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    The Imperial Wife: A Novel
    The Imperial Wife: A Novel
    The Imperial Wife: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Imperial Wife: A Novel

    Written by Irina Reyn

    Narrated by Karen Peakes

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The Imperial Wife follows the lives of two women, one in contemporary New York City and the other in eighteenth-century Russia.

    Tanya Kagan, a specialist in Russian art at a top New York auction house, is trying to entice Russia’s wealthy oligarchs to bid on the biggest sale of her career, The Order of Saint Catherine, while making sense of the sudden and unexplained departure of her husband.

    As questions arise over the provenance of the Order and auction fever kicks in, Reyn takes us into the world of Catherine the Great, the infamous 18th-century woman who may have owned the priceless artifact, and who it turns out faced many of the same issues Tanya wrestles with in her own life.

    The Imperial Wife asks what female ambition means, today and in the past, and whether a marriage can withstand an ambitious wife.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJul 19, 2016
    ISBN9781511385503
    The Imperial Wife: A Novel
    Author

    Irina Reyn

    Irina Reyn is the author of What Happened to Anna K and The Imperial Wife. She is also the editor of the anthology Living on the Edge of the World: New Jersey Writers Take on the Garden State. She has reviewed books for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Forward, and other publications. Her fiction and nonfiction has appeared in One Story, Tin House, Ploughshares, Town & Country Travel and Poets & Writers. She teaches fiction writing at the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Brooklyn, NY.

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    Reviews for The Imperial Wife

    3.5/5

    25 ratings7 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This novel seemed promising based on the description, but unfortunately, it was quite disappointing. In fact, I did not finish reading it. The present day story featuring Tanya, eventually devolved into a morass of her musings on the state of her marriage and her personal conflict with being Russian. Essentially, her story was not compelling. The sections on Catherine the Great were not written with the same attention to detail (or passion). It was clear that the author was not comfortable with the historical period. I honestly could not see any parallels between Tanya’s story and Catherine’s, so whenever the narrative segued to Catherine, it just served to detract me from Tanya’s storyline. I eventually became so confused that I just gave up.
    • 1/5
      I never like to give up on a book, I like to complete it to the end. This book was painful. The author is too focused on over describing everything, to get down to real story telling.
      Anti-climactic beginning with an anti-climatic ending.
      I’m not a feminist, but this book showed no strength of character in Tonya, and I felt sorry for her.
      Huge disappointment, it’s unfortunate that I paid for it.
    • 4/5
      I received this book for free through Bookstr’s (formerly The Reading Room) giveaways. I liked this but I wasn’t in love with it. I really liked the historical aspects of it. It was fun learning more about Catherine the Great since I knew very little about her. The way her story was told reminded me of how Mary Queen of Scots’s story was told on the show Reign. The present day story, on the other hand, was good but it wasn’t satisfactory. It was missing that spark to make it truly remarkable. One thing I did like about the present day story was how it touched upon the immigrant experience.Overall, I thought this was a solid book especially if you are interested in learning more about Russian history.
    • 3/5
      There were things that really worked for me in this book, and things that didn’t work as well. Not so great things first: The book is structured as a dual narrative; that isn’t the issue. For me, I had a difficult time reconciling the two narratives - there wasn’t an intersection between the two, rather I felt as though I was reading two completely different books that were smashed together. I also wished I could’ve developed a deeper connection with both Catherine and Tanya - I couldn’t seem to get past feeling as though I were watching from a million miles away. It was “oh, I’m reading a book about them, and it’s a pleasant experience”, rather than being inside their head, experiencing every thought and feeling. All that said, I enjoyed the book overall and it was my introduction to the female rulers of Russia. I was very intrigued by Catherine and plan to read more about her. Why I gave it three stars: this is one of the few books I’ve read with not one, but two, ambitious female lead characters that I could actually relate to. I’m a working professional and my husband and I see each other as equals, but there are times when I question whether or not I’m prioritizing my career at the sacrifice of our relationship etc. It was refreshing to have those insecurities acknowledged. As I was reading, I highlighted several passages that really spoke to me and I thought it was well written. My favorite quote: “…when did I ever enjoy the process of becoming? When would I finally be satisfied with what I’ve achieved? At each juncture, there was always more to want. More ways to be the most competent person in the room.” - pg 58Overall, I wouldn’t rush out into the streets telling strangers that they must read this book. But it’s certainly worth a look, and I would definitely consider reading something else by the same author. Thanks to Thomas Dunne Books and St Martin’s Press (via Netgalley) for granting permission to read the galley copy.
    • 4/5
      I received this book for free through Bookstr’s (formerly The Reading Room) giveaways. I liked this but I wasn’t in love with it. I really liked the historical aspects of it. It was fun learning more about Catherine the Great since I knew very little about her. The way her story was told reminded me of how Mary Queen of Scots’s story was told on the show Reign. The present day story, on the other hand, was good but it wasn’t satisfactory. It was missing that spark to make it truly remarkable. One thing I did like about the present day story was how it touched upon the immigrant experience.Overall, I thought this was a solid book especially if you are interested in learning more about Russian history.
    • 4/5
      Good, but not spectacular pretty much sums up this book. I appreciated the movement between past and present as the two storylines converged. I found Tanya's present-day tale much more compelling than the 18th-century one of Catherine the Great - perhaps because I already knew how that one ended? Overall, this is a good, solid read for anyone with an interest in Catherine the Great.
    • 5/5
      One of the most rewarding novels in a long while. The hero is a woman specialist in Russian art at a leading Manhattan auction house. An object connected with the Russian Empress Catherine the Great is up for bids: it is a highly desirable piece and interest among the super wealthy of Moscow is quite high. The locale shifts from New York to Monaco to Moscow, and back in time to that moment when the actual Catherine received the item now up for sale. There is plenty of palace intrigue--matched by contemporary tales including an extended theme on what it means to be an immigrant (and also: the ups and downs of marriage and family). This book is like a glass of great champagne; it goes down quickly, is delicious, and is unforgettable.