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Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford: book review




Madame de Pompadour (1968, this edition 2011) is a non-fiction book about the long-time mistress of King Louis XV of France, written by Nancy Mitford (1904-1973), author of the novel, Love in a Cold Climate.

Madame de Pompadour was born Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson – often ridiculed because her surname means ‘fish.’ At the age of nine, a fortune-teller predicted that she would steal the heart of a king. This was not possible because she was not from aristocracy – she was from the bourgeoisie – from the rural ‘boroughs.’

Jeanne-Antoinette could act, dance, sing, play the clavichord, and paint. She was an enthusiastic gardener and botanist, and she collected rare and exotic birds. In fact, she had everything except good health. She was pretty, though her looks ‘depended on dazzle and expression rather than bone structure.’  She married Monsieur Normant d’Etoiles.

Nevertheless, she captured the attention of King Louis XV who hunted in the grounds of the forest of Senart, next to the d’Etoiles residence. This is the account of her growing up and meeting the king. It is also about her 20 years in the king’s court.

Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764) was influential in the king’s palace, the Palace of Versailles. She was kind to the Queen, but loathsome to the bourgeoisie who resented her rise to power and prestige. The novel tells of the impact of the Seven Year’s War on the court of France, the downsizing of the estate, and its ‘defeats and humiliations.’ She died of tuberculosis at the age of 42.

Mitford’s writing is descriptive but not convaluted. It is an easy style that neatly categorizes the novel into significant periods. She attempts to minimize interchanging name and title of characters to avoid confusion, yet it is often difficult to remember the relatives – brothers, cousins and so forth.

Mitford also attempts to place events in modern day, such as reminding visitors to the Palace of Versailles where to look for the rooms of Madame de Pompadour – ‘the visitor to Versailles, coming into the garden through the usual entrance, should turn left and count the nine top windows from the north-west corner; they were Madame de Pompadour’s at this time.’

The scenes behind the history are fascinating and grippingly told, but also with tenderness and emotion. This is an enjoyable slice of history, even if I did forget to look for the nine top windows when I last visited Versailles. Perhaps another visit is required.









MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).


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