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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Heel goed!
Je weet wat er gaat gebeuren op het einde, maar dat maakt het niet minder heftig.
Je weet wat er gaat gebeuren op het einde, maar dat maakt het niet minder heftig.
The author fleshed out the individuals well to the point where I understood their personalities and motivators - just made the ending of each of them all the more tragic and distressing bc I connected with them so much more
I'm not sure really how to rate this book. Would I have enjoyed it more if it wasn't the first book I have read about the Romanovs? Probably.
It gives a very good insight into the lives of the sisters, and the life of a royal family in the early 20th century. But I end up feeling that they were minor players in an otherwise large and complicated story.
If you've read a lot about the Tsar then this may be a good choice, but I probably wouldn't start here.
It gives a very good insight into the lives of the sisters, and the life of a royal family in the early 20th century. But I end up feeling that they were minor players in an otherwise large and complicated story.
If you've read a lot about the Tsar then this may be a good choice, but I probably wouldn't start here.
The Romanov Sisters weaves an engrossing tale of the family's private life. Rappaport's treatment of the Romanovs is pretty even-handed; the author is neither too sympathetic nor too cruel toward them. On occasion, she does seem more sympathetic to the family than many modern historians. But since the book is more about the family unit and not the politics surrounding their downfall, her sympathy seems appropriate.
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
This history of the Romanov sisters--Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia--was a fascinating and unique account of the years leading up to the Russian Revolution from the Romanov family's perspective. The author's in-depth and extensive research was evident and she did an excellent job of conveying this complex story in a readable, easily accessible way. In addition to academic histories and first person accounts from survivors of the Revolution, she used letters written by the girls themselves to friends and relatives, which offered rare glimpses into their private lives and personalities, and the times in which they lived. One cannot help but feel enormous sympathy for the girls and their young brother whose sheltered lives in many way sealed their fate. None of them seemed to understand what was happening in the country they thought they knew and loved, and thought knew and loved them. I was struck by the seeming naïveté of the parents and children alike, which made all of their fates seem even more tragic to me. They all seemed to passively accept the events as they unfolded and to be more concerned with remaining a single family unit, not fully grasping the severity of the situation in which they found themselves. That made the final chapter even more haunting to me.
While not critical, a reader with some prior knowledge of the Russian Revolution will likely get more out of this book as what happened outside of the palaces is not delved into in great detail in this account. It is more about the isolation of the family and how that shaped them and their fate, so detailed specifics of what was going on in the rest of the country were not critical to gaining that understanding. However, even without having a great deal of prior knowledge of the history of the Romanov family and the Russian Revolution, this book is still a compelling read and will undoubtedly prompt you to want to learn more about this period of history. The extensive list of names at the beginning of the book was incredibly helpful in keeping everyone straight; the impressive bibliography and endnotes were also insightful.
In addition to being a book club selection, I used this book to check off a 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge advanced prompt ("A book with a family member term in the title").
While not critical, a reader with some prior knowledge of the Russian Revolution will likely get more out of this book as what happened outside of the palaces is not delved into in great detail in this account. It is more about the isolation of the family and how that shaped them and their fate, so detailed specifics of what was going on in the rest of the country were not critical to gaining that understanding. However, even without having a great deal of prior knowledge of the history of the Romanov family and the Russian Revolution, this book is still a compelling read and will undoubtedly prompt you to want to learn more about this period of history. The extensive list of names at the beginning of the book was incredibly helpful in keeping everyone straight; the impressive bibliography and endnotes were also insightful.
In addition to being a book club selection, I used this book to check off a 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge advanced prompt ("A book with a family member term in the title").
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
The story of the Romanovs completely and thoroughly intrigues me. It always has. What a tragic and haunting tale. The brutal and cruel end of this young family was senseless. It was barbaric. It was evil and unjustified. When presented with the opportunity to review this title, therefore, I knew had to do it. I could not stop myself even if I wanted to. I could not wait to delve into a different history, if you will. Once I began reading, I was not disappointed; Rappaport drew me into the lives and personalities of the Romanovs right away.
While there is so much that I could say, I would prefer to emphasize that there was more to this family than meets the eye. They were strangely familiar - in their compassion, in their dedication to one another, in their connectedness to the things that should really matter to a community of people. They were more than pomp, privilege, and privacy. They were real.
In my opinion, Rappaport was both thorough and comprehensive in her writing. She shared a wealth of information that fed my appetite to know. I really appreciated her commitment to detail. Although I crave to still know even more about this mysteriously untouchable family who will forever be lost in time, I am thankful to have gleaned a greater understanding through this historical installment.
I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Multiple Read Worthy: Yes
Comments: Those who adore history and biographical non-fiction will enjoy this book.
A complimentary copy of this title was made available by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
While there is so much that I could say, I would prefer to emphasize that there was more to this family than meets the eye. They were strangely familiar - in their compassion, in their dedication to one another, in their connectedness to the things that should really matter to a community of people. They were more than pomp, privilege, and privacy. They were real.
In my opinion, Rappaport was both thorough and comprehensive in her writing. She shared a wealth of information that fed my appetite to know. I really appreciated her commitment to detail. Although I crave to still know even more about this mysteriously untouchable family who will forever be lost in time, I am thankful to have gleaned a greater understanding through this historical installment.
I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Multiple Read Worthy: Yes
Comments: Those who adore history and biographical non-fiction will enjoy this book.
A complimentary copy of this title was made available by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
sad
slow-paced