The decline of Twitter means you're getting my random thoughts about whatever I'm reading

[lizbee]

Currently: Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore.

I'm just a few chapters in, but already annoyed with the author for his whole "Stalin's second wife wanted to be EDUCATED and HAVE A MEANINGFUL CAREER and OPINIONS ABOUT MAYBE NOT STARVING PEASANTS TO DEATH even though she was mentally ill, and she wasn't even a good mother even though I said a few pages ago that she was best suited to the role of mother and housewife!" routine.

He's like, "I'm not saying that Nadezhda Sergeyevna's suicide triggered the Terror, but I'm not NOT saying it, and wouldn't it be great if we could blame it on a woman? Eh? EH?"

Basically a book I wish I had gotten from the library instead of buying -- but alas, not a single library I belong to holds it.

Comments

[muccamukk]

Well, if it's yours, you can have the pleasure of throwing it in the nearest body of water.

Unless it's an e-book, in which case probably don't do that.

Did you read the bio of Stalin's daughter? I thought that was interesting.

[sugar_fey]

Oh wow, YIKES. I have some of Montefiore's books sitting on my shelves, kinda glad I haven't read them now.

[sabotabby]

Ooof. I've read something by him that was also about the USSR, and I vaguely remember it being underwhelming.

[genarti]

Every time I see a short post on DW it delights me -- long posts delight me too, but short ones feel like a revival of the old LJ tradition of posts not needing to be long or deeply thought out, and it pleases me -- so I'm very happy to get random thoughts about whatever you're reading!

This book does, however, sound deeply annoying, ugh.

[lizbee]

Unless it's an e-book, in which case probably don't do that.

Sadly it's an ebook, so I'm settling for sending Silent Bad Vibes.

Did you read the bio of Stalin's daughter? I thought that was interesting.

No, but it's on my radar. I saw there's a new biography of Mussolini's daughter out, too, which looks interesting.

[lizbee]

Yeah, I had always heard he was mostly reliable save for his most recent book. I'm disappointed!

[lizbee]

He's very, "CONTRARY TO STEREOTYPE, Stalin was a WARM AND FRIENDLY MAN", and after a few repetitions I started going, "I know you SAY you're not here to whitewash Stalin, but maybe you could try being less defensive of him?"

[lizbee]

Every time I see a short post on DW it delights me -- long posts delight me too, but short ones feel like a revival of the old LJ tradition of posts not needing to be long or deeply thought out, and it pleases me -- so I'm very happy to get random thoughts about whatever you're reading!

Oh, that is very much a "be careful what you wish for" scenario!

[kerravonsen]

You underestimate yourself.