Maya and Natasha are twins who grow up during the Cold War, raised to be dancers like their mother, who was a ballerina in Leningrad's Kirov Ballet. TMaya and Natasha are twins who grow up during the Cold War, raised to be dancers like their mother, who was a ballerina in Leningrad's Kirov Ballet. Their ballet academy is demanding, but both dream about being accepted by the Kirov after graduation and join the company's tour upcoming tour abroad, one of the few ways Soviet citizens are allowed to travel. Just before they graduate, it's announced that due to worry about defectors, only one family member can travel abroad at any given time, which means that only one of them can be accepted into the Kirov. Both assume it'll be Natasha, who's always had a quality about her that makes her a star when dancing, but Maya is determined to practice and improve enough to earn that spot. A rift opens up between the sisters, and as the years go on, their lives go in two vastly different directions, and it's unclear whether they will ever regain the closeness they once had.
The author did a really good job capturing the feel of the times in this book. I enjoyed getting dropped into this world, and while not everything in here was factually accurate (as noted in the afterward by the author), it was written in a way that captured how it must have felt to live through this and enough real-life people made appearances that it gave the story an even bigger sense of realism. I don't know if I can say I necessarily "liked" the characters in here, as all were flawed and complicated and not exactly "good" people, but I did appreciate the complexity and I found myself feeling sympathetic for everyone at various times. The story was told in third-person and jumped around between characters in a pretty flawless manner so that I barely registered the jump in perspective or scene each time it happened.
This was for sure a book mostly propelled forward by the characters instead of by the plot, although the plot was interesting as well, mostly due to the historical setting. I wanted to find out how the life of each sister would turn out, and I was continually interested in the choices they made, both for better and for worse. I wasn't sure where this book would end up plot-wise, but I feel like it ended on both a hopeful and a sad note that didn't fully give the reader closure but also didn't leave them necessarily wanting more. I enjoyed my time visiting this world while reading and feel like it illuminated a world that I didn't know much about (the lives of professional ballerinas in the Soviet Union), which was fascinating. ...more
This was an entertaining memoir about the author's decision to travel solo through some of the former Soviet republics without knowing much about the This was an entertaining memoir about the author's decision to travel solo through some of the former Soviet republics without knowing much about the history (aside from hearing stories about it from guys she'd dated who'd grown up there). She doesn't do a lot of research ahead of time, and she doesn't speak Russian with any degree of fluency, so she doesn't begin the trip with a lot of knowledge or forethought but instead relies on the guidance of the internet and others that she meets along the way.
I wasn't sure quite what to expect with this book. The author is a stand-up comedian, but humor is often tricky when translated into book form. It didn't start off in a way that I found especially humorous, but I do think humor came through in here (especially absurd humor) as it went on. I don't remember any laugh-out-loud funny moments, but I did enjoy the stories quite a bit.
The author did a nice job making all these countries come to life. I really enjoyed the descriptions of each place she visited, especially the countries that few tourists visit. I got a good sense of what being a tourist in the country would feel like and how some things people take for granted are wildly different in different countries. The stories about her adventures were interspersed with short bits about history, giving the reader a sense of how these countries came to be and why they have their current feel.
Reading this definitely made me feel like I was reading a twenty-something's adventures backpacking somewhere... except instead of traveling through Asia or wherever the usual destination is, she traveled through former Soviet states, some of which still looked (and felt) like they were still part of the USSR. I saw multiple reviews from people who didn't seem to like this book due to the author's lack of preparation for her trip, and I can kind of see this complaint; I didn't necessarily find this detail charming or funny, but I did appreciate how resourceful she was in each country and learned so much. I loved the people she met along the way and how most of the people she met were so friendly and helpful. I think this was a nice depiction of how people came come from vastly different worlds but kindness can be universal.
I don't think this book would land well with everyone, but for anyone with an interest in Russia or the former USSR, this is an engaging book to pick up!...more
This was on a shelf of "recommended reads" at the library, so I gave it a shot. It's about Igor, a kid growing up in the USSR in the 1980's. This is bThis was on a shelf of "recommended reads" at the library, so I gave it a shot. It's about Igor, a kid growing up in the USSR in the 1980's. This is basically a collection of snippets from his life as he tries to navigate school, bullies, culture, and family issues.
There were parts about this that I really enjoyed because of how absurd the situation was, yet the description was so matter of fact. The dichotomy was pitch perfect. For example, the book opens with the main character's family going on vacation in Odessa and being told that there are no three-bed rooms, only four-bed rooms, so they'll be sharing theirs with a stranger. The writing during moments like this really made it shine, since it was just presented to the reader as annoying but something that just happens so you accept it. It also helped set the time and place for the book, as the story really couldn't have been set anywhere else when so many cultural references were included, everything from governmental to social norms to clubs to pop culture.
This was, overall, a coming-of-age story that lacked much of a cohesive plot. I never felt like this told a story but was simply a collection of moments from the character's life. None of the characters felt especially developed, there were never any running themes throughout the novel, and while all the scenes felt like they could be entirely realistic, it wasn't necessarily compelling. I enjoyed certain parts of this, but it was also disjointed. ...more
It took almost a year to read this entire book (after having wanted to read it for a good two decades!), but I finally finished it! I don't know what It took almost a year to read this entire book (after having wanted to read it for a good two decades!), but I finally finished it! I don't know what I can say about this that hasn't already been said. It's the story of various families and people during Napolean's march into Russia and the aftermath of the invasion, beginning in 1805 and ending more than a decade later, mostly focused on Pierre Bezukhov, the Bolkonsky family (including Prince Andrey), and the Rostov family (including Natasha). The lives of these characters overlap over the years as they weather tragedies, such as deaths and illnesses, and also come into good fortune, such as when Pierre goes from being an illegitimate carefree man to the appointed heir to his rich father. The story goes back and forth between the personal lives during these times and the war and wider military campaigns going on.
So much of this book came as a surprise to me, since I did not know any of the plot details before I read them. The actions of some of the characters came as a full surprise, and I often expected something to happen but then it didn't. This truly did feel like it captured a sliver in time and showed people who were not all good and not all bad but simply living their lives the best they knew how. I was more interested in the lives of the characters than in the wider military campaigns that were depicted in here, although they did give a good sense of the time in which this book was set, especially since Tolstoy included real characters such as Tsar Alexander, Napoleon, and Kutuzov. There were also a number of passages that leaned heavily into philosophy and attempted to explain history and what was going on; it wasn't nearly as heavy on the philosophy as novels by Dostoevsky tend to be, but it did surprise me due to the long passages nonetheless. I enjoyed the general idea behind these, but sometimes they felt a bit repetitive and went on longer than I'd have liked.
I can see why this book is considered such a masterpiece: it truly does capture this period in time and is more of a glimpse into the past than it is a traditional "novel," since there isn't necessarily a strong plot with a start, middle, and end the way you'd expect to find in a novel. Instead, this includes a little of everything and depicts how normal humans react in difficult situations. A few parts really felt dated, such as how an ideal woman is depicted, but that can be attributed to the time in which this was written and set and also Tolstoy's own views. I don't think anyone can expect to read a book set in the early 19th century and find characters with the same values as people have today!
I leafed through a few translations before settling on this one, so I can't fully speak about how other translations are, but this one did feel relatively easy to read (as far as 200 year old books can be considered easy to read!). I am looking forward to watching the movie adaptation of this novel now and seeing everything brought to life on the screen. Now that I've finished this and read about so many years in its pages, it feels like the start of this book, when characters were debating whether Napoleon would invade Russia, were so long ago that it barely feels like the same book! ...more
I read this book probably 20 years ago but had zero memory of it when diving in again this time around. As the title indicates, this is about three brI read this book probably 20 years ago but had zero memory of it when diving in again this time around. As the title indicates, this is about three brothers (Ivan, Alexei, and Dmitri) who have followed vastly different paths in life. After their father is murdered, one of the brothers is arrested for the crime and the brothers all try to reconcile what's going on with what they know about life. There's a lot of philosophy, a lot of foreboding, a lot of discussions, and very little "action" as the book goes on. This is definitely a very dense philosophical novel, vastly difference from plot-driven contemporary novels!
There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed and other parts that were a slog to get through, so dense that I had trouble following what was going on. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and the narration jumped around between characters so it was occasionally difficult to remember what had last happened with each individual when the text suddenly shifted. Someone who read this book along with me said of course it wouldn't have a happy ending because it was a Russian tragedy, and she wasn't wrong, although I felt like it wasn't a tragedy so much as an examination of human nature.
I can see why this book has had so much time dedicated to discussing certain passages, such as the Grand Inquisitor (which I still don't think I fully understand). Some parts of this book were truly fascinating with its philosophical critiques. However, this isn't the easiest book to get through and there were multiple times when I had trouble getting through more than one chapter at a time because of how slow it moved and its lack of a true hero to root for. Not my favorite Russian novel, and not my favorite of Dostoevsky's novels either (from what I remember, anyway; I need to reread others to confirm!), but it's certainly worth a read, if only to understand the novel's themes and to see why this book is lauded as one of the biggest achievements in literature....more
It's 1973, and Anya lives with her dad in Siberia, where she's selected to join a rigorous training program for USSR gymnasts. Her world soon becomes It's 1973, and Anya lives with her dad in Siberia, where she's selected to join a rigorous training program for USSR gymnasts. Her world soon becomes filled with only gymnastics, as she's being trained to qualify for the national team, and her inclusion in the program means additional compensation for her dad. Meanwhile, she's also struggling with the disappearance of her mom years earlier, but an old woman in their building might have answers about that.
This book sounded so promising! I was really interested so much of the story and loved the setting of this. The author did a nice job illuminating where they lived and the way the world felt. The world of gymnastics too and the all-encompassing pressure to train harder, perfect everything, was nicely portrayed. I really enjoyed these aspects of the book. The research the author did to put this together was on clear display in those moments.
Despite the things that I liked about this novel, it didn't hold my interest enough for me to finish the book. I kept picking this up because I was curious to read more, but every time I set it down, I didn't think about it at all. The pacing was slow, it felt like I was removed from the action as many scenes were told instead of shown to me, and I never really felt a connection to any of the characters (probably because I felt removed from them as well). ...more
This was such a fascinating book! I'd never heard of the author until reading a short blurb about her in a class, talking about how she'd learned RussThis was such a fascinating book! I'd never heard of the author until reading a short blurb about her in a class, talking about how she'd learned Russian specifically to read War and Peace in the original Russian. This book definitely gave a lot more about her life, with a short description of her childhood and early family life, then her adult life, and finally her introduction to Russian literature and subsequent time studying Russian.
I wasn't sure what to make of this book when it opened, as she writes beautifully but with a very deliberate and unique style. Her description of early years was rather sparse, and the reader is introduced to multiple people without fully understanding their importance. It also felt odd to me that she referred to her parents by their first names, leading me to confirm that she was indeed actually talking about her parents at times and not other people she knew. She also wrote with a very familiar tone, occasionally saying phrases like "One more story here" or "I told you I wouldn't go on about that". Once I got used to the style, I rather enjoyed it and felt she did an excellent job getting her points across!
By far my favorite parts of this book had to do with her descriptions of how she fell in love with Russian literature and how she began to study the language in her 50's, taking that on as a challenge. It was both inspiring and fascinating, especially considering her difficult personal life, even going through a breakdown after taking care of four kids mostly by herself after her husband had a brain injury. It seems like it was very therapeutic to her to write and study Russian and begin translating, and I enjoyed hearing her thoughts on the language and how devoted to her studies she became, even traveling to Moscow to study for a year right before the collapse of the USSR!
I don't think this book covered nearly everything in her life that would have been interesting to read about, but it was certainly a lovely tribute as she looked back over the years and pinpointed what seemed to be the most important to her. Definitely a worthwhile read, and I'm glad I had the chance to read this book! I'm now curious to pick up some of her translations!...more
I remember reading and loving Russian Tattoo, a memoir by this author, so I had high hopes of loving this novel equally as much. Unfortunately, it didI remember reading and loving Russian Tattoo, a memoir by this author, so I had high hopes of loving this novel equally as much. Unfortunately, it didn't come together in a way that resonated with me and I ended up not finishing it; I set it aside about halfway through and couldn't bring myself to pick it up again. This is set in the mid-20th century Soviet Union. Sasha grows up in her small town, then moves to Moscow with dreams of becoming an actress. Before she leaves, she finds a journal written by her uncle Kolya, who's still missing years after WWII ended; she keeps this journal secret and reads it off and on, learning stuff that wasn't ever presented in the news. She also falls in love with Andrei, a childhood friend from her hometown who becomes an important member of the Communist Party but doesn't think they have a future together.
The story itself sounded interesting, but the writing had this dreamlike feel to it that prevented me from ever feeling fully immersed in the story. The timeline in here would fast forward by years without warning, so I never had a real sense of when or where I was, and none of the characters were particularly interesting. I never really cared about the love story between Sasha and Andrei because I didn't understand the attraction or why I should like him, and Sasha's actions were continually shown but without a lot of feeling so I also didn't understand why I should care about her as the main character. I kept reading in the beginning because I expected the story to pick up, but it never did. I feel like this book had a lot of potential, but it unfortunately didn't connect for me. ...more
This is the story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB agent who started spying for Britain, passing along secrets to MI6 that helped at the highest levels becauThis is the story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB agent who started spying for Britain, passing along secrets to MI6 that helped at the highest levels because he was such a top intelligence position. Eventually, he got posted to London, where he had access to the most classified material that he passed along to his MI6 handlers. Knowing he was so valuable, only a few people knew his name and his intelligence was significantly pared down before being shared with other agencies to not compromise his identity. The CIA decided they needed to know the identity of Britain's source that was providing them with such accurate, important intelligence that was going straight to the president, so they assigned an agent to investigate and the agent they assigned was Aldrich Ames, who was spying for the Soviets.
Whew, this was exhilarating! I was fascinated by this from the very beginning. The author's writing was easy to follow and read, and immediately drew me into the world. There were a lot of characters in here, but everyone was simple enough to keep straight and although stories of spies are often complicated, this was fascinating and easy to follow. I loved the research that went into this and all the commentary the author included, including about times when things didn't go as planned - completely different from what you typically see in spy movies or read about in novels. For example, signals that Gordievsky was open to spying for the British were completely missed. And I loved the fact that the British set up a "honeytrap" sting for Gordievsky, thinking he was gay, and when he didn't respond favorably to it, they wondered if he hadn't fallen for it because he knew it was a trap.
But the real fascination of this book is in its depiction of the Cold War and the relations between the USSR and the West. The sense of paranoia ran deep, and it was so interesting to see how each side responded to the other and what they did to try to make sense of actions the other took, seeing everything through their own lens of experience. I was riveted by Gordievsky's double life and the lengths that he went to in order to pass along information to MI6, as well as the numerous close calls where he could have been caught. There were also excellent descriptions of the motivations behind everyone's actions in here; I got a good sense of understanding why people acted the way they did.
The third part of this book, after Gordievsky's cover was blown and there's a frantic effort to try to exfoliate him, was especially engrossing. I couldn't put the book down! The whole book read more like a spy thriller than a non-fiction account of a real espionage story, and this was especially true for the last part. My heart was pounding as I read all the details! This definitely did not sugarcoat the difficulties of gathering intelligence, nor did it seem to overstate the real risks taken by many people in their efforts to try to gather information, protect sources, and try to bring an asset to safety.
It surprises me that I'd never heard of Gordievsky before, especially as he is noted in here as being one of the most valuable spies ever recruited by a Western country and how his intelligence helped hasten the fall of the Soviet Union. I devoured this book and am still amazed by how many details the author was able to include in here, all of which helped bring this to life and keep it so riveting. An excellent book for anyone interested in thrillers or history to read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading some of the author's other books!...more
I'd had this book on my to-read list for a while, and after a fellow book lover mentioned how great this was, I decided that was a sign to check it ouI'd had this book on my to-read list for a while, and after a fellow book lover mentioned how great this was, I decided that was a sign to check it out. I'm glad I did, as this was great! It's told in alternating viewpoints and timelines, mostly from the viewpoint of Olga, Boris Pasternak's mistress who watches him write Doctor Zhivago and experiences firsthand the fallout from this book that the USSR forbids being published or read, as well as the viewpoints of two typists at the CIA, Sally and Irina, who are used as assets to smuggle Doctor Zhivago back into the USSR in the hopes that it inspires the Soviet people.
There were a lot of characters in this book and the narration jumped all around, but I had no trouble keeping everyone separate or following the story. I continually wanted to read more, curious where all the storylines would go. One of the "viewpoints" was from "The Typists", told from a "we" first-person plural perspective, describing what life was like for the typists at the time. I feel like this kind of viewpoint is often not done well or seems like it's straining for a literary tone that it doesn't quite achieve, but in this book, it totally worked. I loved seeing the different perspectives, from the general group of typists to the two typists who were so much more than just typists and then, of course, to the USSR, where we saw Olga in a very different situation and setting. While the focus of the story in here is the creation and distribution of Doctor Zhivago, there was a very heavy focus on the females involved in this. The author did such a great job bringing the times to life and showing the possibilities available for women but also the limitations; for example, so many of the typists had a lot of education and were even used in greater capacity during the war, but now that it ended, they were relegated to being typists and nothing more.
Historical fiction based on real people and true stories can be hit and miss for me, but this was a big hit! I was fascinated by all the little details included, the writing flowed so well, and I continually wanted to read on. With so many viewpoints and the narration jumping around so much, I worried early on that this would prevent me from feeling a connection with any one character or prevent the story from feeling particularly deep. These worries were unfounded, as I was kept riveted and no matter whose viewpoint the story moved to, I wanted to read on and find out more.
I can easily see why this book is a bestseller, and I'd definitely recommend it to others. There were so many little details in here that resonated with me, and I liked that not everything worked out as perfectly as I thought it might. The ending was solid and hopeful while also not closing everything off, nor did it shield the reader from sad realities of the times. I want to read Doctor Zhivago now and take in the book that inspired this one!...more
This was an interesting book and one I was very curious to read. The author traveled through five of the former Soviet republics by herself and wrote This was an interesting book and one I was very curious to read. The author traveled through five of the former Soviet republics by herself and wrote about her experiences in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. These are countries few tourists visit, much less know anything about, so this is about her journey through countries that were once part of the Soviet Union but are now struggling to reclaim their own heritage and identity.
Like most people, I didn't know a ton about the different countries she visited in here, so it was interesting to hear about what made each stand out from the next and the culture that she experienced. The parts I liked the most were when she described interactions with locals or experiences that seemed to be unique to that country. It was fascinating to hear about how many banners were up for the various presidents, for example, or hear about her conversations with people who had some good things to say about the Soviet days, coupled with bad things to say about those days. I enjoyed the descriptions of what each place looked like, the strange ways she occasionally had to exchange money (a makeshift blackmarket exchange on the street because that was the only realistic option), a few sketchy hotels that needed serious renovations, and some of the contrasts where certain cities had ATMs that never worked whereas others had malls and sushi and felt almost Western.
There was a lot of history packed in here as well, and these parts weren't especially interesting. While I like reading history and find history in this part of the world particularly interesting, these parts went on for so long that they took away from the travelogue and felt more like they were filling pages because there wasn't anything else interesting to say about her travels. Additionally, the structure of the book was a bit confusing because I never got a good sense of why she decided to travel to these countries by herself or what she really hoped to get out of the trip. Also, apparently her trip happened in 2013 but this book was just published in English in 2020, so there are a number of footnotes about things that have happened since, so it's a bit disjointed.
It took longer than I expected to get through this because it wasn't a particularly quick read and I kept putting it down to read other things. This was easy to do, as the book is filled with stories that don't always relate to one another so it was like reading a book of short stories at times. While I enjoyed parts of this, it wasn't as engrossing nor as entertaining as I'd have liked overall. As a quick look into what makes these five new countries different from each other and their general culture, this was interesting, but it wasn't especially cohesive or illuminating overall. A decent introduction to these countries for those interested in a mix of history and travel but not nearly as interesting as the title and synopsis make it sound....more
This was a great read! The blurb on the back pitched it as the story of how the authors contributed to the disguise tools and techniques used by the CThis was a great read! The blurb on the back pitched it as the story of how the authors contributed to the disguise tools and techniques used by the CIA in the Cold War era USSR in order to be able to successfully conduct missions in a country where there was such constant surveillance that it was originally believed they would not be able to conduct any intelligence operation. I found the blurb to be only somewhat accurate, as it wasn't just a firsthand account of the two authors and the work they performed on disguises, but it also was a history of many operations conducted in the USSR and how various techniques impacted their success. Strangely, the blurb on my copy of the book also mentions how the two authors (Antonio and Jonna Mendez) both worked for the CIA and would later go on to get married, but the book is almost exclusively from Antonio's point of view with only a few snippets about Jonna's contributions and nothing about their relationship.
I found the history in here fascinating. It was amazing to hear about the conditions under which they worked in Moscow and how working there was unlike any other overseas post. I enjoyed the stories about the various operations and sources that they developed, and it was wild to hear about some of the things that were invented specifically so missions could be carried out, blending makeup and magic to create the illusion of someone being in one place when they're actually in another or someone being someone else.. The authors also detail the level of bureaucratic red tape that continually cropped up, such as a new director deciding to shut down all human operations and fire a bunch of employees due to his own view of what the agency should do and the number of potential sources that weren't explored due to this. There was also one specific case where the field agent felt something was off, but the boss was determined to see it through, resulting in an arrest that didn't need to happen. Obviously, there needs to be a balance, but it definitely was a good reminder that sometimes people can make terrible decisions as the head of an agency or office and yet things will eventually continue in spite of this.
I wish I could have seen some of the actual transformations; this seems like an excellent book to be adapted for the screen, whether a movie or TV, just to better visualize the techniques and results. The descriptions, however, were excellent and kept me glued to the page. Some of the stories in here are ones that I read about in other books, but the authors did a good job of summarizing the cases and explaining how this was relevant to the greater story overall. ...more
I read a review of this book when it came out, making me put it on my to-read list, and then multiple friends recommended this to me. It did not disapI read a review of this book when it came out, making me put it on my to-read list, and then multiple friends recommended this to me. It did not disappoint! I'd heard of the Chernobyl disaster and knew basic details, but this is definitely an in-depth description of what happened leading up to the disaster, what actually happened, and the fallout from it.
This was such a fascinating read. The author clearly did a ton of research in order to put this together, and so much of it is almost hard to believe, such as how so many people in charge were basically learning on the job; the rampant corruption that caused parts to need to be disassembled, inspected, then reassembled; and the complete secrecy that allowed multiple nuclear accidents to be covered up, leading to the public perception that the USSR had the safest nuclear program in the world. Even the initial response to the massive explosion at Chernobyl was to cover it up as best the government could until it actually could not be contained anymore and only reluctantly told the population what the true nature of the accident had been. One detail that stood out to me was how even after they evacuated the entire city of Pripyat, because no one knew what had happened, the regular buses were still coming through and dropped people off, completely unaware that there was no one left in Pripyat!
Some of the scientific details in here went over my head despite the author's efforts to simplify the explanations as much as possible, which was fine. I could still follow along with the general story and understand the consequences. The author chose a number of people in Pripyat whose stories are followed throughout this book, and it was fascinating to read about their personal experiences during this disaster, wondering what would their ultimate fate would be.
Definitely not "light" reading by any means, but definitely worthwhile! This was incredibly detailed recap of what happened in Chernobyl, and I think it was as balanced as could be, leaving you to draw your own conclusions about what happened and what should have happened (either in the past or in the future)....more
This was such an interesting and different book! In a remote part of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia, two girls vanish. A witness sees them leave wiThis was such an interesting and different book! In a remote part of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia, two girls vanish. A witness sees them leave with someone and their photos are plastered everywhere on the news, but months pass without any real progress. The book is broken up into chapters divided by months, each featuring different characters whose lives eventually intersect.
I suppose this is technically a mystery, as the narrative is centered around the question of what happened to the two girls, but this felt like more of a slow character study. The writing in here was beautiful, and I found the depiction of this area to be fascinating. So much attention was paid to the differences between Russians and cultural minorities and the ways outsiders are treated in such a remote part of the world. Setting this in Kamchatka seemed so fitting, as the land was even more extreme than the emotions and characters in here, at once grand and yet small.
Some of the chapters resonated with me more than others, but I suppose that's to be expected in a book where each chapter features a snippet in a new person's life. This almost felt like a collection of short stories loosely strung together by having each somewhat related to the disappearances (or at least showing how their lives were affected by it). I wanted to know more after each chapter ended, although there were certainly a lot of characters whose story didn't have any major resolution simply because the chapter showed a site of their life over the course of a month and that was all. It was slightly confusing to keep such a large cast of characters in mind, especially since most of their lives didn't overlap, so I continually referenced the list of characters provided at the beginning of the book.
My only real complain is that I wish the mystery had been more wrapped up in the end. Yes, there were some answers, but not everything fully wrapped up and I wanted to know what would happen. I suppose that wasn't the point of this book, though, based off the way the rest of it was written and the chapters that seemed more focused on portraying various lives in this region. This is definitely not a book for everyone, as it's a cultural and character study more than anything else and very slow moving, but I really enjoyed it!...more
Andrei moved to the U.S. with his parents when he was only a kid, growing up as American despite his Russian heritage. Years later, in 2008, Andrei's Andrei moved to the U.S. with his parents when he was only a kid, growing up as American despite his Russian heritage. Years later, in 2008, Andrei's older brother asks if he can come to Russia and look after their grandma. Andrei figures his life in New York isn't going well, especially since he can't seem to gain any traction finding a faculty job in the Slavic department of various universities, so he heads to Moscow and starts trying to get accustomed to life in Russia. Parts are as he expected, parts are not, and even though life is much more difficult that he wants, including the attention that his grandma needs and navigating the oddities of daily Russian life, being there grows on him, especially after he finds hockey games to play and friends to spend time with.
Although this is fiction, it reads like a memoir and I'm guessing a lot is drawn from the author's own experience (his bio notes a similar backstory to Andrei's). It took me almost two weeks to finish this book, reading only a chapter or two a night, which is a long time for me to get through a book I enjoy! But this was one of those books where the chapters were almost like little vignettes about Andrei's adventures in Moscow, and you could easily put it down and then pick it back up again later. I ended up savoring it. There was an overarching plot in here, but it was muted and the main story was simply Andrei's observations of the country and his experiences there.
Parts of this book were hit or miss, but overall, I liked the book enough to give it a solidly high rating. I finished it and continued to think about it, and the parts I loved, I really enjoyed. My favorite bits involved seeing Russia through Andrei's eyes, how he vaguely understood the country and yet was terrified of it at the same time. Some of the observations were so funny, such as the part where he compares Moscow to New York and notes that both places have extremely crowded metro systems, but in New York, when the train is full, people wait for the next train whereas in Moscow, they just get on anyway. Ha! So funny and so true!
There were so many passages with very funny and insightful comments about Russia and its transformation from the Soviet Union. The writing kept me engaged, and I really liked the dynamic between Andrei and everyone he met, from his brother and grandmother to his new friends. I don't think this book will be enjoyed by everyone simply because there was only a faint plot and the majority of this was about seeing all the facets of Russia, especially politically and economically, but I thoroughly enjoyed. ...more
A friend highly recommended this book to me, about a few years the author spent in St. Petersburg around the time the Soviet Union was dissolving. ForA friend highly recommended this book to me, about a few years the author spent in St. Petersburg around the time the Soviet Union was dissolving. For the historical aspect alone, getting to see an American perspective as the world changed, this was a fascinating read! The author spent most of the time living with a Russian friend she'd made, referred to only by the nickname of B, and detailed their complicated friendship over the years, from trying to get a a new apartment to starting a business together as B tried to learn how to become a businesswoman in the new open market.
Parts of this book were quite interesting to read! I loved the exchanges the author had with average citizens trying to get things done from day to day and the complicated nature of everything, whether it was due to the individuals coming at issues from different perspectives or just the typical "mentalities." For example, there was a part about the author trying to buy theater tickets and the ridiculous circus that ensued with tickets only going on sale at certain times, and then only to certain people, and then the mafia gets involved to sell tickets to those who don't want to take part in the craziness of the box office... I found this completely relatable and about what you'd expect. I also really enjoyed the author's take on the opening markets in Russia and the ways in which people were simply not prepared to adapt to a world they'd never experienced, especially in a country that had not seen prices increase in years. Even when the author had to have surgery and decided to do so in a Russian hospital, she wrote about how they were apologetic about how much she'd have to pay - but compared to America, it was such a small amount that she couldn't believe the bargain. Again, very different perspectives and this definitely highlighted that! It really was a window into a changing world, and I enjoyed that very much.
At the same time, much of this book felt disjointed and I had a hard time truly becoming immersed in it. I read a chapter here and there, always a little curious to pick it back up again but never in a real hurry to do so. I got frustrated more than once with the author's depiction of her friendship with B and how naive she seemed at times, unwilling to confront actual problems and instead doing whatever she could to keep the peace at the expense of her own life/sanity/happiness/etc. I thought perhaps this friendship was the real story in this book, but it ended with no real answers or enlightenment of how anything eventually resolved.
While this book certainly gave voice to the author's experiences in Russia over the years, it felt uneven overall and I finished not truly sure what the point of the book was. I did enjoy parts of this but ultimately did not love it as much as I'd hoped. Interesting period of time for sure, and there were nice details about day-to-day life in here, but I feel like much of this could have been condensed. Or perhaps some of the threads in here could have been removed, as they never truly came to a conclusion and I was just left hanging at the end. ...more
I came across this book while browsing a used bookstore a few months back and was quite excited - I had no idea an English translation of it existed! I came across this book while browsing a used bookstore a few months back and was quite excited - I had no idea an English translation of it existed! I read the original Russian version back in college, so I remembered the basic plot, but I was curious to read the translation of it. This was originally written in the 1930's and focuses on a mother named Sofia Petrovna during that time in the Soviet Union, when citizens were regularly arrested for being saboteurs, their relatives left to inquire daily about their whereabouts and even what they were accused of. Sofia Petrovna believes in her country and that no innocent person would be arrested, but then her son is arrested.
This was a fairly quick read - it's a novella, after all - but definitely covered a lot of ground. It really was fascinating to read a book not only set during this period but actually written during it as well; I think that helped the story to feel more immediate, because it wasn't a story being told with the wisdom of hindsight. Instead, Sofia Petrovna is shown to be a model citizen, one who truly believes in the country and that the system is perfect. The confusion and panic with the many arrests taking place was gradual - probably the exact sentiment felt by many at the time, with people able to believe that "others" could be saboteurs but that family members must have been mistakenly arrested. The secrecy and frustration of the bureaucracy at the time was nicely shown, as Sofia Petrovna continually tries to get information about her son, or at least make others believe that he must be on the verge of being released because he has to be innocent. I feel like this book is a really great read for anyone interested in seeing what life was like during this time and how fear and paranoid can become rampant.
The only complaint I had about this book was that the translation seemed a little stiff at certain points, with sentences seeming just a slight bit too formal or just plain "off." This could be the way that the original book was written, but I don't know for sure and feel like these stiff phrases briefly pulled me out of the story here and there. I did want to keep reading, as the story really was engrossing and truly fascinating for capturing an actual period of time as it was going on, so I can't complain too much. Definitely a good read overall....more
The concept and idea in here were interesting enough to make me pick up the book and keep reading, but the book never really kept my interest and I diThe concept and idea in here were interesting enough to make me pick up the book and keep reading, but the book never really kept my interest and I didn't finish it. This goes back and forth in time, the story of two "avtomats" (lifelike dolls / machines), created in Imperial Russia and hidden through time until, in present day, a woman named June stumbles upon a hidden message in another avtomat doll and ends up in the middle of a war between man and machine.
This had all the elements of a book I should like: the historical aspect being set in Imperial Russia, the sci-fi nature of the "man versus machine" war, the whole intrigue of having these avtomats made to serve man and how they survived through time... But it just kinda fell flat for me, and not for any specific reason. The writing was fine. The story was fine. The idea about having this hidden "race" of dolls - mostly just two, Peter and Elena - who have been separated for a long time was fine. But I never felt really intrigued. I think this was supposed to be a thriller, yet the action felt flat to me and I never picked up on much emotion from the characters either, nor did I truly relate or care about them. All this said, there's nothing wrong with this book; it just didn't resonate with me, so I set it aside. Just not a book for me....more
This book opens in 1922, when Count Rostov is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol in Moscow. He's confined to the hotel's interior and makes theThis book opens in 1922, when Count Rostov is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol in Moscow. He's confined to the hotel's interior and makes the most of it, unwilling to give up his manners or aristocracy, becoming friends with others who come and go, and the book continues to chronicle the passage of decades and the changes in his life as he grows despite the confined living quarters and the changes in the outside world, turning the USSR into a place far different from the Russia he'd known.
I think I expected to love this book more than I did. I enjoyed it for sure, but the rave reviews I'd heard about it probably set my expectations higher than they should have been! This was definitely more about an inner, emotion journey more than an outward one, but I really liked the setting and the characters. Additionally, it was fun to read about a place I'd been and thus could vividly picture everything that was being described.
While there wasn't much "action" in this book, the story moved along nicely and kept my interest. I liked seeing the interaction between the various guests and the introduction of new ones as the years went on. I worried that perhaps the story would become monotonous due to the singular location, but it flowed along nicely. There did seem to be more of an active plot closer to the end, which was entertaining, and I liked the way everything wrapped up in the end, as I had no idea what this was actually leading toward. Overall, it was a very pleasant read and easy to picture as I read. I didn't love this, but I did definitely enjoy it! Nicely written, interesting period of history, and a lovely (if not the most realistic) depiction of the going ons inside a hotel from the perspective of a Former Person in the USSR....more
I can't remember where I heard about this book but am so glad I picked it up because it was wonderful! This is a memoir, beginning with the author's iI can't remember where I heard about this book but am so glad I picked it up because it was wonderful! This is a memoir, beginning with the author's immigration from the U.S.S.R. to the U.S. after marrying an American she'd known for a short time. Having never experienced life outside a communist country, she had no idea what to expect or how to act and was completely bewildered in some respects, despite speaking English. This book chronicles moments in her life after her immigration, focusing on complicated family relationships and the way Russian (and the U.S.S.R) made a lasting impact on her life.
This book was beautifully written in first person present tense. The writing kept me hooked on the story, as if I was watching it all unfold in front of me. The difficulties she encountered were understandable, and it was fascinating to read about her struggles and frustrations in the new country while also recognizing that she didn't really want to go back to Leningrad and instead was simply remembering its charm from a distance.
I enjoyed the author's commentary about the life she'd left behind and the way the people she'd left behind were struggling to get by, and I also thought she did a magnificent job describing how complicated family relationships are, with her immigration fueled in part by a desire to put space between herself and her family... and then members of her family ultimately followed and also struggled to adapt to American life. I think she captured perfectly how hard it is to immerse yourself in a new culture, despite the best of intentions, because so much is so foreign. Her family relationships changed over the years, and I loved the depictions of how her relationship with her own mother somewhat mirrored, years later, her relationship with her own daughter. It was interesting because it wasn't just the usual mother/daughter issues but problems that also stemmed from the cultural differences between each generation. Really fascinating and extremely well written!
I had a really hard time putting this book down and thought it was just excellent overall. Perhaps not for everyone, since there's not necessarily a "big accomplishment" or something that the author ever describes - this is simply a memoir about complicated family relationships and cultural shifts. But the descriptions of the two countries are great, and the family relationships depicted in here were incredibly well done. A great read overall!...more