I finally finished the book yesterday. It took me a while not because it would be extensive, but because it was so messily put together. Very basic in some parts, unnecesarily tedious in others. Instead of a biography that would flow and introduce us to the Grand Duchess and her life, the authors chose to separate everything into topical chapters - in which Maria Pavlovna gets mentioned, but they often consist of lists of unfamiliar names or jewelery. For example when reading about courtship and wedding of Maria Pavlovna and Vladimir Alexandrovich, I´d like to know something more about the relationship and how it all went, rather than go through the wedding presents inventory. The countless typos, often several in one paragraph, are annoying. The real value of the book lies in the pictures, that are all in good quality and some I have not seen published before. Worth the money? Well, depends on how much you paid.... I realize how rough this short review must seem, and I feel compelled to ad that I do not regret having the book. It did give me at least some new information of interest. But it doesn´t do the Grand Duchess justice and anyone hungry for more of a biography than a photoalbum should rather read Gelardi´s "From Splendor to Revolution".
