Customer Reviews

The Czar's Madman

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The Czar's Madman is a fascinating historical mystery and also a masterpiece of modern fiction. It's like Estonia's War and Peace, except that it is much funnier, and much more frightening. I urge everyone to have a go at reading it. Kross really is someone to get to know

The first review printed here (From Kirkus Reviews , 01/01/94) is a review of "Professor marten's Departure" also by Jaan Kross, not "The Czar's Madman"!

After a trip to the encylopedia for a quick refresher on CzarsAlexanderI and Nicholas I, a look at the atlas to realize that Estonia is very close to St. Petersburg and a dictionary search for "Livonia," The Czar's Madman became a fascinating novel of post-Napoleonic Russia. Clearly Timotheus ("Timo") von Bock, an Estonian aristocrat, has been effected by the French philosophes and the Age of Reason. His ideas are "mad" by Russian uppercrust standards.

The narrator of the book is Timo's brother-in-law, Jakob, whose journal writing over 32 years gives the reader a glimpse of many richly detailed and vivid characters and locations. This literary devise lends an air of unfolding mystery. While writing about life going on around him, Jakob emerges as a character, with all his human flaws, that we care about.

Kudos to the author and the translator.

This book, based on an actual journal, tells the story of a Baltic baron (Timo von Bock)in the 1800's set in Livonia (now Estonia).

Timo, who doesn't beleive in the class structure of the time, and falls in love with and marries a poor Estonian girl (unheard of for a baron to do). But it is his mysterious letter to the Czar that lands him 9 years in jail and costs him all his teeth. He is only released after he is deemed a "Madman" and is allowed to return to his home, but remains under "house arrest".

The journal is written by the brother of Timos wife who lived with them at the time, and the book is the journal re-written and made into a more fictional story by the author Jaan Kross. The story is tragic and sad, but well written and even tho there is no real climax to the story, the day-to-day life of these interesting people keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next.

It's also an interesting fact (altho not mentioned in the story, only in the authors notes) that Timo was actually the great-grandson of Peter the Great!

My first Estonian novel! This book is a great read. It helps to familiarize yourself with a bit of information about Czar Alexander and some highlights of the era. After that, I couldn't put the book down. Great story, delightful prose, no pathos in spite of the serious subject matter. The author has such a straightforward style, it is refreshing. Despite the fact we are dealing with Russian names, there isn't the confusion which sometimes comes from the fact that several names are used for the same characters. This is a unique book that will appeal to readers who like history, languages and rich details of life in another time, in a different world.
One can look for many layers of the themes of morals, ethics, politics, truth, faith or madness. Truly a novel which can inspire discussions, if the reader is so inclined, or you can just enjoy the story for the well written narrative with a keen eye for the human condition. I'm so glad I picked this book. It's one of the best I've read in a long time. I am tempted to write down some of the statements made by the wonderful Eeva. So perfect, just perfect!