The Winter Palace

A Novel of Catherine the Great

By: Eva Stachniak

Narrated by: Beata Pozniak

Length: 18 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Named one of the best books of the year by the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

From award-winning author Eva Stachniak comes this passionate novel that illuminates, as only fiction can, the early life of one of history’s boldest women.

The Winter Palace tells the epic story of Catherine the Great’s improbable rise to power - as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne. Her name is Barbara - in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she’s allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world’s most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen - and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie’s destiny at court is to marry the Empress’s nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears.

What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophie’s confidante - and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power.

With dazzling details and intense drama, Eva Stachniak depicts Varvara’s secret alliance with Catherine as the princess grows into a legend - through an enforced marriage, illicit seductions, and, at last, the shocking coup to assume the throne of all of Russia.

Impeccably researched and magnificently written, The Winter Palace is an irresistible peek through the keyhole of one of history’s grandest tales.

Praise for The Winter Palace:

“A majestic and splendidly written tale of pride, passion, intrigue, and deceit that is brought alive from the first page to the last.” (Rosalind Laker)

“At the same time baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar, The Winter Palace offers a flickering glimpse of history through the gauze of deft entertainment.” (The Washington Post)

“A thrilling point of view.... Readers are treated to a firsthand account of the young princess’s slow ascent to the throne, a path deliciously strewn with discarded lovers and sanguine court intrigues.” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

©2012 Eva Stachniak (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Stachniak’s brilliant, bold historical novel of eighteenth-century Russia is a masterful account of one woman’s progress toward absolute monarchical rule.... This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors don’t have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph.” (Booklist)

Consuming

Would you listen to The Winter Palace again? Why?

I decided to listen to this book for a couple of hours and found myself fighting sleep to continue listening. This novel is very well written and holds your attention throughout..

Which character – as performed by Beata Pozniak – was your favorite?

All of the characters are well developed, making it difficult to have a favorite

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me curious to find out what would happen next.

Any additional comments?

I am enjoying this book immensely.

Very interesting POV, solid historical background

What did you love best about The Winter Palace?

I found it fascinating. A plausible autobiography of a Russian girl from a meager background who becomes a maid and confident to both Empress Elizabeth and Empress Catherine.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Varvara's growth and maturation through stages of survival, hero worship, fascination with political intrigue, friendship in all its various hues through loyalty, betrayal and eventual independence accurately portrayed the arc of a woman's life.

Who was the most memorable character of The Winter Palace and why?

Empress Catherine was an amazing larger-than-life political figure who dominated an era, foreshadowed by the examples that life presented her, her mother and Empress Elizabeth, both of whom embodied the very best and worst in human traits.

loved it

enjoyed the story. worth the credit ..................bravo
also enjoyed the narrator. took a minute to get use to get but she grows on you.

Rich and Entertaining Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Entertaining, especially after you get past the reader's style/accent, which actually works for the Russian character, but takes a bit of letting go of expectations.

What about Beata Pozniak’s performance did you like?

Ultimately, it worked for the story, but her accent took a bit of getting used to.

Well done.

Very well done. I would suggest watching a good documentary or movie of her life first to fill in the cracks.

Great historical novel but annoyed by reader.

Would you listen to The Winter Palace again? Why?

No because as stated above the Russian accent of the reader I found annoying and distracting.

What other book might you compare The Winter Palace to and why?

Can't think of one.

What three words best describe Beata Pozniak’s performance?

Wish reader did not have Russian accent.

Who was the most memorable character of The Winter Palace and why?

Catherine

Any additional comments?

Great story. Might get it to read on Kindle

Long-winded, boring story, awkward narrator

I bought this because my book club was reading it. We all agreed that we thought it was mediocre at best. The plot got lost and there were so many characters, whose names changed frequently because of the Russian culture's way of handling names, and the author's writing style wasn't strong enough to keep it interesting. The ending just ends, like the author just suddenly stopped writing.

The narrator has an awkward way of reading that makes it really, really boring to listen to. She places emphasis on odd places on the sentence, and her accent detracts from the story rather than enhances it. It feels like when I was in high school and we'd go around the room reading, and that one kid who couldn't read very well would have his turn. It was just painfully stilted.

Catherine the Human

Years ago I listened to a book about the life and work of Vincent VanGogh, the narriator was difficult, this is the only book I have listened to where the narriator is almost as draining. But it seems correct - it is the story of Russia - that the narrator sounds Russian. The story explains Catherine's difficult and focused rise to power. Additional checking on Catherine supports the underlieing threads, she really was not a nice person. There is much myth surrounding Catherine, she did not like Voltaire, paintings or cultural adventure those things just fit into the personna she created. Catherine is not the main person in the novel, it is the story of the books narrator. Life in Russia is/was difficult and Catherine the Great underscores just how difficult. The books narrator becomes totally caught up in the power struggle and this is the story of how she got herself out. Interesting, sad and not a book I would recommend.

great historical fiction

I love fiction that takes you into the past, into another place and time, and this did just that. I love that it was not about Catherine the Great herself but someone who was a part of the history. Very interesting.

Got through it

It was a chore but I did finish it. You have to listen at 1.3 or 1.4 because of the narrator. It was much longer than it needed to be At least 20%+ could have been edited out - irrelevant details. It I was curious about Catherine the Great so I perceived