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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
Väldigt intressant läsning om Ryssland och händelser som på sikt bidrog till Sovjetunionens fall. Kapuscinski reser Imperiet runt och ger en inblick i samhällen isolerade av arktisk kyla, platser som tidigare levt i samklang med naturen men som sen totalt förstörts av storslagna projekt. I dessa miljöer möter han allt från frihetskämpar, strejkande gruvarbetare och intellektuella som ger sin syn på viktiga historiska skeenden.
There are two kinds of global maps printed in the world.
One type is disseminated by the National Geographic Society in America, and on it, in the middle, in the central spot, lies the American continent, surrounded by two oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific. The former Soviet Union is cut in half and placed discreetly at both ends of the map so that it won't frighten American children with its immense bulk. The Institute of Geography in Moscow prints an entirely different map. On it, in the middle, in the central spot, lies the former Soviet Union, which is so big that it overwhelms us with its expanse; America, on the other hand, is cut in half and placed discreetly at both ends so that the Russian child will not think: My God! How large this America is!
One type is disseminated by the National Geographic Society in America, and on it, in the middle, in the central spot, lies the American continent, surrounded by two oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific. The former Soviet Union is cut in half and placed discreetly at both ends of the map so that it won't frighten American children with its immense bulk. The Institute of Geography in Moscow prints an entirely different map. On it, in the middle, in the central spot, lies the former Soviet Union, which is so big that it overwhelms us with its expanse; America, on the other hand, is cut in half and placed discreetly at both ends so that the Russian child will not think: My God! How large this America is!
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
In this book, journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski traveled through different areas in the former Soviet Union, and in describing what he saw and narrating the experiences of the people he met, he has created a canvas of an imperial nation slowly disintegrating into pieces.
This book is mainly a journalistic account of one's travels but it is also an engaging primer into Soviet history and soul as Kapuscinski leads us into the turbulent Nagorno-Karabakh which Armenia and Azerbaijan fight over, the labor camps in Siberia, the horrible history of the Ukraine that includes the famine of the early 20th century that killed millions, the destructive agricultural policies that led to the loss of the Aral Sea, and the nightmarish conditions that the Soviet people consider as normal life.
This is not an easy book to read as it recounts genocides, mass murder, hunger, cannibalism, famines, gulags, and various forms of torture and deaths. The Soviet people have endured so much all these years and yet, the supposedly democratic reforms brought by Gorbachev and Yeltsin did not yield much. Writing in 1994, Kapuscinski warned us that Russia has always had imperial ambition and when the right things fall into place, its national attitude and historical background make fertile ground for an authoritarian rule to foster. We may be seeing it now.
This book is mainly a journalistic account of one's travels but it is also an engaging primer into Soviet history and soul as Kapuscinski leads us into the turbulent Nagorno-Karabakh which Armenia and Azerbaijan fight over, the labor camps in Siberia, the horrible history of the Ukraine that includes the famine of the early 20th century that killed millions, the destructive agricultural policies that led to the loss of the Aral Sea, and the nightmarish conditions that the Soviet people consider as normal life.
This is not an easy book to read as it recounts genocides, mass murder, hunger, cannibalism, famines, gulags, and various forms of torture and deaths. The Soviet people have endured so much all these years and yet, the supposedly democratic reforms brought by Gorbachev and Yeltsin did not yield much. Writing in 1994, Kapuscinski warned us that Russia has always had imperial ambition and when the right things fall into place, its national attitude and historical background make fertile ground for an authoritarian rule to foster. We may be seeing it now.
Kapuscinski's writing is haunting when the subject matter is this brutal.
I purposefully stopped my study of Russian History at the revolution - I'm interested in everything before it, and horrified at almost everything after it. However, I took the leap to see what this author, who experienced Soviet rule by growing up in Poland. I wasn't disappointed.
While I'm not quite sure that all his facts are 100% (there was only one unsubstantiated case of cannabalism during the 1930's famine in Russia, yet he makes it sound like a widespread occurrence), he does bring the era - eras - to life.
The book feels almost like walking through a museum in the dark, and suddenly shining a flashlight on one exhibit, turning it off, then walking on in the dark before repeating the process, but I did enjoy it.
I purposefully stopped my study of Russian History at the revolution - I'm interested in everything before it, and horrified at almost everything after it. However, I took the leap to see what this author, who experienced Soviet rule by growing up in Poland. I wasn't disappointed.
While I'm not quite sure that all his facts are 100% (there was only one unsubstantiated case of cannabalism during the 1930's famine in Russia, yet he makes it sound like a widespread occurrence), he does bring the era - eras - to life.
The book feels almost like walking through a museum in the dark, and suddenly shining a flashlight on one exhibit, turning it off, then walking on in the dark before repeating the process, but I did enjoy it.
A collection of anecdotes, in typical Kapuscinski fashion. I particularly enjoyed learning about Samarkand (built by an artist warlord), Manyuk (a fishing port city now in the middle of the desert) and others
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
An incredible read. It quickly transports the reader on a journey in through the whole USSR during three very different epochs. Kapuściński's writing excels in describing life in the most remote areas and narrates it with incredible beauty. During other moments he is able to describe the most cruel and terrifying situations without resorting to macabre or gory details. The best thing is all this comes with very sharp insights and conclusions of the events which happen around him.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced