Behind every great ruler lies a betrayal. Eva Stachniak's novel sweeps readers into the passionate, intimate, and treacherous world of Catherine the Great, revealing Russia's greatest matriarch from her earliest days in court, where the most valuable currency was the secrets of nobility and the most dangerous weapon to wield was ambition.
Two young women, caught in the landscape of shifting allegiances, navigate the treacherous waters of palace intrigue. Barbara is a servant who will become one of Russia's most cunning royal spies. Sophia is a pretty, naive German duchess who will become Catherine the Great. For readers of superb historical fiction, Eva Stachniak captures in glorious detail the opulence of royalty and the perilous loyalties of the Russian court.
“The Winter Palace” is a rich, multi-layered story about an orphan who is taken into service in the court of Peter the Great’s Daughter. The orphan, a teenage Polish girl named Barbara—Varvara Nikolayevna to the Russians—must use her wits and trust her instinct as she weaves her way through the many treacheries of society life. Author Eva Stachniak gives her readers a tale rich in detail and vividly portrayed.
But don’t expect a sentimental romance. This book is about Russia and Catherine the Great, so naturally it’s full of intrigue and extravagance. Varvara is the eyes and ears of Empress Elizabeth and Count Bestuzhev, the Chancellor of Russia, and Catherine’s rumored lover. Bestuzhev trains her in the art of spying, and Varvara, thoroughly creeped out by the Chancellor after he molests her in his rooms, accepts the training as it’s the only way she can see out of her life of servitude. She manages to bond with Empress Elizabeth, and dares to hope her life might change for the better.
Then Princess Sophie of Prussia comes to court for her betrothal to Elizabeth’s nephew and heir to the throne, Grand Duke Peter. After marrying Peter, Sophie becomes Catherine, the Grand Duchess. Varvara is drawn to Catherine, and their relationship grows until Varvara’s loyalty shifts from Elizabeth and the Imperial Court to Catherine, her friend. The plot twists and turns, and the deception and betrayal mounts until we end where history tells us we should. Peter is dead and Catherine sits on the throne.
The brilliance of this novel is not only in the exquisite details Stachniak provides, but also in her ability to carry us away and make a story with an ending that’s already known, fascinating and fresh.
The only issue I had with “The Winter Palace” is that the author included several parts that just weren’t necessary. They leaned too far on the telling side and tended to make this reader drift. The sense of urgency is repeatedly lost, shifting from intrigue to mundane things like the deliveries of fabrics, redecorating the palace, and food. The death of the Empress Elizabeth should have been intense and full of drama, as should the coup that ends with Catherine as Empress. While Stachniak has a gift for detail and an easy style of writing, she doesn’t convey the intrigue, battles, or illicit love affairs with sufficient intensity. The result is far from horrible, but it does lack the pacing necessary to be a page turner.
Although this Varvara’s story, as it’s told in her first person narrative, it is also Catherine’s. However Catherine is a blurry figure that never becomes clear for the reader. On the other hand, Empress Elizabeth practically jumps off the page.
Stachniak’s writing is literary, often poetic, and the melancholy that Varvara and much of Russia is stricken by throughout the story is almost palpable. Despite the issues with pacing and intensity, “The Winter Palace” is one of those books that are perfect for curling up on a cold winter’s day, with your blanket and your coffee close by, and just drifting into the land of royalty, spies, power and betrayals—and food. We can’t forget the food. It’s not a fast read, but it is a gorgeous, lush escape into history, where you might learn a thing or two along the way.
Thursday, 12 Jul 2012 01:10 PM
Another book for my 'must read' list. Thanks for the review - sounds like a good read.
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Monday, 16 Jul 2012 09:27 PM
It was an excellent read. The pacing is slow, but I enjoyed savoring the writing. She has a very enchanting voice.
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