Product Description

In Regency London, the only way for a woman to succeed is to beat men at their own game. So when Mary Anne Clarke seeks an escape from her squalid surroundings in Bowling Inn Alley, she ventures first into the scurrilous world of the pamphleteers. Her personal charms are such, however, that before long she comes to the notice of the Duke of York. With her taste for luxury and power, Mary Anne, now a royal mistress, must aim higher. Her lofty connections allow her to establish a thriving trade in military commissions, provoking a scandal that rocks the government - and brings personal disgrace. A vivid portrait of overweening ambition, MARY ANNE is set during the Napoleonic Wars and based on du Maurier's own great-great- grandmother.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85222 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'An exceptionally outstanding novel' Edinburgh Evening News

About the Author
Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and educated at home and in Paris. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. She was made a DBE in 1969 and died in 1989.

Customer Reviews

This is her dream
Opened in a flashback style, beautiful and tempting, the biography of Mary Anne Clarke, the notorious heroine, unfolded. Based on her great-great-grandmother, Ms. Du Maurier weaved a story of a woman's power struggle and web of intrique played in society dominated by men. Set in London at the time when Paris was being ruled in Terror regime, London was in parliamentary turmoil and both countries are in war at the end of 18th century.

Mary Anne, with her cunning wit and unbeatable Irish blood, was born in London slum neighbourhood. With her resourceful mind, she determined to be a success in men's world by playing the same game, with the same rules. She first tried to find a wealthy husband but got a big-mouthed, good-for-nothing one instead. Not to be beaten by circumstances, she left her husband and started to use her unique beauty to make connection, to be a 'social climber', in order to provide food and shelter for her 3 children, a mother, a half-sister and a brother. As time would have it, she was introduced to The Duke of York, became his mistress and the scandalous dealings began.

Being a mistress to a prince didn't mean she would have unlimited income. On the contrary, to maintain the house, lifestyle and servants, she must do 'side job' by promoting soldiers to the Duke with some amount of fee. This would lead to the most scandalous trial(s) in England concerning royal family.

The dialogs and the statements were beautifully written (but no ramblings) while the characters each had their own strength and weakness. It was said that there are some resemblances between the author's life with the main character which added to the substance of the story. All I can say is I admire her wit and I see the reasons behind her every move.

Feel the spirit, see the dreams and understand the love of life which came from a woman named Mary Anne.

exciting read
Daphne du maurier novel's - for me - are either wow superb or pretty rotten, and this is a wow superb one.
Very exciting and racing the main character, having been let down by every male in her life from her childhood to womanhood, decides to fit the man's world in the only way she can see how...
feisty interesting character apparently based on maurier's great grandmother
It's a excellent read
(read Rebecca and the King's General if you havent already both are so very good..or this one which also is!)

A bit disappointing
I have recently started to read Daphne Du Maurier novels, having read a very long time ago, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek and The King's General. Recently I read and enjoyed immensly, My Cousin Rachel.

I thought that I would enjoy Mary Anne as I am passionate about historical fiction / non fiction and biographies.

The book started off interesting in describing Mary Anne's humble beginnings and early life, her marriage to Joseph Clarke and subsequent meeting of the Duke of York, whose mistress she became. However, I found I lost the plot slightly with her many male friends, some of whom were faithful to her and some not. At this point I lost interest but read to the end, if only for my own satisfaction.

For me, this book was slightly disappointing and lacked that 'can't wait for the next chapter' feel, but others may see it differently.