(no subject)

Well, the Catherine the Great biography (technically a dual biography — the title is Elizabeth and Catherine, although the focus is definitely on Catherine) was a mixed bag. The subject matter was ridiculously interesting and full of "wow, you couldn't make this stuff up" moments of intertwining personal and political drama (starting with, "Hey, Sophia Catherine, y'know how it's been a few years and you and your husband still haven't consummated your marriage? Well, we kind of need an heir to the throne. Stability and all that, even if your Prussian fanboy husband isn't so stable himself. So here's a couple of hot guys, you can pick one, get down to it, and bam! Problem solved"). But there was also this really unfortunate tone to the way the book was written. The phrase "feminine urges" was used a lot, although the "deep within her womanly heart" sort of phrases fade out after Catherine takes the throne. Either that or I had learned to block them out by that point. Overall, it was an entertaining, if occasionally problematic, read.