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jeruen 's review for:
Sowjetistan
by Erika Fatland
Last year, I picked up a book by Norwegian social anthropologist Erika Fatland, regarding her trip around the borders of Russia. I found that book very captivating, and so I opted to pick up another title of hers, this time, about her trips to Central Asia. And I must say, I also had a good time reading this book.
As the title implies, this book is about the author's visits to the five Central Asian states: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. These aren't the easiest countries to travel in. These five post-Soviet states seem to have something in common, along the lines of dictatorships and totalitarian regimes. And there are many other issues. The author has a very realistic take on things, and while things aren't very rosy in these places, Fatland is nevertheless hopeful that there is the possibility of change in the future, and change for the better.
I suppose what I like the most with Fatland's writings is that she is brave and is willing to talk about the uncomfortable aspects of life. Life in Central Asia is hard, and for the Western reader, typically the impression one would get is that this is definitely an area that you probably would not want to be in, if you value the Western freedoms that you have been used to. In her travels, she comes across various people and she is willing to pose uncomfortable questions on these people. The responses she gets are interesting, and provides a window to the reader that reveals the various challenges that these populations face.
Nevertheless, I must say that her writings just make me anticipate the time when I get to travel again. Before the pandemic started, I actually had plans to go to Uzbekistan, which I had to shelve for the time being because of the impossibility of travel during a pandemic. No matter how challenging the place might be, I still have the desire to see things first-hand, and for now a vicarious way of doing so is by reading travelogues of others. I definitely recommend this one, as it's a very honest and straightforward piece of travel literature, focusing more on the land and the people and not on the traveller herself. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
As the title implies, this book is about the author's visits to the five Central Asian states: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. These aren't the easiest countries to travel in. These five post-Soviet states seem to have something in common, along the lines of dictatorships and totalitarian regimes. And there are many other issues. The author has a very realistic take on things, and while things aren't very rosy in these places, Fatland is nevertheless hopeful that there is the possibility of change in the future, and change for the better.
I suppose what I like the most with Fatland's writings is that she is brave and is willing to talk about the uncomfortable aspects of life. Life in Central Asia is hard, and for the Western reader, typically the impression one would get is that this is definitely an area that you probably would not want to be in, if you value the Western freedoms that you have been used to. In her travels, she comes across various people and she is willing to pose uncomfortable questions on these people. The responses she gets are interesting, and provides a window to the reader that reveals the various challenges that these populations face.
Nevertheless, I must say that her writings just make me anticipate the time when I get to travel again. Before the pandemic started, I actually had plans to go to Uzbekistan, which I had to shelve for the time being because of the impossibility of travel during a pandemic. No matter how challenging the place might be, I still have the desire to see things first-hand, and for now a vicarious way of doing so is by reading travelogues of others. I definitely recommend this one, as it's a very honest and straightforward piece of travel literature, focusing more on the land and the people and not on the traveller herself. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.