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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Really interesting, would definitely read a sequel to this with more updated information.
This book helps the reader understand the situation in Russia, how it came to this, and how Vladimir Putin became president. I'm afraid to say I have even less respect for him after reading his biography. His path is studded with corpses, and the reader is sad, depressed, angry, knowing he is powerless.
The epilogue brings the reader hope ... until she realises Putin has been elected president once more.
The epilogue brings the reader hope ... until she realises Putin has been elected president once more.
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
3.5 stars bumped up to four because this book is worth reading, despite its shortcomings. I need to start keeping track of all the books I wish [a:Mark Bowden|3098|Mark Bowden|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1269484493p2/3098.jpg] had written instead - this would be on there! Gessen is too close to so much of this story and so obviously biased by her personal connections to the very long list of people who have been screwed over by Vladimir Putin. I don't doubt that the majority of this book is true or true-ish, but I just needed more perspective and more distance.
I have enjoyed much of Gessen's reporting in the past/present. This book feels a bit disjointed but does illustrate some of the more dubious and strange moments of the Putin rise and reign (observed around some of the biggest events in recent history in Russia - e.g). The Kursk incident, the killing of Litvinenko, etc. I can't say that I felt too much was revealed because, as the title suggests, Putin is an enigma and no one is quite sure how he actually happened. I mean, I wasn't very shocked by the levels of corruption engineered by Putin because, well, we know everything is rigged at this point. I do wish there had been some interviews with ordinary citizens in addition to those who were meant to have been in, or tangential to, the inner circle (if Putin even has an inner circle...), just to get some level of understanding from the streets, so to speak.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The title of this book caught my attention and I read it to try and learn more about Putin. I thought I knew some general things, but wanted to read more in-depth. It is told from the viewpoint of Masha Gessen, a Russian-American journalist, author,and activist. She was involved in a lot of the Russian events and was well-known. I found it interesting how Putin had high aspirations from a young age, and seemed to be astute enough to get along without standing out. When revolutionary changes were starting to be made towards more egalitarian and democratic policies, they chose Putin to be the President because they expected him to just go along and do what they wanted him to. He instead began implementing Fascist rules and policies, becoming more and more powerful. And that was just the start of it. She did include some pages on Bill Browder, with a slightly different viewpoint from [b:Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice|22609522|Red Notice A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice|Bill Browder|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422848658s/22609522.jpg|42099492] by Bill Browder[a:Bill Browder|8344235|Bill Browder|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1408510855p2/8344235.jpg]. Man Without a Face gave one insider's view on business and politics in Russia, etc. She had to stay informed, but also alert to when she needed to change/move/etc. before her immediate situation became untenable. She had to learn to get along and to adapt to the continual changes. Interesting read.
I tore through Masha Gessen’s harrowing, unblinking account of Vladimir Putin’s murky ascent in Soviet/Russian politics. Gessen is, most of all, a master of context and “zooming.” Putin’s story is so intertwined with the complicated and intricate story of Russia that there were numerous points where the book could have gotten bogged down. As needed, Gessen seamlessly zooms out and weaves in the Russian history for our context clearly and concisely. They pull no punches through all the Russian propaganda and bullshit
I enjoyed Gessen's narrative writing style. Fascinating subject written from both a personal and professional perspective about a man and a culture we should all know more about. I want to read more of her work now
Fascinating and....alarming. Hard to believe Putin is a real, living person since reading about him still feels like reading about a fictional villain and an infamous historical figure all at once. He's that over-the-top. Masha Gessen is absolutely scathing toward him here, which I loved (also love that she's still alive and safely out of Russia, because good LORD). A damning portrait of the man currently shaping the direction of our world (unfortunately for our world). Especially interesting to have read this personal biography in tandem with "Winter Is Coming", "The New Tsar", and "Nothing is True and Everything is Possible".