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emmyhew's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Really interesting exploration of a region I know little about. I loved the interviews and perspectives of local people. Some historical sections were dry and slow and difficult to get through but on the whole enjoyable and informative.
sverville's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
well researched, very well written. I was enthralled with the whole thing and my brain feels like a sponge now that has absorbed too much. super approachable yet still covers a TON.
itsbecksmidwest's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Once you get used to the author’s style, you get a great introduction into how these countries have coped with the vacuum the USSR left behind.
erkefiende's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
ursulamonarch's review against another edition
4.0
I have to give a book a certain amount of credit if it's interesting enough to read over 400 pages about these former Soviet states. I was completely ignorant of them coming into the book, and the author makes it easy to jump into the book. There were definitely some weaknesses - of course, some topics are glossed over, the author has a distinct Western perspective that is front and center, there are a couple of odd notes in the translation, and I guess it was originally published a few years ago - and it's been updated with jarring footnotes. I also had a hard time retaining much from the book (near the end, I realized I could not name the five countries - yikes, although that's a fault with me and not the book), but I certainly enjoyed reading it!
gsanchez1971's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most amazing, informative, and empathetic travelogues I’ve ever read. The former Soviet republics, long forgotten and isolated from Western eyes, is given much-needed attention by Erika Fatland’s thoughtful and keen observational prose. I went into “Sovietistan” knowing so little; now I truly want to learn more about the ‘Stans. Highly recommended.