Rating:  Summary: Touching and revealing... Review: There are not very many books about athletes that can combine the reality of the sport with the emotion of the lives behind it. Skating is kind of a fairy-tale sport, and Katia Gordeeva, in addition to her beauty, conveys a fairy-tale like quality both on the ice, and in her memoirs of her young skating career, and the life she entwined with her partner, lover, and husband Sergei Grinkov. If you've seen Ekaterina skate, you can't help but see the glow and the emotion she conveys on the ice.Off the ice, the book gives the reader a marvelous look into the rigors of the lives of Soviet athletes, and paints a picture of young Sergei that makes you understand why he was such a central force in Ekaterina's life. The book is written a little clumsily, and although it does allow the reader to see and to understand all of Katia's insecurities, and worries about herself as a skater, a partner and a mother, the matter-of-fact style that it uses does Katia a disservice. Still, and all, it is absorbing to read about this young lady who enjoyed such fame, such joy, and such a life changing tragedy as the death of her husband and professional partner. Pictures contained in the book only whet your appetite even more for the story, and you are left with the satisfying feeling of love and loss. A beautiful read!
Rating:  Summary: My Sergei Review: My Sergei-that's not only a book for me, it's way more. The story of Katia and Sergei showed me to live every moment of my life. Fairy tales don't exist forever, you have to enjoy every second of it. This book touched me in the bottom of my heart, from then onwards I started thinking different about happiness, love, hope and despair. Wanna know what real love is? Just read this book, it'll change you.
Rating:  Summary: A real life fairy tale Review: Truly one of the most pure romances, a real life fairy tale. In spite the tragic ending, what incredible reading about two normal but not at all normal human beings. Touching and beautiful, and well worth the read even if you've never heard of this talented pair.
Rating:  Summary: Beautifully Touching Review: Figure skating fans will recall the shocking death of pairs' gold medalist Sergei Grinkov on 20 November 1995. In this poignant memoir, his partner and widow, Ekaterina Gordeeva, shares the story of their lives together as skaters, husband and wife, and as parents. Gordeeva and Grinkov - G&G - were perhaps the greatest pairs skaters of all time. Thoroughout their career, they touched the hearts of millions, bringing an elegance and perfection to ice that the sport has never seen before - or since. Through this joyous look back at their career and lives, Katia shares their story, from humble beginnings as athletes in the Soviet sports machine to their triumphant Olympic gold medal wins in 1988 and 1994. She offers a rare insider's glimpse into the recently-scandalous world of Olympic skating and the preparation that goes into every performance. Despite its tragic ending, the book is uplifting to read, which is one of the reasons that I have dog-eared my copy many times over. Katia's gentle, yet simple storytelling is both heart-wrenching and funny, especially her stories about their lives in America as recent immigrants to a world so different from the one they were raised in. Throughout, she fondly remembers the various competitions, routines, and holidays that marked her life. It is rare to find a memoir that is so soul-bearing and touching as "My Sergei". While it is a love story, it is also so much more. It's a story of triumph, of the strength of the human spirit, and of love conquering over all. I first read this shortly after its original publication, and have delved into it many times since. It's one book that I never tire of, and it is one that has touched millions of readers, skating fans and non-fans alike.
Rating:  Summary: A true love story, with a tragic end Review: I am a huge figure skating fan. I had the pleasure of meeting Ekaterina and Sergei at a fundraiser in Halifax in 1994. To watch them skate was magic, and to read their love story was to read about pure happiness. Ekaterina shares her life on these pages with the reader, and tells us of the Sergei she knew and loved. For him to pass on at such a young age, only makes the story more sad and hard to understand. Ekaterina has written a lovely tribute to her husband, and is a 5 star read for any figure skating fan, or person who wants the insight on a real life love story.
Rating:  Summary: Magnificent! Review: I think that love & passion result in the best inspiration & in the case of My Sergei: A Love Story by Ekatarina Gordeeva, this holds true. I think that because of the pain Ekatarina suffered that it resulted in this wonderful book. I know that she is an ice skater, but she could also very well be a great author. She was able to convey her life so eloquently that it made My Sergei unable for me to put down.I know celebrities always pretend to be in love & divorce a couple months later, but there was obviously such a love between Sergei & Ekatarina. Iwas so nice to see them grow to love each other so naturally through reading the book. I may love reading, but I seldom cry from a book and this book truly affected me enough that I cried. Its just beautiful.I would definitely recommend My Sergei because it is charming & heartfelt.
Rating:  Summary: A True Love Story Review: I have read love stories before but this one is very true.I know exactly how she feels because my DAD died from a heart attack at work.I went to tears while reading it.My mother(who usually doesn't read) a lso loved it.Even my aunt made time to read it when she was very busy.This is a very good book.There is not enough for me to describe how good it is and how you should read it.It's the best.A True Love Story.I recommend it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much.
Rating:  Summary: My Sergei: A Love Story Review: This is a book for everybody who enjoys a love story. Even if you do not watch figure skating or know any names of figure skaters, you still would enjoy this book. This is a story of two figure skaters who were put together by fate. When Katia was paired with Sergei at about the age of twelve, she never would have guessed that this man would change her life forever. Sergei and Katia weree both born in the former Soviet Union. They were paired together when they were young and spent much of their life together. This is a story told from Katia's perspective. This story is about their journey through their figure skating career winning two Olympic gold medals, many championships, and their rougher times. After her husband, Sergei, died, Katia is heartbroken. This story tells about her struggle to cope with his death and her struggle to raise her young daughter, Daria. She had a lot of trouble recovering from his death and a hard time being able to skate again after he died. This is a great story describing many tough times that figure skaters must endure to get to the top. It is a great book and i recommend it to all love story enthusiasts.
Rating:  Summary: My Sergei Review: The best love story I've read. It's a page turner, you can't just read one page. The way that Katia and Sergei express the love for each other, it's the way they are. They have known each other since they were four years old, they have become friends, then they're partners for life. It's exciting to know all the places that they have been to. I describe this story as funny, exciting, loving, sad, there are too many words to explain. In Moscow, when people there fall in love is different than in the U.S. Here in the U.S. people date for so long, there in Moscow it could be the littlest thing or words a person could say and they would fall in love. It was the way that their friendship was so strong, and from friendship they became strong partners. I loved this book because it was a page turner and the love that these two people had the love of this world. At times this book had character, life, etc. There are too many words to explain the way I feel about this book. You have to read this to have your opinion of it. This has been the best book I've read.
Rating:  Summary: Not as enjoyable as I expected. Review: I don't watch figure skating very much, but I do enjoy it, and I have always liked Katia and Sergei. With high expectations, I recently read "My Sergei"; unfortunately, I didn't find it quite the beautiful love story that it was supposed to be. To tell the truth, Katia and Sergei's "true love" wasn't very apparent in the book. Katia and Sergei were attracted to each other -physically- of course, but other than skating, they didn't even seem to have anything in common. You'd think there would be more than just a physical attraction involved in a real love story, but the impression you get is that the two didn't even know each other that well, or talk to each other all that much. I can't tell if there wasn't really much of a love story to begin with, or if there was and the problem stems from the writing style. This book could have been much, much better written. It almost seems as if someone asked Katia questions and whatever she answered, off the top of her head, was jotted down verbatim without getting further details. Overall, I don't believe the book was organized very well, and the authors didn't really take the time to polish it up and reflect on how the story would sound to readers. All of Katia's insecurities are spilled out in the book, and while reading it, Sergei actually sounds quite self-centered, totally unconcerned about Katia until she attacts him with her body. Toward the end he improves, but still... Things had to be better than the book makes it sound, and all I can figure is that the book left out lots of details that would have helped the story and made the real love more apparent. The most interesting part of the book really isn't any of the part with Sergei, but the chapters about Katia's childhood and life in Soviet Russia. Overall, I actually found the book to be sad, because it is almost pathetic to read about how innocent, confused, and misguided Katia was about pretty much everything. It was a disappointment to me to learn how she and Sergei just fooled around together, and then she was the one who really pushed for them to get married. And then she was always fretting, mainly in the beginning, that Sergei's love might not last. Is that really true love? I don't know... the tone of the story was not exactly joyful, but sad.
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