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A review by stevenyenzer
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
4.0
Terrific narrative history. I was surprised to hear about the normalcy of women monarchs, as well as the fact that primogeniture was not the norm in 18th century Europe. Russian monarchs could name their own successors until Paul came along. I thought Catherine's blend of republicanism, influenced by contemporary thinkers like Voltaire and Diderot, and the "enlightened monarchy" she believed was the best form of government, was fascinating. It was also interesting to see how her liberalism began to fall apart as she watched France crumble into revolution.
The account of Catherine's early years in Russia -- held in virtual captivity with a childish husband whose lack of interest in sex caused blame to fall upon her -- made me reconsider how the lives of historical aristocrats could really be pretty shitty. Sure, she always had enough to eat and slept in a comfy bed, but she was also forced to publicly endure almost a decade of loveless marriage to a man-child.
I thought Massie's section about Catherine's lovers lasted a bit long, especially as it seemed to be thrown in and disrupt the chronological narrative. I didn't particularly care about this or that favorite unless he had a part to play in the overall story. I did think it was quite interesting how publicly Catherine found and then disposed of her lovers -- never cruelly, but very confidently.
Overall she was an inspiring and very modern woman, and I think her story is an antidote to the view of the past as monolithically sexist. She certainly encountered many forms of sexism, but she was able to seize and hold power by working within the system.
The account of Catherine's early years in Russia -- held in virtual captivity with a childish husband whose lack of interest in sex caused blame to fall upon her -- made me reconsider how the lives of historical aristocrats could really be pretty shitty. Sure, she always had enough to eat and slept in a comfy bed, but she was also forced to publicly endure almost a decade of loveless marriage to a man-child.
I thought Massie's section about Catherine's lovers lasted a bit long, especially as it seemed to be thrown in and disrupt the chronological narrative. I didn't particularly care about this or that favorite unless he had a part to play in the overall story. I did think it was quite interesting how publicly Catherine found and then disposed of her lovers -- never cruelly, but very confidently.
Overall she was an inspiring and very modern woman, and I think her story is an antidote to the view of the past as monolithically sexist. She certainly encountered many forms of sexism, but she was able to seize and hold power by working within the system.