A review by jodihannah
The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen

4.0

I read this book because I was feeling a lot of anxiety about Russia and I've learned that the more I know about a situation the less I fear it. This book helped, but it definitely left me with a lot of question. There were a few places where I thought, "Oh, yeah, some of us saw it coming". But there were other places where I truly wondered if this was how many or most Russians felt. There's always a difference in opinions, and it's so hard, sometimes, to tell how everyday Russians are thinking/feeling. It also made me realize that there's a lot I just don't know about Russian society. Anyway, it was a fascinating book that got me thinking, helped me understand a small part of the world around me, and was an excellent introduction to modern Russian politics.