There are some people in history, and indeed in modern life, whose stories beg to be told, and to be read. They led such interesting lives, had such trials and tribulations that their lives could almost be a work of fiction. Elisabeth, Sisi, is probably one of those people.Married to an Emperor at a young age, famous for her beauty, notorious for her whims, it would be easy to turn Elisabeth into a real life Disney princess. Indeed, when Sisi’s own poetry, one of the only surviving sources into the Empress’ real mind, compares her world to mythology and fantasy it’s not easy to construct a ‘real’ view of the woman.Brigitte Hamann attempts to do just this, however. I say “attempts” because I question how possible it is for any person to give a full account of another rather than because Hamann falls short. Indeed, Hamann is quite clearly a skilled historian and biographer, balancing sources from various people, times, and political leanings, combining this with Elisabeth’s own poetry to try and form a picture of the Empress’ life, how she preserved her life, and her mental state generally. Hamann herself does not romanticise the story and nor does she emphasise the tragedy of the Empress’ life but she does include quotes from those close to Elisabeth that do just that. Indeed, the inclusion of such quotes strengthen the biography greatly as they are often highly emotive and add a human aspect as well as helping to provide a more rounded view.The structure of this book also worked well for me. It’s split into themed sections around different aspects of her life. These sections are arranged as to be vaguely chronological but this order is not strict by any stretch of the imagination. I do feel that the ‘sectioning’ approach works well as it means that one can get a deeper insight into themes within the Empress’ life without losing track. However, it is quite easy to get lost as to when things are happening which can lead to some confusion, if you’re not careful. This layout could also mean that there are possible difficulties in forming a causal view of Sisi’s life as one cannot easily look at it as a developing sequence of events. This is the only possible complaint I have of the novel, personally, and it is very minor.As for the writing style itself, I read this book in the English translation by Ruth Hein. Although I haven’t read the original German (choosing to take the easy route for once!), and therefore am unable to compare for exact accuracy and for tone, it is clear that this is a fantastic translation. There are no awkward moments where language jars and there are no moments where it’s obvious that the concept has been lost between English and German, something that can often happen with translations. Hein’s translation is clear and enjoyable therefore I feel she deserves as much praise for the work as its original author!Overall, I think that this biography could be enjoyed by almost anyone due to the unusual nature of Sisi’s life and temperament making it an interesting read even if one had no real prior interest in the Empress. This, combined with the easy to read style, makes it a highly accessible biography which can serve as an introduction to the woman or as a more in depth study, depending upon the reader’s interests and knowledge.
Sebbene non l'abbia ancora finito, il giudizio è fatto. La prosa, pur tendente all'eccessiva ripetizione, è a tratti coinvolgente, anche grazie alle testimonianze tratte da lettere e diari dell'epoca che conferiscono alla narrazione un effetto di vitalità, come se si origliasse a qualche pettegolezzo sussurrato a corte. Quanto ai protagonisti, purtroppo suscitano solo disinteresse quando va bene, avversione quando va male. L'imperatore, Franzi, è il principe di Biancaneve, buono all'inverosimile, devoto ai suoi doveri e alla bella moglie, fa tutto quello che gli dicono di fare (sposati! attacca l'Italia! saluta la delegazione!): spessore zero. Sissi, oh Sissi, invece è semplicemente insopportabile! Non fa la moglie, non fa la madre, non fa l'amante e non fa l'imperatrice! Fa solo la vittima, incolpa tutti e si lamenta di tutto, soprattutto della noia che la vita le impone (incredibile in questo, come non abbia saputo servirsi dei soldi, della posizione e del potere che la vita le ha regalato). Se fa qualcosa lo fa per capriccio o per andar contro l'opinione comune, che si tratti di una gara di equitazione o della promozione di un patto politico. Eterna insoddisfatta, di sè in primis, doveva soffrire di disturbi psicologici mica da ridere, unica attenuante a mille azioni fuori luogo ed egoiste (quando compra la scimmietta e la regala poi allo zoo perchè questa tiene "un comportamento indecoroso davanti alle signore"? e quando fa lo stesso qualche mese dopo con uno schiavo nero, spedito all'ospizio una volta finita la novità?). Diciamocelo, non era tagliata per fare l'imperatrice. Unico personaggio degno, l'arciduchessa Sofia, tradizionalista fino al midollo e all'anacronismo (vaglielo a spiegare il concetto di potere concesso direttamente da Dio ai Quarantottini), inflessibile stacanovista, abile politica, fredda nei rapporti familiari, mette becco ovunque laddove pensi di sapere meglio quale sia la cosa da fare, cioè sempre. Non è passiva come il figlio, nè vuota e capricciosa come la nuora, che comunque tenta di aiutare all'inizio per perdere la speranza col passare del tempo (ovviamente Sissi si lamenterà di ciò, parlando di tentativi di controllo e assoggettamento). Niente a che vedere quindi con il film.
Do You like book The Reluctant Empress (1996)?
The most objectively written biography of Elisabeth that I've found. There's no "the poor little princess burst out in tears and felt her heart pound" descriptions and certainly no added romance nor unneeded bashing Elisabeth, either. The Empress is depicted as a complex woman with good and bad traits, and through Elisabeth's poetry diary you can also hear her own point of view to her life. She was by no means a very symphatetic woman, but she clearly had her reasons for her attitude towards the Viennese high societies and the court ceremonies. Hamann uses a lot of footnotes and though I obviously haven't checked them all, she's clearly basing her biography on facts and tends to find more than one source for everything she writes. The text is also enjoyable to read and definitely not dry. (I've read both the German and the English editions.)
—Laura
Easily one of the best biographies of Elisabeth of Austria as far as I'm concerned.Hamann doesn't gloss over the fact that she was neither happy, nor easy to live with. She tells it all, in an engaging tone, not without sympathy, but still very much matter-of-fact. Coming from the clichés of the Sisi films, this book presents historical facts and paints an image of the actual living conditions. It is a look into Elisabeth's life and times, but there is little conjecture. Hamann uses letters and poems to illustrate her points. It's an honest biography and one that is highly recommended.
—Judith
A really well researched fascinating read on the life of the Empress Sissi. She really was the Princess Diana of her day, as she couldn't stand the formality of the Viennese court. My own take after reading this book is that she suffered from some sort of psychological personality disorder, which seemed to be a trait of the Wittlesbach family, witness her cousin known as Mad King Ludwig. Her behavior and problems seem strikingly contemporary, despite her being a product of a very Victorian world. At the end of the day, the story of Sissi, as well as her family, is one that is very sad.
—Bethanie Marie
