In her most splendid, thought-provoking novel yet, Marge Piercy brings to vibrant life three women who play prominent roles in the tumultuous, bloody French Revolution–as well as their more famous male counterparts.
Defiantly independent Claire Lacombe tests her theory: if men can make things happen, perhaps women can too. . . . Manon Philipon finds she has a talent for politics–albeit as the ghostwriter of her husband’s speeches. . . . And Pauline Léon knows one thing for certain: the women must apply the pressure or their male colleagues will let them starve. While illuminating the lives of Robespierre, Danton, and Condorcet, Piercy also opens to us the minds and hearts of women who change their world, live their ideals–and are prepared to die for them.
CITY OF DARKNESS, CITY OF LIGHT is my take on the French revolution. Why be interested?
First of all, modern politics began there, even the notions of “left” and “right.”
Second, modern feminism began right there, and many of the demands those women fought for are not yet achieved – although some have been.
Third, late 18th century France was a society that had some of the same characteristics as ours – the top was becoming ever richer, the poor were getting poorer, and the middle class were being squeezed with taxes the rich did not have to pay.
Fourth, the people who made the revolution and those who fought against it were lively, colorful, intelligent, willful and sometime sexy individuals. It was an extremely dramatic time and you might enjoy visiting it.
Author’s Take
My Take
I owned this book for years (until I loaned it to someone and never got it back) and I’ve read it at least once before. It’s interesting to read about the French Revolution from the perspective of the women involved, since so often only the men’s perspective is covered. I liked the straightforward coverage of events. Kind of fascinating to be reading the book now, for reasons the author touches on. I found it less artsy and easier to follow than A Place of Greater Safety, which I read just prior to this.