Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Rasputin:
Stranger than any fiction.
Quick synopsis:
The bizarre life of Rasputin and the downfall of the Romanovs.
Fact for Non-History People:
He rarely bathed and smelled AWFUL.
Fact for History Nerds:
Rasputin was actually married and had seven children. This is in addition to being a sex crazed maniac.
My Take on Rasputin:
As I read Rasputin by Antony Beevor, I couldn’t help but laugh at times. It wasn’t a funny laugh, but more like the laugh you let out when you witness something that leaves you incredulous. Beevor is telling the story of Rasputin, but he is also showing just how completely dysfunctional the Russian monarchy was at the time. Did Rasputin help bring down the czar and his family? Absolutely. Would it have fallen without his help? I’d vote probably.
Beevor is one of my go-to authors for anything in Russian history. His Stalingrad book could not have been better. This narrative is different but no less well-done. I have read about Rasputin before, but Beevor provides the most comprehensive picture of the madman. Yes, he was seemingly magical, threatening, and unkempt. Beevor shows all of those sides but doesn’t forget to add the last aspect. He was also fairly ridiculous. He was a drunken name dropper and there were many who immediately saw through him. His escapades would be worthy of laughter except of course for the people hurt along the way.
Millions of people would end up killed, maimed, or lose loved ones because the royal family thought listening to a much maligned and barely literate stranger from Siberia was a great idea. I really appreciate Beevor’s tone in this story. He is still just as scholarly as his other books, but he lets the reader know many of these things are ridiculous on their face. The royal couple were hopelessly lost if not needlessly antagonistic. The author got an audible laugh when he mentioned Rasputin and Empress Alexandra teamed up to choose cabinet ministers, but unfortunately they were horrible judges of character.
Beevor also takes on the legends head-on. He clearly delineates what is made up, what actually happened, and what we can never truly know. Rasputin should be no one’s hero. He was a villain who could convince people of things, but he would just as easily commit a sexual assault and try to ruin lives. However, it doesn’t mean he did all the things ascribed to his name. In the end, Beevor did exactly what I hoped. I learned the true story while being entertained along the way.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Viking Books.)
Verdict:
Superb. Buy it here!
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