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trin's review against another edition
3.0
“Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them,” as the mostly-accurate subtitle explains. The parts it was accurate to were by far my favorites: heeee, academics. The sections about Uzbekistan, however, mostly just taught me that I don’t want to go to Uzbekistan, and the final chapter on the original [b:The Possessed|6780439|The Strange Power, The Possessed, The Passion (Dark Visions, #1-3)|L.J. Smith|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416Mv3T2wAL._SL75_.jpg|285261] (by [a:Dostoevsky], a book also known as [b:Demons|960|Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)|Dan Brown|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286137071s/960.jpg|3338963]) made me think that Batuman’s editor might have told her she needed another chapter, so Batuman stuck one of her old papers in. So: fun, if uneven.
Side note: [a:Roz Chast|56952|Roz Chast|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] should do more book covers; it always makes me want to read whatever they grace.
Side note: [a:Roz Chast|56952|Roz Chast|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] should do more book covers; it always makes me want to read whatever they grace.
bibliobrandie's review against another edition
3.0
Elif Batuman takes you along on her harrowing journey as she contemplates and works towards a Phd in Russian Literature. Part travel memoir (someone is always willing to pay for her travel plans) and part Russian Lit, it was a lot less about Russian Appreciation than I thought I'd get from a book with a subtitle: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them. Still I enjoyed Batuman's writing and will definitely pick up her novel.
zalkacs's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I really enjoyed most of the essays, except the ones about Samarkand, which read as kind of whiny and unlikable.
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
3.0
i remember finding this book strange, and also having to reckon with my attachment to batuman's first novel upon realizing that it was semi-autobiographical.