidence and self worth back again and due to this the last quarter of the novel was my favourite part. I was a bit disappointed that the four years that Sisi spent away from court whilst she gained this security of herself was not documented in the novel. Rather we jump forward four years and are introduced to Sisi as her new self. I loved her, yes, but I wished we could have witnessed this transformation throughout the pages. Nonetheless the confident self-assured woman who is present for the latter part of the novel was very enjoyable to read of and I loved how the author showed how Sisi created private daily routines to gain control back of her own life. She did not revert back to the free spirited girl of her youth but rather matured into an intelligent and strong woman who did things on her own terms. There are two main relationships in the novel that the author explores and they are very different from one another. First, the relationship between Sisi and her husband Emperor Franz Joseph and second, the relationship between Sisi and Andrassy, a liberal Hungarian count who wishes independence for his county. I loved how the author portrayed the former as an instant infatuation that quickly burned out and the later as an early dislike that grew to mutual respect and then eventually blossomed into love. The author drives home the point that a successful relationship is built on so much more than just lust. I really enjoyed reading of how Sisi and Andrassy's relationship developed. Overall an enjoyable read that was easy to get into and kept my attention throughout.

I found this book extremely intriguing. It is beautifully written and I couldn't put it down. I could visualise the different characters and all the lovely clothes that Sisi wore.

Sisi always fascinates, so it isn't surprising that she should be featured in the novel version of a docu-drama, historical fiction that draws heavily on fact. The book and its sequel "Sisi" are a faithful rendering of the information, and it's clear the author has researched her character's life thoroughly. However, a large part of Sisi's charm was her undoubted eccentricity, and we have no hint of this. She is a glossy, beautiful aristocrat, but she is not written in such a way as to bring out the neuroses and the contradictions that make her so interesting. This Sisi could be a Hollywood wife, or a Forties film star - she is made so ordinary and normal as to be stripped of everything that made her the striking, fascinating and unique individual she was. This book would be a perfect candidate for a mini-series, and maybe that is its intention. She was almost undoubtedly an anorexic, but there is no treatment of the grip this awful disease has on the women who fall victim to it. And she could be bewitching, but she could also be inexplicably selfish and careless in her treatment of her two older children, from which Rudolf in particular suffered considerably, and it's hard to believe that this was entirely the result of her mother-in-law's dominance, as this book asserts. More explicably, she had her two older children young and aristocrats in those days generally were able to shed responsibility for their offspring very easily - something of which Sisi was able to take full advantage and did. Also - do we really believe she had a physical affair, however short-lived, with Andrassy? Her record is that of a woman who only liked to be chased and admired - she nowhere emerges as sexually adventurous, or for that matter stupid enough, to risk her position for a quick fling. As the book is only written through Sisi's eyes, we don't get anybody else's view of her, and I find it hard to believe she was this self-aware and rational, or this modern in her determination to take control of her life. Very little of her real-life writings or exchanges suggest anything other than a creature largely driven by impulse, flitting from moment to moment without a clear overall plan, and it wouldn't have been expected of her in any case, least of all by herself. Having produced an heir and achieved what she wanted for her beloved Hungary, the rest of her life was about escaping. I also found the language used in the books to be closer to the present day than the nineteenth century. The author's propensity to use the expression "I'm fine", or "That's fine" was so repetitive and grating that in the end I felt like making a list.of the number of times she did it. Given that nineteenth century English is so close to that of the present day, surely some effort could have been made to make it sound more authentic. I felt that she missed the opportunity to create a much more richly atmospheric world by her use of language, which was generally fairly commonplace and could have appeared in any romantic novel. This book is probably good in having made the story of Sisi more generally accessible - but to anyone used to reading biographies of the Empress, it will never even come close to the truth of her story. Overall, I found it a bit disappointing. If you're going to write historical fiction, then do it in a way that makes it memorable and startling - otherwise there isn't much point in doing it at all.

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!Can't wait until 'Empress on her own' arrives!

Great read

No cover on the book! I know it's a used copy, but no cover??!!

A novel based on of the life of Sisi Empress of Austria who unexpectedly married Franz Joseph and was thrust into a difficult role. A life worth recording and a fascinating and tumultuous period of history(with more to come) and p0lenty romance though I didn't find this the best written book.

Title: The Accidental Empress Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Summary: Elisabeth (Sisi) was not supposed to marry the Emperor Franz Joseph. She plans to accompany her sister Helene, but she and Franz can not deny the immediate attraction they both feel for each other. The story begins in 1853 and tells of the Habsburgs who were one of Europe's most powerful royal families. At one time this family ruled over Austria, Hungary, and parts of Russia, Germany and Italy. The story presents the challenges Sisi encountered by joining this empire, as well as her marriage to one of th most powerful emperors in the world. Although, the story is historical fiction, Pataki presents many of the interesting facts and information in an exciting and interesting story. My View: I thought this was an excellent read. My daughter just visited Vienna, and came home very excited to tell me about she learned of the beautiful empress, Elisabeth (Sisi). When I saw this book, I knew I needed to read the book, to learn more. The characters were well developed, and the storyline was fast paced. There is a sequel to this book called Sisi, written by the same author. I am excited to read it and learn more.

Je viens tout juste de recevoir mon colis et j'ai reçu le livre abîmé sur le bas de la couverture avant et arrière! Inadmissible! Le livre en soi est sûrement très bien. Mais je mets deux étoiles pour l'état du livre... Très déçue

Good follow up on the series

Excellent book about a new empress and her inexperienced ways Written like Philippa Gregory

Holds the attention of the reader from the first to the last page. A great detailed story about a women that became a mith while still alive. Beatiful, inteligente, sensible, daring. A great story!