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    Enchantments: A Novel
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    Enchantments: A Novel
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    Enchantments: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Enchantments: A Novel

    Written by Kathryn Harrison

    Narrated by Julia Emelin and Rustam Kasymov

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

    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 Rasputin's miraculous healing powers, Tsarina Alexandra asks her to tend to Aloysha, who suffers from hemophilia, a blood disease that keeps the boy confined to his sickbed, lest a simple scrape or bump prove fatal.

    Two months after Masha arrives at the palace, the tsar is forced to abdicate, and Bolsheviks place the royal family under house arrest. As Russia descends into civil war, Masha and Alyosha grieve the loss of their former lives, finding solace in each other's company. To escape the confinement of the palace, they tell stories-some embellished and some entirely imagined-about Nikolay and Alexandra's courtship, Rasputin's many exploits, and the wild and wonderful country on the brink of an irrevocable transformation. In the worlds of their imagination, the weak become strong, legend becomes fact, and a future that will never come to pass feels close at hand.

    Mesmerizing, haunting, and told in Kathryn Harrison's signature crystalline prose, Enchantments is a love story about two people who come together as everything around them is falling apart.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMar 6, 2012
    ISBN9780307969699
    Unavailable
    Enchantments: A Novel
    Author

    Kathryn Harrison

    Kathryn Harrison is the author of the novels ‘The Binding Chair’, ‘Exposure’, ‘A Thousand Orange Trees’ and ‘Envy’, as well as two volumes of memoirs, ‘The Kiss’ and ‘Seeking Rapture’, all available from Fourth Estate. She lives in New York with her husband, the novelist Colin Harrison, and their children.

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    Reviews for Enchantments

    3.5/5

    111 ratings35 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was one of those books that I wanted badly and then didn't read for about a year. I would pick it up and then put it back because I wasn't sure if I would like it. I love history, but I am not really at all familiar with the Romanov's. Unless you count the Anastasia movie from the 90s with Meg Ryan as the voice of Anastasia, which I am super sure is not at all historically acurate. Bats, after all, don't really talk.And it they do someone better tell me.So back to what I was saying. I wasn't sure if I would be captivated by the book. And I was so wrong. I fell in love with Alyosha, the heir to the throne, who suffered from hemophilia. And Masha, one of Rasputin's daughters who basically becomes Alyosha's companion after her father is killed. Their relationship was beautiful. They have an obvious connection in the book that was so sweet but also heart wrenching because, well, we all know what happened in real life to the Romanov's. I loved Alyosha in this book. He was constantly sick, but he was very strong on the inside. I think he guessed what was going to happen to his family before the rest of them. As for historical aspects, I really can't say how accurate certain parts were because I no pretty much nothing about this part of Russian history. But the book was written so well that I was ready to believe that this was a real story, which says something about the writing.This was a wonderful, enchanting book about innocent love. I was left pondering for days afterward what would have blossomed between Masha and Alyosha had history been different. I definitely recommend this one.
    • 5/5
      This tale of Russia at the point of revolution is written in magical prose. The background is the fall of the Romanovs but the forefront is the story of Rasputin's daughter, Masha. She and her sister were sent to live with the famous family after her father's body was found in the Neva River. Her father had foreseen his death and her future but he would only tell her so much of it.Masha is brought to the royal household in the hopes that she would be able to help the young tsarevich as Rasputin had. It was not known at the time but he had hemophilia. Masha does not have her father's abilities but she does have a way with words so she keeps him calm with stories; some real, some imagined. The book moves back and forth in time and some knowledge of the time period and the history of the Romanovs is helpful as you weave through the tale. The book is about Masha though, not the famous family and it was fascinating to follow the life of this woman I knew nothing about as she created a life outside of Russia after the revolution.Ms. Harrison has a way with writing that is most magical.
    • 4/5
      I have ancestors that lived the life written about in so many Russian Novels and history books. I have always been intrigued by the Romanovs and their stories. Enchantments gave me another point of reference into their lives and those around them. Very well written with compassion for a family that was not always understood. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read other stories from Kathryn that take us inside this cursed family.
      Thank you Kathryn.


      I received this book free through a Goodreads giveaway.
    • 4/5
      I've just spent a day in Tsarist Russia, with the daughter of the infamous Rasputin and the family of Tsar Nicolay. Enchantments is one of those perfect historical novels that inserts fascinating facts into a hypothesized storyline in such a way that you go merrily along, not questioning, just enjoying.

      I had picked up the book as part of my course requirements for "Reading Fiction" for the Gotham Writers Workshop. I had to gulp it back as the library wants it back tomorrow, so it gave me an excuse to immerse myself and I was glad I did.

      Well worth a read.
    • 3/5
      I've read several versions of Rasputins life and death, as well as the fall of the Romanoff family. This book didn't provide much new, except for the old Russian tales mixed in throughout the book. Stopped partway through.
    • 4/5
      I like historical fiction and love the era of the Romanovs. This takes place after the death of the enigmatic Rasputin, who has left 2 daughters behind. Masha, the oldest is the hope for the young hemophiliac prince, Alyosha, but she does not possess the powers of her father, but she is a wonderful storyteller. She and Alyosha develop a bond as she tells him mostly made up stories about the palace. It is well-written in a magical type way, it is enchanting like the title. If compared to the historical fiction of Hillary Mantel, it is lacking but it is a step up from a Philippa Gregory HF novel. I think if just read as a novel, it holds up better. My favorite way to learn about history is through fiction but that doesn't mean everything in here is true. You will have to look facts yourself. But it is a different look at a fascinating time period.
    • 4/5
      Rasputin is a name to which history has not been particularly kind: the Mad Monk, sexually rapacious charlatan, filthy heretic, villain, predatory opportunist who was amongst the major reasons for the overthrow of the last tsar of Russia. It is hard to tease out the man from the myth, a myth written by the historical victors and Kathryn Harrison, in her newest novel, Enchantments, doesn't really try to dispell or reinforce the popular view of the public Rasputin. Instead she comes at him obliquely, through the eyes of his daughter. And what of Rasputin's eldest daughter? Maria Rasputin was only 18 when her father was murdered and she and her younger sister were taken under the protection of the Romanovs. These two girls lived with the royal family during their final days in power and in the early days of their captivity and house arrest. Although the tsarina has hopes that Maria (Masha) has inherited her father's healing ability, the power to ease and stop Alexei's hemophilia, she hasn't. What Masha does have, through her growing friendship with Alexei (Alyosha) and life with the Romanovs, is an insider's view of the end of a reign, a daughter's understanding of her father, and a very personal connection to the flesh and blood people up against the execution wall of history. Told many years after the Revolution, Masha looks back on her past, her father, and her friendship with Alyosha Romanov, recounting that pivotal year she lost her much beloved father and half fell in love with the tsarevich, entertaining him with her fantastical stories, distracting him from both his pain and the simmering knowledge that he and his family were living under a death sentence. Masha spends many hours with the tsarevich recounting Russian history, his family's personal history, and her father's life. She tells of Rasputin's early life and how he became known as the mystical healer upon whom the Tsarina latched to save her precious son. She doesn't gloss over the way he accepted sexual favors as his due nor over the way he put his position above the daughters who loved him so well and his succumbing to the worldly temptations of the capital but she shows him as a more balanced man, holy and gifted and feared and martyred in equal measure. She creates a picture of Grigory Rasputin that does not often jibe with other, perhaps admittedly, biased accounts. But her own father's reputation and life is not all she speaks of with Alyosha. Masha creates fantastical tales of his parents' courtship and love match. She recounts the madcap celebration of Tsar Nikolay's coronation and the tragedy in its wake. She draws intimate pictures of both the Tsar and Tsarina, capturing their humanity far beyond them as symbols of the monarchy. And the tsarevich listens enthralled, always wanting more, learning to see through the imagination and eyes of Masha. As she acts as his Sheherazade, the two, Masha and Alyosha, bcome extraordinarily close companions and confidantes. Alyosha feels comfortable enough with Masha to try to explore his new and budding sexuality with her although the majority of their interactions are centered around the stories Masha tells, almost folkloric in feel. While the end of the Romanov tale is in no doubt, Harrison has done a beautiful job with the pacing of this non-linear novel, keeping the tension high as they move inexorably toward their date with destiny. The novel is a seamless blend of history and fiction, with the latter bringing the real life characters into clearer focus, giving them inner lives, desires, and pressures. Her use of Masha as a story-teller to educate Alexei (and the reader) on the history behind his birthright is well done and believable even when she tells of the most fantastical events and happenings. There is a sense of inevitability and yet the small dogged desperation of hope woven throughout the novel. Although the story continues with Masha's life outside of Russia and touches on the almost unbelievable path she trod as a performer, once her connection to the Romanov family is gone, the story is somehow less captivating. The major interest here is her complicated relationship with the doomed tsarevich rather than her life post-Revolution. Harrison has drawn a magnificent picture of a Russia in turmoil and the preternaturally calm patch of it that the royal family tried to maintain as the noose tightened around them. The writing is magical and fanastical evoking place and character beautifully and the reading was smooth and satisfying. Historical fiction fans, especially those enchanted by the doomed beauty of the last of the Romanovs, will enjoy this novel very much.
    • 4/5
      You may not know Matryona Grigorievna by her first two names, but you will recognize her last, infamous name: Rasputina. The daughter of either Russia's most famous eccentric and healer or her most prolific sham, depending on who is asked, Masha's unique and by turns sad, very strange and moving story of life after her father's abrupt (and excessively violent) murder is a sure-to-please strong-female-character-powered novel. Enchantments was exactly what I wanted from another Russian historical fiction set about the same time (The Last Romanov) and didn't get: a fresh, compelling point of view, set during a popular and dangerous time period (the fall of the Romanov dynasty), a slight hint of romance that doesn't overpower character and/or plot development and (hopefully) amply furnished with enough accuracy to keep the tension high and the audiences interest consistently piqued. Veteran author Kathryn Harrison gracefully executes all these disparate parts to their utmost, with clear and tactile imagery and compelling prose. This is a darker novel in tone, for obvious and unavoidable reasons, but the intensity of the setting, the crackling tension and the characters desperation make for a moderately fast read.I enjoyed almost everything there was to Enchantments. I did find the plot a bit lacking in some extended areas, but this is a novel that is carried by the strength of its cast. Harrison has a dab hand for foreshadowing ("There are those people who cannot be transplanted from one age to the next."), incrementally building up tension, and in setting up crucial, expected scenes without veering into predictability. Though the fate of the Romanov family is well known, Harrison makes their years-long journey to the House of Special Purpose compelling and touching. The unique POV perspective distinguishes this novel, as does the fact that Enchantments is more concerned about tsarevich Alexei's final days than either his brood of sisters or his parents. This is one of those historical fiction novels that makes a reader want to know more about the source material. As a ardent history major and freak, I was already well-versed in a lot of Romanov and Bolshevik Revolution lore, but Harrison's thoroughly developed and rounded versions of these real, flawed people reignited a previous cultural fascination with Russia and her Imperial family - I was Googling away on a vast array of subjects, people and events that had impact on this story.As I intimated earlier, it really is the characters that make The Enchantment so compulsively readable. While Harrison sticks to facts for the bulk of her work, Masha's romantic entanglement with young Alexei provides a light spot in an overwhelming sad life. I appreciate the light hand used for the relationship - it felt natural and right for both characters, while not overpowering the more dramatic and worldly plotlines of the novel. The author also avoids the issue of characterizing Rasputin outside of his role as a doting father - while his life obviously impacts his daughters, Harrison never takes a side in the debate about his role as healer or heretic. Masha, obviously, believes in the power of her mystic father, and her belief is compelling but not convincing. Worshiped by some, reviled by others, but only truly understood by his devoted eldest daughter, Rasputin's magnetic pull is in evidence largely in absentia and its continued affect on Masha's life after his death.To get a bit less positive about the novel, I will say that I found the shifts between the past and the present to be a bit disorientating. The flashbacks themselves are well-timed and chock full of historical detail and data without weighing down the overall plot and increasing intensity. Even when the expected end comes for Alexei, OTMA and the Imperial pair, Masha's dispassionate voice manages to convey her deep sorrow while keeping her emotional distance. I found the last part of the novel — with Masha apart from the Romanovs — lacked the dynamic of the previous chapters. I struggled slightly through the later, introspection-heavy pages devoid of interaction with the other players. But despite those few issues, there isn't much to malign here in Enchantments.The unique, fresh approach of Rasputin's daughter, the finely and intricately drawn backdrop of Imperialist Russia, the wonderfully realized characters all made for a great historical fiction novel. People now tend to view Rasputin with the benefit of hindsight, often confusing the man with whatever he did or did not to to aid the downfall of the Tsars. Kathryn Harrison's Enchantments, through the eyes and ideas of his tale-spinning daughter, is singular in that it shows Russia's Mad Monk as a person, as a dad even, to great effect. Every choice Masha makes is influenced by her father and his desires for her and reading her life story as imagined by this author is a nice piece of historical escapism.
    • 3/5
      I loved this book when I started it. There is a very dreamy, fairy-tale aspect to the writing that was just wonderful to read. The story focuses on the daughter of Rasputin and her relationship with the son of the tsar. The teenagers, Masha and Aloysha tell each other stories about their lives and Russian historical events, mainly to distract Aloysha from pain caused by a chronic disorder. Alas, I was about halfway through this book when I dropped it in the bathtub! I will be purchasing another copy so I can finish the story.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this book. Interesting point of view of the Romanovs from the daughter of Rasputins point of view.
    • 4/5
      SummaryTold from the perspective of Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin's daughter Masha (Maria in real life), Enchantments is the story of her father Rasputin, his murder and the undoing of the Romanov family, including Masha's close relationship with the tsar's only son Aloysha (Alexai in real life). After Rasputin's murder, Masha and her sister go to live at Tsarskoe Selo with the Romanovs in hopes that Masha has inherited at least some semblance of her father's healing powers. Aloysha is a hemophiliac and has grown to depend on Rasputin to overcome his many illnesses, including tremendous pain and suffering throughout his young life. Masha takes her father's place, telling Aloysha stories that she heard from her father, about his life, the life of Aloysha and his parents and the history of their families, spun creatively into cultural stories with fantastic elements and details as well as fact. What I Liked The details - while the details were sometimes hard to read (the assassination, Rasputin's murder, burial, and unburial, Aloysha's bleeding, etc.) they made the story real. I think that's important for a story like this one where a lot of people think they know the story...when they really don't. Another side to Rasputin - I always believed that he was an evil charlatan who was in some way responsible for the deaths of the Romanovs. In short, I accepted the "legend" of Rasputin without question, something I teach my students not to do :( Through Harrison's story I now see that there is another side (as there always is)...to this tragedy. We may never know the exact truth behind Rasputin's relationship with the Romanovs, but it certainly wasn't the clear cut version we've grown to believe. The facts lead me to believe that he was certainly a man who suffered from some kind of mental illness (maybe schizophrenia?) but he was incredibly intelligent at the same time...there usually is a fine line. I will definitely be reading more about this character. A new vision of "monarchy" - we tend to put the monarchy up above the rest of the world...when they are just families...unfortunately, though they are families with greater expectations than the rest of us will ever know...with a country as their child.I realized this when the tsar's supporters reached out to his other family members across the world for political asylum and no one came to their aid for fear of consequences within their own realms. Very sad indeed. The facts - there is enough mixture of fact and fantasy to stir my curiosity to the point of literary/historical obsession as usual...I "need" to find out more. I "need" to tease out what we know from speculation. I also am intrigued by what we don't know and how as time goes on, we are still learning and putting the pieces of the historical puzzle together.What I Didn't LikeThe treatment of the Romanovs while under arrest - I realize this was a revolution, and I realize that the Romanovs were considered prisoners of war...BUT they were a FAMILY...4 young women and a young boy, their mother and father, including some of their most trusted aids. The soldiers who murdered the Romanovs kept detailed records of how they killed the Romanovs...how does a human being walk up to an injured 13 year old boy, put his pistol on the side of his face and shoot twice to finish him off.I know this sounds naive of me, but I just don't understand.The more I learn about the monarchy...no matter which country...the Cinderella story is a lie. The Romanovs looked for places to go...for political asylum...but even their relatives in England, Germany, and other European countries wouldn't/couldn't take them in, probably more for political reasons than anything...as a monarch, the fate of your country and the safety of your subjects is always on your shoulders. If one family must be sacrificed for the whole country, then so be it. Nope, no thanks, not me.The yarns and legends woven into the stories - I think if I had more of a background in Russian literature/history/storytelling, I might have appreciated and understood these more. As the story moved on, I sometimes found myself skimming through some of the more colorful stories Masha told Aloysha (flying carpets and such).The Romanovs were doomed from the beginning...every choice they made seemed to be misconstrued...For example, after their son, the heir to the Russian monarchy (the savior of Russia) was born a hemophiliac, they moved away from the public eye to protect him and keep his sickness as much a secret as possible. A move made to protect their son was falsely interpreted as conceited, and after living away from the city so long, they missed many of the early warning signs of turmoil that might have saved them. As much as I liked this novel, by halfway through I found myself wanting it to be over. I almost think I felt the symbolic cloud (which must have been some form of depression?) that followed Alexandra around. I was trying to explain this to my oldest daughter and she said, "It's sounds like how you feel when you're reading Anne Frank." Yep, exactly.The "romance" between Alyosha and Masha. I don't know if I'd call this a romance or Alyosha trying to lose his virginity. I'm anxious to find out where this part of the story came from.Overall RecommendationAs one who only knew the fairy tale version of this story up to this point, I'm assuming that this is a story for those, like me, who aren't already steeped in Russian history. You certainly need to be a lover of historical fiction for this one as well.
    • 2/5
      I just could not bring myself to like this novel very much. While I initially looked forward to the tale of the Romanov family told through the eyes of Rasputin's daughter, this novel failed to live up to expectations. Fragmented and nonlinear, much of the novel involved the stories told by Matryona Rasputin to Alexei Romanov, the hemophiliac tsarevich. Despite the novel's faults, what really spoiled the story for me was the attraction between the thirteen-year-old Alexei and the eighteen-year-old Matryona. I found the attraction between these characters unrealistic and it nearly made me stop reading the book.
    • 3/5
      I desperately wanted to love this book. The cover, the Romanov's, the tragedy of Russia during this time period - it should all add up to be heart-wrenchingly beautiful.. but it was lacking a bit for me.There's no doubt that Kathryn Harrison is a writer who commands attention - she had to have been otherwise I think I may have put the book down about halfway through. Instead, I persevered, muddling my way through fragments of stories until I reached the end. I think what it boiled down to was there were too many shifts, shifts of perspective/stories/time periods. I understand what Harrison was attempting to do, and give her high marks for taking on such a complicated subject, but I felt as if I was being stretched back and forth repeatedly while reading Enchantments until I was just wrung tight, worn out, and exhausted by merely reading the book.I've read another book about Rasputin's daughter, one by Robert Alexander, and the story was completely different - so I appreciated the perspective put forth in this book (did you know Rasputin's daughter joined a circus? I had no idea!). I think if you are a fan of Russian history, and have a love for stories about the Romanov's, this is a book that will interest you - but I recommend it with a warning: just be prepared to feel like a bit of a patchwork quilt has been read.
    • 2/5
      Couldn't really get into this tale of Rasputin's daughter. The tone was kind of florid and I found it dull. I like books about Russia and I was hoping this would be a good fit but it just didn't work for me.
    • 4/5
      Oh how I loved this book. It was a perfect opportunity to put he stress of the last few weeks aside and to delve into great historical fiction.Told from the perspective of Rasputin's daughter Masha, the reader learns a softer side of Rasputin. Known as the Mad Monk with a libido, a dirty peasant who helped topple the Romanov dynasty, and a starets who influenced Nicholas and Alexandra in their quest to help Alosha their hemophiliac son, Masha paints a broader picture of Rasputin.In this novel we learn that he had three legitimate children, one simple minded, one manipulative, and another compassionate and strong.In this novel, when Rasputin is killed two of his daughters become wards of the Romanovs. Masha becomes the friend of Alosha and as their relationship unfolds, we are privy to the every day lives of the royal family.As the dynasty collapses and Alosha becomes increasingly bed ridden, there is a wonderfully written insight into the lush life filled with palaces, yachts and Fabrege eggs contrasted with the degradation suffered at the hands of the Bolsheviks.Of interest is the fact that in real life, Masha escaped Russia, joined a circus and moved to the United States.The beauty of historical fiction is that it opens doors to research truth from fiction. While Masha visited the royal palace with her father, she did not live with the Romanovs after her father died.
    • 4/5
      In a recent interview, the historian Paul Johnson said that he writes history in order to learn about it. I kept thinking about that statement as I was reading Kathryn Harrison's vivid and engaging new novel, Enchantments, for she must have had to do an enormous amount of research and take it all in to her bones in order to get this book to feel as right as it does. The framework of her story is a familiar one - the last days of Nicholas and Alexandra, their family and immediate circle. That circle included the daughters of the recently assassinated madman/holyman Rasputin, who could heal with one touch of his perpetually unwashed hands, whose sexual conquests were legion, despite his adamant disregard for personal hygiene. The Tsarina, convinced that the "Mad Monk"'s daughters must have inherited his healing powers, insists that they accompany the family to their country home where they are kept under house arrest as Russia descends into political chaos. The story is told from the clear-eyed perspective of the eighteen year old daughter Masha, who, unable to heal the hemophiliac young Tsarovich, can only sit with him and tell him fantastic stories, as the circle draws tighter and the inevitable end looms nearer. Historical fiction can be difficult to pull off, but like Peter Carey or David Mitchell or Hilary Mantel, Harrison here blends history with fiction so thoroughly that we eagerly buy the world she creates for us. Fact never overwhelms story, the story feels utterly rooted in an awful kind of reality. Dialogue, which is often the most difficult trick in the game to pull off, rings true. All of which is to say I loved this book. Don't miss it.
    • 4/5
      If you know anything about the Romanov family, Enchantments is the kind of story that will make you feel. As is the case with all historical fiction dealing with well known royals, we know how this story will end, and it’s not a happy ending. We go on a journey with Masha and Alyosha, both during their time together and after they are separated, which is a fantastical and magical thing to share.I didn’t know that Rasputin had any children, so I was surprised to learn that he actually was a married man with two legitimate daughters and a son. Much of the story concerning Masha is entirely fictional, as I didn’t see any evidence in internet searches that indicate Rasputin’s daughters spent any time with the Romanov family after his death. That being said, I don’t think a lot of people vaguely familiar with Rasputin know about his family, this isn’t something I learned much about in school, so it makes for a great story using a group of people who actually lived.The adventures are all through stories, as we all know now that Alyosha was a hemophiliac and didn’t get much time outdoors in his life. Masha makes up all kinds of stories for him, some using real characters from their lives, such as members of their family, or making up Handsome Alyosha who is able to do all the things the real Alyosha could never do. It really helps you feel like there’s a little bit of light in this otherwise hopeless situation, and does make me a little more sad that this piece is completely fictional.There is a bit of a blossoming romance between Masha and Alyosha, although they’re both so young that it really is only the start of something that could have eventually become more. Unfortunately, we’re working under a limited timeframe given the actual historical events, though I would have loved to see a story using the conspiracy theory that Alyosha did live and perhaps went on to have the life he wanted with Masha.Once Masha and Alyosha part ways, we see the rest of her adulthood unfold, and through other means we learn of some of the last parts of Alyosha’s life. In this book, he doesn’t have any false hope that he or his family will live – which makes me wonder how the real boy handled this portion of his life. Was it easier for him, since he likely knew his life came with an expiration date anyway? Either way, what a horrible way to live.I had a hard time reading the end of the lives of the Romanov family, simply because of the knowledge of their true end. It’s a very emotional book, covering details I didn’t know and making me realize how terrifying these last few months must have been for them. I’m generally a sympathizer with most murdered royals, this family being no exception, and I spent a lot of tears as we got closer and closer to the end. I always wish this could end differently!
    • 3/5
      Enchantments is the story of the last days of the Romanovs, told from the perspective of Masha, the daughter of the late Rasputin, and Aloysha, the young deposed tsar to be. To distract themselves while they are under house arrest, Masha and Aloysha begin trading stories--about the history of the Romanovs, the romance of Aloysha's parents, and the mystical life and death of Rasputin. As Masha and Aloysha tell more stories, they become closer and closer. Sadly, history is not kind to these young adults, but the novel explores how their relationship grows.I found that although the writing is good in Enchantments, I didn't enjoy the structure of the novel. The story jumps around a lot and about midway through the novel I found myself forgetting which narrative I was following and when I was listening to a story and when I was in the novel's "present". Usually flashbacks in novels don't bother me, but the total lack of a linear story really bothered me here. When I sat back and thought about all of the pieces of the novel and how they fit together I enjoyed the story as a whole, but the presentation really threw me off. I also found the characters in the present to be a bit flat, since they are all essentially waiting for their fate. I know the author likely assumed everyone knew what happened to her characters, but it still made the story less interesting to me as a reader. This novel may be worth checking out if you are a fan of the Romanovs.
    • 3/5
      Enchantments is a fictional (but based on true events) account of Masha, Rasputin's daughter, and the role she played in the last days of the Romanovs. After the death of her father, Masha is taken to live with the last Tsar's family as they are under house arrest. Through her, we get to know the good and the bad about Russia's royal family and the tribulations of their last year. Unable to heal through thought like her father, Masha does what she can for the hemophiliac Alexei - she tells tales like Scheherazade to distract him through his pain. And like the princess from The Arabian Nights, Masha tells her stories to stave off their inevitable death. The tales she tells to the young prince give us a rich story of her father, the Mad Monk, the dissolute Russian aristocracy, the love between the last Tsar and his wife Tatiana, and descriptions of St. Petersburg.Unlike some novelists, who might approach this kind of tale as a series of short stories cobbled together, Harrison makes her transitions smooth - the reader is unaware of the move between tales, and sections of Masha with Alexei are seamless and rich. Masha makes the royal family likable, pitiable. Her descriptions of her father humanize him, make him understandable, if not sympathetic. The sections following Masha's life after her time with the royal family are more abrupt, a bit rough. The chronology shifts back and forth between her future and Alexei's final days. I must say, I preferred Masha's account of Russia more than her future in Paris and America. Once she leaves the royal family, the tone of the novel shifts enough to make it feel as though one were reading another book altogether.The author fuses the sublime with the earthly quite effortlessly. It's as easy to see Rasputin conversing with the Virgin Mary in the woods as it is to see him bedding half of Russia's female aristocracy after his brushes with the divine. Masha's tales do not exclude the brutal or the sexual elements that would have been present - in short, she is not just telling fairy tales to her young prince. Her characterizations present all sides of various characters in her repertoire, and Harrison must be given credit for making all of these lofty and distant historical figures seem immediate and human. Their deaths were poignant, and I found myself hoping against history that some kind of deliverance would come to them.The only fault I have with this novel is its lack of teleology. Never while reading the novel did I feel like I were being taken on a journey with a fixed end. The stories that ran together so smoothly seemed without purpose. This may not bother other readers - perhaps I'm too goal-oriented with my fiction. If you're looking for a pleasant novel with lovely, descriptive prose to fill an evening, this may be what you're looking for. The scenes of Russia at the turn of the century are worth the read, but overall the book lacked that special something to really get me involved.
    • 4/5
      Masha Rasputin, and her younger sister Varya, became the wards of deposed Tsar Nickolay Romanov in 1917 shortly after her father’s mutilated body is pulled from the river. The daughter of Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin, known better as the Mad Monk Rasputin, she understands the only safe place for them is with the tsar and his family even though she would rather leave St. Petersburg to be with her mother back in Siberia. Masha and Varya leave for the imperial palace and soon find themselves under arrest with the royal family.Hoping that Masha has inherited some of her father’s mythical healing powers, Tsarina Alexandra asks Masha to attend her son Alyosha, the tsarevich and next in line to carry on the Romanov dynasty. Sick since birth --- his hemophilia is unspoken of and he is never seen in public unless healthy --- Alyosha suffers from extreme loneliness and is burdened with the knowledge that he will die earlier than expected. Terrified of the slightest bump causing unseen, and unstoppable bleeding, the tsarina prays constantly for his health and will do anything she can to keep him safe, including bringing in Rasputin to heal him when necessary. While she never directly says it, she wants the same thing from Masha, who knows she cannot provide the same reassurance, or healing powers, the tsarina is looking for.What Masha can do is tell stories and she spends her days with Alyosha telling him about her family, every detail of her father’s life, their home in Siberia, her love of horses, and they discuss what they would do if they were to escape. Alyosha knows their lives will end but doesn’t speak of this to anyone but Masha who fears he may be correct but doesn’t want to believe too strongly in his convictions. Their stories and time together become an escape, not only the loneliness they both suffer from, but from daily reminders of what little life holds for them at the moment.If you know anything about the Romonovs, it’s a sad time for this once powerful family. The tsar no longer holds any power and the tsarina has lost herself in her religion spending her days praying for the safety of her son almost oblivious to the fact there is nothing left of their former life. The four Romanov daughters are not spoken of much but are mostly just background players filling out the tableau of characters. It’s all about Masha and Alyosha and the stories she’s telling him --- her own form of healing therapy. While she doesn’t have the healing powers of her father, she can distract Alyosha and take him away from the horror that has become their lives.Each chapter in this book is a small story tied together by the people involved. 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. No, things won’t tie up nice and neat but you will get the thread of story as if someone were telling you about their time with a dear friend and what they spoke about and did during their time together. It’s also a very sweet love story of two teenagers who know they have no future together but spend each day trying to forget what they can’t change. They’re in an untenable situation but they manage to seek out the only the joy they can find.This book is aptly named. The story, while in no way linear, is a tale of love and hardship that spans years. Harrison doesn’t ignore the ghost of death hanging over everyone but manages to make the situation one of hope and a life dreamed of outside of palace walls.
    • 4/5
      Enchantments is the fictionalized account of the time following the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas and the subsequent imprisonment of his family. It is narrated by Masha ,the eldest daughter of Rasputin. Masha did not, in reality, go to Tsarskoe Selo under the guardianship of the Romanovs following her father’s death. However, the author takes a bit of license with history and sends her to Tsarskoe Selo for the purpose of the story; those who prefer their historical fiction to be unfailingly accurate may take issue with this. Those who are comfortable with taking a bit of liberty with history, may see how Masha’s being placed with the royal family allows a unique window into their world, after their fall, from an outsider’s perspective. Masha is tasked, as was her father, with the care of young Alyosha, and although she does not have her father’s gift for healing, she does have a gift for story. Russian folklore, and the history of Nicholas and Alexandra, are brought to life in the stories Masha tells the young prince Alyosha during their imprisonment together. The stories are larger than life, and clearly enhanced by Masha’s imagination, but they provide comfort and distraction to Alyosha, who senses that the family will not survive. As the stories sustain Alyosha, they also show the reader a very human, endearing side of a legendary family. We are privy to the touchingly romantic courtship of Nicholas and Alexandra, the impact of Alyosha’s illness on the family, and the mischievous games shared by family members (who would have thought a royal family made sport of tea tray racing?) The novel gets off to a somewhat slow start, but if you can hang in with it, the writing is beautiful and transports you into another world. From Rasputin’s history, to the steppes of Siberia, to the inner workings of the Romanov family, its scope is wide, but fascinating. I found myself most drawn to the story of the Romanovs, and some of the later parts of the novel focusing solely on Masha felt a bit distracting. The execution of the family, and their experiences in the year leading up to the inevitable, are taken from the pages of history and brought to life as we get to know not just the royal family, but an everyday family, with all their quirks, tragedies, and love. It’s quite moving, and I’m glad I waited out the slow beginning because the payoff was worth it.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to read The Enchantments because I've always liked Kathryn Harrison's work. Her cool, elegant prose combines with her approach to story makes her an interesting, if sometimes difficult, writer. I was curious about how she'd handle the Romanovs through the eyes of Rasputin's daughter. I admittedly know a lot more about the other side of the Russian Revolution so I was curious about the Tsar, his family, and the Rasputin family.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. Rather this is an exploration of history and fact filtered through the eyes of Masha (Rasputin's daughter) and Alyosha (the Tsar's hemophiliac son). More than anything it is a set of fairy tales that serve to impart history, but also to entertain and provide solace during the time that the Tsar's family was held until their execution (if you're on the left wing side of the Revolution) or assassination (if you're on the right wing side of things).Many things led up to the Russian Revolution - perhaps most of all the extreme difference between how those without lived, and how those with lived. In the United States of today it is valuable to understand this political dynamic and its potential consequences.The Enchantments is less concerned about the political and social context within which the Romanovs were removed from power (and from life) than it is with the personalities of the various Romanovs. The possibility that they might have avoided their fate had they been less interested in soldiering (Tsar Nicolai) and extreme religiosity (Tsarina Alexandra) and more concerned with the actual politics and the style of rule required for survival during the 20th century with all its revolutionary fervor. Through her stories Masha illustrates the character of the family - good, bad, and ugly - as she simultaneously allows us to watch a relationship between two young people thrown together in a terrible place not of their own choosing.Harrison is able to humanize characters that I have always thought of as self-indulgent, decadent, and completely disconnected from the harsh reality that their subjects faced daily. I still think the Romanovs are all of those things, but they were other things, too and by concentrating on them as individuals in a family I got a more nuanced sense of them.Harrison has written an evocative and subversive book about the power of story and the ways we can (and do) use it to change our lives. Her tale gives us a window into a well-known story from a unique point of view and this is the novel's great strength.
    • 1/5
      After the death of Masha's father, Rasputin, she is sent to live at the palace with the Tsar and his family. She develops a bond with Prince Alyosha, as she tells him stories and tends to his suffering. Overall, I found this book very hard to read. There was no cohesive time-line and the plot jumped back and forth in a hard to follow manner. It was difficult to really know the characters and I found it hard to become involved in their struggles and tribulations.
    • 4/5
      Summary: 1917 was a turbulent year for Russia. Already deeply enmeshed in World War I, there were problems on the home front as well, as the seeds of revolution began to sprout. On New Year's Day, the body of the "Mad Monk" Rasputin, charismatic healer and confidante of the tsarina, was pulled from the icy river Neva. His daughters, according to his wishes, are placed under the protection of the Romanov royal family. Eighteen-year-old Masha, despite not being gifted with her father's powers, takes his place at the bedside of the young tsarevitch, Alyosha. The heir to the empire, Alyosha is frequently confined to bed with the effects of his hemophilia, and Masha must do what she can to ease his discomfort. She tells him stories, of her parents and his, but even the most enchanting fictions cannot hide the fact that the Romanovs are under house arrest by the Bolsheviks, and that Alyosha may not survive long enough to die from his disease.Review: I was originally interested in this book because I've read relatively little fiction set in Russia, and while I know the barest basics about the Russian Revolution, I was hoping to get the kind of fuller picture that historical fiction so often provides. And on that score, Enchantments half-succeeds. It does an excellent job bringing several key figures to life; Masha's stories are tinged with a heavy dose of magical realism, yet somehow still manage to make her father and the Romanovs feel like real people. Rasputin had a fascinating life, and the portrait of the royal family stoically awaiting what they know to be their end is heartbreaking.Where Enchantments didn't succeed as well as I'd hoped was in providing a larger context for the death of Rasputin and the Russian Revolution more generally. The book is narrated by Masha, so she can perhaps be forgiven for not always knowing the details of what was going on outside the palace walls, but as a reader new to the topic, I could have used a broader perspective.I also felt like the one place the characterization let me down was with Masha herself. She spends so much time telling stories about other people that I never really got to know who she was, in the absence of her famous relations. This was problematic, since a large part of the book seemed to want to be a love story between Masha and Alyosha. But since Masha was mostly a cipher to me, and Alyosha came across as kind of creepily sexually pushy, especially given his young age, I never really felt the romance, and that plotline ended (by the forcible separation of the leads) before it really had a chance to develop.Harrison's writing was lovely, lyrical and injecting just the right amount of magical realism into the proceedings to make it feel special without seeming overdone. I did wish for a more substantial author's note; Harrison does point out that Masha's ultimate fate (as a lion tamer for a circus traveling the United States) is real, but leaves it to the reader to figure out what other changes she'd made. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I like Harrison's style enough that I'd certainly pick up another of her books, but this one left me wanting something that dealt with the time period with a little more depth. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: For fans of historical fiction, especially Russian history, this book is an enjoyable, if not necessarily an essential read.
    • 3/5
      Harrison uses a creative narrative and situation to tell the story of the life and murder of Rasputin as well as the imprisonment and deaths of Nicholas and Alexandra and family. Reading about the tsarina's guilt and anguished pleas for the life and health of her only son shortly after his birth is a vision that will stay with me. Felt the book going back and forth in time and events served as a disconnect in the story and thought it would be easier if it was a linear read. It is however, a beautifully written rendering of the last days of the Russian monarchy and of the life and rise to power of the monk Rasputin.
    • 4/5
      Kathryn Harrison's ENCHANTMENTS tells the story of Masha, the elder daughter of Rasputin, and her experiences following his assassination in 1917 Russia. Both Masha and her younger sister are taken in by Tsar Nicholas and his family, where Masha in particular is expected to take over her father's role as the helper and savior of the young Tsarovitch. Harrison depicts a fascinating world through Masha's eyes, showing readers Russia in the midst of a revolution that forever changed the outlook of the country, poised as it was between the old, traditional world and the start of a more modern one.What I found particularly intriguing about this book is the very real, personal voice Harrison gives to the circumstances. History conveys many stories, both harsh and sympathetic, about this final ruling family of Russia, and of Rasputin himself, who was looked upon as everything from a holy man to a crazed interloper. Harrison takes a far more objective look, despite addressing the history from the viewpoint of a participant. She also makes the period in history feel very real and recent; in many ways it seems similar to modern day struggles between the old ways and new technology.I did find that in some places the shifts between current happenings and Masha's flashbacks were a bit jarring, but that could easily be a case of layout issues--an additional space between paragraphs would clarify a great deal. Overall, the book was engrossing and beautifully written. Harrison's turns of phrase are lyrical and the imagery in vivid and compelling. A very worthwhile and enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Grigory Rasputin has been found dead in a frozen river. His daughters, Masha and Varya, are sent to the tsar's palace to live as wards in the Romanov family. The tsarina believes that Masha has her fathers healing abilities and asks her to stay at her sons bedside when he is ill. Aloysha, the family nickname for the young Hemophiliac, and Masha become close friends as she weaves tales about their families history to help take his mind of the pain of his affliction.Masha is the narrator of the story. She jumps in time as she tells the history of the Russian Bolshevik revolution. We learn about Rasputin's life before he goes the St. Petersburg as well as how Nickolas and Alexandra met, fell in love, and started there family. We also learn about what happens to Masha after the death of the Romanovs.I enjoyed this novel very much. The story of the death of the Russia royal family has fascinated me for years. I researched some of the history on line and the author has taken some literary license, but not much. My only problem with the novel is that the storyline about an infatuation between Aloysha and Masha wasn't really needed. Other than that, I found the novel engaging and I recommend it to anyone interested in Romanov tragedy
    • 4/5
      Set during the fall of Tsar Nicholas II, Grigory Rasputin’s daughter is asked to take over for her father in caring for Tsarevich Alexei. On New Year’s Day, 1917, Grigory Rasputin’s body was pulled from the icy Neva River. After poisoning, shooting, and taking an axe to Rasputin, his assassins finally had to resort to drowning him to finish the job. Afraid that without the “Mad Monk’s” healing powers her son would succumb to his hemophilia, Tsarina Alexandra asks 18 year old Masha Rasputin to take over for her father. Alexandra believes Masha has inherited the gift of healing from her father but Masha is not so sure. Along with her younger sister, Masha is sent into internal exile with the royal family. Though she does not possess the power to heal, Masha does have the gift of storytelling. She uses her stories to distract Alexei from the pain of his injuries, and more importantly, from the cruel destiny that he knows awaits him. As we know the fate of the Romanov family, we also know there can be no happy ending to this story of love and loyalty. We can only feel the impact of their brutal annihilation more keenly. Beautifully written by Harrison who is no stranger to family dysfunction herself, this will appeal to anyone who likes historical fiction that doesn’t pull any punches. I agree with other reviewers that the story does jump around quite a bit, but for me, it did not detract from the story. I
    • 3/5
      This book had a very interesting subject - the life of Rasputin's daugther and her times with the tsarevich and the rest of her life. In some ways, not being knowledgeable of this era, I wondered how much was fact and how much was fiction. The stories of both her early life, her life as an "aide" of sorts to Aloysha, and her later life were interesting. It seemed, however, like some of the stories were more out of place in the way they were presented in the book. Many authors use the "jump around" method of going from past to present, but some of the jumps in this book seemed haphazard. It also started to get a bit boring for me towards the end. We know the typical story, because it's history, so I almost felt as if it were just loose ends wrapping up.
    • 4/5
       Russia, 1917. Mystic Grigory Rasputin, an intimate to the royal family, has been murdered. The country is on the verge of revolution. The historic reign of Tsarist Romanovs is on the cusp of annihilation. It is in this setting that Harrison begins her story, told from the perspective of Rasputin’s daughter, Masha. In Harrison’s imaginings, Masha and her sister, in the wake of their father’s murder, become wards of the Romanovs, and gain an intimate glimpse into the beginnings of the revolution while under house arrest with the Romanov family. Masha develops a friendship with the hemophiliac heir to the Russian throne, Alexei (Alyosha) that gradually develops into an ill-fated romance. While under house arrest, Masha narrates a series of stories to the bedridden Alyosha, in which she takes stories of their lives and fantastically reimagines them, making them sparkle with life and magic. This, during a time when it appears the demise of the Romanovs is imminent. Structurally complex, the book jumps chronologically, alternating between reality and fantasy. Harrison never loses control of the narrative, and the changes of pace become welcome changes in the scenery of the story. Harrison manages to inform the reader of a great deal of Russian history while never straying from the thread of fictional narrative. Her story is a compelling initiation into Russian history. It may be this is a book that appeals more to those who know less of Russian history in the first couple decades of the twentieth century. History purists might take exception to the fictional narrative license. However, I liked this book a lot, and will recommend it to those folks who like historical fiction, and/or are interested in Russian history. It was a nice change of pace and a very palatable introduction to the Romanovs and Rasputin.