The Ritual Master Hello everyone, and Happy Advent !
How could we have gone through the symbols of Austrian culture without speaking of Sissi, Empress Elisabeth of Austria. One of the most talked about consorts in history, and probably one of the most misunderstood, since so many legends have taken over reality. Seeing she was a 19th century icon, we have many more documents attesting to her life story, and even so, the story lines don’t often coincide.
I wanted to get both the fairy tale and the facts, so I chose two very different books on the subject.
Brigitte Hamann’s book, The Reluctant Empress, that I have listened to in its French translation, is an extensive and thoroughly researched biography on the life of Elisabeth of Austria. Written in 1982, this is still considered today one of the most complete and objective descriptions of Sissi’s life, and you can certainly feel it while reading. Hamann gives you both the perfect picture and the behind the scenes of a complicated life, you get to read passages from the Empress’ correspondance and journals, as well as writings from her contemporaries. I think this is where I was the most surprised : the discrepancies between how she felt and how others perceived her are quite astonishing. You definitely feel she was not prepared for the role she stepped into, and unfortunately, the extraordinary love-at-first-sight passion that brought her in that situation was not enough to overpass the obstacles.
And speaking of love stories, my second book choice was a historical fiction bordering on romance : The Accidental Empress by Alisson Pataki. This is a light read of historical inspiration, heavily focused on the first encounter between Elisabeth and her cousin, the young Emperor Franz Joseph, and their unexpected passion, as well as the radical change in their relationship once married. We all know how things ended (if you do not, then I suggest Brigitte Hamann’s book first), but if you’re looking for a quick read and a simplified version of a complex situation, this can be an entertaining choice. I can also imagine this being the starting point for sparking an interest in history for a young reader, since a well told love story is always a good incentive.
As for me, I went looking for the splendors of the Empire in Vienna, the ones that should have been enough to make Young Sissi proud of sitting on that throne, at the Kunsthistoriches Museum. Often referred to as the museum of fine arts, this is one of the most important museums in the world, built between 1871 and 1891 as a commission from Emperor Franz Joseph to house the formidable art collection that the Habsburgs had gathered. With a remarkable picture gallery, Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, this is the kind of museum that you should visit for a whole week. What interested me the most during this brief stay in Vienna, was the decorative arts department. Objects made to be used or admired, reflect, many times, a more faithful image of the idea of beauty that people had in each era. So, in choosing to focus solely on the Empress’ beautiful environment, I contemplated some exceptional artwork and exquisite craftsmanship at the Kunsthistoriches Museum.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your reading, be it historical or fictional, light or lost in thought…
