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A review by alundeberg
Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey Into the Heart of Russia by David Greene
4.0
"Stalin nostalgia": two words I never thought would be paired together. However, it's real, and for this American, it ranks at the top for oxymorons. But my attitude belies the perils of American hubris and a lack of understanding of contemporary Russian life, the life that David Greene peels back in this travel memoir. Greene and his friend Sergei take a five-week train trip through the heart of Russia to understand this enigmatic, contradictory country; what they learn reveals that Russia and its people are complex, with a complex history and beliefs, and Putin is doing nothing to help the matter. In one rather prescient moment, especially as our president seems to kowtowing to Russia and is openly advocating that white supremacists are okay and football players who take the knee to protest injustice be fired, Greene interviews a professor of political philosophy: he asks, "What is the political philosophy Russia has in place?" She answers, "They are trying separate people... Because when people are separated, they don't care deeply for anything-- except for themselves" (283).
Today Russians are separated by class, drugs, alcohol, a corrupt police administration that can and will arrest, detain, and torture you for no reason, a system that has no clear-cut guidelines and leads to rampant extortion and bribery, and a stability that has a tenuous hold at best. Greene's book underscores the importance of travel, not to just see the sights, but also to develop a greater understanding of the world, to see that American democracy is not a one-size-fits-all solution as we are wont to think. I highly recommend this book.
Today Russians are separated by class, drugs, alcohol, a corrupt police administration that can and will arrest, detain, and torture you for no reason, a system that has no clear-cut guidelines and leads to rampant extortion and bribery, and a stability that has a tenuous hold at best. Greene's book underscores the importance of travel, not to just see the sights, but also to develop a greater understanding of the world, to see that American democracy is not a one-size-fits-all solution as we are wont to think. I highly recommend this book.