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kmhst25's review against another edition
4.0
This is an absolute page-turner for the most part, but an early note in my reading journal says, "Some comments feel sexist," and it never improves. Once she becomes Empress, Massie has a tendency to cheapen Catherine's decisions, not assign her full credit, and frame all situations in terms of her feelings. He seems insistent on framing her as "a woman," to the point where one begins to wonder if the original title of the book wasn't "Catherine the Great: Just a Woman."
This, in itself, is minor, but several one-off comments and longer tangents have a more unsavory tone. For example, when discussing Catherine trying to find time in her busy schedule to spend with her lover, he says, "This was all the time she could spare to be a man's plaything." He later tells you that Catherine never recorded any specifics about her sexual relationships, so this comment does not appear to be informed by anything. What are the author's notions of male-female sexuality that that is how he frames an Empress sleeping with her lover?
Later, he takes a four page detour from Catherine's story to discuss whether or not a rear admiral in her navy raped a ten-year-old girl. He also takes a four chapter detour to talk about her lover and military leader, Potemkin. He clearly idolizes Potemkin and has no reservations about calling him a genius. However, Massie also reveals that Potemkin had affairs with three of his young nieces. When his mother opposed these relationships, he laughed at her and burned her letters. So the glowing tone of these four chapters feels somewhat strange, given that Catherine is never painted with such an illustrious brush.
Taken altogether, this book leaves the same impression as a beloved male friend or family member regaling you with a vivid, fascinating story, that unfortunately also reveals things in his character that you hadn't wished to know of and had rather hoped that he didn't possess.
This, in itself, is minor, but several one-off comments and longer tangents have a more unsavory tone. For example, when discussing Catherine trying to find time in her busy schedule to spend with her lover, he says, "This was all the time she could spare to be a man's plaything." He later tells you that Catherine never recorded any specifics about her sexual relationships, so this comment does not appear to be informed by anything. What are the author's notions of male-female sexuality that that is how he frames an Empress sleeping with her lover?
Later, he takes a four page detour from Catherine's story to discuss whether or not a rear admiral in her navy raped a ten-year-old girl. He also takes a four chapter detour to talk about her lover and military leader, Potemkin. He clearly idolizes Potemkin and has no reservations about calling him a genius. However, Massie also reveals that Potemkin had affairs with three of his young nieces. When his mother opposed these relationships, he laughed at her and burned her letters. So the glowing tone of these four chapters feels somewhat strange, given that Catherine is never painted with such an illustrious brush.
Taken altogether, this book leaves the same impression as a beloved male friend or family member regaling you with a vivid, fascinating story, that unfortunately also reveals things in his character that you hadn't wished to know of and had rather hoped that he didn't possess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Slavery, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Grief, Rape, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Torture
Rape is discussed several times throughout the book. There are no detailed desciptions of any specific rape, but the rapes that are mentioned briefly are often disturbing.erboe501's review against another edition
4.0
I read 1/4 of this (into Catherine's early marriage with Peter) nearly a year ago, and then finished this in two reading chunks this summer. While some of the detail can weigh you down, Massie keeps the action moving at a good pace, so it's easy to find that you've moved through 100 pages without much trouble. It was especially fun to read this as I began watching the Hulu series The Great, very loosely based on Catherine's arrival and early days at the Russian court.
A couple times Massie seemed to interject his own opinion into things in a startling way that took me out of the narrative. For example, he went into a tangent on the guillotine while on an aside about the French Revolution, which led to general remarks on the death penalty and how all civilized nations are now moving away from the death penalty. That is not exactly imperative to Catherine's story, especially since she waved the death penalty to most condemned during her reign.
I found myself indignant about the treatment of serfs and how accepted a fact of life and Russian culture that was for most people of the time. Catherine tried to end serfdom, but couldn't without jeopardizing her reign. But then I was reminded that America had slaves for 100 years after Catherine's reign, as would Russia. Indeed, it took some mental gymnastics to put Catherine on the same timeline as Marie Antoinette and the American Revolution.
I found Catherine a sympathetic heroine in her first thirty years, as she aspired for the throne. You root for her and her Enlightenment ideas. But over the 30 years she was Empress, she becomes more reactionary, her decisions less sympathetic because much less liberal, a disheartening shift. I did find her affairs and favorites fascinating for how they were mostly just accepted at court. None of her recognized legitimate children were likely to be Peter's, and that didn't seem to be a problem. The frankness of her desire for companionship, and her acting upon it on such a public European stage, is remarkable.
I'd always been interested in the Romanovs and end of the Russian empire, so this biography helpfully filled in some of Russia's earlier history.
A couple times Massie seemed to interject his own opinion into things in a startling way that took me out of the narrative. For example, he went into a tangent on the guillotine while on an aside about the French Revolution, which led to general remarks on the death penalty and how all civilized nations are now moving away from the death penalty. That is not exactly imperative to Catherine's story, especially since she waved the death penalty to most condemned during her reign.
I found myself indignant about the treatment of serfs and how accepted a fact of life and Russian culture that was for most people of the time. Catherine tried to end serfdom, but couldn't without jeopardizing her reign. But then I was reminded that America had slaves for 100 years after Catherine's reign, as would Russia. Indeed, it took some mental gymnastics to put Catherine on the same timeline as Marie Antoinette and the American Revolution.
I found Catherine a sympathetic heroine in her first thirty years, as she aspired for the throne. You root for her and her Enlightenment ideas. But over the 30 years she was Empress, she becomes more reactionary, her decisions less sympathetic because much less liberal, a disheartening shift. I did find her affairs and favorites fascinating for how they were mostly just accepted at court. None of her recognized legitimate children were likely to be Peter's, and that didn't seem to be a problem. The frankness of her desire for companionship, and her acting upon it on such a public European stage, is remarkable.
I'd always been interested in the Romanovs and end of the Russian empire, so this biography helpfully filled in some of Russia's earlier history.
redhdlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
It may have taken me almost 3 months to listen to this Audiobook, but I absolutely LOVED it.
Catherine the Great read, for the most part, like a story. I liked that it not only explained Catherine's life, but anyone's life that intersected with hers. It really gave depth to the characters and how each person was influential in history and in Catherine's life. Great book for really long car rides.
Would highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in monarchs, Kings/Queens, and history in general.
Catherine the Great read, for the most part, like a story. I liked that it not only explained Catherine's life, but anyone's life that intersected with hers. It really gave depth to the characters and how each person was influential in history and in Catherine's life. Great book for really long car rides.
Would highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in monarchs, Kings/Queens, and history in general.
pollycharlie's review against another edition
5.0
I am usually bored by history but the writing is very captivating. Stitching politics and personal stories, this is a great book, of a great woman. Very inspiring.
rainershine's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
An excellent read, informative without being dense. I’d read several books that mentioned Catherine’s sexual escapades in gross detail and partly read the book simply to find out what was known. The author spoke clearly and with respect about Catherine’s sexuality without attempting to titillate. It truly reads as a fair “Portrait of a Woman”.
sprucetree520's review against another edition
4.0
This as an oddly inthrolling tale of an empress that I hadn't expected. I loved all the first hand accounts of Catherine's memories and I was saddened when she ended them. The players where hard to keep straight because of their similar and very Russian names. There were bits of history and details that I don't think were completely necissary but they since I was being read to I don't complain much.
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
4.0
Quite excellent-though I expect nothing less from Robert Massie.