The Royal Physician's Visit

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Synopsis
A handsome doctor stirs up scandal in the eighteenth-century Danish royal court in this “extraordinarily elegant and gorgeous novel” (Los Angeles Times).The Royal Physician's Visit magnificently recasts the dramatic era of Danish history when Johann Friedrich Struensee—court physician to mad young King Christian—stepped through an aperture in history and became the holder of absolute power in Denmark. His is a gripping tale of power, sex, love, and the life of the mind, and it is superbly rendered here by Sweden’s most acclaimed writer. A charismatic German doctor and brilliant intellectual, Struensee used his influence to introduce hundreds of reforms in Denmark in the 1760s and had a tender and erotic affair with Queen Caroline Mathilde, who was unsatisfied by her unstable, childlike husband. And yet, his ambitions ultimately led to tragedy. This novel, perfect for book clubs, is a compelling look into the intrigues of an Enlightenment court and the life of a singular man.“An enthralling fable of the temptations of power—and a surprisingly poignant love story,” —Time“Realized with a vividness and subtlety that place the book in the front ranks of contemporary literary fiction,” —The New York Times Book Review“The Swedish novelist’s method is to begin 10 years after Struensee’s fall, then retrace the “Struensee era,” as it came to be called, by probing the characters of four principal players—Christian, Guldberg, Struensee, and Queen Caroline Mathilde—each of whose perspectives, even the king’s, he makes intelligible and occasionally even sympathetic. A towering achievement,” —Booklist
Copyright:
1999

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
312 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781468304572
Related ISBNs:
9781468303391
Publisher:
ABRAMS, Inc.
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Per Olov Enquist
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Romance, Biographies and Memoirs, Literature and Fiction
Grade Levels:
Twelfth grade
Reading Age:
18 and up
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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