Tea at Trianon: Patriarch

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, October 17, 2014

Patriarch

Daniel and Brigit O'Connor in old age

A review of The Paradise Tree from A Book Geek:

I have read two of Vidal's other novels and I enjoyed them. I think that The Paradise Tree is my favorite, though. I loved the family history aspect to the novel. I love researching my family history and am always intrigued when I get to read about others' family histories as well.

Vidal does a wonderful job of bringing the folklore, mythology, legend and history of Ireland into the story - Daniel O'Connor is patriarch of the family and continues to tell his children and grandchildren the story of the O'Connor family and their origins in Ireland. The stories his mother told him are passed down the generations and it continues to be part of the family story even after they have become established in Canada. Daniel's own tale of persecution and suffering due to the penal laws was heartbreaking and informative. This time period is a continuing interest of mine.

I really enjoyed getting to know the family members and the stories did feel like a family history - even though it has, of course, been fictionalized. I liked that Daniel worked so hard and patiently to establish his farm and to prepare for finding a wife so he could start a family. The times were very different from now, and the focus was less on love and more on suitability and stability. Even though some really terrible things happen to the family over the years, I got the sense of a security the family members felt within their family and in their faith.

I liked the frank manner that Vidal deals with the hardships and tragedies that happen. The pain is not trivialized, but is presented as part of a hard, but satisfying and worthy life spent striving to be the best they can be and fulfilling their responsibilities. There were also plenty of happy events, family celebrations, holidays, and always central to their lives was the strong faith they were all raised in. The descriptions of their strong, simple faith were heartwarming and fit in with the lives they led.

The Paradise Tree is one of those books that made me feel happy and secure while reading even though some really terrible things happened to the family. I always had the sense that they would persevere and thrive. The Paradise Tree is a sweeping family saga that I will be suggesting to my friends and family. It was such an enjoyable book. (Read more.)