Customer Reviews
|
|
Reading Rutherfurd
brings instantly one other author to mind, the
late James Michener.
Like Michener
(most of his books, at least), Rutherfurd chooses
one specific place (London, for example) and,
through a series of characters inhabiting that
place, he tells the story of a nation, or of a
city. In this case, the "place" is the biggest
country in the world: Russia, and her neighbours.
Like "Sarum", which tells the history of England,
"Russka" is the history of Russia told from the
point of view of three families, each occupying a
different position in Russian society. From the II
century, through the tsarist empire and finally
the October Revolution, Rutherfurd, in more than
900 pages, was able to provide his readers with
the right blend between a well-created fiction
with the most important parts of Russian history.
And yet, I thought this book was shorter than it
could be. Rutherfurd's style sometimes leave the
reader tired. Some of his sentences are a little
too prosaic for the kind of fiction he's intended
to write. He abuses the right to use the word
"For" (as in "For Nicolai was the greatest poet in
Ukraine") to begin a phrase. One other problem I
found was concerning the division of the book. The
part I expected the most was the Revolution. I was
satisfied when I read it. It's well written,
interesting and holds the attention of the reader.
In fact, the Revolution is the climax of russian
history (at least in my opinion, I'm not russian
and I really don't know that much about russian
history), and the author does a good job in
building the tension and creating a very "russian"
atmosphere in the previous chapters before the
revolution. But the problem is that, after 1917,
the book ends. Nothing about the second World War,
nothing about Breschnev, the Perestroika and the
fall of the Berlin wall. So, I was left with the
sense that there was somethig missing. Rutherfurd
could have written at least 300 more pages and I
wouldn't think this would a book too big, given
its subject. But I think that I was rewarded after
closing the final page on "Russka". I wanted a
book of fiction that would show me the history of
Russia. Rutherfurd's research and his choice of
characters, although conservative, were very good.
"Russka" is entertaining and gripping, and I was
hooked all through its 900 pages. Grade 8.3/10 |
|
I'm a history buff
but not very familiar with Russian history. I
found this a very engrossing book, much in the
style of Michener's books. I was fascinated with
the early portions of the book, beginning with the
predecessors of the Golden Horde, continuing on
through the era of Peter the Great. It shows the
cruelty & magnificence of Mother Russia in her
glory, touching on the plight of the serfs & the
magnificence of the ruling class. It really piqued
my interest in reading further on those eras in
Russian history. My only criticism is that the
book bogs down a bit as it reaches the late 1700s.
The families become less interesting, & even their
"contact" with Catherine the Great isn't
particularly interesting. It gets confusing with
the introduction of Marxists during the 1800s,
although it probably reflects the confusion felt
by those actually living through that period of
time. There is virtually nothing about Communism
after the fall of Nicholas, although most of us
are familiar with the realities of that period. It
would also make for a good sequel--following the
families through that era (& WWII)!But, it's a
great read overall. I highly recommend it. And as
I said, it made me a Russian history buff. |
|
Like his English
history novels Sarum and London, Rutherfurd puts
people into history in a way that leaves you
feeling as though you've lived in their time and
place. These are real characters you care about
and whose cultural roots and outlook you feel you
understand, and that is the best beginning to
education in history. Russka is only slightly
diminished by a bit much overt quizzing amongst
the novel's characters to explain the history.
Overall I really liked how well history and
storyline are woven together. Educational,
engaging and, at times, riveting. Rutherfurd knows
how to tell a good tale. |
| |
|