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co_reads's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.0
This was simultaneously so good and so long - I think part of that is on me (it was a rough month for trying to focus on something this detailed and involved).
Catherine lived A LIFE - there were truly so many things that the author just mentions in passing as if "oh, then this happens" because two pages on something even wilder occurs. I appreciated the author's attention to detail and his structure of the book. The book is mostly told in chronological order (which helps keep everything straight) but some chapters are devoted to certain subjects where he will examine one topic (like her relationship with her son) that covers a broader time frame. This was a great way to show us how relationships and her political theory evolved over time without having to rehash or refresh the reader on small details from previous chapters.
If you are interested in Catherine the Great, this is a great biography to start with!
Catherine lived A LIFE - there were truly so many things that the author just mentions in passing as if "oh, then this happens" because two pages on something even wilder occurs. I appreciated the author's attention to detail and his structure of the book. The book is mostly told in chronological order (which helps keep everything straight) but some chapters are devoted to certain subjects where he will examine one topic (like her relationship with her son) that covers a broader time frame. This was a great way to show us how relationships and her political theory evolved over time without having to rehash or refresh the reader on small details from previous chapters.
If you are interested in Catherine the Great, this is a great biography to start with!
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, and Death of parent