French Tragic Queen: A Biography of Marie Antoinette

Author: (Austrian) Stefan Zweig
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Features: A brilliant biography. —The New York Times
Highly engaging, bringing the court life of Versailles to life. —The Washington Post
Written in 1932, this work is a biography of Marie Antoinette, the queen consort of Louis XVI. In this biography, Zweig adheres to the principles of "concise, condensed, and accurate" biographical writing while focusing more on a series of hidden psychological secrets that pique his interest. Influenced by Freud, he frequently employs psychoanalytic methods to delve deeply into the inner world of his subjects. The psychological portraits he portrays are exceptionally vivid. The New York Times calls this book "a brilliant biography." Romain Rolland described Zweig as a "hunter of souls."