Empty Theatre: A Novel: or The Lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Sisi of Austria (Queen of Hungary), Cousins, in Their Pursuit of Connection and Beauty...
by Jac Jemc
Buy on AmazonA wildly over-the-top social satire reimagining the mad misadventures of the iconic royal cousins King Ludwig and Empress Sisi, from the incomparable Jac Jemc. History knows them as King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Elizabeth of Austria, icons of the late nineteenth century who died young and left behind magnificent portraits and palaces. But to each other they were Ludwig and Sisi, cousins who shared a passion for beauty and a stubborn refusal to submit to the roles imposed upon them. Ludwig, simultaneously spoiled and punished for his softness and "unmanly" interests, falls hard for the operas of Richard Wagner and neglects his state duties in the pursuit of art.…
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"Being royalty seems great from far away – all jewels, banquets, and balls. Closer up, the pressures on royalty make it look far less appealing. At the end of every gilded hall lies a heavy price: the pressure to marry to form an alliance, to produce an heir, to navigate a court full of rumors. This novel beautifully captures the dichotomy of the royal lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Elizabeth of Austria in the late 19th century. By turns amusing and heartbreaking, it’s a captivating story rooted in bizarre reality, but told in a fresh format."
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