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obviouslyjudith's review against another edition
4.0
Kind of funny that the person I ended up feeling most sympathy for is Franz Joseph
fiorentinabelga's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Great in depth biography of Sisi, with many quotations from the source material. However, Hamann's biases are glaringly obvious throughout the book, making it a difficult read at times. She also, at multiple points, makes assumptions about Sisi's and other people's thoughts, feelings, intentions and motives without giving any sources that substantiate these conclusions. Recreating the life of an enigmatic person like Sisi is difficult, but when one states mere assumptions about things as personal as inner thoughts as fact without having concrete proof of these claims, it smells more of the projection of the author's own feelings onto a historical character than of fact.
All in all, a good biography to get the facts of Sisi's life and those around her, but take any other "conclusions" about Sisi's mental state, feelings, etc with a large grain of salt.
All in all, a good biography to get the facts of Sisi's life and those around her, but take any other "conclusions" about Sisi's mental state, feelings, etc with a large grain of salt.
bevmoss6's review against another edition
4.0
I loved reading this book while we traveled in Vienna and Bavaria where Princess Elizabeth lived and reigned. The woman was an enigma to her friends, family, and even herself. She had some serious emotional issues and was most likely anorexic, but also lived the life that she wanted, and not the one that others wanted her to live.
izumisano's review against another edition
3.0
I really don't want this rating to reflect on Hamann's skills as a historian. She researched her subject extensively and added tons of primary sources into the book. She actually used footnotes and citations, it's a sight that's not commonly see in today's pop-history, which is shameful.
The rating is more of my feelings for Elisabeth. Initially I felt bad for this poor girl forced into the imperial life, simply because one does not say no to an Emperor. Being a shy, nervous thing, she couldn't stand up to her harsh mother-in-law/aunt or the ever judgemental courtesans. This whole spiel wore off for me , and it seems for others in her life, as Elisabeth grew older and into the woman she would forever be. She was completely disconnected from reality and her duties to her country(ies) and her family. What initially started out as her giving up the fight against Dowager Empress Sophie, turned into selfish endeavors as she repeatedly fled the country to pursue frivolous things like hunting and her pursuit for beauty. I cannot believe the patience Franz Joseph had for her, but when you look at his relationship with his mother you completely understand. As her behavior turned more and more bizarre in her old age, by that time everyone was completely exhausted to really do anything to reign her in.
I thought I was going to read about an original personality. A strong woman, who went against her predefined role in life and did something for society. She was a known republican, but did nothing to help her people. She hid from all duties and wasted endless amounts of money and time on silly things. The only admirable thing she did do was occasionally speak to the common class and wasn't afraid to interact or even hire them as her companions. It makes you wonder what she could have done with all her power if she wasn't a nervous creature and embraced her position in society. Maybe Franz Ferdinand wouldn't have been assassinated.
The rating is more of my feelings for Elisabeth. Initially I felt bad for this poor girl forced into the imperial life, simply because one does not say no to an Emperor. Being a shy, nervous thing, she couldn't stand up to her harsh mother-in-law/aunt or the ever judgemental courtesans. This whole spiel wore off for me , and it seems for others in her life, as Elisabeth grew older and into the woman she would forever be. She was completely disconnected from reality and her duties to her country(ies) and her family. What initially started out as her giving up the fight against Dowager Empress Sophie, turned into selfish endeavors as she repeatedly fled the country to pursue frivolous things like hunting and her pursuit for beauty. I cannot believe the patience Franz Joseph had for her, but when you look at his relationship with his mother you completely understand. As her behavior turned more and more bizarre in her old age, by that time everyone was completely exhausted to really do anything to reign her in.
I thought I was going to read about an original personality. A strong woman, who went against her predefined role in life and did something for society. She was a known republican, but did nothing to help her people. She hid from all duties and wasted endless amounts of money and time on silly things. The only admirable thing she did do was occasionally speak to the common class and wasn't afraid to interact or even hire them as her companions. It makes you wonder what she could have done with all her power if she wasn't a nervous creature and embraced her position in society. Maybe Franz Ferdinand wouldn't have been assassinated.
wildwolverine's review against another edition
5.0
This biography really delivered. We follow Sisi's life from when she was 15 and about to meet the Emperor of Austria to her death at age 60 when she was assassinated. While most of Sisi's letters have been burned with what little that remains being restricted from public review, we still get a pretty complete picture of a complex woman who wasn't exactly reluctant to take the throne but who was very unprepared for the role.
From the beginning, readers are introduced to a very sensitive woman. Having grown up in an unorthodox, aristocratic household, Sisi is unpretentious and quite philosophical, even at a young age. When the emperor becomes infatuated with her, her mother - the Duchess Ludovika - worries that the call to duty will be too much for her daughter. However, I suspect that if Sisi had met more compassionate people, she would have risen to the occasion. As it was, the Viennese court repelled her. Much how Marie Antoinette was taken from her relatively carefree upbringing and plunged into a strict and superficial court, the same happens to Sisi, but she rejects it outright. She despises the customs and the formality, the gossip and the banality of her role. Her mother-in-law is like the evolved Jane Fonda from that one movie. She never lets the couple be on their own, and she has a vice-like grip over her son, the emperor. From the beginning, Sisi is treated like an outsider, and she starts to pull away.
Hamann is very sympathetic towards her subject. She insists over and over that the Viennese court alienated Sisi, even when the empress showed obvious talents and intelligence. In her dealings with her husband and the Hungarians, she is an astute and dedicated statesman. Sisi was also gifted with languages when she applied herself, having learned both Greek and Hungarian in her lifetime (two notoriously difficult languages), and she led a very disciplined lifestyle (which was very unhealthy but more on that later). Hamann also reveals that Sisi, despite being an aristocrat and empress, actually didn't support the monarchy but was a republican instead. Clearly, Sisi was no dummy, but she was forced to take a superficial role, which she shunned, hence why she chose to flee the Viennese court at every opportunity.
It is this that causes Hamann to critique her subject. While Sisi is very much to be pitied, she is not a saint nor a fairytale princess. She's a human who makes mistakes. She essentially gives up her first two children to an almost criminal degree and never takes an interest in them while smothering her youngest. She avoids duty like the plague, allowing herself to wallow in self-pity, when a little activity would most likely have brought her out of herself. She wasted money like there was no tomorrow, and she suffered from pretty extreme anorexia nervosa. Eventually, she clawed back the power from her mother-in-law, but she rarely used it for good.
Some people will say Sisi is a "piece of work" and move on, but they would be ignoring that a young woman was put in an impossible situation (as they say, no one says 'no' to the emperor) and given virtually no support (or at least not the kind of support she needed) to thrive in her new position. The Empress Elisabeth was a fascinating person, and Hamann does a fantastic job drawing her out her many layers, chapter by chapter, decade by decade. The biography is never boring, and it feels very approachable. Highly recommend to anyone looking to learn more about this tragic monarch who was probably the most human of all of them.
From the beginning, readers are introduced to a very sensitive woman. Having grown up in an unorthodox, aristocratic household, Sisi is unpretentious and quite philosophical, even at a young age. When the emperor becomes infatuated with her, her mother - the Duchess Ludovika - worries that the call to duty will be too much for her daughter. However, I suspect that if Sisi had met more compassionate people, she would have risen to the occasion. As it was, the Viennese court repelled her. Much how Marie Antoinette was taken from her relatively carefree upbringing and plunged into a strict and superficial court, the same happens to Sisi, but she rejects it outright. She despises the customs and the formality, the gossip and the banality of her role. Her mother-in-law is like the evolved Jane Fonda from that one movie. She never lets the couple be on their own, and she has a vice-like grip over her son, the emperor. From the beginning, Sisi is treated like an outsider, and she starts to pull away.
Hamann is very sympathetic towards her subject. She insists over and over that the Viennese court alienated Sisi, even when the empress showed obvious talents and intelligence. In her dealings with her husband and the Hungarians, she is an astute and dedicated statesman. Sisi was also gifted with languages when she applied herself, having learned both Greek and Hungarian in her lifetime (two notoriously difficult languages), and she led a very disciplined lifestyle (which was very unhealthy but more on that later). Hamann also reveals that Sisi, despite being an aristocrat and empress, actually didn't support the monarchy but was a republican instead. Clearly, Sisi was no dummy, but she was forced to take a superficial role, which she shunned, hence why she chose to flee the Viennese court at every opportunity.
It is this that causes Hamann to critique her subject. While Sisi is very much to be pitied, she is not a saint nor a fairytale princess. She's a human who makes mistakes. She essentially gives up her first two children to an almost criminal degree and never takes an interest in them while smothering her youngest. She avoids duty like the plague, allowing herself to wallow in self-pity, when a little activity would most likely have brought her out of herself. She wasted money like there was no tomorrow, and she suffered from pretty extreme anorexia nervosa. Eventually, she clawed back the power from her mother-in-law, but she rarely used it for good.
Some people will say Sisi is a "piece of work" and move on, but they would be ignoring that a young woman was put in an impossible situation (as they say, no one says 'no' to the emperor) and given virtually no support (or at least not the kind of support she needed) to thrive in her new position. The Empress Elisabeth was a fascinating person, and Hamann does a fantastic job drawing her out her many layers, chapter by chapter, decade by decade. The biography is never boring, and it feels very approachable. Highly recommend to anyone looking to learn more about this tragic monarch who was probably the most human of all of them.
mcsangel2's review against another edition
4.0
From what I hear, most biographical material about Empress Sisi tends to focus on what a sad, tortured, romantic figure she was. This book was definitely even-handed, and there is not much to be sympathetic towards her about, except her mental health struggles. I have a lot of sympathy towards Emperor Franz Josef, however.
This book was on my list for awhile, until I was able to find an English copy. Recommended for monarchy buffs.
This book was on my list for awhile, until I was able to find an English copy. Recommended for monarchy buffs.