Author Topic: Anastasia's Favorite book?  (Read 38481 times)

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aya-anya

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Anastasia's Favorite book?
« on: May 25, 2005, 08:01:46 AM »
Hi. I am writing a research-report on Anastasia since I am a fan of her and I have read the fact that there was a book that Anastasia liked. Was she the Grand Duchess who read lots of books?

I'm wondering what kind of book, "The Millionaire Girl" (Anastasia liked this book, correct?)written by Arthur Marchmont was.  I'd like to read the book but it was published when Anastasia was alive, and it seems very difficult to take a look at it. I just would love to know the brief synopsis of the book and perhaps some of the fans of Anastasia have read the book, so if somebody can share the details of "The Millionaire Girl," I would be honored. Thank you.  

aya-anya

Offline Holly

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2005, 11:02:18 AM »
Hey!
I have tried many times to find the book. It is mentioned many times in the letters and diarys of the IF. It seems that all of them read it. I suggest searching for the authors name. The only thing I found out without reading the book was that it was a detective story and was published in 1908. If I find out anything else I'll be sure to tell you!
     ,Holly
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Holly »
"Господь им дал дар по молитвам их размягчать окаменелые наши сердца за их страдания..Мне думается, что если люди будут молиться Царской Cемье, оттают сердца с Божией помощью."

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Offline Lanie

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2005, 01:34:41 PM »
Quote
Hi. I am writing a research-report on Anastasia since I am a fan of her and I have read the fact that there was a book that Anastasia liked. Was she the Grand Duchess who read lots of books?

I'm wondering what kind of book, "The Millionaire Girl" (Anastasia liked this book, correct?)written by Arthur Marchmont was.  I'd like to read the book but it was published when Anastasia was alive, and it seems very difficult to take a look at it. I just would love to know the brief synopsis of the book and perhaps some of the fans of Anastasia have read the book, so if somebody can share the details of "The Millionaire Girl," I would be honored. Thank you.  

aya-anya


Anastasia wasn't much for books; that was Olga, her eldest sister.  I used to know the name of the author for The Millionaire Girl, but I completely forget.  It's probably one of those syrupy novels from the time period that Alexandra enjoyed...

Offline Holly

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2005, 02:03:04 PM »
Nicholas often read Chekhov's short stories to the girls especially Olga. If you search his name along with  "short stories" you can find a place online where you can read them. Olga mentioned in her diary "The Princess"  I tried to read it...but...my short attention span got the best of me!  ;D
"Господь им дал дар по молитвам их размягчать окаменелые наши сердца за их страдания..Мне думается, что если люди будут молиться Царской Cемье, оттают сердца с Божией помощью."

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Robert_Hall

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2005, 02:19:42 PM »
A, Marchmont wrote quite a few books in that era. Perhaps "Millionaire Girl" was  titled differently if published in the US perhaps ? Try looking him up on Bookfinders and see if any of the titles may sound similiar.

Offline Holly

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2005, 03:02:13 PM »
I think the real title is "A Millionaire Girl"
"Господь им дал дар по молитвам их размягчать окаменелые наши сердца за их страдания..Мне думается, что если люди будут молиться Царской Cемье, оттают сердца с Божией помощью."

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Offline Georgiy

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2005, 11:08:40 PM »
A W Marchmont was quite a prolific writer in the late 19th early 20th Century. I've read The Man Who Was Dead, kind of a thriller type book. I think (judging by the titles) most of his books were of the thriller/detective type with Edwardian sentimentality in it. I have never come across A Millionaire Girl though (but have looked hard), and yet his other books seem freely available at reasonable prices. maybe it was indeed also published with a different title in different territories. I know Agatha Christie books often had different titles in America as opposed to in England.

aya-anya

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2005, 07:18:49 AM »
Thank you very much, Holly, Lanie, Robert_Hall, Georgiy!
"A Millionaire Girl" seems a detective story as Holly wrote.

By the way, I am interested in another evidence of Anastasia as a reader.

I read that Anastasia had read a poem by Robert Browning's "Evelyn Hope" and she wrote a summary of the poem and I am trying to read the poem carefully, considering "Evelyn Hope" might show Anastasia's feelings.

Has anybody read the poem?

aya-anya

Offline Holly

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2005, 12:11:34 PM »
Yes, I have read her poem. My favorite line from it is in my signature. I think its beautiful, and after I read it, it just kept going through my head over and over again.  I know the poem by heart.
I have thought that it may reflect her own predicament in life. It is even stranger that it stops in mid-sentence.  If it did reflect her life, -"There was a man who loved her, without having seen her, but knew her very well."-  I wonder who that would be?  ;)  
I also think it is funny because i read it in her own spelling and grammer..... ;D
"Господь им дал дар по молитвам их размягчать окаменелые наши сердца за их страдания..Мне думается, что если люди будут молиться Царской Cемье, оттают сердца с Божией помощью."

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Offline Holly

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2005, 02:33:43 PM »
Here is the poem for those who haven't read it. It is in her own English.

"A young girl who was called Evelyn had just died. She was lying in the cofen, very pretty. All her things [were] on the same place nothing was changed and even the flower which she gatherd, stood in the glace, but was beginning to faid. Whe[n] she died she was only sixteen years old. Ther[e] was a man who loved her without having seen her but knew her very well. And she herd of him also. He never could tell her that he loved her, and now she was dead. But still he thought that when he and she will live [their] next life whenever it will be that --"

It stops there.
"Господь им дал дар по молитвам их размягчать окаменелые наши сердца за их страдания..Мне думается, что если люди будут молиться Царской Cемье, оттают сердца с Божией помощью."

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Offline Lanie

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2005, 02:50:58 PM »
It's not a poem. ;)  It's Anastasia's paper about the poem; she was probably asked to summarize it.  It's rather sad how her spelling and grammar was so poor.

Here is the poem:

I.
Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead!
Sit and watch by her side an hour.
That is her book-shelf, this her bed;
She plucked that piece of geranium-flower,
Beginning to die too, in the glass;
Little has yet been changed, I think:
The shutters are shut, no light may pass
Save two long rays thro' the hinge's chink.

II.
Sixteen years old, when she died!
Perhaps she had scarcely heard my name;
It was not her time to love; beside,
Her life had many a hope and aim,
Duties enough and little cares,
And now was quiet, now astir,
Till God's hand beckoned unawares,---
And the sweet white brow is all of her.

III.
Is it too late then, Evelyn Hope?
What, your soul was pure and true,
The good stars met in your horoscope,
Made you of spirit, fire and dew---
And, just because I was thrice as old
And our paths in the world diverged so wide,
Each was nought to each, must I be told?
We were fellow mortals, nought beside?

IV.
No, indeed! for God above
Is great to grant, as mighty to make,
And creates the love to reward the love:
I claim you still, for my own love's sake!
Delayed it may be for more lives yet,
Through worlds I shall traverse, not a few:
Much is to learn, much to forget
Ere the time be come for taking you.

V.
But the time will come,---at last it will,
When, Evelyn Hope, what meant (I shall say)
In the lower earth, in the years long still,
That body and soul so pure and gay?
Why your hair was amber, I shall divine,
And your mouth of your own geranium's red---
And what you would do with me, in fine,
In the new life come in the old one's stead.

VI.
I have lived (I shall say) so much since then,
Given up myself so many times,
Gained me the gains of various men,
Ransacked the ages, spoiled the climes;
Yet one thing, one, in my soul's full scope,
Either I missed or itself missed me:
And I want and find you, Evelyn Hope!
What is the issue? let us see!

VII.
I loved you, Evelyn, all the while.
My heart seemed full as it could hold?
There was place and to spare for the frank young smile,
And the red young mouth, and the hair's young gold.
So, hush,---I will give you this leaf to keep:
See, I shut it inside the sweet cold hand!
There, that is our secret: go to sleep!
You will wake, and remember, and understand.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Lanie »

Offline Holly

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2005, 03:15:30 PM »
  Yes, I know what she wrote wasn't really a poem ,but a summary of Browning's poem. But to me it reads like a poem and I like it. Plus, I didn't really know what else to call it! ;D
"Господь им дал дар по молитвам их размягчать окаменелые наши сердца за их страдания..Мне думается, что если люди будут молиться Царской Cемье, оттают сердца с Божией помощью."

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Offline Laura Mabee

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2005, 05:27:31 PM »
Beautiful Lanie, Thanks for posting.

Also, thanks Holly for posting Anastasia's summery of it aswell  :)

Offline RealAnastasia

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2005, 08:29:30 PM »
Thank you for the poem, Lanie, and for the other Anastasia's text, Holly. I really liked them both. I don't know Anastasia's age when she wrote this , but I suppose that if she could live more years, her style would have improve.

 But the thing that makes me sad in the poem is this line: "...Sixteen years old when she died!..." It sounds almost premonitory. Anastasia , herself died (if she died) when she had only 17 years old.  :'( Poor Nastenka!!!

  My opinion is that Anastasia was more a writer than a reader, aya-anya....But perhaps, later in life, Anastasia should have liked to enjoy herself reading, like Olga.

RealAnastasia

glitterbuggybye

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Re: Anastasia; a reader
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2005, 06:47:01 PM »
that poem and the summary were so beautiful :'( i wonder if it reflected any of anastasia's beliefs? :)