Catherine: Inside the Heart and Mind of a Great Monarch

The Volga Flows Forever

by Sigrid Weidenweber

"You look astonishingly pretty," admits Johanna when Sophia steps out of her bedroom dressed in Ulrika's magnificent gown. Sophia is stunned, halting in mid-step. This is rare praise from her cold mother, so she must, indeed, look very good. At Frederick's side during the elaborate court dinner, Sophia shines and sparkles with youth and wit. The monarch is very pleased with his choice. Indeed, he is so enamored with the girl that he opens his purse to outfit mother and daughter, both woefully deficient in material matters appropriate for court life. So begins the transformation of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great of Russia. The personal and professional triumphs and tribulations of this remarkable woman are retold by Sigrid Weidenweber, whose research into the life of Catherine reveals a new perspective on Catherine, from the inside out. Sigrid portrays with heartfeld understanding what it was like to have been such a major European political and military, social and cultural figure during the eighteenth century. WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ... “The admirers of literature and history will welcome this trilogy as a ray of light suddenly invading our age of darkness. Well researched and well written, it gives a unique insight into the tragic and fascinating story of Volga Germans over three centuries. Pasrts of it (such as volume 3) can and should be turned into an excellent movie, too. A reader who prides himself in his knowledge of history will still learn much from this book. A reader of most refined literary taste will still find it difficult to put down. Both will be eagerly waiting for Sigrid's next work.” – Vladimir Bukovsky, Russian political activist and author “With great skill and passion Sigrid Weidenweber unveils an epic and important historical journey, bringing to life the danger, violence, and intrigue of European royalty through the eyes of one of its most prominent and fascinating members.” – Tim Green, New York Times bestselling author “Great nations become great because of great people. Sigrid has combined her research and writing skills to trace the story of one of Russia’s great leaders. Catherine is superb reading about an exciting monarch who changed the course of European history – a real ‘page turner’!” – John Van Diest, Founder, Multnomah Press, & Associate Publisher, Tyndale House Publishers “Sigrid Weidenweber has carefully researched the history of the times, and presented it so colorfully that one would think she was an eyewitness to all the intrigue at the Russian court in the 18th century. It's excellent, engrossing reading!” – Paul L. Maier, Western Michigan University “… a splendid fictional, yet historical romp through the fragile crystal of the eighteenth century.” – Dona Reeves-Marquardt, Texas State University

Genres: Historical Fiction, Russia, Historical, Fiction, Ebooks

533 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sunflower · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Catherine" part of the The Volga Flows, Book One is a historical rich, fictional story that blends detailed political and historical details in a rich, story that captures the story of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great of Russia.

The reader will find themselves swept up into Russia's rich history as one of their well known rulers, Catherine the Great and re-imagining of her transformation from a German princess to a Tsar of Russia.

Detailing the political and personal experiences of a political figure of the eighteenth century, in a very detailed, historical fiction, readers will find themselves, looking with a new perspective into a time of political upheaval and political games.

For those who are looking for light reading, this is not light reading, instead, you will find yourself swept up with learning more about not only political, but military, cultural and even social mores of eighteenth century Russia, so prepare to find yourself, having to spend quality time, absorbing a story that follows the rise of a simple princess to that of a ruler.

"Catherine" was an interesting read and if you get the hardback, you'll find yourself with substantial reading material, so I would suggest, if you can get this via an e-reader, this is the best route to go, but for those with an affinity for historical fiction that definitely get into the deeper aspects of history, "Catherine" is recommended.

[Michelle Stockard Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who visits my blog will immediately know of my admiration for Catherine the Great because of her presence in my slideshow of favorite historical figures at the top of my blog. That being said, I really have not read in depth about Catherine. I know the basics about her achievements and her life, but I have never delved particularly deeply. Then, along comes this wonderful historical novel by Ms. Weidenweber, that, although it is fiction, is so thoroughly researched and informative, I have learned so much more about Catherine. Now, all I want to do is read more about her in the non-fiction arena. Again, historical fiction has fulfilled its most important task, in my opinion...sparking a further interest in a historical topic or figure.

The author has written a long book--well, it showed 853 pages on my Sony Reader--which is why I am so late with this review. It's not a light summer read. It takes some time and attention, but it is well worth it. I'm honestly going to read it again when I'm not in such a time crunch so I can truly appreciate its merits...and believe me, it has many merits. Catherine is the first book in the trilogy, The Volga River Flows Forever, the second and third books being The Volga Germans and From Gulag to Freedom. I really can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Original post at: http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com...

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a work of detail and research. Beautifully handled, it is a story that will sweep you back in time to a Russia where Catherine ruled.
What I enjoyed most about it was the atmosphere. There was a lushness to the story that drew me in immediately. Not only with descriptions, but also with plot elements, layers upon layers of storylines that mold together to form a larger image of the times. It is incredible to see Catherine, a German-born young woman evolve to become one of the most powerful women who’ve ever lived. There are many characters that are well done in these pages, but it is still Catherine who comes out fully developed, completely three-dimensional. She becomes someone we truly begin to know.
This book manages to gather and build an entire life on little information, and while some moments do feel a bit forced, there are so many wonderful scenes that it’s hard to put down. There is a lot of political, and obviously, historical information, so it might not appeal to everyone, but if you’d like to be a fly on the wall during Catherine’s reign, then you’ll find this book, this series really, a delight.

[Misfit]

2/25/12. Kindle freebie today.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but the author had trouble deciding if she was writing a novel or a biography. It would have been much more enjoyable if she had picked one or the other.

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so poorly written I don't know if it's trying to be historical fiction or a biography. It also mixed facts with opinions in a way that makes you wonder what is real and what is the author's imagination. It is mostly written in 3rd person omniscient, but occasionally is told by the perspective of a servant girl. It's also written in present tense, which is strange as well. It seems that the author must have kept a Thesaurus nearby to add in obscure words. There are also grammatical errors and at times words are used incorrectly. Maybe it was poorly translated into English? Maybe it was self-published?

Honestly, I just gave up on it. I couldn't take the grammatical errors, odd language choices, or the strange pseudo-fiction.

However, it has made me interested in reading an actual biography of Catherine the Great, or even a decent historical fiction.

I have included some examples of confusing language within the book:
"Gregory Orlov, tall upon his horse-like centaur..." (Is the character actually riding a centaur?)

"He is devoted to Catherine, is within limitations competent and is, an honest bureaucrat as far as treasurery minister's go." (I don't even know where to start with this sentence...)

"Thereby, he had designated her to be regent until the majority of her son." (I am assuming the author means maturity.)

[S.E. Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating but not an easy read. I agree with several others who said betwixt and between a biography and a novel. that said if it had been a biography I probably wouldn't have read it as it was so long.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of Catherine the Great. It showed why she was a good leader but also the struggles she dealt with.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Second time attacking this one. It suffers from not enough editing, in my opinion.

[Kristina Sebuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out well.

Started out well, but began to be weighed down by repetition of details. I enjoyed the first three quarters of the book, but struggled to finish.

[Verity Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a historical novel. Instead, this seems to be a somewhat fictionalized biography, told (bizarrely and annoyingly) in present tense. It is also long...really, really long, with a lot of names and a lot of missing backstory (I had to resort to Wikipedia for information a number of times). I frequently asked myself why I was still reading this book. The reason: it was compelling--partly as a result of the story being told and partly a result of the telling. It certainly made me appreciate the sheer complexity of Russian history (and the size of the quintessential Russian novel). I'm not sorry I read it. On the other hand, I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone. Surely there are more easily digestible books on the subject.

[Becky Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has clearly done her homework, but the result fell short of my expectations. It is written in a biographical style rather than as historical fiction despite the occasional sprinkling of dialogue and liberal discussion of the characters' thoughts. That is not to say that the book is uninteresting; I did enjoy the historical details. Nonetheless, I did not feel emotionally engaged with the characters which is the standard by which I tend to judge any work of fiction - historical or otherwise.

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a through biography of an amazing woman.
I really enjoyed learning about her early years, how she endured a terrible life and marriage, and her successful coup to become Empress. The book is quite lengthy and detailed and the second half did not interest me as much. I decided not to complete the second half.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book!!!


http://shereads-sheblogs.blogspot.com...

[Michelle Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. I love how it makes her more human with human frailties.

[Edna Rankine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Read

Worthwhile and well written biography of a great woman. Provides added illuminating insights of Russia, Russian history and the country's place in modern history.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not terrible but I'll never finish it. Feels like it drags on and on at points.

[Eileen E Cartwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

Fascinating read. I learned many things I never knew. Catherine is presented more favorably than I had read about her before.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terribly written - one of the only books I have ever stopped part way through

[Pam Moret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good historical fiction yarn about Catherine the Great. Helps better understand Europe and Russia during this period.