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maura_kathleen's review
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Really had a good time with this one -- it fed my latent fascination with this period of European history. A compelling look at compelling, troubled figures and the intersection between personality and politics and the situation of culture within it all. I was talking about this book with my husband, who has studied the Hapsburgs more than I have, and he asked what Tolstoy would make of the novel's historiography... and I lean toward feeling Jemc's perspective would agree with Tolstoy's crusade against the "great men of history" theory. The book centers around heads of state -- sort of -- but locates the engines of change... not exactly beyond them, but everywhere, really. It deals with the ripple effects of the eccentricity and selfishness of powerful people, but its heart lies in exploring the interiority of Sisi and Ludwig, asking how the constraints and conditions of their lives conspired to inhibit them from knowing how to be happy. Some of those constraints are deeply universal -- vanity, loneliness, fear of loss, loss of freedom. Both Sisi and Ludwig are at many points obviously awful, but their particularities are rendered so colorfully that the cast is altogether charming — and affecting.
Moderate: Suicide, Child death, Eating disorder, and Homophobia
heather_freshparchment's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Classism, Suicide, Mental illness, Child death, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Death, and Fatphobia
Minor: Animal death, Infidelity, and Antisemitism
zosiablue's review
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a lightly fictionalized telling of Empress Sisi of Austria and King Ludwig II of Bavaria and it is so enjoyable and compelling and fascinating. I described it to a friend as light and fun, but the dark of it really crept up on me and I felt grief at the end. I knew the history, some, but I still got surprised, anyway, (and loved the conspiracy theory addendum). The only times it drags is when it tries to be too accurate to the history - but those times are rare. Really well done.
Graphic: Suicide, Pregnancy, Child death, Classism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Addiction, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship
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