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libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
5.0
Ever since I watched the Russian tv show Ekaterina I've been motivated to discover more about Catherine the Great. This enormous biography was just what I needed! I don't know anything about Catherine so I couldn't judge what was correct or not, but the fact that the author won a Pulitzer gives me faith that he knows what he's talking about. ;) Not only was this book enormous (845 pages to be exact), it was also really detailed and interesting. Catherine is such a fascinating figure! I loved reading every detail about her: her reading habits, her personality, and her correspondence with philosophers. I liked how Massie used excerpts from Catherine's own memoirs to describe the majority of her younger years. I just wish he hadn't let her words stand alone so much of the time, especially when a lot of it was opinions that may or may not be accurate.
It was also very interesting to track Catherine's transformation from young, neglected girl to idealistic young woman to fearsome autocrat. At the beginning of her reign, she had big dreams about turning Russia into a modern nation and ending serfdom, but by the time she died the "institution" was still firmly entrenched in Russia and she had violently put down several rebellions. Massie portrays this change sympathetically, perhaps even too sympathetically, but it was a relief to find a male biographer who seemed to actually like the empress he wrote about.
It was also very interesting to track Catherine's transformation from young, neglected girl to idealistic young woman to fearsome autocrat. At the beginning of her reign, she had big dreams about turning Russia into a modern nation and ending serfdom, but by the time she died the "institution" was still firmly entrenched in Russia and she had violently put down several rebellions. Massie portrays this change sympathetically, perhaps even too sympathetically, but it was a relief to find a male biographer who seemed to actually like the empress he wrote about.
mothofpower's review against another edition
5.0
this was literally so fun and about as juicy as a 500 page history book can be. loved it had a great time learned a lot
salgalruns's review against another edition
4.0
I read this as part of a buddy read, and must say, I learned an incredible amount about Catherine II. It was a long book, and trying to read this at the same time that school was starting was a huge task in itself, but worth it!
Not many would move to another country at age 14, learn a language, adopt a new religion, and endure a loveless marriage with a seemingly strange boy-man... That takes a certain amount of perseverance in itself!
I came away thinking that this was a leader who was definitely ahead of her own time. To be able to think along the lines of Enlightenment, to gather artwork and artists into Russia, and to look out for the well being of all people? Not your typical Russian ruler by a longshot.
I was amazed by her strength and ability to have such clear goals not only for herself, but for Russia. A true leader!
Not many would move to another country at age 14, learn a language, adopt a new religion, and endure a loveless marriage with a seemingly strange boy-man... That takes a certain amount of perseverance in itself!
I came away thinking that this was a leader who was definitely ahead of her own time. To be able to think along the lines of Enlightenment, to gather artwork and artists into Russia, and to look out for the well being of all people? Not your typical Russian ruler by a longshot.
I was amazed by her strength and ability to have such clear goals not only for herself, but for Russia. A true leader!
cupiscent's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Big and thorough, though the intricate (and sometimes unnecessary) detail of her earlier life dribbled off into broader clumpings and cherry picking of events during her reign (possibly just as well, or this would have been twice as long). It sometimes felt like the author was being a little rosy-glassed about his subject, minimising or even putting the best slant on her sometimes reactionary and autocratic actions. I might have preferred deeper analysis of key events, rather than this almost exhaustive construction of events and quotes. But I learned a lot, and it was largely interesting, and easily readable.
beth_zovko's review against another edition
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.