Catherine the Great: Portrait of a
Woman
By Robert K. Massie
Intelligent, ruthless, insatiable: she was the most powerful woman in the world, dragging Russia out
of her medieval stupor and into the modern world'. (http://www.history.co.uk/biographies/catherine-the-great)
- Publisher: Random
House (November 8, 2011)
- Language: English
- Pages:
656
Biography of Robert Massie III
Robert Kinloch Massie III is an American historian, author and Pulitzer
Prize recipient. He has devoted much of his career to studying the House of
Romanov, Russia's royal family from 1613 to 1917. His latest tome about Catherine
the Great is a testament to how getting into the minds of great
leaders of the Russian Empire through years of research results in his penning
a highly readable narrative about Catherine and the path that lead her to be
one of Russia’s most admired rulers. In fact, the book is so well conceived and
written that it is deserving of the Amazon reader’s five star rating. (Information on this biography pulled from Amazon.com/books/Catherinethegreat and Goodreads.com/author/show/20882. Robert K Massie. accessed 14 Nov. 2016)
Summary
The story begins in Germany with Sophia, the 14-year-old daughter of a
prince and an ambitious mother from the powerful Holstein
family. Joanna wanted to elevate her place in society and did so by
brokering her beautiful daughter out for marriage. At the same time,
Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, desired to find a suitable wife for her
persnickety, spoiled son, also named Peter. The mothers made a deal to unite
their offspring and Sophia and Joanna left Germany for Russia where the
marriage took place in 1745 when she was 16-years-old. In the years
between her arrival in Russia and her marriage, Sophia embraced the Eastern
Orthodox Church, learned Russian, and assumed the name
Catherine. Her life with Peter was unfulfilled as he seemed to have
no interest in her as a wife. She eventually entered into a series
of relationships that resulted in her having several children.
The first, Paul, is said to be the only legitimate son of Catherine
(although Massie debates that question based on Catherine’s own diary (although
Massie debates that question based on Catherine’s own diary
admittances). Eventually, Empress Elizabeth dies and her incompetent
son assumes the throne. But, his subjects are unhappy with him and
his lack of ability to rule. During this time, Catherine was sent to live
outside of St. Petersburg. After six months, Peter is forced to abdicate his
power after what Massie suggests is a coup by his military officers. Catherine returns to St. Petersburg and is
made Empress Catherine II. During her 34 year reign she reduced the
power of the clergy, expanded the Empire, successfully thwarted attempts to
overthrow her, and brought art and culture to Russia. She began as a
social reformer, wanting to bring equality and opportunity to all of her
subjects (including the abolishing of serfdom) but her power lied within the support
nobility, so as time went on, she became more conservative. She died
of a stroke in 1796.
When I decided to move to Russia, I made a commitment to read as many
books about Russia as I could - Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Gogol, and my favorite,
Checkov. I had not considered reading histories or biographies until a
friend of mine, one whom had never even visited Russia, suggested Massie's
book. I am glad I took her advice because I loved this book and at
times I couldn’t put it down, often reading well into the
night. Catherine was an exciting character – fearless, yet cautious,
as well as a forward thinker who inherited her mother’s ambition to rule.
She was luckier than her mother, who married a minor Prussian prince. But
because of Joanne, Catherine's marriage placed her on her path to Empress.
Although, as a young girl, she was insecure about her abilities and
hesitant of power at first, she overcame her fears. For instance,
when she was sent for after her husband was removed from the throne because he
was making enemies everywhere and was determined to go to war, she was
terrified. Yet, she hopped on her horse and rode back to St. Petersburg with
the support of the people who had grown to love her because, although she was
German (or Prussian) born, she had fully embraced Russia and its people,
something her husband Peter never did because he hung on to the strings of his
own Prussian upbringing. (His mother, also a daughter of Peter the Great
married a Prussian and raised Peter in Prussia until his aunt, Elizabeth (she
had no children) made him her heir to the throne). She had also
endeared herself to the military, the clergy, and the nobles, powerful forces
in 16th century Russia.
Massie suggests that Catherine was involved in Peter’s undoing in order
to save Russia from his crazy shenanigans. He had also made a
critical error in calling her “Dura!” (fool) in front of four hundred guests
(Part IV, chapter 43), which only succeeded in alienating her from him and
gaining sympathy from the people.
Catherine was well read, highly cultured, and communicated with some of
the greatest minds of her times. She read the writings of the
philosopher Bayle (who wrote against Christian Orthodoxy), Montaigne, one of
the first Renaissance “humanists”, Montesquieu, a great political philosopher
from the era of Enlightenment and Voltaire, a French philosopher and, “an outspoken supporter of social
reform (including the defense of civil liberties, freedom
of religion and free trade - http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_voltaire.html,often seeking his
council through letters and his visits to her in St.
Petersburg. When Voltaire died, she bought his collections of books,
which resided in The Hermitage along with thousands of pieces of art she
acquired during her reign as Empress.
The final chapters of Catherine the Great: Portrait of a
Woman lose some steam, but by the time I got to that part, I was
already a big fan of the Empress. Massie’s book incorporates vivid
details about Catherine and her life, painting a picture of a beautiful,
curious, intelligent, sympathetic and powerful woman, who, because of the
circumstance of her birth and the machinations of ambitious people who
influenced her early life in a time when women were used as bartering tools for
power, not only “did her duty”, but embraced her role with the strength and
passion befitting someone whose legacy is everlasting.
Many themes run through Massie's book, but I think the one that outshines the
rest has to do with embracing any situation presented, even unhappy ones, and
making the most of the situation through commitment, passion, and, ultimately,
belief in oneself. I believe this is the theme because:
In the first chapter, Massie describes Catherine's mother as "an
opportunist" who uses her daughters to gain power. Despite her mother’s obsession to make her
daughter a queen, basically using her to gain position, Catherine embraces her
duty to her mother and her country by marrying someone not of her choosing and
by adopting her new country – its religion, its language, and its culture.
In chapter 12, Catherine has decided that she will learn not only the, "language and the culture of Russian aristocratic society, but also those of the commoners." If she is to be the Queen, she most know everything there is to know about being "Russian".
Catherine's husband, Peter II, rejects her as his wife, but a letter to her mother she states, "That if I am to embrace my position, I must be better than my weak husband, and tend to the duties I am obligated to fulfill."
So, despite all of the problems she faced, Catherine learned quickly, adapted to her new culture, reached out and was accepted by all walks of life, and rose higher in Russian history that even she could imagine. She brought art and culture to Russia as well as extended much of Russia's territory. And the way she is portrayed in the book leaves the reader with the feeling that Catherine deserved the words, the great, following her name.
Short reviews about the book
“Enthralling.”—USA Today
“Gripping.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman has it all: jealous
mothers, indulgent eccentrics, greedy social climbers, intrigue, infidelity,
murder, political coups, sex, war and passion.”—Bookreporter
“Exhaustively researched and dramatically narrated.”—The Boston Globe
“[Robert K. Massie] brings great authority to this sweeping account of
Catherine and her times. . . . a compelling read.”—The Washington Post
“Meticulously, dramatically rendered.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Reads like an epic Russian novel.”—San Antonio Express-News
“Will transport history lovers.”—People
“Massie makes Catherine’s story dramatic and immediate.”—The Kansas City
Star
“Graceful and engrossing.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A biography as captivating as its subject.”—MacLean’s
