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A review by erikars
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
3.0
Interesting but long. Part of the reason for the length is because Massie did a thorough job of explaining the context of various people and events that effected and were effected by Catherine. On the one hand, this is valuable. On the other hand, it adds a lot of bulk to the book. Massie is also quite detailed in his exploration of Catherine's life.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. It's a fascinating look at a fascinating women[1], but I personally would have been better served by an abridged version (oh, how I hate admitting such a thing =).
[1] What makes Catherine fascinating to me is not that she was a powerful empress, it's that she was an empress at a time of huge ideological transition. She was truly a student of the Enlightenment, yet she had to face the reality that much of her world was directly at odds with Enlightenment ideals and there was only so much she could or even wanted to do to change this. It's a valuable case study for those of us -- all of us, at times -- who condemn too harshly the actions and beliefs of those who live in different ideological contexts.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. It's a fascinating look at a fascinating women[1], but I personally would have been better served by an abridged version (oh, how I hate admitting such a thing =).
[1] What makes Catherine fascinating to me is not that she was a powerful empress, it's that she was an empress at a time of huge ideological transition. She was truly a student of the Enlightenment, yet she had to face the reality that much of her world was directly at odds with Enlightenment ideals and there was only so much she could or even wanted to do to change this. It's a valuable case study for those of us -- all of us, at times -- who condemn too harshly the actions and beliefs of those who live in different ideological contexts.