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jmmoore2003's review against another edition
4.0
After seeing the movie The Duchess, I was intrigued by the life of Georgiana Spencer and bought this book to learn more. It's a fairly interesting read - I haven't finished it yet, but so far I can say that she definitely wasn't the saint they portrayed in the movie!
adriennel's review against another edition
5.0
Love this time period and Georgianna's story is quite compelling!
abbythompson's review against another edition
4.0
The perfect blend of popular and academic, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire is an excellent biography of the first "It" girl. Fashion icon, musician and composer, political powerhouse, hostess with the mostess, passionate lover of men and women (18th century sexual politics are the best!), and mother of four children, Georgiana was J Lo, Michelle Obama, Posh Spice and Angelina Jolie all rolled into one.
A brilliant read!
A brilliant read!
jjmcdade's review against another edition
5.0
Amanda Foreman did fabulous research to prepare for this book. It's history, but written in a very engaging way. Also, it's a distinct reminder that as much as things change, they stay the same. If for no other reason, I'd recommend reading it.
maigahannatu's review against another edition
3.0
I was especially interested in the story because we visited the Chatwick House, the Cavendish summer estate, in May. That was the first time I heard about Georgiana, so when my sister told me she had just read this book and passed it on to me, I was eager to find out more about her. I found the book interesting, but not riveting.
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, was probably the best-known woman in England in her day. She lived a life of privilege and influence, yet of sadness, dissipation, and was part of a dysfunctional family. She seemed to live a life of contradictions. Georgiana was beautiful and influenced fashion. What she wore one day was en mode the next. Yet her husband paid little attention to her and seemed unimpressed with her beauty. She influenced Whig politics, knew the Prince of Wales and the Prime Ministers of England personally, campaigned publicly, and was a true politician, yet lived in a day when she could not vote. She was wealthy, yet gambled it away. She had friends, yet "borrowed" from them to pay back gambling debts; but instead of paying back debts, she simply gambled more. Georgiana was insecure in her friendships resulting in her deepest friendship being with Lady Bess who moved in with the Cavendishes and had an affair and two children with Georgiana's husband. It is not clear, but the two women may have also had a lesbian relationship. Georgiana claimed to be religious, yet she had several affairs herself and an illegitimate daughter as a result. She was a writer, but never published under her own name. She was a supporter of the arts and influential in all of society.
The book is impressively researched and includes 42 pages of bibliography. However, I found the book to be a bit slow. It spends a lot of time explaining and expounding on the politics of the day. If you just want to know about an important historical figure and if you love history, especially that of the time period of the late 1700's/early 1800's, you would probably enjoy this book. If you just want the story of a historical figure without lots of details, this book would bore you silly.
Also, being American and not British, all the different names and titles can become very confusing. Georgiana herself, for example, has her maiden name, Spencer, and her married name, Cavendish. But her title is the Duchess of Devonshire, even though the family estate is nowhere near the area of Devonshire. (The explanation of that is an entirely different story.)
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, was probably the best-known woman in England in her day. She lived a life of privilege and influence, yet of sadness, dissipation, and was part of a dysfunctional family. She seemed to live a life of contradictions. Georgiana was beautiful and influenced fashion. What she wore one day was en mode the next. Yet her husband paid little attention to her and seemed unimpressed with her beauty. She influenced Whig politics, knew the Prince of Wales and the Prime Ministers of England personally, campaigned publicly, and was a true politician, yet lived in a day when she could not vote. She was wealthy, yet gambled it away. She had friends, yet "borrowed" from them to pay back gambling debts; but instead of paying back debts, she simply gambled more. Georgiana was insecure in her friendships resulting in her deepest friendship being with Lady Bess who moved in with the Cavendishes and had an affair and two children with Georgiana's husband. It is not clear, but the two women may have also had a lesbian relationship. Georgiana claimed to be religious, yet she had several affairs herself and an illegitimate daughter as a result. She was a writer, but never published under her own name. She was a supporter of the arts and influential in all of society.
The book is impressively researched and includes 42 pages of bibliography. However, I found the book to be a bit slow. It spends a lot of time explaining and expounding on the politics of the day. If you just want to know about an important historical figure and if you love history, especially that of the time period of the late 1700's/early 1800's, you would probably enjoy this book. If you just want the story of a historical figure without lots of details, this book would bore you silly.
Also, being American and not British, all the different names and titles can become very confusing. Georgiana herself, for example, has her maiden name, Spencer, and her married name, Cavendish. But her title is the Duchess of Devonshire, even though the family estate is nowhere near the area of Devonshire. (The explanation of that is an entirely different story.)
marystephanos's review against another edition
4.0
This nicely written biography of Duchess Georgiana Cavendish (nee Spencer) introduces the reader not only to a captivating, troubled woman but also to the rather unfamiliar world of 18th-century England. Married young to William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, Georgiana found herself thrust into a society that cared little for women's pains or women's triumphs. Nevertheless, she embraced her role wholeheartedly, even if it meant accepting her husband's mistresses and bastard children, to become one of the shining stars of the country's Whig party and one of the leading figures in the country's highest social circles. Amanda Foreman has written a detailed and lovely account of Georgiana's life, her remarkable public persona, and the tragedy of her addictions, unhappiness, and early death. Recommended for anyone interested in women's history or the history of 18th-century England.
squishkilldieew's review against another edition
3.0
It was a good book and an interesting subject; however, the author's prose is so lifeless that it was hard to get through. I found myself struggling to keep my eyes on the page.
emmaj_xo's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
5.0
A wonderfully written and researched biography of a extraordinary woman. Scouring through archives of letters and diaries of Georgiana and the people close to her, Foreman pieces together a complete picture of the personal and political life of the Duchess. Extracts of her letters and poetry and fascinating, and I only wish I had access to read them in full. (If someone wants to fund me in transcribing them all I’d happily oblige).