I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country by Elena Kostyuchenko, Bela Shayevich (Translator).

I have read 100 novels from Russia, but that was fiction; not too much nonfiction... or it has been fictionalized in that Soviet way. But this...

This is hard-hitting longform journalism, very gripping. At first it seems like fun and games, trailer parks and prostitutes and hard-edge punks in abandoned buildings. Then it gets so rough that it was like Kolyma Tales, one of the most brutal books I have picked up. Like that one, I found myself putting this book down and saying, "Man, I don't need to be reading this heavy stuff. Life is too short." Then I'd come crawling back.

If you want a good, quick understanding of Putin's rise and what the state looks like, I recommend this book and Putin's People by Catherine Belton. Both books are hard to put down while being gut-wrenching to read.

Russia is a place full of torment, suffering. Like a troubled person who destroys themselves, destroys others who try to help them, or hurt them, whatever... the world there is painful. Cold, mud, vast distances with nothing between them. Dialogue blunt as a bat. But the author's sense of humor is apparent.

A big map of places mentioned at the beginning, a timeline of events similar to the Everyman Library, and a decent index at the end show the reader that this is not some crap. This is a solid piece of journalism that was cared for by its handlers.

The content of this book is so good, that I am keeping it at 5 stars compensating for tiny criticisms, which I make as feedback should they make it to the author.

1. Brilliant work. One is left wondering, How were all these stories made?? How did she go all these places, witness all these events? Maybe some explanatory notes for each story at the end.
2. I would have loved photos of these places, of some people, etc. Even general archive photos. It was good reading this book near my laptop, looking up locations and buildings mentioned. I found myself triply amazed when I looked things up. As in times three plus head trip. Even a short mention of a Pussy Riot performance piece, Kissing Cops--I found it on youtube and was so impressed with this group. I wish them all free of prison in a place of oppressive weather and oppressive tyrants.

Don't worry about flim flam reviews here: This book is not propaganda or junk. Read it.

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