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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
This was closer to 2 1/2 stars. I expected more from this book. The beginning felt like Janet Fitch’s The Revolution of Marina M, but not nearly as good . It jumped around in history, but still seems slow going. The character development was a little off especially with the relationship between Sashenka and Benya. It seemed out of character for her. The connection seemed forced a bit.
There was good research with the inner workings of Stalin, Beria, and the NKVD. Interesting plot twists, though some were far fetched. I won’t be reading book two of the series.
There was good research with the inner workings of Stalin, Beria, and the NKVD. Interesting plot twists, though some were far fetched. I won’t be reading book two of the series.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A haunting book. Tells the tale of Sashenka, the daughter of wealthy Moscovites. She becomes an ardent revolutionary and her story is told as she navigates through the treacherous and dangerous times in Russia. An absolutely epic read, brilliantly told.
This book had a lot of promise, but I had to skim through the ending to avoid all of the inappropriate scenes and in the end I stopped reading altogether. I thought it was well written and gave a true picture of life in the Soviet Union, but I couldn't read it completely because of some of the content.
This is an odd book. I almost put it down in the first 50 pages because I found the characters unrealistic and the plot oddly paced (it suffered particularly from “man writes female character” syndrome in these early chapters). Even into the second part of the book, I was rolling my eyes at characters’ decisions. However, the second half of the book really picks up and the third section in particular is quite a good story — I read the whole second half in one sitting. There is definitely a page-turner element to this book, if you can slog past the first 100 or so pages. However, if you’re looking for a good sprawling family history set on the background of Russia in the 20th century, just read The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili instead and save yourself some of the overwrought plot and undeveloped characters that Sashenka suffers from.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I had never heard of this book and it was literally something I just picked up randomly off of the library stacks. I need to preface my love for this book with an acknowledgement that it's not painstakingly well-written. The criticism that the character of Sashenka doesn't read as a convincing woman is probably deserved, and I did notice that certain literary devices--like an incessant description of the way that things smell, for example--often felt overwrought.
That having been said, I LOVED this book. It was an extremely detailed, evocative story about Soviet personal life and what it would have been like to be in the upper echelon of the party. It seems that the richness of the story owes everything to the writer's background as a historian. I genuinely enjoyed the story so much that I was easily able to forgive some of its flaws. I don't know if everyone would enjoy it as much as I did, but if you're interested in this period of history and enjoy this kind of historical fiction I really recommend you give it a try. I was very moved--this one definitely got me crying on the subway, which is really embarrassing...
That having been said, I LOVED this book. It was an extremely detailed, evocative story about Soviet personal life and what it would have been like to be in the upper echelon of the party. It seems that the richness of the story owes everything to the writer's background as a historian. I genuinely enjoyed the story so much that I was easily able to forgive some of its flaws. I don't know if everyone would enjoy it as much as I did, but if you're interested in this period of history and enjoy this kind of historical fiction I really recommend you give it a try. I was very moved--this one definitely got me crying on the subway, which is really embarrassing...
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I so enjoyed thus book - it’s been ages since I read late into the night because a novel was so good!!
I have very mixed feelings regarding this book. Split into 3 sections, over 3 differing time periods, I found the last section the most interesting. It took me a long enough time to get through this book, only to find the last section the part that pulled me in the most.
Fans of Russian history will enjoy this book immensely I reckon. The author fills it with beautiful writing, setting scenes well and painting a stunning picture at times. My issue was that the story didn't always match its surroundings. Not until the last section anyway.
I found that the story didn't move with any great pace and I wasn't drawn in. There were some wonderful characters, unfortunately Sashenka herself was not one I enjoyed.
All in all I did enjoy this book, I just could have done with more to pull me in.
Fans of Russian history will enjoy this book immensely I reckon. The author fills it with beautiful writing, setting scenes well and painting a stunning picture at times. My issue was that the story didn't always match its surroundings. Not until the last section anyway.
I found that the story didn't move with any great pace and I wasn't drawn in. There were some wonderful characters, unfortunately Sashenka herself was not one I enjoyed.
All in all I did enjoy this book, I just could have done with more to pull me in.