Searching For The Emperor

Times Literary Supplement – ‘Not many first novels can be truly unforgettable, but most readers will find that [this book] stays in the mind.’

Observer – ‘The successor to Calvino’

And now, for something completely different! This book is fictional, and delves into the last few days of life of the Romanov family during their imprisonment.

The author tells two stories; one, of the Preobrazhenskii regiment, formed by Peter the Great himself and a special regiment serving the Czar; and two, as I noted, a look at the final days of the Romanovs in Ekaterinburg. What's interesting is not so much the stories themselves, but the way in which the author uses the imagery in both stories. In the case of the Preobrazhenskii regiment, it's really the story of the leader, Prince Ypsilanti, who has heard rumors of strange goings on in St. Petersburg, and probably deep down knows they're true, but refuses to acknowledge them outwardly because he's taking his regiment on one last mission: to save the Czar. I sort of got the feeling that he knew this was the one last mission for his regiment, a mission he feels compelled to make, despite the hardship on himself and his men. On the other side, there's Nicholas II, doing a lot of soul searching about freedom and how once he became the heir to the Romanov throne, he no longer had it. The author really gets inside the head of Nicholas, and just like the commander of the regiment, he knows exactly what the truth is, but has to pretend up to the very last second.

There's also a really find twist at the end of the story that I wasn't expecting, one which I think I liked better than the reality of the situation.

I really enjoyed the mystical sense of the story as well as the power of Pazzi's imagery while telling both stories (which, in a mystical sort of way, come together at the end).

Recommendations: I'd recommend it to people interested in the topic, and to those who just enjoy very good writing in general. Not an easy book to read, and there is a certain part that's kind of HUH? but otherwise, if you're into the Romanov history (like me!) this would be a good read to add to your list. ( )