Finishing Figes' book took longer than I expected. (Largely b/c I spent a lot of time in the past two weeks falling asleep. Why is it that I always think I'll get more reading done when I'm sick and I never ever do?)
But I made it through. The last couple chapters dealt with topics I knew pretty well: the Tatar legacy, the Russian avant-garde, and Soviet culture. The final chapter however, "Russia Abroad" was about the exiles and what Russia meant and became to them after the creation of the USSR. That I never bothered to study too much, so it made for a lovely ending.
Most of the general comments in my earlier post remain relevant. I'm not sure that I have that much to add. What I did LOVE though was Figes' Guide to Further Reading, 29 pages of suggestions, all in English, so the reader won't get bogged down in a list of sources that may have been fantastic for Figes but probably aren't much good for him or her. That section alone could probably keep me happy for ages, and of course there was the joy of seeing him give high marks to books that I have read/owned/etc.
Getting through Figes in the first 3 weeks of the year means that I have time to catch up on library books (and the book for my new book club!) before turning to book 2 of the challenge.
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2 comments:
Hi Erin ...
I'm trying to read Natasha's Dance. I have to get through it quickly and with all the other things I'm bogged down in ... I'm having trouble with the this Russian Bear of a book.
What did you think of the first 2 chapters of the book? I'm about mid way through the 2nd chapter...I'm just losing track of all the information.
Thought maybe you could help me bring it back without having to back from the beginning again.
My only (very belated) suggestion is that with big bear books like this to read them in very little piece. That's what I did with Jacques Barzun's "From Dawn to Decadence" and it made a big difference in my ability to get through and actually enjoy the book.
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about keeping track of the information. I'd just focus on trying to get the big picture and enjoying Figes' stories.
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