Eva Stachniak
Autor de The Winter Palace
Sobre El Autor
Créditos de la imagen: Eva Stachniak
Series
Obras de Eva Stachniak
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Nombre canónico
- Stachniak, Eva
- Nombre legal
- Stachniak, Ewa
- Fecha de nacimiento
- 1952
- Género
- female
- Nacionalidad
- Poland (birth)
Canada - Lugar de nacimiento
- Wrocław, Poland
- Lugares de residencia
- Montréal, Québec, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Educación
- McGill University
University of Wroclaw, Poland - Ocupaciones
- writer
- Organizaciones
- University of Wrocław, Poland
Radio Canada International
Sheridan College, Ontario, Canada - Premios y honores
- Amazon.com/Books in Canada First Novel Award, 2000
- Biografía breve
- I was born in Wrocław, Poland. I came to Canada in 1981 on an English scholarship to McGill University. In Poland I taught at the English Department of the University of Wrocław . At McGill I defended my doctoral thesis: Positive Philosophy of Exile in Stefan Themerson’s Fiction in 1988. In 1984-86 I worked for Radio Canada International, the Polish Section, in Montreal, writing and producing radio programs about Canada. In 1988 I joined the faculty of Sheridan College where I taught English and humanities courses until 2007. My first short story, "Marble Heroes," was published by the Antigonish Review in 1994, and my debut novel, Necessary Lies , won the Amazon.com/Books in CanadaFirst Novel Award in 2000.
I live in Toronto.
Miembros
Reseñas
The Winter Palace por Eva Stachniak
2.5 stars. For my taste it was too long and too little about Catherine herself.
Captivating historical fiction set in eighteenth-century Versailles and Paris during the decades before, during, and after the French Revolution. The researched details about palace life in the years of Louis XV, including among those who were in service to the crown, the innovations in midwifery by Madame du Coudray, and the madness of the Revolution and its fallout breathe life into this moment in time. It is difficult to confront what was factually true -- the child rape and human trafficking -- central to the first part of the novel, in which we meet fourteen-year-old Veronique Roux, one of the "little birds" plucked from poverty to be shined up for their benefactor, who they believe to be a Polish count but is in fact Louis XV. And when she inevitably gets pregnant, she is sent away to give birth and then to be married off to a wealthy merchant, but her daughter, Marie-Louise, is taken from her at birth. The remainder of the novel is focused on Marie-Louise, who eventually comes to live with a midwife, Aunt Margot, who was trained by Madame du Coudray and who passes on her knowledge to many, including Marie-Louise. I found the character of her husband, Pierre Vernault, a bit flat, but others were fleshed out beautifully.… (más)
Many other reviewers have summarized this book, so I’ll focus my review elsewhere. This story of the time of the French Revolution is expertly woven around the lives of women who survived throughout it. The women, disadvantaged and advantaged by turns, struggle onwards, gain skills and lose sponsors, are sexually abused (warning, though this is handled quite carefully and though repugnant, was indeed a fact of the time and so appropriate to include), and take mastery.
I particularly enjoyed the fact based plot of the midwives, their training and respectful treatment.
The revolution itself is well-described, the feeling of unease, the shortages, the men shouting hate, the women spreading poisonous gossip. It didn’t seem to have worked out well for anyone. For this reason I recommend this book to US readers who might think revolution is a glorious thing, especially in the current political climate. Be careful what you wish for.
A rewarding read. I’m looking forward to meeting the author.… (más)
I particularly enjoyed the fact based plot of the midwives, their training and respectful treatment.
The revolution itself is well-described, the feeling of unease, the shortages, the men shouting hate, the women spreading poisonous gossip. It didn’t seem to have worked out well for anyone. For this reason I recommend this book to US readers who might think revolution is a glorious thing, especially in the current political climate. Be careful what you wish for.
A rewarding read. I’m looking forward to meeting the author.… (más)
Eva Stachniak is giving a session at this fall’s Kingston WritersFest and I hadn’t read anything by her so off I trotted to the library to pick up this book. I’m glad I did- I’ve spent the past two days wrapped up in tales of imperial intrigue in Catherine the great’s ascent in Russia.
Historical fiction can drag as the reader is brought into the necessary details of the time, but this story is told through the eyes of a bookbinder’s daughter and as such is immediately relatable. She becomes a palace spy and her acute reports of activities at court and the beliefs and iconography of that time make the story rich.
As the time comes up to the death of the Empress, the tale takes on a thriller-like pace. Threads of loyalty are stretched, secrets revealed, danger abounds. It all makes for a fun read.
As a Canadian, well familiar with winter scenery, it was good to read about the prettiness of Russian winters - often winter is described as hellish but in this book the beauty becomes part of the character of the book. Stachniak includes descriptions of smells and tastes and the feel of fabrics so well you can imagine yourself at court.
Enjoyable, evocative, and intriguing as well.… (más)
Historical fiction can drag as the reader is brought into the necessary details of the time, but this story is told through the eyes of a bookbinder’s daughter and as such is immediately relatable. She becomes a palace spy and her acute reports of activities at court and the beliefs and iconography of that time make the story rich.
As the time comes up to the death of the Empress, the tale takes on a thriller-like pace. Threads of loyalty are stretched, secrets revealed, danger abounds. It all makes for a fun read.
As a Canadian, well familiar with winter scenery, it was good to read about the prettiness of Russian winters - often winter is described as hellish but in this book the beauty becomes part of the character of the book. Stachniak includes descriptions of smells and tastes and the feel of fabrics so well you can imagine yourself at court.
Enjoyable, evocative, and intriguing as well.… (más)
Listas
Eastern Europe (1)
al.vick-series (1)
Premios
También Puede Gustarte
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 7
- Miembros
- 1,337
- Popularidad
- #19,259
- Valoración
- 3.5
- Reseñas
- 117
- ISBNs
- 87
- Idiomas
- 10
- Favorito
- 1
