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Bezig met laden... The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great (Thorndike Press Large Print Historical Fiction) (editie 2012)door Eva Stachniak
Informatie over het werkThe Winter Palace door Eva Stachniak
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. 2.5 stars. For my taste it was too long and too little about Catherine herself. ( ) Eva Stachniak is giving a session at this fall’s Kingston WritersFest and I hadn’t read anything by her so off I trotted to the library to pick up this book. I’m glad I did- I’ve spent the past two days wrapped up in tales of imperial intrigue in Catherine the great’s ascent in Russia. Historical fiction can drag as the reader is brought into the necessary details of the time, but this story is told through the eyes of a bookbinder’s daughter and as such is immediately relatable. She becomes a palace spy and her acute reports of activities at court and the beliefs and iconography of that time make the story rich. As the time comes up to the death of the Empress, the tale takes on a thriller-like pace. Threads of loyalty are stretched, secrets revealed, danger abounds. It all makes for a fun read. As a Canadian, well familiar with winter scenery, it was good to read about the prettiness of Russian winters - often winter is described as hellish but in this book the beauty becomes part of the character of the book. Stachniak includes descriptions of smells and tastes and the feel of fabrics so well you can imagine yourself at court. Enjoyable, evocative, and intriguing as well. I had never read anything(besides straight history books in school) on Catherine the Great, I was looking forward to this book, but it fell short for me The sub-title should say (view spoiler) Neither one of these would have turned me away from reading the book-I was just expecting more Catherine I guess. The first 1/3 of the book was interesting, but then (OK I know this sounds crass, but it's what I felt) I just kept waiting for The Empress Elizabeth to die! The last few chapters kept me interested enough to want to read the 2nd installment if it fits somewhere in a challenge. My interest in the entire Russian Saga was peaked and I will be looking for more books that cover this age. Not a stellar read for me, but not a bust either I really enjoyed this book. Was a page turner from start to finish. Although it says it is a Novel of Catherine the Great - it really was more about the fictional character, Varvara, a polish royal maid servant who ends up becoming close to her. So we "learn" about Catherine through Varvara (Barbara). It is an intriguing story and although it seems a bit rushed at the end, I cannot complain for a book that I bought for a $1.00 at the Dollar Tree. A great read.
"Stachniak (Dancing with Kings) sets the scene extravagantly with details of sumptuous meals, elaborate wardrobes, and cunning palace politics. Longtime readers of English and French historical novels will delight in this relatively unsung dynasty and the familiar hallmarks of courtly intrigue. " Onderdeel van de reeks(en)Catherine the Great (01) Onderdeel van de uitgeversreeks(en)insel taschenbuch (4270) PrijzenOnderscheidingenErelijsten
Fiction.
Literature.
Historical Fiction.
HTML:From award-winning author Eva Stachniak comes this passionate novel that tells the epic story of Catherine the Greats improbable rise to poweras seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne. Her name is Barbarain Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, shes allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the worlds most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listenand to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophies destiny at court is to marry the Empresss nephew, but she has loftier, more dangerous ambitions. What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophies confidanteand together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power. A majestic and splendidly written tale of pride, passion, intrigue, and deceit that is brought alive from the first page to the last.Rosalind Laker At the same time baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar, The Winter Palace offers a flickering glimpse of history through the gauze of deft entertainment.The Washington Post A thrilling point of view . . . Readers are treated to a firsthand account of the young princesss slow ascent to the throne, a path deliciously strewn with discarded lovers and sanguine court intrigues.Minneapolis Star-Tribune [A] brilliant, bold historical novel . . . This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors dont have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph.Booklist (starred review). Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
Deelnemer aan LibraryThing Vroege RecensentenEva Stachniak's boek The Winter Palace was beschikbaar via LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Actuele discussiesGeenPopulaire omslagen
Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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