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kiaraluna's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 | a great big informative gossip session about Rasputin that I began to enjoy after getting past the theatrics of the writing and the feeling of something amiss in the english translation.
monica_r_jae's review against another edition
3.0
A treatment of the mad monk compiled by research into primary archival data. It's worth a read for Russian history junkies such as myself.
hooptron's review against another edition
3.0
I just started this. It was withdrawn from our library and I thought I should give it a shot. I'm kind of fascinated with the Russian revolution, it seems like something that happened a long long time ago but it really wasn't that long ago at all.
The book was fine. It was pretty dense and had a ton of very similar sounding names to keep track of. I don't think I can highly recommend it unless you happen to be really, really into Rasputin.
The book was fine. It was pretty dense and had a ton of very similar sounding names to keep track of. I don't think I can highly recommend it unless you happen to be really, really into Rasputin.
linsey1828's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like this book had a lot of potential, a new perspective on a larger-than-life historical figure but I had two main problems with this book.
The first being how he framed his arguments, often times it seemed like he would completely discount someone's whole testimony because of a small lie, or the exact opposite, and trust the testimony of someone else without giving a clear reason why. I do think he is right to be critical of his sources, but he seemed to jump from one extreme to the other, either completely trustworthy or not at all.
My second issue was his writing style. Often times his writing seems clunky, full of unnecessary details and repetitive foreshadowing. I've noted some standout ones that I think are worth sharing.
When talking about his search for the file itself. " He paused, but I already knew what was next. And he said, '...It's a complete file, an enormous one. And do you know what it's about?' I knew. and he then finished. "It's about Rasputin." (This is after he has spent about 13 pages on his quest for the necessary file) (pg. 19)
This is in the same section. "The birth date of our hero has been a riddle" a few lines later, "As with Hitler and Stalin, all the preceding children died."(pg. 25)
Talking about a girl who wished to meet Rasputin. "She had already experienced a great deal, including cocaine."(pg. 211)
"Let us remember that, and remember it well: he did not eat sweets." (215) He will not let you forget this fact, and brings it up at least two more times later.
"But Our friend was not not only preforming the duties of the tsarina's wise parrot" (pg. 312) what a metaphor
And finally, "Thus did Rasputin pass through each of the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air" (pg. 494)
If you have a deep interest in Rasputin or Russia as a whole in this time period, it's worth considering the read, but if you're someone who just wants a casual read on one of history's most infamous people, this probably is not worth the time.
The first being how he framed his arguments, often times it seemed like he would completely discount someone's whole testimony because of a small lie, or the exact opposite, and trust the testimony of someone else without giving a clear reason why. I do think he is right to be critical of his sources, but he seemed to jump from one extreme to the other, either completely trustworthy or not at all.
My second issue was his writing style. Often times his writing seems clunky, full of unnecessary details and repetitive foreshadowing. I've noted some standout ones that I think are worth sharing.
When talking about his search for the file itself. " He paused, but I already knew what was next. And he said, '...It's a complete file, an enormous one. And do you know what it's about?' I knew. and he then finished. "It's about Rasputin." (This is after he has spent about 13 pages on his quest for the necessary file) (pg. 19)
This is in the same section. "The birth date of our hero has been a riddle" a few lines later, "As with Hitler and Stalin, all the preceding children died."(pg. 25)
Talking about a girl who wished to meet Rasputin. "She had already experienced a great deal, including cocaine."(pg. 211)
"Let us remember that, and remember it well: he did not eat sweets." (215) He will not let you forget this fact, and brings it up at least two more times later.
"But Our friend was not not only preforming the duties of the tsarina's wise parrot" (pg. 312) what a metaphor
And finally, "Thus did Rasputin pass through each of the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air" (pg. 494)
If you have a deep interest in Rasputin or Russia as a whole in this time period, it's worth considering the read, but if you're someone who just wants a casual read on one of history's most infamous people, this probably is not worth the time.
liana's review against another edition
5.0
I think this one may just be the best history book I've read so far. Now, I don't know if that was the case because it is the only one I've read in Greek (my mother tongue), because of Rasputin's unique and intriguing personality or the author's fast-paced writing that resembles a spy book more than a biography or history book. Whatever the case may be, this book had my full attention from the first page to the last, satisfying and answering any and every questions other books about Rasputin may have left unanswered.
allisonsbeautifullife's review against another edition
2.0
For a man who lived a very interesting life this was a boring book. I probably could have done with just the last 3 chapters. The introduction read like a mystery novel so I had high hopes but alas they were quickly dashed. I won't let this book deter me though I'll continue to read about the Romanovs and this interesting period in history.
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