Chapter+17+(We+Want+A+Great+Russia)+and+Chapter+18+(The+Romanov+Dynasty)

__ Chapter Seventeen: __ This chapter outlines the obstacles Russia faced in becoming more liberal in the early 20th century. Prime Minister Stolypin’s numerous achievements in this progressive movement make up most of the chapter, especially his successful, if lengthy, implementation of the Duma. After Stolypin’s assassination, new Prime Minister Kokovtsov struggled to live up to the ‘ideal man’ who preceded him, especially as Rasputin’s role within the royal family was becoming increasingly evident (215). Kokovtsov’s inability to stop these attacks in the press cost him his job, as “Rasputin became a political influence in Russia in self-defense” (234). __ Chapter Eighteen: __ As Nicholas II was the last tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Massie uses this chapter as a historical comparison of the glory of past Romanov’s to the apathy and corruption of the family during Nicholas’ reign. Using “towering figures” such as Ivan IV, Peter II and Catherine II, Massie established the Russian people’s love for their tsar never changed (242). Instead, the Romanov’s under Nicholas “had…gone to live in a world of self-interest where little mattered except…personal desire and ambition” (244). ** Analysis:  ** Robert Massie’s novel remains at its core an accessible and clear description of a turbulent time in Russian history. Facts are scattered throughout, chosen more to emphasize a point rather than supply data. For example, Massie mentions “one hundred and thirty million subjects” live in Russia, though spends the rest of the chapter illustrating their everyday lives: “Inside their huts, in an atmosphere thick with the aroma of steaming clothes and boiling tea, the peasants sat around their huge clay stoves…” (3). He instead finds quotations and primary sources more emphatic than numbers. His emotive language and comparison to other historic governments, frequently the British parliament, remain the winning factor in captivating his audience. Though at times, his detailed descriptions, particularly of the aristocratic ladies’ attire, for instance, one woman’s “…chinchilla coat…dress of silver grey taffeta with trimmings of lace… string of superb pearls.. ”, can be wearisome, his simplicity when conveying historical themes makes up for other lack of momentum (246). ** Conclusion:  ** Like the reviews state on the back of the book, Massie’s book is a carefully constructed “tapestry” of this period of Russian history. It services the public interest, or those not overly concerned with hard facts, but is too trying and uninformative of a book for scholarly interest.
 * Summaries: **