Rasputin: The Saint Who Sinned

Instead of a book that is only re-telling really what we know or have heard of Rasputin, this is remarkable in its history and life of a very interesting person.

A beautifully written book, the characters in this vivid drama of tsarist Russia under Nicholas II and Alexandra come alive and are fleshed out. Rasputin, in spite of his lechery, drunkeness,and exhibtionism was charming with children, including the hemophiliac tsarevitch Alexis (usually called Alexei) For the first time ever, I felt a twinge of pity for Rasputin. The tsar and tsarina come to life too. Though decent in private, in his public affairs Nicholas was deceitful, vascillating, and jealous and Alexandra was a virago who wore the pants in the family, meddled in public affairs and lead her husband around by an invisible ring in his nose. Together they progressed from one dreadful mistake to the next. They governed Russia with stupidity, isolated as they were from the Russian people.They were almost surreal, tucked away in their sweltering cocoon.This book is superb. It is a page-turner. You will become so immersed in the lives of the Russian people at the turn of the last century that you'll forget where you are. And you will discover that Rasputin, dispite his monstrous faults, is very human.

The biography also ties in the who, what and why for the dissolution of Tsarist Russia. Before this book, I never understood why the communists were so adamant about dismantling the Russian Orthodox Church.

I really enjoyed the in-depth scathing that Rasputin got in this book. It just felt so odd to encounter obscenities. It took an otherwise scholarly work and debased it.

Moynahan's work transports the reader into the very world of Russia of the early 20th century. It was a contrasting time of modern industry, growing revolution, incompetant monarchy, decadent society into which Rasputin came. Moynahan paints an accurate and vivid picture of who Rasputin was: a family man (who would've thunk it), lazy worker, pilgrim, drunkard, self-made khylst, seeker of power, charitable, and loved a good bath, and was not: a monk, sober, money-seeker, or penitent. As for that NY Times Book Reader tart--good for you taking a Community College degree would land you at the Times.