Sisi
Empress on Her Own: A Novel
(Sprache: Englisch)
In imperial Vienna, where the court halls buzzed with waltzes and champagne, temptation and cutthroat intrigue, the intensely personal tale of Empress Sisi unraveled. Famously beautiful wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, Sisi's reign was anything but simple. Set...
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In imperial Vienna, where the court halls buzzed with waltzes and champagne, temptation and cutthroat intrigue, the intensely personal tale of Empress Sisi unraveled. Famously beautiful wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, Sisi's reign was anything but simple. Set against the backdrop of a rich and romantic period, this novel illuminates both Sisi, the beloved "Fairy Queen," and a Golden Age for Europe.
Klappentext zu „Sisi “
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A sweeping historical novel that tells the dramatic story of Sisi, the empress of Austria-Hungary who fought for her family, her people, and her empire in a changing worldIrresistible completely impossible to put down . . . Allison Pataki reimagines the reign of the nineteenth-century Princess Diana in this stunning book. Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Rebel Queen
Married to Emperor Franz Joseph, Elisabeth fondly known as Sisi captures the hearts of her people as their fairy queen, but beneath that dazzling persona lives a far more complex figure. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, the halls of the Hofburg Palace buzz not only with imperial waltzes and champagne but with temptations, rivals, and cutthroat intrigue. Feeling stifled by strict protocols and a turbulent marriage, Sisi finds solace at her estate outside Budapest, where she rides her beloved horses and enjoys visits from a man with whom she s unwittingly become enamored. But tragic news brings the empressout of her fragile seclusion, forcing her to return to her capital and a world of gossip, envy, and sorrow where a dangerous fate lurks in the shadows.
Through love affairs and loss, dedication and defiance, Sisi struggles against conflicting desires: to keep her family together, or to flee amid the collapse of her suffocating marriage and the gathering tumult of the First World War. In an age of crumbling monarchies, the empress fights to assert her right to the throne beside her husband, to win the love of her people and the world, and to save an empire. But in the end, can she save herself?
Featuring larger-than-life historic figures such as Bavaria s Mad King Ludwig and the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf, and set against many of Europe s grandest sites from Germany s storied Neuschwanstein Castle to England s lush shires Sisi brings to life an extraordinary woman and the romantic, volatile era over which she presided.
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Chapter 1Gödöll Palace, Hungary
Summer 1868
Sisi could have offered any number of explanations as to why it was so different. Had someone asked her, it would have been simple enough for her to provide an answer. But what was the truth? she wondered. Why was it that twilight here in Gödöll , her country estate just outside of Budapest, felt so different from twilight in Vienna?
She might have said that it was the view: the unruly, wild, perfectly inviting view. Here, in the soft light of the coming evening, the grounds rolled open before her, unfurling in waves of gentle green before meeting thousands of acres of virgin woodlands. Clusters of wildflowers dotted the meadows, so different from Vienna s imperial grounds and gardens, where sensible, stately tulips intersected lawns so symmetrical and tight clipped that it looked as though mankind had heeled nature into complete submission. Which of course, in Vienna, it had.
Or was it the sound of Gödöll at dusk? Evenings out here echoed with the bark of her sheepdogs; the carefree laughter of the Hungarian stable boys as they scrubbed down her horses; the first stirrings of the crickets and frogs as they welcomed dusk from the overgrown fields, nature s unrivaled orchestra tuning up for its nightly symphony. It was a collection of sounds so entirely unlike those to be had in Vienna, where Sisi might hear the one-two of polished boots as the imperial guards paraded across the courtyards; the clatter of coaches rolling past the Hofburg gates; the cries of the Viennese mob gathered outside the palace at all hours, begging for her to give them a florin coin or a glimpse of her celebrated silhouette, her legendary hairstyles.
Perhaps it was the aroma in the air. Here a medley of sweet scents traveled across the breeze: the faint trace of wild rose and acacia, the earthy musk of the stables, the heady perfume of overgrown grass and straw and mud. It was a lush bouquet of smells so natural and pleasing,
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entirely different from what she might breathe in back in Vienna, where she inhaled the cloying eau de parfum of obsequious courtiers; the stink of so many bodies and chamber pots jammed into the Hofburg Palace; the fear of the noble men and women who were always watching, calculating as to how they might raise their own status or knock down a rival s. Yes, fear was something one could smell. Sisi knew that, after all of her years in Vienna.
But no, it was not the view, or the sound, or the scent that made twilight in Hungary so different from twilight in Austria. It was not anything outside of her or around her; it was a sensation entirely inside of her. It was how she felt each evening at dusk that made Gödöll so different from the Hofburg.
In Vienna, by this hour of the day, Sisi would feel withered. Her head would ache from the unpleasantness of an argument with her husband or his iron-willed mother. Sisi s stomach would be coiled into a gnarled mess, her chest tight with anxiety from a day of sorting gossip and rumors from truth, of watching for and trying to address the judgment or disapproval that seemed to pass across every courtier s face. She would be looking drearily ahead to a night spent with the Imperial Court a tedious evening ensconced in the damask and gold gilt of the staterooms, the sound of the violins overpowered by the chatter about trivial scandals. Hours spent watching women fawn before her husband, forcing a weary smile while men paid her the same trite compliments they used night after night. Days in Vienna were long, but the nights were interminable and Sisi would limp back to her room each evening feeling spent, depleted. So fatigued that she already dreaded the next day before that day even came.
Here in Gödöll she felt spent, too, but in the best way possibl
But no, it was not the view, or the sound, or the scent that made twilight in Hungary so different from twilight in Austria. It was not anything outside of her or around her; it was a sensation entirely inside of her. It was how she felt each evening at dusk that made Gödöll so different from the Hofburg.
In Vienna, by this hour of the day, Sisi would feel withered. Her head would ache from the unpleasantness of an argument with her husband or his iron-willed mother. Sisi s stomach would be coiled into a gnarled mess, her chest tight with anxiety from a day of sorting gossip and rumors from truth, of watching for and trying to address the judgment or disapproval that seemed to pass across every courtier s face. She would be looking drearily ahead to a night spent with the Imperial Court a tedious evening ensconced in the damask and gold gilt of the staterooms, the sound of the violins overpowered by the chatter about trivial scandals. Hours spent watching women fawn before her husband, forcing a weary smile while men paid her the same trite compliments they used night after night. Days in Vienna were long, but the nights were interminable and Sisi would limp back to her room each evening feeling spent, depleted. So fatigued that she already dreaded the next day before that day even came.
Here in Gödöll she felt spent, too, but in the best way possibl
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Autoren-Porträt von Allison Pataki
Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitor s Wife and The Accidental Empress. The daughter of former New York State governor George E. Pataki, she was inspired to write about Sisi by her family s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. She graduated cum laude from Yale University with a major in English. Pataki is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization ReConnect Hungary, regularly contributes to The Huffington Post and FoxNews.com, and is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their daughter.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Allison Pataki
- 2017, 480 Seiten, Maße: 13,4 x 20,2 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: Random House Trade Paperbacks
- ISBN-10: 0812989333
- ISBN-13: 9780812989335
- Erscheinungsdatum: 25.01.2017
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
[Allison] Pataki successfully juggles numerous political and personal plot lines while maintaining her focus on a fascinating central character. Extensive notes reveal the author s attention to detail and explain where the novel diverges from the historical record. . . . Readers of Pataki s first book will want to know the rest of Sisi s story, but this novel stands on its own for historical fiction fans. Library JournalSisi is a deeply moving book about a complex character. BookPage
A satisfying saga of the late Habsburg period. Kirkus Reviews
Pataki s extensive historical research is evident as she deftly explores the complex life of a woman who was both loved and hated by those whom she ruled. . . . Pataki brings richness and relevance to the story of the woman who worked tirelessly to protect the face of an empire. Publishers Weekly
Allison Pataki simply stuns me with each new book. I savor each page. Sisi is her best yet! Kathie Lee Gifford
Readers will enjoy the glorious dilemma of whether to turn the pages swiftly, breathlessly following Empress Sisi from one astonishing, heartbreaking adventure to the next, or to linger and luxuriate in Allison Pataki s vivid, sumptuous descriptions of the Habsburg court. Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln s Dressmaker
This entire novel is irresistible completely impossible to put down! Pataki reimagines the reign of the nineteenth-century Princess Diana in this stunning book. Michelle Moran, internationally bestselling author of Rebel Queen
Emotional, exuberant, masterly, Sisi swept me into the glittering, treacherous world of the waning Habsburg empire. Allison Pataki s understanding of the Empress Elisabeth is nothing short of miraculous. A must-read. Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe
Sisi delivers on all fronts:
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intrigue, love triangles, deception, heartbreak, and triumph. This is a wonderful read. Deeanne Gist, international bestselling author of Tiffany Girl
The tumultuous world of mid-nineteenth-century royalty comes to stunning life in this sweeping novel about the courageous, defiant empress who sought her own survival amid rivalry, betrayal, and tragedy. C. W. Gortner, internationally bestselling author of The Vatican Princess
From luscious moonlit gardens to sumptuous castles, the settings of Sisi are as dazzling as those of Vienna s Imperial Court. Pataki resurrects the unforgettable Empress Elisabeth in a rich and exquisite tragedy of passion and heartbreak a true tour de force. Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway s Girl
Beautifully written, meticulously researched, and powerfully evocative, Sisi humanizes one of the great female figures of history. Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, authors of America s First Daughter
Allison Pataki has written a nuanced and compelling account of that ever-glamorous heroine, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, immortalized as Sisi. Pataki s sublimely readable prose is the perfect vehicle for a tale that spans thirty years and settings from Corfu to Hungary to Ireland. The glamour and the heartache of Sisi s life will keep you riveted. Carol Wallace, author of Leaving Van Gogh
The tumultuous world of mid-nineteenth-century royalty comes to stunning life in this sweeping novel about the courageous, defiant empress who sought her own survival amid rivalry, betrayal, and tragedy. C. W. Gortner, internationally bestselling author of The Vatican Princess
From luscious moonlit gardens to sumptuous castles, the settings of Sisi are as dazzling as those of Vienna s Imperial Court. Pataki resurrects the unforgettable Empress Elisabeth in a rich and exquisite tragedy of passion and heartbreak a true tour de force. Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway s Girl
Beautifully written, meticulously researched, and powerfully evocative, Sisi humanizes one of the great female figures of history. Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, authors of America s First Daughter
Allison Pataki has written a nuanced and compelling account of that ever-glamorous heroine, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, immortalized as Sisi. Pataki s sublimely readable prose is the perfect vehicle for a tale that spans thirty years and settings from Corfu to Hungary to Ireland. The glamour and the heartache of Sisi s life will keep you riveted. Carol Wallace, author of Leaving Van Gogh
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