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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
sad
A fantastic use of the genre of historical fiction genre. Montefiore was a nonfiction writer first, so this enticed me into reading Sashenka to learn about the Russian Revolution. I got more than I bargained for as this book is set in 1916, 1939, and 1994 which gave me a taste of the rise, the reign, the horrors, and the aftermath of Communist Russia.
The book is centered on Sashenka who is recruited to the party as a teenager. It flips from one character to another which I think added a lot to make the book more dynamic. My favorite thing was that it was very well research. I could just taste the work that went into acquiring all the information to create a realistic 20th century Russia.
“Sashenka“ didn’t always engage me. I actually read two books in-between my start and finish of it. There were moments of lull, but overall a very worthwhile read.
The book is centered on Sashenka who is recruited to the party as a teenager. It flips from one character to another which I think added a lot to make the book more dynamic. My favorite thing was that it was very well research. I could just taste the work that went into acquiring all the information to create a realistic 20th century Russia.
“Sashenka“ didn’t always engage me. I actually read two books in-between my start and finish of it. There were moments of lull, but overall a very worthwhile read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best written novels I have ever read. Everything about it kept me turning the page.
Przejmująca opowieść, która wciągnęła mnie absolutnie. Żyłam tą historią razem z jej bohaterami! :)
This is a family saga focused primarily on the life of Sashenka (a fictional character with an all too real story) both in 1916 St. Petersburg and 1939 Moscow. Rasputin in 1916, and many of the big names of the Stalin era are here. Several references to Russian literature enhanced the story & now I have more books to read. Looking forward to reading other works by Montefiore.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Uno spaccato della Russia staliniana che porta con sé una profonda tristezza e la consapevolezza di quanto l'uomo possa essere davvero disumano.
This book is divided into three parts. I liked the third part. Part one takes place in 1916. Sashenka is a teenager obsessed with her role in a clandestine Bolshevik organization. In part two it is 1939 and Sashenka has a wonderful family, job, and house, until suddenly the people around her start disappearing. Then in part three it is 1994 and a young Soviet historian is tasked by an old woman to find out what happened to her family.
I think I liked the third part best because Sashenka was not in it. She is a bit irritating due to her earnest devotion to the party and her belief that it can do no wrong. I also got more than a bit tired of hearing about her snowy white skin and tendency to keep her lips slightly parted and her magically perfect breasts and thighs. She is written very much in the style of a Hitchcock blonde: gorgeously aloof and contemptuous of sex, until she finally gets some and becomes insatiable. In parts one and two it is very interesting to hear about the culture of the time and what all these other characters are up to but then even time Sashenka shows up and starts sticking her tits into everything. In a very earnest Soviet kind of way.
I don't want to make the book sound like some kind of Iron Curtain bodice-ripper, because most of it is very grim and makes you very sad for all the people who have ever been killed in the name of a political experiment. But this is no Dr Zhivago, and the romantic aspects of the book distracted from the plot rather than humanizing it.
I think I liked the third part best because Sashenka was not in it. She is a bit irritating due to her earnest devotion to the party and her belief that it can do no wrong. I also got more than a bit tired of hearing about her snowy white skin and tendency to keep her lips slightly parted and her magically perfect breasts and thighs. She is written very much in the style of a Hitchcock blonde: gorgeously aloof and contemptuous of sex, until she finally gets some and becomes insatiable. In parts one and two it is very interesting to hear about the culture of the time and what all these other characters are up to but then even time Sashenka shows up and starts sticking her tits into everything. In a very earnest Soviet kind of way.
I don't want to make the book sound like some kind of Iron Curtain bodice-ripper, because most of it is very grim and makes you very sad for all the people who have ever been killed in the name of a political experiment. But this is no Dr Zhivago, and the romantic aspects of the book distracted from the plot rather than humanizing it.
I loved this book despite being unsure of its potential after the beginning description of the main character, Sashenka. The descriptions and imagery of Russia are vivid and transport you back to that time. As the story develops I formed a protective feel for Sashenka and this made part three of the book all the more gripping!