This book was absolutely fantastic, and I loved every minute of it! It filled that gaping hole in my chest as I waited for season 3 of "The Great" to be announced.

Despite being a royal biography, the author has infused every page with so much life it feels as if these historical figures were still alive and (un)well. I know this book is written on a satirical note, but it feels so real, so alive, that I could entirely believe every bit of it. The most impressive part, however, was how the author captured mental illness, as Sissy and Ludwig battle depression and generational trauma while surrounded by everything they could possibly want - except lives of their own. It draws such an interesting line and I keep annoying my friends by trying to draw them into discussions about it.

The book was made even better by the voice acting of the audiobook narrator. All I can say is - they NAILED it. The little pompous air fit so perfectly. Count me thoroughly impressed!

This fictionalized account of Ludwig II and Sisi is one to be lauded. The absolute truth of celebrity's tendency to breed feelings of stifling confinement was an overarching theme. Despite this, though, Jac Jemc depicts two deeply flawed characters whose flagrant profligacy and selfish ignorance take the reader through a rollercoaster ride of sympathy -- sometimes they need to catch a break, and sometimes they need a dose of reality. I think the subtitle of this novel says it all -- the reason this novel is a tragedy, as the author points out to us from the beginning, is that they pursue connection and beauty, and neither one has the depth and maturity to reach them. Woven deftly through the lives of these two major political and historical figures are resonant themes and relatable feelings, if not circumstances.

I was given a NetGalley widget for this one a year ago and I just got around to reading it and dangit it was so good. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have consumed this wildly relevant fictional tale, which felt not at all fictional, more like historical fiction, due to the times. The cover initially was what drew me in, but I'm so thankful to have stuck with it because the outcome was magical. I always love listening to audiobooks and when they sweep me off my feet, I'm just utterly captivated! I always really enjoy multi-cultural fiction, for I embark on a journey through a land unknown to me, while still getting excited.

there’s one chapter called “The Royal Cycle of Disappointment” and this is definitely the vibe of this novel.

While thinking about how many stars I’ll give this novel, I noticed that it was actually flawless.

I listened to the audiobook and it was very well narrated, well written. At times it really gave you the memories of being a child again and watching the Sissi trilogy 🥰

Very interesting here again the story of Ludwig II of Bavaria and not only Sissi’s story. We mostly tend to know Sissi more than Ludwig and so having one book cover both of them in a fictional way was very fascinating.

and then again, my question: what is fiction and non-fictional again? like we’ll never know what the person thought of back then, so we might as well write novels around them ;)

Empty Theatre: 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 is a fun historical fiction! It was fun to travel back in time to the late nineteenth century. The humour throughout was great! I felt this book was a little bit too long so in the middle I got kinda bored and switched to another book. But I went back to this one and was interested to find out the ending. The audiobook narrator Jefferson Mays was really good!! Definitely a good one for historical fiction lovers!

This wasn't a book I would typically be drawn to but I kept hearing such great advance praise that I decided to pick it up and was not disappointed! Funny and set in a time period I didn't know much about, this was highly entertaining. Historical fiction lovers looking for something different would do well to give this one a try. Great on audio too narrated by Jefferson Mays. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

First and foremost, this is narrated by Jefferson freaking Mays.
Phenomenal. I love him.
I very much enjoyed the shared history of Ludwig II and Emperess Sisi alternately told. Will for sure be relistening to their episodes of Noble Blood this week.

This was a very detailed story of Ludwig and Sisi and I greatly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I had read about Ludwig II before but Sisi was an unknown to me historical figure and she is the highlight of this book.

I decided to skip a lot because although it’s a satire book, it read like a biography. It may have also been because of the audiobook narrator cadence, again, read like a biography, blunt & pointed, versus over the top when I think of satire.

First line: One hundred one cannon shots pummel the air to announce the good news.

Summary: A satirical look at the cousins, Elizabeth of Austria and King Ludwig II of Bavaria. They had a close bond but both had eccentricities that shocked their contemporaries as well as us today. Elizabeth, or Sisi, spent years trying to find happiness. She was the empress of Austria but hated being in the spotlight. Ludwig was criticized for being “unmanly”. He loved beauty and the music of Wagner. Each of them was trying to live a life different from the ones expected of them and each had a tragic end.

My Thoughts: Several years ago I read my first book about the Empress Sisi. I had never heard of this woman but found her appealing. She seemed to have so much but be very unhappy with it. But the main draw to this story was the one of her cousin, Ludwig II. On my first trip to Germany in 1996 my family and I visited several of Ludwig’s castles including the magical Neuschwanstein Castle. Even at a young age I remember being awed by its opulence and beauty but also the tragic story that went with it. I wanted to learn more through this novel about the man who commissioned it.

I think that if I had read the story rather than listened to it I may have enjoyed it more. There was much interweaving of the storylines and with the same narrator it made it hard to differentiate the characters at times. But I did find it interesting and worth a listen.

This is such a fun and interesting read, so easy to follow and enjoy! At first, I thought this would be nonfiction but I was not disappointed that it wasn’t. I enjoyed just as much as I would if it was nonfiction. It really got me interested to read more by the author! Do have any suggestions?

Thank you to @netgalley and RB Media for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t really know what I can say. This book felt so slow and boring. What is the plot? What is the climax? It felt like the author just wrote this story in a stream of consciousness.

it was…interesting to say the least. i don’t really have much to say honestly. i was a big sisi fan as a kid (don’t ask) and this book kinda ruined it for me😭. she was so annoying and i hated her as a person which i’m a little sad about. she’s not perfect like every human being but it was not only being imperfect it was being petty and, as i said, annoying. louis was, again, interesting. i didn’t care much for him if i must be honest. and the connection between the two was lost to me.

Readers of historical fiction will enjoy this whimsical take on the genre. The voices of both the author and the audiobook narrator were engaging, and though I never really found myself endeared to the characters, their antics were entertaining. The story is told in fictional vignettes from the lives of Ludwig and Sisi, which made this easy to pick up and listen to in short, separate periods of time. Unfortunately, I think this narrative style also kept the novel at a rather shallow level, but it's still an intellectually interesting and quick read. (I'm curious to hear from others how they felt about the ending!)

Historical fiction has never been more entertaining and playfully unhinged than in the hands of Jan Jemc, and I loved every second of my time spent in the world they crafted. A novel that’s based on the lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Sisi of Austria, cousins who refused to play by the traditional rules laid out for them by their respective monarchies, Empty Theatre is hard to summarize succinctly because to do so would diminish the magic inherent in the experience of reading this book for the first time. Surreal, witty, tongue-in-cheek, and distinctly singular, just like the subjects whose life it covers, this is not your mother’s historical fiction. Buckle up for a wild ride, and enjoy every second of it. Jefferson Mays is the ideal narrator for this audiobook, it couldn't be in more talented hands.

The curtain is rising on Jac Jemc’s 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...

This fascinating, beautiful and bizarre historical fiction was absolutely riveting to listen to. This was one of those books that you cannot put down because you just don’t know what crazy thing these Royals were going to do next.

Told in parallel between the two cousins lives, and their link together, this book details their very intriguing and bizarre self-involved lives.

I personally cannot get enough Royal histories or Royal historical fiction, and this one was an absolute treat empress Sisi and king Ludwig, are characters you can’t help love / cringe at, while reading about their outlandish exploits. All too often we get to stayed and diligent Royals, these two are not that they resent their rules from the get-go and actively pursue their own pleasures and pursuits, while not being concerned for the people they represent.

Both of these historical characters lives and tragically, and I found while reading this and being absolutely fascinated, it still felt like reading and watching a train wreck.

I still highly recommend this book. Susie and Ludwick’s tragic stories are something that should not be missed! I often prefer my histories in audiobook form, and this is the case with this book as well. Narrator, Jefferson Mays provided the perfect soundscape to hear the story. His delightfully paced narration and the definitive delineation between chapters made this a very comfortable and easy listen.

In the end, I think the true greatness of a history or historical fiction is the desire and interest in the characters to continue with the subject and this book definitely sparked my interest in finding out more on the lives of Sisi and Ludwig’s.

Thanks to RB Media for my review copy via Netgalley.

"ELISABETH IST IN, MAN SPRICHT VON IHR SEID ÜBER 100 JAHR'N. DOCH WER SIE WIRKLICH WAR, DAS WERDET IHR AUS KEINEM BUCH UND FILM ERFAHR'N" Dieses Zitat aus dem Musical ELISABETH passt derzeit besser denn je, denn mit diversen Serien, Filmen und Büchern ist die Kaiserin aktuell wiedermal das IT-GIRL unter den geschichtlichen Adligen. Und auf dem englischen Markt erschien EMPTY THEATRE von Jac Jemc und liefert für mich vielleicht die beste und menschlichste Biografie über Elisabeth von Österreich. Damit nicht genug, ihr zur Seite steht ihr Cousin Ludwig II. von Bayern. Ich habe über beide schon einige Bücher gelesen, aber Jemc schafft es für mich mit am besten, die Leben zweier Persönlichkeiten zu erzählen ohne zu glorifizieren oder zu verdammen. Beide behütet und privilegiert aufgewachsen, zu früh in Rollen gedrängt für die sie nicht bereit bzw. nicht geschaffen waren. Noch dazu beide mit dem "Wittelsbacher Erbe" geschlagen, die Anfälligkeit für Geisteskrankheiten jeglicher Art. Elisabeth verfällt nach dem Tod ihrer ersten Tochter immer mehr in die Depression und Melancholie, Ludwig ein Träumer, Feingeist und homosexuell. Irgendwann finden die Cousins im anderen eine verwandte Seele, doch rettet sie das nicht und so werden Sie was ihre Umwelt aus Ihnen macht: die kalte ruhelose Kaiserin und der Märchenkönig mit Verschwendungssucht, bis beider Leben tragisch endet und sie zu Pop-Ikonen der Zeit werden.

Ich Hoffe sehr, dass es EMPTY THEATRE auch auf den deutschen Buchmarkt schafft, denn auch wenn gerade der Sisi-Markt sehr übersättigt ist, ist dieses Buch doch wahrlich lesenswert.

*Many thanks to Jac Jemc, RB Media, and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
Two icons of the 19th century Europe who have always drawn attention and generated speculation regarding their lives and true nature. The audiobook feels like non-fiction which is not a flaw in my opinion. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about Sissi and Ludwig, as was the case with me. Biographies presented in an accessible way and read well by Mr Jefferson. I received what I had expected.

This novel reminded me of Tolstoy at his most hysterical. As in: that wonderfully wild scene near the beginning of War and Peace with a bear in it. The reading experience was continuously delightful, one unexpected thrill after another, a story told in a heightened way where all the splendor and ridiculousness and humanity of the characters and the era shine out. I listened to the novel and Jefferson Mays‘s narration was perfect for the story he told.

An incredibly rich reimagining of the interconnected lives of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Empress Elizabeth of Austria. Jac Jemc's <i>Empty Theatre</i> is at time hilarious, filled with quips, situations that border on slapstick, and unbelievable antics made possible by focusing on already larger than life figures. But I also found it incredibly moving. There is such care in the construction of Ludwig and "Sisi" that behavior that would otherwise seem bizarre or ludicrous, elicits sympathy rather than ridicule.

I'm not as familiar with the history as my high school AP European History teach would probably like, but that didn't affect my reading too significantly. There are a few moments that veer off the course of known history, but Jemc creates such a compelling story it's enough to make you believe it! No spoilers, but I prefer Jemc's version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!