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kranzundkrone's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Eine für die 1980er Jahre sehr gut recherchierte und mit professioneller Interpretation gespickte Biografie einer traurigen und bedauernswerten aber gleichzeitig höchst interessanten Persönlichkeit.
internetnomads's review against another edition
4.0
This was really good but I admit to skipping some of the political and philosophical angles. The structure of this book is unique, in that it doesn't follow the typical chronological line of most biographies. Sisi's life is broken up into categories and examined throughout. She was a fascinating character, contrarian and spoiled. Her life is proof that bucket-loads of money and beauty cannot buy happiness. One senses that her death was a relief for everyone, herself included.
longtimewish's review against another edition
4.0
Las reseñas no exageraban cuando decían que Hamann es extremadamente crítica de Elisabeth.
Recién el año pasado me enteré de la existencia de esta mujer, y como gran parte de las personas que la conocieron en vida, y después - ya sea por películas románticas de su vida, novelas de dudosa exactitud histórica o simplemente se toparon con el espectacular retrato de Winterhalter - me fascinó por completo. Compleja y contradictoria, la Duquesa Elisabeth en Baviera, que se convirtió en la Emperatriz de Austria con tan solo dieciséis años, es posiblemente una de las mujeres de la realeza más interesantes - y trágicas - del siglo XIX. Después de leer datos online, escuchar episodios de podcast y ver ocho producciones distintas del musical (que libertades artísticas menores de lado es una representación bastante fiel e históricamente correcta de Elisabeth, tanto su vida como su personalidad), finalmente leí esta biografía, que es para mucho LA biografía de Sisi.
Disfruté la lectura y aprendí mucho sobre la Emperatriz que desconocía, aunque la insistencia de Hamann de interpretar todas las acciones de Elisabeth de manera negativa (como cuando le reprochó no haber interferido en el matrimonio de Rudolf y Stephanie - con el diario del lunes bajo el brazo es fácil repartir culpas, para mí su deseo de no entrometerse en el matrimonio de su hijo luego de su propia experiencia tiene sentido), resulta un poco abrumador y hasta molesto. Aún así esta biografía vale la pena, la vida de Elisabeth surge completa en toda su complejidad, aún con el claro bias negativo de su autora.
Recién el año pasado me enteré de la existencia de esta mujer, y como gran parte de las personas que la conocieron en vida, y después - ya sea por películas románticas de su vida, novelas de dudosa exactitud histórica o simplemente se toparon con el espectacular retrato de Winterhalter - me fascinó por completo. Compleja y contradictoria, la Duquesa Elisabeth en Baviera, que se convirtió en la Emperatriz de Austria con tan solo dieciséis años, es posiblemente una de las mujeres de la realeza más interesantes - y trágicas - del siglo XIX. Después de leer datos online, escuchar episodios de podcast y ver ocho producciones distintas del musical (que libertades artísticas menores de lado es una representación bastante fiel e históricamente correcta de Elisabeth, tanto su vida como su personalidad), finalmente leí esta biografía, que es para mucho LA biografía de Sisi.
Disfruté la lectura y aprendí mucho sobre la Emperatriz que desconocía, aunque la insistencia de Hamann de interpretar todas las acciones de Elisabeth de manera negativa (como cuando le reprochó no haber interferido en el matrimonio de Rudolf y Stephanie - con el diario del lunes bajo el brazo es fácil repartir culpas, para mí su deseo de no entrometerse en el matrimonio de su hijo luego de su propia experiencia tiene sentido), resulta un poco abrumador y hasta molesto. Aún así esta biografía vale la pena, la vida de Elisabeth surge completa en toda su complejidad, aún con el claro bias negativo de su autora.
midnightbookmusings's review against another edition
sad
4.5
About the biography: Brilliantly written. Easy to follow. While sympathetic, it is also critical of Elisabeth’s many flaws.
The story of Elisabeth is a tragedy, there’s no other way to say it. She was utterly unsuited for life as an Empress and definitely suffered for it. Still, she definitely benefited from her position as the Empress that her melancholy felt at times self-indulgent and hypocritical. I find her dealings with her children, especially Rudolf and Gisela regrettable. Her marriage with Franz Joseph even more tragic. (Those two should really have gotten a divorce, for both their sakes) It was truly a combination of circumstances and character flaws, their personalities could not be more clashing, even opposite attract can’t reconcile that, (from BOTH of them) that their lives grew so miserable. As a biography of Elisabeth, we see more of her flaws and obvious resignation in their marriage in this story. Though honestly, as sympathetic as I find Franz Joseph’s simping and indulgent of his wife , dude cheated on her and underestimated her intelligence, and was evidently a very difficult person to be with.
Tragedy.
The story of Elisabeth is a tragedy, there’s no other way to say it. She was utterly unsuited for life as an Empress and definitely suffered for it. Still, she definitely benefited from her position as the Empress that her melancholy felt at times self-indulgent and hypocritical. I find her dealings with her children, especially Rudolf and Gisela regrettable. Her marriage with Franz Joseph even more tragic. (Those two should really have gotten a divorce, for both their sakes) It was truly a combination of circumstances and character flaws, their personalities could not be more clashing, even opposite attract can’t reconcile that, (from BOTH of them) that their lives grew so miserable. As a biography of Elisabeth, we see more of her flaws and obvious resignation in their marriage in this story. Though honestly, as sympathetic as I find Franz Joseph’s simping and indulgent of his wife , dude cheated on her and underestimated her intelligence, and was evidently a very difficult person to be with.
Tragedy.
obviouslyjudith's review against another edition
4.0
Kind of funny that the person I ended up feeling most sympathy for is Franz Joseph
fiorentinabelga's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Great in depth biography of Sisi, with many quotations from the source material. However, Hamann's biases are glaringly obvious throughout the book, making it a difficult read at times. She also, at multiple points, makes assumptions about Sisi's and other people's thoughts, feelings, intentions and motives without giving any sources that substantiate these conclusions. Recreating the life of an enigmatic person like Sisi is difficult, but when one states mere assumptions about things as personal as inner thoughts as fact without having concrete proof of these claims, it smells more of the projection of the author's own feelings onto a historical character than of fact.
All in all, a good biography to get the facts of Sisi's life and those around her, but take any other "conclusions" about Sisi's mental state, feelings, etc with a large grain of salt.
All in all, a good biography to get the facts of Sisi's life and those around her, but take any other "conclusions" about Sisi's mental state, feelings, etc with a large grain of salt.
bevmoss6's review against another edition
4.0
I loved reading this book while we traveled in Vienna and Bavaria where Princess Elizabeth lived and reigned. The woman was an enigma to her friends, family, and even herself. She had some serious emotional issues and was most likely anorexic, but also lived the life that she wanted, and not the one that others wanted her to live.