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abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
This is a novel based on the life of Arthur Ransome, an author and possible British spy in Russia around the time of World War I. Now I have a better idea of what a Bolshevik is. And I liked the book.
tiggy1991's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
neuroqueer_af's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up because I had already read and liked another Marcus Sedgwick book - Revolver - and because I'm interested in Russian history, so I thought it would be a fun, flaky read. It was a much more complex, amorphous and sophisticated text than I had anticipated. It felt much more like a fairy tale for adults than YA lit. My only gripe is that the ending seemed to drag on for ages, but considering the circumstances (no spoilers), it was an altogether believable ending.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
My first book read in 2017 was an excellent choice. It's historical fiction in the guise of a fairytale, and like all of Marcus Sedgwick's YA books, it doesn't feel very YA. 4.5 stars.
yellauraya's review against another edition
3.0
Date read: November 10-November 12, 2019
Actual Rating: 3.00 STARS
Though there were some obvious flaws, I still managed to enjoy this as much as I can. It was really very fascinating to read anything about histories, fiction or not, and knowing that this was closely based on the real events surrounding the real Arthur Ransome, it really indulged me to read more historical fictions, and even biographies, in my next reads. Anyway, regardless of the story itself, I really liked the writing style of the author and I would definitely read more of his works in the future.
Actual Rating: 3.00 STARS
Though there were some obvious flaws, I still managed to enjoy this as much as I can. It was really very fascinating to read anything about histories, fiction or not, and knowing that this was closely based on the real events surrounding the real Arthur Ransome, it really indulged me to read more historical fictions, and even biographies, in my next reads. Anyway, regardless of the story itself, I really liked the writing style of the author and I would definitely read more of his works in the future.
eatingwords's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the plot. I was intrigued at once. Russian fairy tales? Come on, that sounds awesome!
The story evolves around Arthur Ransome, a British journalist, who travels to Russia to report from there during the First World War.
The story is divided into three parts.
Part One - A Russian Fairy Tale:
That first part was just magical. It was told like a typical Russian fairy tale and I loved every part of it.
Part Two - One Night in Moscow:
That part was not that great. I had to force myself through it as I just found it, for the most parts at least, pretty boring.
Part Three - A Fairy Tale, Ending:
The last part was better than the second, but not as good as the first one. And although it is a fictional story it is not very far from the truth. The love story was not sappy and overdone, it was just plain real.
I also liked the timeline at the end of the novel as well as the Russian inscriptions under every of the three parts. I would have wished to read more in Cyrillic, but it was nonetheless still a great novel.
The story evolves around Arthur Ransome, a British journalist, who travels to Russia to report from there during the First World War.
The story is divided into three parts.
Part One - A Russian Fairy Tale:
That first part was just magical. It was told like a typical Russian fairy tale and I loved every part of it.
Part Two - One Night in Moscow:
That part was not that great. I had to force myself through it as I just found it, for the most parts at least, pretty boring.
Part Three - A Fairy Tale, Ending:
The last part was better than the second, but not as good as the first one. And although it is a fictional story it is not very far from the truth. The love story was not sappy and overdone, it was just plain real.
I also liked the timeline at the end of the novel as well as the Russian inscriptions under every of the three parts. I would have wished to read more in Cyrillic, but it was nonetheless still a great novel.
hayleybeale's review against another edition
4.0
The always edgy Sedgwick's new novel is a sophisticated mix of romance, spy adventure, and fairytale, in which Arthur Ransome (later of Swallows and Amazons fame) is a correspondent and undercover agent in revolutionary Russia. See my full review here
asims723's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
reubenlb's review against another edition
3.0
an interesting and enjoyable read, but part of me wanted a bit more depth, a bit more oomph
dozylocal's review against another edition
3.0
Firstly, I LOVED Swallows and Amazons when I was growing up and had no idea that this book was based on the author's life until I got to the Author's Note at the end. That said, I enjoyed part 1 which was the fairy-tale portion and had high hopes for an innovative retelling of the Lenin Russia story. I was to be disappointed. The rest of the book was actually quite simplistic. I still gave it three stars as it wasn't a bad read, but it really didn't live up to it's potential. It did make me want to read Swallows and Amazons again though!