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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
So I knew about this book simply because I love John Steinbeck but had no real interest in reading it. Then I started reading about communism and the Russian Revolution and wanted to know what life was like in Russia during that time. I never even really thought about it but I was skimming through Steinbeck books to find something to read and saw this and my mind was blown. Steinbeck went to Russia after WWII during the beginning of the Cold War to learn what life was like in Russia and report in as accurate/unbiased a way as he could. I think he succeeded. He paints a picture of what life was like for the average person in Soviet Russia without making either the USA or Russia seem like the bad guy or the good guy. Absolutely riveting read if you have the set of interests I do. I finished it in two sittings. And now I want to go to Georgia...
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Loved this. Steinbeck travels to Russia at the beginning of the Cold War with photographer Robert Capa. Against all kinds of cautionary advice, the two go in with an open attitude to find out what the USSR was really like. Their findings are surprising and mind opening.
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
It was an interesting read. First because it's a sort-of a journal dating first years after WWII. I could feel the battle between an optimist Steinbeck that hopes things will get better and his realism that tells him things will get worst. And they got worst. We all know that now. But he and Capa did not knew at that time and it's interesting to see how they cling on short glimpses of optimism.
Second because while reading about the Black Sea resorts I was thinking about Soljenitin's Gulag Archipelago. How many will die in the Gulag for an idea and how many will climb on their corpses? Comparing this "young" USSR with that "older" USSR is stunning.
And then it made me wonder: what is more to blame? A fast and devastating death like Nazi Germany gave to Europe or a long and painful death like Stalin gave to half of Europe, including to it's own population? This question has to be answered by history I suppose..
Second because while reading about the Black Sea resorts I was thinking about Soljenitin's Gulag Archipelago. How many will die in the Gulag for an idea and how many will climb on their corpses? Comparing this "young" USSR with that "older" USSR is stunning.
And then it made me wonder: what is more to blame? A fast and devastating death like Nazi Germany gave to Europe or a long and painful death like Stalin gave to half of Europe, including to it's own population? This question has to be answered by history I suppose..
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective