Scan barcode
critterbee's review against another edition
1.0
More depressing and obvious than incisive and heartbreaking, and for the first half, I was struck by the feeling that those being interviewed were not being truthful, or perhaps were reciting their particular brand of truth. I did not enjoy reading about people held captive with no power of any choices in their lives, who could not adapt to freedom once it was theirs. The bears I can understand, as they probably do not understand what has happened to them or why, but the people in this book at least believe that they know right from wrong, and that the world is a practical place while simultaneously honoring beliefs that clearly are not realistic or rewarding.
The Estonian Russians, victims of the policy to send Russians to live in all the areas they have taken, and stranded after the collapse of the USSR, are salt fish in pure water. They have lived there for ages, but do not belong. Not accepted as Estonian, and not wanting to be Russians. Lost their privilege after the collapse, and unable to cope.
Mainly, reading the first half just angered me. I feel like the author surveyed only people who were sulking about having to deal with the real world, or who could not understand that their lost privilege, which they had accepted as their due, was at the expense of others and not their natural born right.
*eARC Netaglley*
ATW 2018 Estonia
The Estonian Russians, victims of the policy to send Russians to live in all the areas they have taken, and stranded after the collapse of the USSR, are salt fish in pure water. They have lived there for ages, but do not belong. Not accepted as Estonian, and not wanting to be Russians. Lost their privilege after the collapse, and unable to cope.
Mainly, reading the first half just angered me. I feel like the author surveyed only people who were sulking about having to deal with the real world, or who could not understand that their lost privilege, which they had accepted as their due, was at the expense of others and not their natural born right.
*eARC Netaglley*
ATW 2018 Estonia
delas's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
третя книжка за війну.
українська ретроспектива вперше не засмучує, а підбадьорює.
а ведмедиків дуже шкода :(
українська ретроспектива вперше не засмучує, а підбадьорює.
а ведмедиків дуже шкода :(
julleht's review against another edition
3.0
Miltä tuntuu, kun ennen kaikesta huolehtinut taho lakkaa yhtäkkiä olemasta ja huolehtimasta? Kun olet vapaa tekemään mitä tahansa, mutta et pysty, kehtaa tai yksinkertaisesti osaa. Sopeutumisprosessi on hidas, ristiriitainen ja paikoin jyrkkä.
Kiinnostava analogia (puoli)vapautettujen Bulgarian tanssivien karhujen ja entisen itäblokin asukkaiden välillä. Välähdyksenomaisia, pisimmillään muutaman sivun tekstikatkelmia karhuista, entisistä neuvostokansalaisista, heidän ongelmistaan ja vapaudesta.
Silti, kenties juuri tyylivalinnoista johtuen, silppuuntunut kerronta ei oikein pääse vauhtiin ja punainen lanka karkaa. Yhtäläisyyksiä osoitetaan kovin mekaanisilta tuntuvilla rakenteilla ja välähdyksillä, jotka tosin itsessään ovat onnistuneita.
Kiinnostava analogia (puoli)vapautettujen Bulgarian tanssivien karhujen ja entisen itäblokin asukkaiden välillä. Välähdyksenomaisia, pisimmillään muutaman sivun tekstikatkelmia karhuista, entisistä neuvostokansalaisista, heidän ongelmistaan ja vapaudesta.
Silti, kenties juuri tyylivalinnoista johtuen, silppuuntunut kerronta ei oikein pääse vauhtiin ja punainen lanka karkaa. Yhtäläisyyksiä osoitetaan kovin mekaanisilta tuntuvilla rakenteilla ja välähdyksillä, jotka tosin itsessään ovat onnistuneita.
aneliak's review against another edition
5.0
I have read this book months ago and I still think about it sometimes. It's a journalistic journey across countries from the Eastern Bloc.
As a girl growing up in Bulgaria, I had seen these domesticated bears, I had also heard of the existence of the bear park on Belitsa, but never knew the fascinating story of these bears.
The book itself is much more about human psychology, the transition from under the Iron Curtain to wild democracy with liberty to do whatever you want and the nostalgia some people still feel. I myself was born after the fall of USSR, so it was quite interesting to think about what the generation before me has been through.
The book is written in chapters and shows different aspects of people's lives from different countries and it is formatted as interviews. Definitely enjoyed it, although it's an acquired taste type of book.
As a girl growing up in Bulgaria, I had seen these domesticated bears, I had also heard of the existence of the bear park on Belitsa, but never knew the fascinating story of these bears.
The book itself is much more about human psychology, the transition from under the Iron Curtain to wild democracy with liberty to do whatever you want and the nostalgia some people still feel. I myself was born after the fall of USSR, so it was quite interesting to think about what the generation before me has been through.
The book is written in chapters and shows different aspects of people's lives from different countries and it is formatted as interviews. Definitely enjoyed it, although it's an acquired taste type of book.
madameroyale's review against another edition
2.0
I'm conflicted about this book. I thought the first part was really well written and engaging, even heartbreaking at times (for both the bears and the people). There were characters you identified with and understood; you followed their stories and rooted either for or against them. The story of the bears and the people around them was extremely fascinating to read. But once that part was over, the book went downhill. None of the other stories were as interesting or emotionally engaging; none of the other sections even held together narratively as well as the first section did. The author went so deep into the characters (human and otherwise) and their society in the first part that everything that came after seemed distanced, dull, and disjointed. It read like the author had written exactly what he'd wanted to write in part one, and then had to tack on a hundred more pages of random vignettes just to make the book long enough to be a book. Maybe if the organization had been better, or the bears' story had been shorter, I wouldn't have been so disappointed in the rest. 5 stars for part 1, 2 stars for the rest. The story of the bears is very much worth reading. The rest, not so much.