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Napoleon, twenty years dead, rises like a phoenix over the politics of France and the destinies of three lovers. Against the historical backdrop of the French expedition in 1840 to retrieve Napoleon's body from Saint Helena, two men and a woman find themselves engulfed in long-dormant and dangerous political passions. Philippe de Rohan-Chabot, an aristocratic young diplomat, is charged with bringing the body from the island prison where Napoleon died to a glorious tomb at Les Invalides in Paris. Chabot's rival is the aging diplomat and author Henri Beyle, known to posterity as Stendhal. The enigmatic and impulsive Amelia Curial must free herself from the shadow of her mother's scandalous loves and untimely death, and from the life of stale convention that her family urges upon her. The dead emperor is a token in a political game to appease the enemies of the monarchy, but that gamble imperils the king's rule and a new revolution looms. Meanwhile, the interplay of the three central characters traces a delicate pattern of romance, longing, misunderstanding, and the obstacles to the pursuit of happiness.
The Emperor's Body is worth your time. The author throws a twist to the reader part of the way through the first part of the novel with several pages of notes on how the book is being written - unusual and interesting. I would advise you to read the historical perspective in the back of the novel to refresh your French history before beginning the book. The novel introduces life styles of the characters within the political transition from Napoleon to the Second Republic. Throughout the novel the author provides historical glimpses of Napoleon Bonaparte and his life in contrast to what the new era was presenting in a newly created French nationalistic society. Unfortunately, the people are not ready for this type of independence which culminates in another dictator. The first nuisances of the independent woman were beginning to shape themselves through George Sand and others which are presented in the protagonist Amelia. The novel portrays a romantic involvement between two men and a woman's decision for recognition as a person and/also her demand for sexual freedom. The author reiterates several themes throughout the development of his characters to emphasize the importance in the change from an ancient regime to a modern society. It's a fun read with an interesting plot.
