The Bronze Horseman discussion
The Books
>
Which book do you like the most?
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Shay
(new)
Jul 21, 2011 06:54AM
I have only read TBH so far.
reply
|
flag
Without a doubt The Bronze Horseman. I loved TBTHC except for the quarter of the book which basically was a repeat of TBH (that ruined it for me) but TBH will always be the best of the series for me...
Megan I agree about TBTHC - at first I didn't enjoy it as much due to the repetition, but now I love it as it provides detail from Alexanders point of view which is nice.
The Bronze Horseman is my favorite of all..The Summer Garden is a close second. Nothing can compare to watching Alexander and Tatiana falling in love in TBH...epic!!!!
Megan wrote: "Without a doubt The Bronze Horseman. I loved TBTHC except for the quarter of the book which basically was a repeat of TBH (that ruined it for me) but TBH will always be the best of the series for m..."Is there a difference between TBTHC and Tatiana and Alexander? I read the latter, but I hear people talk about TBTHC a lot. If it is different-and worthwhile-I'd love to read it. They've got to be somewhat the same I assume as I know she only wrote a trilogy of TBH. But I'm curious why there are two to begin with and why, if they are the same, do they have two different titles. Or if they are the same theme, but very different, if it is so different to warrant a read. Would someone mind giving me some info on this? Thanks :)
They are pretty much the same but TBTHC has a bit more in it than T&A, so perhaps worth the read? Up to you though... I think Paullina wasn't sure if there would be a sequel to TBH so she wrote T&A quickly, then when it was published she added a bit and it's now called TBTHC. Something like that anyway!
Oh, that makes sense. I was so super confused as to why she would write two books about the exact same thing with different names. Or why she'd put more in one than another. It completely stumped me. Now I get it thanks to your explaination. I think I might pick it up at some point, would be interesting to see some more info on those two never-before-never-again characters. Thanks a million for giving me the scoop!!!!!
I'm reading TSG AGAIN!!!! LOL and I have stated that it is my favorite but I am seeing Tina's point it is so much easier to read about T&A falling in love than the suffering in TSG but I love them all. Every single line in each book makes my heart skip an extra beat!!!
The Bronze Horseman is my ultimate favourite out of the whole series if not my fav book of all time...
The Bronze Horseman is my favorite too. Though to be fair my favorite book is the one I'm currently reading. They are all wonderfully perfect in their own way. TSG is amazing too. I suppose the real truth is that TBH and TSG are my favorites-but for different reasons. TBH is a pure unadulterated LOVE STORY. Whereas TSG is a story of life. Of love yes, But of real love in a real life and all the mistakes we make as well as the risks we take for a life together..forever. TBH is such an exquisite and unique series. I don't think any books has ever captured the rapture of love and the realities of love better and more thoroughly than PS. Though I LOVE Outlander. LOVE it!!!....TBH, at the end of the day, has my heart in a whole other way. (That's nothing against Jamie Fraser...he is equal to Alexander in my book just in a verra different way).
After years of reading and re-reading I have to say that my favorite is The Bridge to Holy Cross or Tatiana&Alexander.Because there is a bit of TBh in it, because it's Alexander's point of view. Because he endured everything, because he loved Tatiana and had hope even if things seemed to go the other direction. Because he had faith too, like Tatiana, despite everything.
My heart still aches at the scene where Tatiana finds Alexander in chains in the camp. He just came back to life when he saw her. I don't know what to, but in that book Alexander became for me even a grander man!
Evelando wrote: "After years of reading and re-reading I have to say that my favorite is The Bridge to Holy Cross or Tatiana&Alexander.Because there is a bit of TBh in it, because it's Alexander's point of view..."
:)
I think my favorite was "The Bronze Horseman". Thats not saying I did not like "Tatiana and Alexander" or "The Summer Garden" (Im almost done with this one!) but it was the original. It was their young love story. Life gets too much involved in the other books, which is the point. But when I think of them, I picture her in her dress and him crossing the street.
I really loved reading about them in The Summer Garden. I just love Tatiana in that book :)
I love Tatiana in all of them but I liked the Summer Garden the least.
My favourite order is in the order they were written. But it was T&A that really hit me the most.
My favourite order is in the order they were written. But it was T&A that really hit me the most.
Without a doubt "The Bronze Horseman", that affected me like no other book has managed to. I mean, when you literally stop eating in sympathy for the characters who are starving, you know you're personally affected. I thoroughly enjoyed TBTHC, although it was very repetitive and a little unrealistic (having sex in the stream whilst on the run after busting Alexander out of the camp?! I mean, c'mon!) but I found those first two to be more of a part 1 and part 2 of the same story (there were some 'take your breath away' moments in that book such as when Tatiana dropped her teacup when she heard Orbeli on the radio and when her knees buckled when she was just outside Alexander's cell and heard his voice. I still get a heart flutter when I think about those moments), whereas The Summer Garden was like reading an entirely different story. I didn't enjoy that one as much, I found it almost uncomfortable to read at times, and I literally threw the book at the wall in frustration about halfway (I'm sure you know exactly where in the story I'm referring to). I hate when authors destroy one of their character's 'character'. I think Paullina Simons did Alexander an injustice with that. Just my personal opinion...
I was kind of screaming "No! No! No!!!!" during that part of "The Summer Garden". I think he did it as like a post-traumatic thing. It wasnt a 'I-dont-like-Tatiana' thing. Thats how I justify it.
Yeah I agree. I dont know! It did bother me, I completely agree with you. But they are supposed to be together. Period. They survived everything and this was arguably harder for Tatiana and some of the stuff she went through, because it was Alexander who did it. But if she got over it then I can too. Team Tatiana!
Megan wrote: "Without a doubt "The Bronze Horseman", that affected me like no other book has managed to. I mean, when you literally stop eating in sympathy for the characters who are starving, you know you're pe..."That is one of the hardest things to read about but, I loved that she did it. Alexander changed for me long before that episode. I actually was numb reading that book. My heart was bleeding for them. That she forgave him is harder than giving up and walking away.
Morgan wrote: "I was kind of screaming "No! No! No!!!!" during that part of "The Summer Garden". I think he did it as like a post-traumatic thing. It wasnt a 'I-dont-like-Tatiana' thing. Thats how I justify it."She is not innocent in this. He went to her at the. Hospital and she knew he needed her at home, she was having her lunches with the Dr. I for one think that cheating is not limited to physical.
Megan wrote: "Oh I actually think Tatiana was partially responsible [spoilers removed]"Oops just read you post!!!!!! Agree agree agree!!!!!!
I don't know. I'm so smitten with Tatiana, I'm kind of of the frame of mind, "she can do no wrong". But I think the main point is that Alexander is a high-management husband. He needs lots of attention.
As for putting in the cheating at all. It was a risky move, but I think it was an important and powerful development in the characters. What I didn't like was that Alexander didn't ever seem that close or as caring to Tatiana again. My opinion.
As for putting in the cheating at all. It was a risky move, but I think it was an important and powerful development in the characters. What I didn't like was that Alexander didn't ever seem that close or as caring to Tatiana again. My opinion.
Rena wrote: "I don't know. I'm so smitten with Tatiana, I'm kind of of the frame of mind, "she can do no wrong". But I think the main point is that Alexander is a high-management husband. He needs lots of atten..."Really, I kinda see what you mean but, I think he just holds her to this really high standard, she is his grace and without her he is nothing. I think that is clearly seen when the Carmen spiral begins, he feels like she is moving away from him, he messes up with the choice in who he worked for, can't seem to get her with child, is suffering still that he could not save pasha for her. He feels like a failure and she is truly his life line and always has been. What would he have if he didn't have her certainly nothing!!!! I LOVE Tatiana too!
All great points, Kelly. I think that's why I love the Summer Garden so much. Not every love/relationship is perfect and we needed to see that even T & A had issues. I felt bad for Tatiana, she wanted to work and have a career and Anthony was older so he didn't need her to be there all the time. I felt like what happened all brought everyone a better understanding of how much T took care of them all.
I loved The Summer Garden the best. As much as I enjoyed watching them fall in love and their struggle through the war, it was not enough for me to end it with the escape out of Germany. The final instalment gave us a real ending. I didn't want to be left with "and they lived happily ever after". This made their story more realistic. We saw them through good times and bad over an entire lifetime. I loved every second of it!
I liked The Bronze Horseman best because I like historical fiction and that book had the most historical reference. I enjoyed The Summer Garden a lot but I found it less profound than the first two books. All three books gutted me emotionally, even during my recent re-read of all three.
I must agree with the majority and say that I liked them in the chronological order. I have since visited St. Petersburg since reading the series and still find it difficult to picture the desolation and conditions described in the book. I have also been to Volgograd (Stalingrad) and can still see the devastation World War II wrought upon that city through a number of museums and monuments. Russia has no shortage of either.
