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A review by regalexander
Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison
2.0
The previous novel I read was so good, I felt I needed a rebound.
I have mixed feelings about Enchantments, though. I'm fascinated by Russian history and the Romanovs are such an interesting part of that, but in Enchantments, the line between historical fact and imagination was so blurry I found it hard to really appreciate. The reader never quite knows whether something described is a dream, a story, or a memory. Sometimes, something could go on for pages and pages and you wouldn't know how much was in Masha's head. I'm sure loads of people like that, but it's not my cup of tea.
The sexual scenes were also quite disturbing, since Alexei was only 13 years old. The fact that Masha was 18 made it worse. The novel could definitely have done without that.
I have mixed feelings about Enchantments, though. I'm fascinated by Russian history and the Romanovs are such an interesting part of that, but in Enchantments, the line between historical fact and imagination was so blurry I found it hard to really appreciate. The reader never quite knows whether something described is a dream, a story, or a memory. Sometimes, something could go on for pages and pages and you wouldn't know how much was in Masha's head. I'm sure loads of people like that, but it's not my cup of tea.
The sexual scenes were also quite disturbing, since Alexei was only 13 years old. The fact that Masha was 18 made it worse. The novel could definitely have done without that.