Alexei, a little boy who is heir to the Russian throne, is an incurable hemophiliac. The only one who is able to ease his suffering is Rasputin, a peasant holy manaor, maybe, a charlatan. As Rasputin gains influence over the royal family, the economic and political conditions in Russia continue to worsen. Crazy Spider uses fifteen different narrators, some historical and some fictional, to give personal perspectives about their own lives, Rasputin, and the royal family. They include a cousin and lifelong friend of the Tsar ...
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Alexei, a little boy who is heir to the Russian throne, is an incurable hemophiliac. The only one who is able to ease his suffering is Rasputin, a peasant holy manaor, maybe, a charlatan. As Rasputin gains influence over the royal family, the economic and political conditions in Russia continue to worsen. Crazy Spider uses fifteen different narrators, some historical and some fictional, to give personal perspectives about their own lives, Rasputin, and the royal family. They include a cousin and lifelong friend of the Tsar who describes the strengths and weaknesses of Nicholas II and his wife; a countess who is appalled when she meets the crude Rasputin socially; an African-American who works in the Tsaras palace and describes his experiences in Russia; and Rasputinas killer, who gives a graphic description of the nightmarish scene. These dramatic accounts progress steadily toward the murder and chaos of the revolution that brought Communism to Russia.
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