A magnificent work
As a casual student of Russian literature and history, I find this book to be informative, passionate, and in parts extremely well written. Ms. Polonsky takes her reader on a tour of the geography and through the history of this tormented country by browsing through the works in Molotov's library, and then filling in with her own experiences. Ever wonder who the Scythians were? Or the Cossacks? How about the Steppes? These are just a few of the topics she explores, along with the lives of Dostoevsky and Chekhov, the feel of Murmansk and Novgorod, etc. I could not put this book down, and I made a list of people she mentions whose own works I want to read later. Thank you, Ms. P., for what is clearly a labor of love!
