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After just coming back from a holiday to St Petersburg and a tour of the Yusupov palace, I actually visited the room where Rasputin met his more than sticky end. I was surprised at how little I really knew about the ‘mad monk’, and what I thought I
What is it about?
Exactly as the title suggests it covers the life of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin from his childhood to death. How he rose from humble peasant beginnings to unofficial advisor to one of the most rich & powerful families the world has world has ever seen. Shrouded in myth and secrecy, the author attempts to separate folklore and propaganda from actual events, but as is usual, this is easier said than done and much is still left to the reader to make up their own minds. Nothing is spared here and we learn as much of his varied sexual appetite as we do his political persuasions and thoughts on the times he lived in.
What did I like?
The book is written with a lot of humour, some tongue in cheek, some practically laugh out loud. It appears very well researched and draws upon a number of sources from the actual time period. Frances Welch is definitely a talented writer and manages to pack an awful lot of facts and figures without the book turning into too much of a laborious essay.
What didn’t I like?
When I was walking around the Yusupov palace the guide asked the question whether or not we thought that Rasputin was a ‘Bad’ person, the majority of non Russians in attendance agreed that they thought he was, whereas in contrast the staff at the museum and ‘locals’ thought the opposite. This wasn’t reflected at all throughout the book and I found the views to be very negatively biased, there was plenty to be said against Rasputin but little to display him in even a slightly positive light. I find it quite difficult to believe that a person with so much charisma and influence didn’t have any redeeming qualities. It would have been nice to have seen witness statements from both sides of the coin, I mean Rasputin wasn’t exactly a mass murderer or found guilty of infanticide.
Would I recommend?
I think I would. As I have said this book is more for the person that wants to know a little about a lot, and as a sort of semi brief introduction to the man you can’t go far wrong.
These are only a few examples - the book is rife with this kind of thoughtless and sexist discussion. There is a distinct sexist streak in the entire book - often subtle, but in many cases (as above) glaringly obvious.
I will not recommend this book to anyone, as I find that kind of insensitivity disturbing.
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"Told with humor, intrigue, and a shrewd eye for detail, this riveting short biography sheds much-needed light on the life of nineteenth-century Russian icon Grigory Rasputin. Grigory Rasputin, a Siberian peasant turned mystic and court sage, was as fascinating as he was unfathomable. He played the role of the simple man, eating with his fingers and boasting, 'I don't even know the ABC.' But, as the only person able to relieve the symptoms of hemophilia in the Tsar's heir Alexei, he gained almost hallowed status within the Imperial court. During the last decade of his life, Rasputin and his band of 'little ladies' came to symbolize all that was decadent, corrupt, and remote about the Imperial Family, especially when it was rumored that he was not only shaping Russian policy during the First World War, but also enjoying an intimate relationship with the Empress ... Rasputin's role in the downfall of the tsarist regime is beyond dispute. But who was he really? Prophet or rascal? A 'breath of rank air ... who blew away the cobwebs of the Imperial Palace,' as Beryl Bainbridge put it, or a dangerous deviant? Writing for historical aficionados and curious readers alike, Frances Welch turns her inimitable wry gaze on one of the great mysteries of Russian history."--from publisher's description.… (more)