THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY by Karleen Koen

Refinished Th 5/5/22

This is one of my ancient paperbacks that I first finished at the club: Good Friday (Off) Fr 4/14/94.

A couple of comments from GoodReads.com:

"One of the most beloved historical fiction novels of all time!

As opulent and passionate as the 18th century it celebrates, Through A Glass Darkly sparkles with all of the extravagance and scandal of a grand and glorious era.

Barbara Alderly has loved her husband, the wealthy, charming Earl of Devane, Roger Montgeoffry, since childhood.

Set against a French court awash in intrigue, treachery and debauchery, Barbara must learn to navigate the dark currents of deception, scandal and betrayal.

Peopled by a cast of unforgettable characters, here is the story of a great family ruled by a dowager of extraordinary power; a young woman coming of age, seeking love in the midst of a storm; her mother, the cruel and self-centered Diana; and of a man haunted by a secret that could turn all of their dreams to ashes...

Like no other historical fiction novel, Through a Glass Darkly is infused with intrigue, sweetened by romance and awash in the black ink of betrayal."

"Have you ever come across one of those books in which the main protagonist starts out being beautiful, brave, intelligent...in short, all that is admirable in a person...and then, about 50 pages in, said protagonist becomes the brattiest, whiniest, dumbest little kid you've had the misfortune of coming across in the last 20 books you've read? This is what happened to me with this book. I read a summary of the work somewhere and thought that it aspired to be much more than a trashy historical romance. I WAS WRONG. When Barbara threw a bizarro tantrum and developed an eating disorder because they wouldn't let her marry the object of her childish crush, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. And then stomp on it a few times once it hit the floor. Instead I continued to read, hoping that the ending would redeem the rest."

"...It was such a relaxing way to spend a day at the beach, doubly so because all the rest of the time I was there I was having to work in my second language, which I wasn't nearly so strong in. So, I reread it and it was a very different experience this time. It's still a really fun and well-written novel, but I remember having a very different reaction to the heroine when I was younger than I did this time around. Interesting how you change with age. And I'd forgotten how compelling the grandmother was."

This book to me was kind of a 'guilty pleasure'. I wonder how Barbara made out on her grandmother's plantation in Virginia.