What do you think?
Rate this book
King Ludwig II: Reality and Mystery
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 17, 2018
This one is hard to rate. It is made up of three parts (four, really but the middle two function as one unit.)
The first part is a review of Ludwig's public acts by Hans Rall. I found it cryptic, and in many places hard to follow for one not versed in 19th century Bavaria politics. It picked up at the end with a very good description of the king's tragic final days. The second part consisted of a section of pictures and portraits illustrating the king's life and artistic endeavors, followed by an essay "King Ludwig and the Fine Arts," both by Michael Pettet. These bring us closer to the essence of the king's personality. The final part, by Franz Merta, describes the king's sojourns at his various residences and castles and argues persuasively that his peripatetic life was not the result of a chaotic disorganized mind, but rather constituted a carefully planned, rational and disciplined itinerary. The latter two writers consider the "madness" of the king to be merely a false accusation cooked up by enemies, whereas Hans Rall presents the king as one genetically predisposed to schizophrenia, against which he struggled all his life.
The translations are a bit sketchy (especially the first part) and the book would benefit from the attention of a good copy editor. Nevertheless, it well worth reading for any admirer of the "fairy tale" king.
The first part is a review of Ludwig's public acts by Hans Rall. I found it cryptic, and in many places hard to follow for one not versed in 19th century Bavaria politics. It picked up at the end with a very good description of the king's tragic final days. The second part consisted of a section of pictures and portraits illustrating the king's life and artistic endeavors, followed by an essay "King Ludwig and the Fine Arts," both by Michael Pettet. These bring us closer to the essence of the king's personality. The final part, by Franz Merta, describes the king's sojourns at his various residences and castles and argues persuasively that his peripatetic life was not the result of a chaotic disorganized mind, but rather constituted a carefully planned, rational and disciplined itinerary. The latter two writers consider the "madness" of the king to be merely a false accusation cooked up by enemies, whereas Hans Rall presents the king as one genetically predisposed to schizophrenia, against which he struggled all his life.
The translations are a bit sketchy (especially the first part) and the book would benefit from the attention of a good copy editor. Nevertheless, it well worth reading for any admirer of the "fairy tale" king.
Displaying 1 of 1 review