Enchantments
by Kathryn Harrison
A Novel
- Percentage of approved critics who have given this book a positive review.
Critic Rating
43%
Critic Reviews: 24
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- User rating from iDreamBooks & iTunes
Reader Rating
42%
Reader Ratings: 151
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Synopsis
From Kathryn Harrison, one of America's most admired literary voices, comes a gorgeously written, enthralling novel set in the final days of Russia's Romanov Empire. St. Petersburg, 1917. After Rasputin's body is pulled from the icy waters of the Neva River, his eighteen-year-old daughter, Masha, is sent to live at the imperial palace with Tsar Nikolay and his family-including the headstrong Prince Alyosha. Desperately hoping that Masha has inherited... more
About Kathryn Harrison
- All Critics: 24
- Positive: 12
- Negative: 12
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Los Angeles Times | 25 Mar 2012
Harrison found all the ingredients for a perfect stew.
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The New York Times | 9 Mar 2012
Harrison's narrative tactics deliver this oft-told moment with shocking freshness, and a major part of the job of any historical fiction is fulfilled
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NJ.com | 25 Mar 2012
But while the dream of Romanov survival may be dead, Kathryn Harrison has given us something enduring — the last romantic figure of the era, a whip-cracking circus girl who was once an intimate part of a dying empire.
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USA Today | 11 Mar 2012
This is a static premise, and there is not much momentum in the early stages of the book.
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San Francisco Chronicle | 25 Mar 2012
Despite the tragedy and brutality of this story, Harrison manages to bring an authentic innocence to this often-written-about period of Russian history through the refreshing perspective of Masha.
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Col Reads | 28 Mar 2012
I loved Masha’s voice, but unfortunately the disjointed, asynchronous narrative was not as successful for me.
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Life in Review | 29 Mar 2012
I am merely trying to let readers know that if you prefer a really simple read, then this may not be your type of book.
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Muse In The Fog | 23 Mar 2012
The novel is told solely from Masha's point of view, but there is a bit of time jumping due to her various stories, which does lead to some confusing moments.
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Book Loons
Enchantments is an enchanting tale of the Romanovs' last days from the point of view of Rasputin's daughter and the doomed young tsarevich - it will stay with you long after the last page is turned.
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Book Reporter | 8 Mar 2012
You can’t really think of this book as traditional with a beginning, middle and end, but if you take each chapter as a story of its own, it’s an intriguing book.
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Let Them Read Books | 19 Mar 2012
It's all quite interesting, but her narrative jumps back and forth in time so much, and somewhat randomly, so that the story feels loose and disjointed, and I think it also contributed to my feeling of not really getting to know Masha.
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Stiletto Storytime | 24 Mar 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed the book from both a fictional and historical stand point.
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The Lostent Wife | 15 Mar 2012
I think what it boiled down to was there were too many shifts, shifts of perspective/stories/time periods.
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Dorolerium | 23 Mar 2012
Although this is an emotionally charged one, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, particularly set in Russia during this time.
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Luxury Reading | 12 Mar 2012
Aside from finding this a tedious and boring book, I was disgusted by some very descriptive sexual situations that occurred between Masha and Alyosha.
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BookPage
Much has been written about Rasputin and the Romanovs, but Harrison brings her unique narrative perspective to Enchantments, re-imagining history--and a love story--in a completely new way.
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For Books' Sake | 29 Mar 2012
The Tsar and his family were isolated figures, and there is a lingering unreality about them which Harrison cannot quite penetrate; her surreal, satirical touches are finally weighed down by the simple pathos of her tale.
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Kirkus Reviews | 15 Jan 2012
Harrison’s rococo prose fits her subject matter, but she adds little to Romanov lore while Rasputin’s story, written at arm’s length, never comes to life.
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Books on Beech Wood | 16 Mar 2012
Harrison is skilled at creating a vivid, imaginary world, based on historic fact.
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Chaotic Compendiums | 6 Mar 2012
If you're looking for straight historical fiction that sticks with the accepted facts and agreed upon story, this is not the book for you.
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NPR | 14 Mar 2012
Harrison has evoked a world awash in red; yet her novel, so dependent on her narrator's voice, is disappointingly anemic.
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The Globe and Mail | 6 Sep 2012
In Enchantments, Kathryn Harrison’s beautifully sculpted seventh novel, we meet Rasputin, but only after he is dead.
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The New York Times | 9 Mar 2012
...Kathryn Harrison has given us something enduring — the last romantic figure of the era, a whip-cracking circus girl who was once an intimate part of a dying empire.
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The Guardian | 1 Jun 2012
...an engaging novel that distracts and entertains just as Masha intends her stories to do.
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