FB2 The French Blue: A Novel of the 17th Century by Richard W. Wise (Goodreads Author) pocket read italian tablet cheap

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Book description
NO SPOILERS!!!I finished the book last night. This was for me a four star book. It is an adventure story about Jean-Baptiste Taverniers life. It is historical fiction. I preferred the historical aspects of the story. Descriptions of people and places and customs were done magnificently. I was less drawn to the plot of the story. I enjoyed reading the separate episodes. I loved the chapter about Princess Jahamara and the Kama Sutra. You smile. Sex was delightfully depicted. This book is filled with many, many adventures, and they are fun to read about. I do believe that by the end of the book the reader understands who Tavernier was as a person. I understood Madeleine with my head, but I never cared for her with my heart, as I did with Tavernier. I liked her better in the beginning rather than at the end, but I will not say why. That would be a spoiler! The reason why I give it four rather than five stars is because it remains to me an adventure STORY. For many others, that is enough to award it five stars. I personally am more drawn to fact over fiction and although all the facts that are known about Taverniers life are skillfully interwoven into the story, it remains a story. For me a five star book has to be utterly AMAZING! This book was very, very good. Maybe if all the fun, different episodes had held together more, it would have worked better for me. Instead, I enjoyed that episode and that episode and that one, but they were not linked together to build a whole that ended up AMAZING. I am very glad I read this book. I learned about history and locations and gens and the gentlemans code of behavior. One more thing - I loved how the appearance of a person was so wonderfully depicted. After reading a description, the characters stood before you, visible in your minds eye! Some of them you could even smell!Through page 226: I have been questioned if this book should be shelved as history or non-fiction. In my mind it is good historical FICTION. It is a rollicking adventure story based on a real persons life. Furthermore, note the discussion Tara and I are having! I have now met Madeleine de Goisse, the love of his life. She has spirit. If I may quote one sentence:I will be no mans chattel?Are her actions believable? The reader must judge for themself. Is the story fun? Absolutely! Remember no spoiler. _______________________________________________Tara is currently reading this book too. Our views diverge. Check out the comments under her review too. Tara is a wonderfull friend of mine, but that does not mean we must always have the same views on books. ______________________________________________________Through page 172: I am really enjoying myself. Gems, history, travels and captivating storytelling all rolled up in a marvelous bundle. Visiting thee ancient cities is marvelous. First of all they cannot today be seen as they were then and armchair travel is so much easier than real travel. One more quote about Istafan, Persia:Istafan together with its suburbs is more than twice the size of Paris, and the population is ten times greater than our capital.The city has one hundred sixty-two mosques, forty-eight colleges, and twelve cemeteries. It is situated in the middle of a broad, fertile plain that spreads fifteen leagues in each direction. The plain is planted with all manner of trees and crops, sufficient to feed the entire population of the city. There are no villages, just tiny clusters of houses, used by those that work the land, and plain-tree shaded channels that have been dug to provide irrigation.Between seven and eight oclock each morning it is the custom of the citizens of Istafan to repair to the coffee houses where they smoke tobacco and gossip with friends.......The next chapter, entitled Madame Twelve-Tomans, I imagine, will thrust me into the tale of Taverniers love life! NOW I think I have said enouogh so I can just read the book for awhile!Through page 158: The last chapter has cenntered upon the Thirty Years War - to put it succinctly a conflict between the Catholic and the Protestant faiths. Fascinationg to read again about King Gustav Adolf of Sweden and Wallenstein, the Austrian Generalissimo, and the Holy Roman Emperor, about the Battle at LГјtzen where Gustav Adolf was killed and about the assassination of Wallenstein. Taverniers role in the assassination is plausible. In Prague I have visited the Wallenstein Palace and read all the nasty things they say about the Swedes...... There are beautiful peacocks in the gardens. Being Swedes ourselves, we chose to speak English as tourists. Prague is a city that MUST be visited, before it is inundated by all the tourists!Through page 58: The best way to explain the manner of the storytelling is perhaps via a quote:We departed the Persian capital with ten camels, four to carry my goodsand four to carry myself, Danusch and my two servants, with two animals as spares. The caravan consisted of more than one hundred-fifty merchants, our small retinue almost lost among the thousand men and beasts bound for the port of Bander Abbas on the Persian Gulf. My own goal was the island of Bahrain, the center of pearl fishing in the Gulf.On caravan, each morning is much the same.The most devout of the Arab camel herders unrolled their rugs in the direction of Mecca and prayed. Danush was not the most devout of men, but he could not resist the pointed glances of his co-religionists. Silently he would unroll his prayer rug and with a surly side-ways glance, kneel, and join their devotions while I stood silently beating my arms and stamping my feet to drive the cold from my night-stiff limbs.Once the prayers were over Danush prepared breakfast. First he added small chips of camel dung to build up the fire that had been carefully banked the night before. He filled a fire blackened pot and boiled tea. Then he then dug up the pita, the thin flat bread that had been mixed, kneaded, flattened and placed in shallow holes scraped in the bare earth, covered over with dirt and hot ashes from the fire. Raw onions, tangy hummus, the warm pita and bitter green tea were our usual fare.Most of the merchants were clad in Bedouin attire: long robes and....Through such detailed description the reader can draw a picture in their minds of what is happening - the smells, the feel the texture of the surroundings. This is what I mean by wonderful storytelling. There is alot of action and the dialogue fits perfectly each given situation. Two minor complaints: there are small typographical errors and I wish MORE maps were provided! I would have loved to see the trajectory of all travels plotted onto maps. This is not serious, I just had to grap my own atlas! It is fun to see the voyages plotted out and think that this took place in the 1600s. Through page 56: Before starting this book I had absolutely no interest in the gem trade. I picked this book out b/c I was interested in its emphasis on travel during the 1600s. Now I find the gem trade enthralling. Terms such as washing the eyes in the bargaining process, the different qualities of turquoise (Piruzeh in Farsi) angustari, arabi and barkhneh and both history and customs of the Persian sheks, shahs and tradesmen are depicted through delightful storytelling. This is proving to be a delightful adventure story for adults. Never boring. The subjects touched upon are to me both new and intriguing. Through page 20: Marvelous storytelling from the first page explains why Tavernier from a young age becam interested in travelling the seas. The author adroitly chooses his words to anchor the setting in the 1600s, in a world of cartography, questions concerning Tera Australis Incognita, Portugese sailing prowess, the legendary cities of Goa and Madras, sites along the Malabar coast, hourglasses, fighting with cutlass, dirk and rapier..... The dialogue is perfect. Tavernier made six voyages to India and Persia from 1630 to 1668. On his last voyage he returned with the French Blue, the diamond from which the Hope Diamond is carved. He sold this diamond tp Frances Sun King, Louis XIV for 147 kilos of pure gold. In the next chapter Tavernier is off on his first voyage. No dwadling here, the adventurey has begun. Before reading: Yoohoo, yoohoo - pay attention. I got it. Yipee! Richard thank you very much for sending this. What is this - super jet airmail? Yesterday Richard said it was on the way and today I get it! And it is a hardcover signed by Richard. Lovely pictures and maps and drawings. What can I say? I am impressed. I adore hardovers, but I rarely treat myself to them!Lauren, thank you putting in a good word for me!
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