I feel terrible rating this 1 star, considering this is Alexandre Dumas were talking about here. Maybe more. It was just awful. The story has no point to it, really. The characters feel like cut outs from a history textbook. This entire book feels like it should just be a textbook for someone interested in studying Czarist Russia. In itself I don I feel terrible rating this 1 star, considering this is Alexandre Dumas were talking about here. About 50 pages of the book at the end are manageable.
But the rest just felt like a lesson in history, which I was not interested in. More then half of the book is a non fiction textbook. He, who is well known for his engrossing adventure novels, created really pointless plot and blank character Frenchman freshly arrived to Petersburg indenting to become there fencing teacher just because to give readers tour-like description of Russia in second decade of 19th century.
There is so many talking about famous buildings, streets, parks, canals; stories about various people multiple noblemen, few emperors and empresses, their's favorites and servants ; even descriptions of weather. Yes, those anecdotes are memorable - but some are dull and supposed to be funny, but failed to. For example, main character was not forewarned that in Russia chimney-sweep will visit his house to do his work.
It wasn't commond in France, so he thought that man who came to his house after dark is going to rob him, so he started to struggle him and almost stab with dagger.
Ha, ha. Eventually it's quite amusing fast read, even when humour fails, but it is quite hard to believe it's famous Dumas' work. There are many interesting facts, but you can't be so blind to not see that it's more like guidebook than proper novel. Feb 20, Sara rated it it was amazing Shelves: all-time-favorites , classics. Most Dumas fans don't like this book as much as his others, but I loved it. It tells of a journey through Russia and has some of the most beautiful descriptive passages I've ever read.
Apart from quite vivid and fascinating descriptions of historical - and historic - events, there' s some economics for you. I've made up a list of sums of money paid by Russians on a number of occasions. In fact, 2 lists: one, what commoners paid and earned; two, what nobility paid and.. All rates are for Saint-Petersburg SP if not stated otherwise. The author rented a flat in SP, but he doesn't mention the rate; I imagine it was higher than in Siberia, but the supply in the capital city was quite diverse, so the range might be very wide.
Decembrists officers exiled to Siberia for their participation in the December uprising against the Tsar asked their families to send them RUR per year to ensure modest but respectable living conditions food and lodgings in a small town in Siberia.
Jul 29, Bozhana Petkova-Carrillo rated it really liked it. I liked it a lot. This book is not as adventurous as others books of Dumas, but if you are interested in history, Russian culture and politics of that time centuries it is a good read. Very descriptive with a lot of historical facts of my favorite times of Russian History. Sep 05, James rated it it was ok. An interesting book by Dumas. It catalogues his observations of Russians, Russian Life and the scenery. On one side, this is a wonderful story by Dumas, it is a change of tact from his usual style focusing on the French Royal Family.
However, there were quite a few things that let this book down. Having read many Russian Works, especially by Turgenev and Chekhov whose vivid descriptions of the Russian Countryside brings up many wild and vivid images in your mind. It feels like he has never visited the sights he tried to describe. After reading War and Peace, it was interesting to read in the introduction the French version of the Napoleonic Wars. Jul 03, Monty rated it it was ok. An interesting contemporary travelogue of a French swordsman, who plies his trade in Russia in the period immediately following the death of Catherine the Great.
It is interesting to read the subject's first person account of his experiences with the cities and culture of Russia, with an almost superior cultural attitude of a visiting colonial in a perceived cultural wilderness. Interesting; never more than informative and a bit dull Julia rated it really liked it Jul 28, William D. Watson rated it it was amazing Aug 31, Ysul rated it did not like it Apr 01, Oleksandra rated it really liked it Aug 01, Stephen rated it it was amazing Dec 24, Igor Flysta rated it liked it May 28, Vladimir Eremin rated it really liked it Jan 07, Mihaela Stoyanova rated it it was amazing Aug 14, Christian L Gretschel rated it really liked it Mar 12, Tetiana Romanyuk rated it really liked it Oct 29, Maria-Anna rated it liked it Jul 20, Karl Ivan Farthegn rated it liked it Dec 30, Naico rated it liked it Sep 30, Dasha rated it liked it Feb 12, Vlad Hrabrov rated it really liked it Oct 18, Log in Register.
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My wife is reading the Fencing Master by Alexandre Dumas. Apparently, it contains some info on one of the Saint Petersburg floods of the 19th century. More Images. Joined Feb 6, Messages 5 Reaction score Relating to floods.
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