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lilpeachy87's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
harry_leggs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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? No
5.0
geordie_jumpers's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
benryanpowney's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This is a long book. Normally I find Rutherford's books to be something I am more invested in. This one, not so much. There were fun elements to it, and there were exciting passages. The history felt alive, at times, but like Russia, this book felt overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. The character development didn't feel as true as some of his other books and like Michener can, every once in a while I felt like I was being force fed the history instead of watching the characters live it.
coletters's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favourite of his books. Maybe because it's about the history of Russia, and not England. But I did like it.
afield's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
wwatts1734's review against another edition
3.0
I was a bit disappointed with this book. Perhaps some of the disappointment comes from the fact that this is a novel about Russia written by a non-Russian author. Although I think that the main source of my disappointment is the span of this novel. This novel literally stretches from 100 AD to 1990. With a span like that, it's hard to keep a consistent plot, and certainly the characters bear no relation to each other, other than the fact that they all live in the same place.
This novel is the story of a fictional town called Russka. Actually, it's the story of two fictional towns called Russka. One is in the black-earth area of Ukraine in the old Kievan Rus, the other is in the frozen north of Russia. The narrative begins in the pre-historic era prior to Kiev and spans the Kievan Rus, the Mongol period, the era of Ivan the Terrible and the Romanov period. It spends a very short chapter in the Soviet era, and then ends in the post Soviet era of Russia in the early 1990s. The novel gives some very interesting cultural and historical oddities about Russia through the century. But there is no cohesive story. For those of us who actually enjoy Russian novels with their profound characters and plot twists, this novel about Russia is so very much not like that. It is more like a historical caricature than a novel.
While this novel does have its drawbacks, if you have an interest in the historical development of the Russian people, this book is interesting. You learn a lot about the various invaders of Russia, the way the Russian people lived at various times in its history and how the culture shifted due to all these influences. However, if you are looking for a good story, this book is not for you. Especially considering that it would take you over 900 pages of reading to come to that conclusion.
This novel is the story of a fictional town called Russka. Actually, it's the story of two fictional towns called Russka. One is in the black-earth area of Ukraine in the old Kievan Rus, the other is in the frozen north of Russia. The narrative begins in the pre-historic era prior to Kiev and spans the Kievan Rus, the Mongol period, the era of Ivan the Terrible and the Romanov period. It spends a very short chapter in the Soviet era, and then ends in the post Soviet era of Russia in the early 1990s. The novel gives some very interesting cultural and historical oddities about Russia through the century. But there is no cohesive story. For those of us who actually enjoy Russian novels with their profound characters and plot twists, this novel about Russia is so very much not like that. It is more like a historical caricature than a novel.
While this novel does have its drawbacks, if you have an interest in the historical development of the Russian people, this book is interesting. You learn a lot about the various invaders of Russia, the way the Russian people lived at various times in its history and how the culture shifted due to all these influences. However, if you are looking for a good story, this book is not for you. Especially considering that it would take you over 900 pages of reading to come to that conclusion.
lakelady's review against another edition
4.0
another of Rutherfurd's books that I've enjoyed. Read this one before taking a railroad trip across Russia. Decent read, learn some history, be entertained
ciska's review against another edition
3.0
Found this book in a little library and was happy as I read Paris a few years back and very much enjoyed to way that was written.
Russia always intrigued me. It is a huge country with so much history and so much variety that it is sometimes hard to believe it can exist like that. It was fun to read how it developed with the settlements and the ever changing borders. It was touching a lot of developments I was not aware of. I was surprised by the point that was made about the development of things in Russia, how they were 'behind' because they did not feel/saw the need of certain things.
I like how the families/characters develop. Starting at a base but all stay connected one way or the other. It makes a story where a lot is happening and that is spread over so much time still small in a weird way. I liked that in all the periods the women were the stronger characters.
Russia always intrigued me. It is a huge country with so much history and so much variety that it is sometimes hard to believe it can exist like that. It was fun to read how it developed with the settlements and the ever changing borders. It was touching a lot of developments I was not aware of. I was surprised by the point that was made about the development of things in Russia, how they were 'behind' because they did not feel/saw the need of certain things.
I like how the families/characters develop. Starting at a base but all stay connected one way or the other. It makes a story where a lot is happening and that is spread over so much time still small in a weird way. I liked that in all the periods the women were the stronger characters.