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beth_zovko's review
3.0
I listened to this book and found it very, very engaging. Non-fiction can be dry but Massie did a nice job of treating her life as an unfolding story. He used Catherine's own diaries to frame the story, which lent to the feeling of being an eye witness to history. However, the second half of the book is not as rich as the first (Catherine's diaries stop in her mid-twenties) and also feels rushed. There's not much mention of her dealings with Europe or America, and Potempkin is treated almost as an afterthought. Massie did give compelling descriptions of Catherine's coup, her lovers, and most importantly, her relationship with her son, Paul. All in all, I would recommend this to history nerds as opposed to someone looking for an 'in-a-nutshell' story, as the CDB was 19 discs (the book is 650, I think.) It was a time investment, but one that was worth it.
tigerlily31's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
lo_daviss's review
4.0
This took me FOREVER!! But actually pretty good. I’m also interested in Catherine though so maybe that has something to do with it. But Massie is a really good storyteller. Might have to look into others of his…
kcrawfish's review
5.0
This biography of Catherine the Great was a fascinating introduction to Russian history. Catherine’s own memoirs and plentiful letters and writings paint a vivid image of the monarch, which Massie combines with historical knowledge and the memoirs and writings of others to flesh out the context. I found her early life endearing and darkly humorous, and her later life the mature actions of a young idealist, and eventually the disillusioned actions of a cynic who had reversed her idealistic positions.
The vast life of someone so powerful, yet still human, shows the complexities the Russian government had to deal with as even someone as powerful and willful as Catherine tried and failed to effect change in the fates of the peasantry. France’s revolution devolved into butchery and brutality, and eventually Russia would follow. If there’s one thing we can learn, it’s that suppressing change through censorship can only lead to a darker reality further down the line.
A ruler of wit and wisdom, and a disillusioned woman who still tried to fight for a better future for her country. I really look forward to learning more about this time period and the rulers who shaped our current world.
(Also, we Americans have Catherine the Great and Austria to thank for our freedom from British rule, as 20,000 Russian troops were requested by, and denied to, King George)
The vast life of someone so powerful, yet still human, shows the complexities the Russian government had to deal with as even someone as powerful and willful as Catherine tried and failed to effect change in the fates of the peasantry. France’s revolution devolved into butchery and brutality, and eventually Russia would follow. If there’s one thing we can learn, it’s that suppressing change through censorship can only lead to a darker reality further down the line.
A ruler of wit and wisdom, and a disillusioned woman who still tried to fight for a better future for her country. I really look forward to learning more about this time period and the rulers who shaped our current world.
(Also, we Americans have Catherine the Great and Austria to thank for our freedom from British rule, as 20,000 Russian troops were requested by, and denied to, King George)
marieintheraw's review
3.0
sometimes things seemed in an odd order, but it's a great and informative read.
kathleenguthriewoods's review
5.0
The history—Russian, European, and world history—is fascinating. What really blew my mind was learning about how she managed to overcome extreme limitations and succeed in a time when women had almost no rights, no power.
Full disclaimer: I listened to the audio, which runs just under 24 hours. The narrator, Mark Deakins, was good, except he has a habit of taking on a simpering voice when he’s speaking for the female characters. Super-annoying, but the book is still worth reading/listening to.
Full disclaimer: I listened to the audio, which runs just under 24 hours. The narrator, Mark Deakins, was good, except he has a habit of taking on a simpering voice when he’s speaking for the female characters. Super-annoying, but the book is still worth reading/listening to.
roseleaf24's review
4.0
For such a lengthy work of non-fiction, I'm surprised I found this as readable as I did. Catherine is a fascinating woman. As a minor German princess, she comes to Russia to marry the heir to the throne and quickly realizes that he's not really fit to rule and that her marriage will be miserable. But she has her eyes on the throne, even as a fourteen-year-old girl, and she never loses sight of that goal. Because of her determination, her ability to win the hearts of the right people at the right time, and her honest desire to be a benevolent autocrat, she becomes Catherine the Great. I must admit I found the last section more scattered and less interesting than the rest of it, but this is well worth reading.