Reviews

Abundancia roja: Sueño y utopía en la URSS by Francis Spufford

funbeach1100's review against another edition

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5.0

Увлекательная книга повествующая жизнь людей разного ранга в СССР. Интересные короткие истории, о том как в такой огромной стране СССР пытались провести такой эксперимент как СССР. Книга написана очень хорошо: разные герои, разные жизненные ситуации, особенно понравились диалоги.

trashlover91's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

paulataua's review against another edition

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4.0

A fascinating mix of history and fiction focusing on the Soviet Union from the late 1950s to 1970 and its attempt to engineer the economy into prosperity and to outpace the Capitalist economies of the West. It is the story of the collapse of the Soviet dream. A really interesting read, and one that opens up the possibility that one day someone might write a similar book about the collapse of the American dream.

adarossiwrites's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

gem_4's review against another edition

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5.0

One of the best books I have read in the past couple of years. Very well informed piece of fiction, gives a real feel for soviet Russia. I literally could not put this book down. It was both a bit of a history lesson and an intriguing novel all in one.

dinokadich's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted medium-paced
Beautifully imaginative and meticulously researched. Spufford has a wonderful voice, and writes the only endnotes I’ve ever looked forward to reading. 

jocelynh's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

A hard book to categorize. A bit of a slog overall, yet still fascinating at a more granular level. The prose was often lovely, and I enjoyed the look into the USSR everyday. I want to compare it to Catch-22 in general feel and execution, the mix of fact and historical fiction.

ibexian's review against another edition

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2.5

Tired historical fiction, not sure why it was tagged as 'speculative fiction'. The whole book has a trudge of inevitably to it without bringing in much of the interest the title primes for. 

toomi_p's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.75

harryach's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0