18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 37

[cahn]

More diaries of our favorite 18th-century Prussian diary-keeper have been unearthed and have been synopsized!

January 18th: Blessed be thou to me! Under your light, my Prince Heinrich was born!

Comments

Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - I

[selenak]

Would you rec it? I have the sample on my Kindle, but a) I read very little fiction, b) the reviews on Amazon weren't inspiring, so I haven't actually bought it.

It's workman-like okay, neither bad nor really really good. I think my main problem was that it was written in first person, and it is really hard to pull off first person historical fiction without making the voice too modern. Not to say it can't be done, but this author couldn't. I never really believed Catherine as a late 17th, early 18th century woman. Otoh, I thought she did a credible job with the central relationships, i.e. Catherine/Peter/Alexander Menshikov, slashes intentional, because it was a threesome emotionally, and I do suspect only an eye on the market prevented at some point three ways sex as well. And the Alexeii stuff was incredibly gory and shocking, which, well, history. She also had Peter present Catherine with the head of her lover and making her keep it in her room as punishment, which I think is one of those "maybe? He may have or maybe not, we don't know for sure" things.

Re: Kalckreuth, "he lost his recipe" is one of those things which people are bound to believe you made up if they'd find in a story but which was actually said. BTW, since there's this passage in Henri de Catt's diary (not memoirs) about wanting to punch Kalckreuth (while de Catt is at Heinrich's camp), I choose to believe it was about a similar remark, especially given that one of the most famous passages in Catt's memoirs (and diary) is Fritz telling him he'll kill himself if captured, and that he feels himself especially trusted as the ONLY one to ever hear of such an intention. And then Fritz' brother's boyfriend shows he also knows...

Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - I

[cahn]

and that he feels himself especially trusted as the ONLY one to ever hear of such an intention. And then Fritz' brother's boyfriend shows he also knows...

LOLOLOL. I also want to believe this :D