| Title | : | Russka: The Novel of Russia |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0345479351 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780345479358 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 960 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1991 |
Russka: The Novel of Russia Reviews
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Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. since I enjoy learning about Russian history, I added this book to my WTR list after seeing this intriguing historical fiction on Goodreads; and,
2. September 2022 was my self-appointed "Historical Fiction Month".
Praises:
1. this novel spans 1800 years of Russian history, so I was captivated to hear about the early geographical regions invaded by the Vikings and the Mongols, references to legendary creatures (e.g. rusalka, Baba Yaga, domovoi) as well as various cultural traditions familiar to me, and of Russia's earlier tsars (e.g. Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great); and,
2. the print copy contains a map of the Russian Heartland and a Family Tree of four fictional families.
Niggles:
1. initially, I thought this story would be similar to Michener's epic novel
Centennial, with fictional characters tied to nonfictional events; however, I had extreme difficulty keeping the massive cast of characters straight! Many times, I didn't even know or remember which characters were being referenced, and unfortunately, I didn't care!
2. even though this book was well-researched, I was surprised by some glaring inaccuracies with pronunciation and dates of religious celebrations - and that's only what I know for sure! and,
3. this audiobook was so looooong - just seven minutes shy of 40 hours! After 21 days, I had listened to only 57% (22 hrs. 30 min.) with 17 hrs. 15 min. to go! I just couldn't go on, so I skimmed through my borrowed hard copy to check out the ending.
Overall Thoughts:
I'm not adverse to reading 600+ page novels, but I really had a hard time getting into this audiobook! Disappointing, because I am interested in Russian history. Perhaps if I had only read the print copy, it might have suited me more, but I'm not going to do that anytime soon! I will give Rutherfurd's book titled
China: The Novel a go! And yes, I own a hard copy of that one!
As for Russian history, I will tackle my owned copies of
Peter the Great: His Life and World and
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, both by
Robert K. Massie sometime in the future.
Recommendation?
Several readers really enjoyed this book, so depending on your attention span, I highly recommend reading the print version. -
One of the richest historical tapestries written in the 20th century bringing Russian pre-revolutionary history to life like nothing since Tolstoy.I loved every minute of it and lived with the figures in the novel-wept ,rejoiced and feared for them.Saw the barbarism of the first settlements by nomadic people,the cruelty of Ivan the Terrible,the pompous hypocricy of the court of Catherine The Great and the confusion and despair of the 19th century and the excitement and fear of the pre-revolutionary era.But I was bitterly disapointed that Rutherford did not document the horrors of the Stalin period in more detail and did not cover the years of Russian history after World II.How wonderful an acount of the stalled reforms of Kruschev,the stagnation of the later Kruschev years and of the Brezhnev years.The Cold war and the invasions of Poland,Hungary,Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan ,the indocrination by the Communist party and the valour of the persecuted dissidents,through the eys of different Russian people would have been.The collapse of the Soviet union and the heroic stand by the people of Moscow against the failed 1991 Stalinist coup would have enriched and completed the account.
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Given what is happening in Russia and the Ukraine, this book should be put at the top of your to-read list. It is so very relevant to current events! Russka is a small town in the Ukraine. In this novel of historical fiction, we observe the antipathy and complicated relationship that has existed between Russia and the Ukraine over the ages, from 1080 to 1990.
The book is educational, but not dry and not boring. Through its characters, history is shown and experienced on an emotional level. History is not told, not delivered as a lecture through the piling up of tedious, hard to remember dates, names and details. Many facts are presented, but as they are woven into a story, we come to understand how they affect the people living through the events. Facts are made meaningful.
You know how it is when you have a really good teacher. In knowing their topic well, they have the ability to make the complicated simple. Rutherfurd is such a teacher!
Given the length of the book, we spend time with characters from families over many generations. We note familial characteristics that bind a family. We recognize what it is that makes it unique, special and different from others. What has happened in the past has shaped future generations. The author carries this out with panache. We observe physical similarities and body movements passed from parent to offspring—a particular way of shrugging shoulders or clasping a hand. I like this.
The author draws the transition from one generation to the next extremely well. In each generation I was again drawn into the individual characters’ lives. Some you care for. Some you despise. There is an emotional connection. This makes the flat facts of history, told and read of in umpteen books before, come alive.
Roger Davis reads the audiobook very, very well. Different accents are employed for those characters travelling from abroad. Words are clearly spoken. I did not have to reduce the speed, which is unusual for me! Four stars for the narration.
I just wish I could stuff all the interesting facts into my head so they would stay there permanently. Do you know why the Russians began their calendar year in the fall? Well, because mankind began with Adam and Eve and of course apples are ripe for picking from their trees in the fall. I mean, the Russian way of reasoning certainly does make sense! And I found it fascinating to learn about the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church! There is lots of information you want to remember and never forget.
Another thing I must mention. The author doesn’t exclude humor. In hard times, human behavior can be laughed at. The humor is most often ironical in nature.
I am very glad to have picked up this book NOW. It is so relevant to current events!
***************************
*
Paris 4 stars
*
Russka: The Novel of Russia 4 stars
*
Sarum: The Novel of England TBR
*
London TBR
*
China: The Novel TBR
Books to read along with
Russka: The Novel of Russia:
*
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World 5 stars
*
The Bronski House 4 stars
*
Peter the Great: His Life and World TBR
*
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman 4 stars
*
Nicholas and Alexandra 5 stars -
The story starts with creation of the first village in Russia, Russka, and its first Great leaders, followed by Mongol invasions, and Great Khan rule over Russia. In result, making some natives of southern lands to move northward, “where the Tatar patrols did not bother to come” to take census and collect taxes; some headed toward “a small town called Moscow. Nothing much,” and some to the village of Russka. With time Tatars reach even the northern villages.
In mid-16th century, the winning switches places. “Kazan: gateway to the empire once ruled by mighty Genghis Khan. Now it was Russian. (…) Moscow was then one of the greatest cities in all Europe – as big as sprawling London or powerful Milan.”
Peasant oppression creates a new move east toward unknown steppe. Further, the oppression gives birth to unruly Cossacks, who inhabit sparsely populated areas in the lower Dnieper of southern Russia & Ukraine. “By the end of 1648 half the population of the Ukraine were calling themselves Cossacks.”
With death of Ivan the Terrible, “who wreaked havoc at the slightest whim,” the Romanovs take over the throne. During their reign the scene enters Peter Tolstoy – “the distinguished ancestor of Russia’s great novelist.” (Leo Tolstoy).
Peter Romanov, 17, hardly on the throne and tsar yet, already stirring controversy by “his open and insulting mockery of religion.” With time his “strange adolescence continued” and it seems as only two things are of interest to him: war and boats; boats that go to sea.
At the age of 24, after the death of his invalid brother Ivan, he sits alone upon the throne. Two years later, in 1698, Peter travels abroad. “Something that no ruler of Russia had ever done.”
With gaining some access to Baltic Sea, he gets an idea of building a town up north in the marshes, which sounds as another absurd idea of his. In 1709, “he began forcibly to transfer whole villages of people to the rising city” of St. Petersburg. “Thus Peter began his new western capital.”
In 1812, in the months leading up to Napoleon’s great invasion of Russia, “many Russian landowners feared an internal revolution more than they feared the invader” as oppression of peasants was great.
In 1815 after Napoleon’s defeat, Russia is “No longer the barbarous Asiatic kingdom cut off from the Western world (…) the Russian tsar had taken lead.”
The famine of 1839 and 1840 gives an opportunity for one serf, who was greatly trying to buy his freedom. He searches and he finds an alternative crop – potato.
In 1857 Tsar Alexander signs Emancipation of the Serfs, but heavily imposed taxes, make them free only on paper.
In 1906 tsar grants the people a parliament “in which most Russian men could vote, but they did so grouped by class, each class able to send only so many deputies. The arithmetic of this system meant that each vote of a gentleman was worth that of three merchants, fifteen peasants, or forty-five urban workers.” On top of this, a second controlling chamber is added, pretty much giving the tsar autocracy. “What tsar gives…the tsar takes away.”
New revolutionaries appear, calling themselves Bolsheviks and are led by then unknown Lenin. The history of Russia continues to be marked by autocracy and rebellion.
In 1908, a meaning of a free man is true in fact as well as theory.
In 1937, “what Lenin had begun Stalin would complete. (…) And the transformation had been astounding: the entire countryside turned into state farms and collectives.”
This author’s books are usually marked by some remarkable characters; usually two or three stand out to me, but not in this novel. It takes a while to get into this story and the most interesting part is probably toward the end. It is absorbing to be reading about places which once where just tiny villages and today are known as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Overall, it is a good read as any of his other books. -
If you know nothing about Russia, this makes for a five star read, but if you do know about it and especially if you lived there, things get more complicated.
I wanted to give this book three stars -- "liked it", by goodreads' definition. I forgave the author stereotypic nonsense about "Turkish face" and concentrated on parts and sub-plots which were truly good. But nonsensical mistakes and unrealistic details in the last chapter of the book devoted to the Soviet and post Soviet times made it impossible for me to give it more than two stars -- "it was OK" (A few examples: 1)"how nice, for the first time there will be no military parade on May day" -- there has never been a military parade on May day (May 1st). The military parade was on the Victory day on May 9th and it has never been cancelled. 2) An undernourished child of a relatively well to do and well educated couple in Moscow -- come on, save this for Hollywood films about commies. 3)People in Moscow in 1990s worrying about bad quality of food because of Chernobyl -- absolute nonsense. 4)A third generation Russian emigrant speaking beautiful Russian WITHOUT an accent.)
This sprawling fictional novel stuffs more than a thousand years of Russian history into a bit less than thousand pages, fast-forwarding after the October revolution and so devoting only two or three sentences to the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). There are enough well written plots here for five excellent books, but because of the gigantic goal the end result is gigantic but imperfect.
A side note: If you decide to use a Russian word, and your Russian is rudimentary or non-existent, ask a native speaker to check your usage, not just look it up in the dictionary, unless you want a comic effect. -
I read this in 1992 when I was a very bored, unchallenged high school student. I got lost in the epic, sweeping tale and the history of the region. This book, above all other influences, is what propelled me to become an exchange student. Thanks to The Next Best Book Club in the thread,
What books do you miss, for reminding me how much I wish I could recapture that complete absorption that happens when you read the right book at the right time. -
I have been reading this one off and on for the last three months. I have been caught up in other books and so it has kept me away from reading this one. I plan to do so now. It has the same feel as Sarum, of course, but it is a little harder for me to get into. Perhaps because I don't know the history of Russia as well to be able to put myself into the book. I am 5 chapters into it and I get the feeling that I will like it soon. (my husband says I will)
Now that I have finished it I can't believe I let other books get in the way. This book is so great. I feel there was more history and character development in this one than in Sarum and I liked it better. There wasn't as much description of the land and the scenery as there was in Sarum. It didn't have that dragging feeling when things were described...kind of like Tolkiens writing patterns in LOTR. There was just enough for me to not disconnect the story.
I enjoyed the family stories/connections and I loved reading about the history of Russia. I really had no clue on so many things. It's fascinating. I am so glad I finished reading this book. It's great and I would read it again as I have read Sarum a few times. -
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. -
¡Hermosa novela!...¡sublime!....Nunca imaginé tanta riqueza, tanta cultura, tantos contrastes.
Me fascinó y disfruté mucho de este fantástico viaje por la historia y la geografía de la mágica Russka.
Me imagino en San Petesburgo, disfrutando del increíble espectáculo de sus noches blancas, tomando un rico té del tradicional samovar y escuchando la armoniosa melodía de la balalaika rusa....
¡Quiero disfrutar ese momento! -
Russia is a country far too infrequently written about by Western novelists, but with Russka, Edward Rutherfurd helps remedy that lack. This book is practically a class in Russian history (and fun besides). I wasn't sure about the format, which is best described as ten novellas and three short stories, following two families (and their offshoots) through hundreds of years. But it really works. The chapters flow logically, so I didn't feel at all disoriented jumping from one to another. And I avoid short-story compilations religiously, so that's saying something.
What's so excellent about these novellas, though, is the character development: in many cases we know these characters as well as if we'd read an entire novel about them. Rutherfurd doesn't fall into the trap of repeating characters over the generations; everybody's distinct, and many are quite memorable. The author is willing to take risks with the characters, featuring types who would rarely star in a full-length novel--perhaps because nobody is required to be "the hero." And the way the characters change and grow over the years is exceptional. Really, there's some outstanding stuff here; one that stands out is a character's descent into evil, possibly the best and most believable story of that type I've ever read.
And the plots: maybe it's true that Rutherfurd "borrowed" ideas, because not only are the stories interesting, there's an almost mythological resonance to many of them. Some incredibly memorable scenes. And although the book is light on action despite Russia's numerous wars, at times it's still hard to put down.
A word on the history: yes, Rutherfurd inserts mini-history lessons within the stories. To me this was helpful, as I wasn't familiar with much Russian history beforehand. The detail was fascinating and he never seemed to go overboard. But since others found this tedious, I'll add that the book seemed aimed toward readers who (a) have some interest in Russian history and (b) don't know a great deal about it already. If you majored in Russian studies on the one hand, or you're looking for a historical page-turner but couldn't care less about Russia on the other, this may not be the book for you.
Finally, to clear up some factual matters. This book is said to "cover 1800 years of Russian history." Technically that's true, but after the first 42 pages (in paperback) set in 180, the narrative leaps on to the 11th century... and there are only 21 pages post-1920. (For the record, I think the first decision was a good call, since few authors can make prehistory compelling, but really, how can you write a 945-page book about Russian history and give the entire Soviet period only 6? Yeah, those final 15 are set in 1992.) In the first half the book, skipping hundreds of years between chapters is the norm, but in the second half, time slows down and we meet every generation of the families in question.
So what keeps this from being a 5-star book?
1. I found the first chapter, and to a lesser extent the second, to be tedious, before Rutherfurd finally hit his stride in the 13th century. Then come hundreds of pages of excellence until...
2. The ending was weak; I didn't feel like I had a handle on the Revolution as on the earlier eras, and would have liked to read more about the 20th century.
3. Women are somewhat sidelined, serving as love interests, wives, and mothers to male characters--even when women take the spotlight, these roles define their lives and motivations. This seems to be due partly to historical gender roles and partly to Rutherfurd's lack of interest in other aspects of women's lives (also evident in the dearth of women: the family tree listing nearly every relevant fictional character in the book includes 55 named male characters, and only 20 females). Their personalities are diverse; I just would have liked to see someone have interests or goals in life in addition to men and marriage. (One gets close, until she gives up her love of music "for health reasons"--problems that are instantly cured upon her falling in love and having a son. Ugh.)
4. Any writer has personal tics that are bound to annoy you after awhile. Here, it's the overuse of rhetorical questions and the word "remarked" to tag lines of dialogue, plus the habit of stating things readers should be allowed to deduce on our own. For instance, we're told that one character is "shrewd," and everything he says is said "shrewdly"; also, Rutherfurd has a tendency to interpret events and make announcements like, "What happened next was her fault."
This book both educated and entertained me; sadly, I've found Rutherfurd too misogynistic an author to continue reading his books, but otherwise they aren't bad. -
Like Edward Rutherfurd's other books, Russka focuses on one place, and tells its story through the centuries. His books are series of interconnected short stories, which are set in different eras of history. Characters in each story are often decendents of characters in earlier stories, so the books follow families down through history.
I've read and enjoyed all of Edward Rutherfurd's books, but I have to say that Russka isn't up to his usual standard. Russka is a fictional village in Russia, so in this book Edward Rutherfurd tells the story of Russia. I didn't know a lot about Russian history, so was keen to learn a bit more here. I guess I achieved that goal, but on the whole, I didn't enjoy the book as much as, say, "London", "Dublin" or "Sarum". It's just speculation on my part, but I wonder if that might be because Edward Rutherfurd himself didn't know as much about Russia as he did about the settings of his other books?
I won't be put off by this book though, and am looking forward to reading his new one, New York. -
Reseña en Español | Review in English
No había abandonado un libro literalmente en años y me costó tomar esta decisión porque, soy de esas lectoras que se torturan y terminan todos los libros que inician. Sin embargo, llevo meses intentando avanzar con esta novela histórica (desde julio), y en verdad que no encuentro la fuerza para continuar. Me parece aburrida y no he logrado conectar con ninguno de los personajes y, después de 30% leído, no creo haber descubierto nada interesante o nuevo sobre Rusia. Ya había leído en el pasado dos obras del autor y si escogí este libro es porque tenía altas expectativas, porque su trabajo previo me había gustado bastante -
Paris y
Londres me parecieron novelas muy entretenidas y esperaba lo mismo sobre Rusia.
Desgraciadamente, no funcionó -esta novela es demasiado densa, con un montón de personajes que ni me van ni me vienen. En muchas partes me sentí tremendamente aburrida y creo que ni siquiera encontré una buena ambientación histórica. Es decir, quizá sí, pero me pareció muy académico, muy acartonado. No era lo que buscaba pues sé que Rutherfurd ha logrado de manera excelente dicha ambientación en otras historias, como París. Conociendo el estilo del autor, ya sabía más o menos que esperar -el relato de la historia de un lugar, contado a través del tiempo por personajes que se vinculan de alguna u otra manera. Sin embargo, a mi parecer el problema con este libro es que fue demasiado ambicioso. Una cosa es contar la historia de una ciudad por uno o dos milenios, y otra es contar la historia de un país por varios miles de siglos. Creo que fue demasiado. Sin duda, una novela sobre Moscú o San Petersburgo hubieran resultado extraordinarias en la pluma de Rutherfurd, pero por desgracia no fue el caso.
En verdad que quería (y una parte de mi quiere continuar) con el libro, pero decidí que no puedo forzarme a leer algo que no me entusiasma... no me entusiasma ni la reseña jugosa que podría escribir criticando todos los aspectos, lo cual creo que dice bastante. Además no es un libro corto, creo que tiene poco más de 1000 hojas o casi, entonces no y lo abandono con el dolor de mi alma, porque además de las expectativas que tenía, era parte de un reto que yo misma hice de leer libros sobre Rusia y en el cual pensaba que éste sería el libro estrella. Ni hablar.
_______
Well, I had not DNFed a book in years... literally years. But I have been trying to go through this historical novel since late July and I just can't seem to find the strenght to continue. I am bored, not connected to any of the characters, and after 30% in and I feel I know nothing interesting about Russia. I had read two other historical novels by Rutherfurd and if I picked this up it was because I had liked his previous work. I enjoyed
Paris and
London a lot and I was really looking forward to read this new story about Russia.
But this did not work for me -the book is too dense and I find myself too disconnected from the characters and at some point, I was plain bored. Rutherfurd's style usually follows a family or certain characters for long periods, and this was the same format used in Russia. I think the problem was that the book is too ambitious and I did not become aware of this until the moment I just simply could not bring myself to continue. Because one thing is to follow the story of a city for 1000 years, but it is a completely different thing to try to explain the story of a country over centuries. For a historical fiction, this might be too much, and I believe I would have liked more a book centered on Moscow or Saint Petersburg. Also, I found I was not transported to the historical Russian places or settings the author described -it all seemed too stiff.
I tried hard to push through this book, because this year I had set myself a challenge to read books about Russia, and I wanted this to be my star book. Unfortunately it wasn't for me and I decided to DNF this, because I am not liking it and honestly, this is a long book (over 1000 pages? or a bit less), and I do not have the will (nor the need) to put myself through it. -
**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**
Read this book in 2009, and its a standalone book about the history of Russia.
Set as from AD 180 until 1990, we follow four different families throughout the history of Russia and their achievements.
These four families are wonderfully interwoven through Russia's history, from the early turbulent events in history until developments until 1990.
Real lifelike characters within this history come vividly to life, and the period details are very good intertwined in this story about Russia.
Very much recommended, for this is a great standalone book about Russia, and that's why I like to call this story: "An Excellent View Of Russia"! -
A well-written novel about Russian history and how its people interact within it’s rich and interesting culture. Rutherfurd makes the story of Russia come alive.
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ISBN 0804109729 - It's unavoidable that Rutherfurd be compared to Michener; their styles are similar, their books tend to be EPIC NOVELS and they both like one-word place-name titles. In a world without Michener, I'm especially glad there's Rutherfurd. Ignore the Russophiles; this book wasn't written for them. It is a novel, meant to entertain - dissecting it as if Rutherfurd had marketed it as a textbook is a ridiculous sort of snobbery.
Russka is set in two towns of the same name in Russia over a period of 1800+ years. The lives of two families are woven together through the entire novel. Each chapter covers a period of time, some following right on the heels of the previous chapter and others leaving gaps of decades or centuries; it's nice to have the family tree in the front of the book to refer to. Power shifts from family to family over the centuries; that they remain tied to one another for so long, and that they are largely unaware of those ties is an enjoyable aspect because the reader, of course, knows all about them.
Re-telling history through individual stories is a particularly good choice for Russka and by weaving the families together the scope of the story stays manageable. The story of the country is told in how it affects our two families, their immediate circle and the towns of Russka. That the years from 1918 onward are condensed into a very small percentage of the book is a gift - we've been reading that history for decades, we know those stories. It's the fictional look at life in the 1700 previous years that draws you in and makes you pity Paul Bobrov, Sergei Romanov and Ludmilla Suvorin - our last generation of characters - for what they don't even know they've lost.
There are wonderful things that stick out - women "swinging their sickles" in 180 (no, that's not missing a digit) and still at it in 1945; the amulet given to Kiy in the first chapter and its progress through the generations; most of all, the story of the firebird that survives the entire history of the country. Worthy of at least one thorough reading, as long as you're here for the story and not looking for history.
- AnnaLovesBooks -
For some reason, I've been craving some early Russian history lately. I heard many good things about Rutherfurd's "Sarum: The Novel of England" and this novel, "Russka" had very good reviews as well, so I gave it a try. Unfortunately, it just didn't scratch my itch.
I love to learn about history through well-written, mostly accurate, historic fiction like Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles or the novels of Ken Follett. I even enjoy straight-up history as long as it isn't too dry - for example anything by Robert K. Massie. But this offering by Rutherfurd is strangely somewhere in between and yet neither.
Based on the reviews I read, I was somewhat prepared for the beginning chapters to be slow-paced, but after reading the sample I thought I would enjoy them nonetheless. The early stories had more of a feeling of folk tales or fables - which seems an appropriate way to present a period prior to written history. Rutherfurd managed to insert bits of historic facts and excessive geographic details into the fable-like narratives. Sometimes this worked, but more often it was tedious and (especially with the interminable descriptions of the rivers) didn’t always blend seamlessly into the story.
I was looking for a perspective that told the story of the common person during the events that shaped history. I like the concept of watching the famous or infamous historical figures from an outsider’s point of view. I enjoy reading about how major historic events affect the people who have no influence or power but must live with the consequences. But, the stories told in Russka seemed TOO far removed from the significant historic events, and there are huge sections of time that are just skipped over.
I finally got to the Ivan the Terrible chapter - which most reviewers agreed was when the story finally picked up and made the previous chapters worth plodding though. Sadly, I was still not feeling it.
I’m putting this one aside for now. -
Winston Churchill decía que Rusia era “un acertijo envuelto en un misterio dentro de un enigma”.
Excelente novela, por medio de la cual se nos narra la saga de dos familias, que viven los acontecimientos históricos más importantes de este hermoso país; y que conviven con las figuras que moldearon la idiosincrasia del pueblo ruso: desde el tiránico y desequilibrado Iván “El Terrible, pasando por el zar que introdujo la cultura occidental a Rusia, Pedro “El Grande”, hasta llegar a las figuras más importantes de la revolución de 1917 y la implementación de la teoría comunista.
Russka es un amplio catálogo de hechos, personajes y lugares históricos de la bella Rusia para investigar. Mismos que nos permitirán entender su pasado y, de alguna manera, también nos permitirá explicar los hechos que se están desarrollando en nuestro presente… -
This & LONDON were given to me in a box of my grandmother's things (RIP ❤️). She apparently loved them both...whether *I* will remains to be seen. But someday I really do need to tackle these monstrous tomes of teeny typeface. :P
Anyhoo...I thought I already had them catalogued on GR, but apparently not. No wonder they never get read. Sorry, Grandma. I'll try & do better. >__> -
It took me a while, but I finally got to the end!
This is a typical Rutherfurd book in that it spans many centuries following the same families. I am also fascinated with Russian history and I found the first part of the book very interesting.
For some reason this book didn't engage me as much as some of his others. I think it felt like there were just a ton of facts thrown at you almost as a list at points rather than exploring it as part of the story. I also thought that one of the more interesting periods in modern history for Russia (i.e. the last 60 years) was not explored much at all, but became just a bit of a footnote to the book which is a shame.
Still worth the read if you don't mind an epic family saga and enjoy Russian history -
One of the best books I have ever read in my life. The wait time was worth it for reading this amazing book. Edward Rutherfurd captivated me from page 1. I literally felt as if I was present in the situations characters lived. This book tells the story of Russia since it's beginning. From before the Middle Ages to the XXth century! Although some characters were fictional, the historical environment wasn't. I can imagine the research work for writing a book like this one. So worth it! I barely knew anything about Russian history, this book was a good start. I took my time reading this book to understand the different cultures that were present in Russka, such as the Cossacks and Tatars. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about this enigmatic and mysterious country.
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هذا هو العمل الملحمي الثالث الذي أتمه لـ (إدوارد روذرفورد).. بعد سارُم: تاريخ إنجلترا، ونيويورك.
يقدم روذرفورد -الكاتب والباحث المخضرم- الرواية التاريخية بشكل مختلف ثقيل -بالنظر لحجم رواياته-، فهو يكتب على نحو تقريري مكرساً للأحداث والسلالات الحاكمة، لكنه لا يوغل في التفصيل. أعماله شمولية، تعطي رؤية واسعة للمرحلة التاريخية، وتكاد تصف الوقائع بإنشائية، لكنها تستحق وصف "الرواية" لأنها تتعاطى مع الجانب الإنساني كذلك، بكفاءة لكن بلا إبداع زائد. السرد عند روذرفورد خطّي يبدأ في الماضي السحيق وينتهي في الحاضر، والأحداث تترى وقد تتقاطع لتتابع أفراداً من أجيال متلاحقة تعيش على الرقعة الجغرافية التي تتناولها الرواية، منتمين لخلفيات عرقية واجتماعية كفيلة برسم الصورة كاملة. نحن هنا أمام (ليالي الحلمية) إنما على النسق الإنجليزي أو الفرنسي إلخ، ولا مانع من الاستعانة بظهور شخصيات حقيقية على مسرح الأحداث، مثل لينين أو هنري فورد.
في هذه الرواية عن تاريخ روسيا، أعتقد أن روذرفورد قد "زوّد العيار" قليلاً في التعليق التأريخي مقابل حياكة الدراما الإنسانية. لكن قصة روسيا تظل فاتنة ولو رواها ببغاء فصيح! والأشد فتنة في أي رواية تاريخية، وفي كتابات رذرفورد عموماً، هو ذلك التداخل والتدافع بين البشر والأقدار الذي يجعل من كل الحكايات نسخاً متشابهة ومتباينة في آن معاً. فبعد كل، مجرى التاريخ ثابت، أما المتحول فهو الإنسان الذي يسبح مع تياره أو عكسه.. إن استطاع. -
Historical fiction and I often get along well, and I was very hopeful going into this book. I remember being charmed with the characters and style of Rutherfurd's
The Princes of Ireland,
The Rebels of Ireland, and
Sarum: The Novel of England, as well as awed by the scope Rutherfurd was able to cover so wonderfully about the history of these places through a web of interconnected families. However, this was missing the key element of charm for me.
Despite the fact that
Sarum: The Novel of England covers a more encompassing timeline and essentially the same formula, I really found the pacing of Russka to be a problem. The span of the novel is too great. The speed at which time is covered varies so much from story to story and family to family.
There were times when the story stretched and covered only a handful of months over a hundred pages, while other times suddenly decades will zip past. The inconsistency was often jarring. The young woman you thought you were following closely is suddenly an old woman, mentioned only in passing, and it's hard to figure out where she fits on the family tree. The others seeming no more important than the ones skipped.
The events in Russia's history that are touched were so distant and removed from the events directly covered in the novel that I found it hard to find my footing when something significant was mentioned by a character in either passing or passion.
That indefinable quality of character attributed to Russia, the difficulty in defining and categorizing aspects of the country and its history, ultimately led to Rutherfurd's inability to hold my attention and help me stay engaged. With a third-person narrator staying so far removed and emotionally distant from its story and characters, it was very difficult to keep the families straight, get my bearings on the correct era, and ignore the fact that Rutherfurd was doing a lot of telling and very little (to no) showing. He flat out told how each character was feeling in the most succinct and to-the-point language as was possible. This was a glorified history lesson, and while I would absolutely still recommend a Rutherfurd novel, it just wouldn't be this one.
Audiobook version, as read by
Wanda McCaddon: The audiobook performer here, Wanda McCaddon, did a phenomenal job. With a varied and rich voice, she brought life into this novel that I don't know I would've found at all, otherwise. Every slight change of her voice and each affected accent was seamless and without fault. I would look forward to listening to another read by her if the occasion arises. -
Might be great for someone who loves epic (in time span) stories with deep roots in history, for someone who adores mostly russian but other eastern europeans' culture as well, who finds pleasure in reading really long books so (s)he could take a single book for a few days/weeks long journey... For me it was just another slightly boring book - there are many more intriguing and better known out there (eg. those kids were to read during school year) but since this one was not that well known among those I know it was a good idea to actually try it. Am I happy of finishing it? Yes. Would I tell everyone I know to try it? No. I'd only point a few towards this book, those few who are in love with eastern european culture, who adore long family/love/history sagas and who could withstand this brick heavy (when printed on paper) tome with a smile on their face... Certainly it was not written to everyone's taste, and I can say that for sure I would not even try to read it again. Yes, I do love world history and stories rooted in important moments or turning points but this book simply had nothing to actually grab me for a longer while at a time - books by Sienkiewicz and even Żeromski are far more interesting ;) The characters here seem to be closer to some romantic Harlequin brand novellas' personae than to many other more adventure oriented stories... The story unfolds somewhat slowly, after all it does so over such a huge time span that other writers would have probably divided it into three or four different books. Sure, if that's what you like in a book you'd find it pretty interesting, but if you're more into suspense, adventure, detective stories or thrillers (or even fantasy sagas) this is certainly not for you...
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Lo compré para entender un poco de la historia y cultura de Rusia antes de visitarla, y fue una agradable sorpresa. Pese a ser un mamotreto de 1000 páginas, de verdad no se hace para nada pesado sino todo lo contrario, las historias están contadas de forma muy amena y agradable, mezclando la "Historia" con mayúscula, con las pequeñas historias de quienes vivieron y sufrieron las transformaciones de Rusia. Quedé con gusto a poco porque casi no cubre la segunda mitad del siglo XX que daba para mucho más: la "Gran Guerra Patria", la KGB, el declive y caída de la URSS... pero en general un muy buen libro y entrega una visión bastante completa. Absolutamente recomendado para los interesados en Rusia. Ahora a buscar los otros libros del mismo autor: Nueva York y Londres prometen.
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It took me forever but I finally finished this monster. A lot of it was actually pretty good. I wasn't sure that such a book could hold my attention for the whole thousand pages, but it did. Other than a few nitpicky complaints about the writing being occasionally weak or the pacing being patchy (which one has to expect from a book with this format), I really enjoyed the first 80-90% of this book. I would have preferred to spend more time in the distant past (say before Peter the Great) because I find that history to be more entertaining, but also because those chapters were the best in the book. Some of the scenes of the peasants cutting their crops and the short nonfiction sections about the Eurasian landmass and geology were simply beautiful. I almost want to go through and rate each story individually, but some of them really work together (I honestly found it annoying how many new sections just continued the previous story yet some jumped almost a thousand years....) and ain't nobody got time for that.
But. There is always a but. But after these lovely stories, everything fell flat. If I had to choose, I would say my favorite time periods in Russian history are the early middle ages (Kievan Rus and invading Norsemen, etc), the time of the Mongols (1200-1400ish), and the time of the revolution and Lenin (1905-1925ish). Unfortunately for me, everything after about 1800 became so boring that I eagerly looked forward to my third fave time period. Except it didn't happen. There were mentions of the Duma and a bit about WWI, but very little about the actual revolution and the tsar and all that. It was all so glossed over. We heard about the October revolution only happening off-page and even though there had been a character who was a revolutionary in the late nineteenth century, by the time of the Great War, his politics mattered far more than who was sleeping with whom and who made the most money. I couldn't believe how much the whole book just petered out. It was so strong for so long, and then it's like the author had to finish it so instead of just ending the book earlier, he squeezed in a few really bad last chapters and still doesn't even touch WWII or the cold war. I wouldn't have minded the ending being so rushed if more time had been spent between the Romans and the Mongols. I figured with the early stuff being cut out, that meant the twentieth century would be a quarter of the book or something, but it was not to be.
Tldr, can't put exactly into words what made the last fifth of the book so underwhelming for me, but it left a bad enough taste in my mouth that I can't really consider giving this book even four stars, despite the stronger early chapters. -
So, onto the next mammoth book by Edward Rutherfurd who is known - perhaps uniquely - for creating a story around the history of a place and populating it with characters and their descendants as we move through history's most memorable events. This time, he has chosen to take on the geographically mighty Russia, telling its history from the second century AD through to 1990 and the end of Communism.
If you have read at least one of his works, you know what go expect. Each chapter is a set in a different time period; familiarity is exercised through the descendants of those in the previous chapters so continuity is maintained through the ongoing feuds, marriages, business partnerships etc. Of the work I have read, this approach is no better demonstrated than in Sarum. For me it remains his best work.
Early part has a different feel - not about events but how Russia appears as the world changes around them. Rarely do we see specific events, they arw referred to as external agencies. This was the approach he took in The Forest and I don't feel it worked there. It works a little better here and the novel feels stronger for it. Russia is, after all, a large place and there is only so much that we can cover. The New Forest in comparison is tiny so there would/should have been greater scope to develop this.
Reading the 11th century chapter, I felt my heart begin to sink. Here was all the problems that made me almost give up on London. We follow the journey of one young boy as he grows up seeking to enter into a religious life. Unfortunately, too much time passes in too short a chapter (though the chapter is not long) and I didn't feel emotionally engaged enough. Nor are those characters are particularly likeable. As a lover of the medieval period, this should have been one of the most enjoyable sections for me. It wasn't.
I was pleased to feel more engaged with the story of Yanka in 1246. A difficult section to read due to the unpleasant relationship she has with her father after her brother is taken and her mother killed by Tatars. But she is soon swept off to Novgorod for a life she always wanted... but it isn't a bed of roses. It was fascinating to see this high medieval world looked in Russia instead of the much-covered western Europe and crusades into the Holy Land.
The story really opens up in the story of Ivan (1552) and this, arguably, is where the story of Russka truly begins. Ivan the Terrible was the first Tsar of Russia who turned it into an empire worthy of the name. This then, for obvious reasons, is one of the longest chapters at around 120 pages of this 1000 page book. For such a pivotal point in Russian history, it is not a great chapter and I would have preferred to see some of these events rather than merely having characters discuss them (my major complaint about The Forest).
The next few chapters are largely about religious strife between their Polish Catholic rivals and Orthodox Russians. There is no greater discussion of this than in The Cossack before we move onto Peter (The Great). After this we move onto Catherine and as with London, this is where the book really takes off.
The 19th century was arguably the most pivotal period in Russian history. A century before the revolution, anti-aristocracy feelings were growing as the up and coming middle classes looked to successful empires westward. Napoleon sought to conquer Russia, the Crimean War and the beginnings of Communist thought. Rutherfurd deals with these chapters quite well but it is not a particularly interesting read. I find that he makes a habit of this sometimes, creating a mundane story set in what should one of the most interesting periods of the history of the place he covers.
We also see the end of the empire and the first stirrings of revolutionary thought from the 1870s. This is interesting and adds context to the final 150 or so pages even if again, it isn't particularly fascinating as a story. What is clear is that revolution had a few false starts in this period, various uprisings within Ukraine and Russia from various factions that were suppressed or petered out and finally find success in the fateful 1916.
And finally to the incident filled 20th century and of course, it is rife with political discussion, on clashes between the Bolshevik and Menshevik before we move onto beyond the revolution and the beginning of the Soviet state. We even get to experience trench warfare as Germany attacks Russia in 1914. It is interesting to see the transition of the family lines right through the period though the Cold War is barely covered as we hope from WWI to WWII and then immediately to 1990 in the space of 30 pages. Rarely does Rutherfurd allow wider events to take over the storytelling. Again, I did not like this element of The Forest but it worked much better here, possibly because he is using the method so late on in the book when the families are established.
Overall, the majority of this book was too middle of the road, too plodding to be truly enjoyable or to truly absorb yourself into the prose. It is better as educational fiction; few people in the west have a level of understanding of Russian history that is deserving of its colourful past and that is the strength of this book. There could have been a little more in the way of experiencing events that made Russian history.
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I am a big fan of Edward Rutherfurd's huge historical epics spanning the history of a place by linking it through the generations of several families.
In Russka, it spans some nearly 2000 years through a sprawling country filled with different peoples and cultures. A rich tapestry of source material for his epic novel you would imagine. But somehow maybe because of the length of time or in the stories of the people he chose to tell, I did not connect to the characters and their parts in such huge historical events as the Mongol Invasion, the rise of the Cossacks or even the colourful reigns of Ivan the Terrible, Peter The Great and Catherine the Great at all. The most compelling section was towards the end detailing the fall of the Tsar and the Russian Revolution through the eyes of a Bolshevik and one of the lesser nobility in which Rutherfurd's trademark strengths shone through.
Not one of his greatest works in my opinion but still an interesting account of the history of one of the most vast and culturally diverse countries of the world.
★★★☆ (3.5 stars)
