Oh,
the dreary weather is making me sleepy!
It is warm-ish and damp, which is not inspiring me to get to all the
tasks that should be done today. I guess
I’ll just have to stay inside, drinking tea and reading!
This
is not a bad thing, as I’m a bit more than halfway through my next bookclub
selection, Eva Stachniak’s The Winter Palace: a novel of Catherine the Great. I put this title on the list reluctantly, as
I am not a fan of historical novels, but one of my members loves this genre of
fiction. It is over 400 pages, a rather
large, intimidating hardcover that, I have to admit, I was dreading having to
read. I don’t like reading historical
novels in general because, based on the few I have tried to read, I have found
them to be too descriptive; the author feels it necessary to describe in detail
the settings, the clothing, and the customs of the time period in which the
story is set. That is not interesting to
me; that is, when I’m reading, I don’t want to be transported to another time
and place, as some others who enjoy historical fiction have described their
experiences. I like character-driven
novels that explore the journey or development of the main character, either
psychological, emotional, spiritual, or whatever kinds of journeys there are. But I also like a good mystery, and a good
spy story, and a novel that explores political scandal. Well, The Winter Palace is all of
these things, and more! It is an
incredibly well-written, detailed account of the intrigues, scandals and
secrets that all played into the making of one of the most famous figures in
all of history, Catherine the Great. I am
historically-challenged, so I know virtually nothing about Catherine the Great,
so, as much as it shames me to admit, I don’t know really how the book is going
to end. What is keeping me interested is
the deviousness of some of the characters, especially Empress Elizabeth, and
the nasty, underhanded ways she behaves towards Catherine. I suspect that, in the end, Elizabeth’s plan
will backfire and, rather than getting rid of Catherine, her actions will help
her to become an even stronger woman and a better leader of the Russian
people. Told from the point of view of
her attendant/maid and only real friend, Barbara, or Varvara, this novel
chronicles the transformation of playful Prussian teenaged
princess Sophie to one of the most powerful women in Russian history. It is an intense mystery, a gripping drama,
and an exploration into one woman’s struggle to overcome her oppressors, and
Stachniak hardly ever describes what the women were wearing or what the
ballroom looked like. For that, she gets
two thumbs up from me. I will talk about
this book more next week, after my book group meets to discuss it, but I had to
tell you about it today, since it is such an awesome book. If you haven’t read it yet, run, don’t walk,
to your nearest public library and check out a copy of The Winter Palace
– you won’t be disappointed!
I’m
also listening to an excellent audiobook right now, Hanging Hill by Mo
Hayder, a British mystery about the brutal murder a young girl near a canal in Bath, and the search for her killer. I’m
loving it, but will tell you more when I’ve finished.
WOW,
today’s post was quite a teaser. I don’t
usually write about books I haven’t finished, but that’s all I had to work with
today. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Bye
for now…
Julie
Julie
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