In Siberia

I love travel books.Rarely I found a book so filled whit real understanding of the soul of a people.In this book you get to know what communism was(worse that you'd imagine),what perestrojka was,and a land of beautiful mystery,one of the really unbeknownst countries of our crowded planet.A land of horrors and of frigid beauties.And Thubron's superb style conveys mesmeringly its intriguing nature

The agility of the authors words is best of class. This is one of the most enjoyable reads-of-art available. His journey is observable from any ecosphere within Siberia. The history and lore presented astounds even residents of the regions. The tone in general, however, is expected from the type of travel, and at some points, reaches the heights of the average....although it is not recognized....a la compare to hitchhiking across america.....but the art of description is deserved of siberia.....enjoy it, over and again it'no wonder that such an author resides in london, and lives in the world........

This is an excellent, yet depressing, view of what has become of the vast land of Siberia. The effect Soviet rule had on the diverse peoples of the region gives more understanding as to why they are in many ways worse off now under "freedom."

This is one of the few books that I've wanted to read again the moment I finished it. It's like a cross between Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Kosinski's The Painted Bird with one crucial distinction - it's not fiction.

The surreal and tragic effect of this book builds relentlessly as it goes along. By the end, I felt like I had a sense of a place that went well beyond a familiarity with appearance, to a much more important (and difficult for an author to convey) sense of what it feels like. The unspeakable tragedy of this land - centered around the hideous legacy of the Stalinist years - is conveyed in a thorough, convincing and compelling way. You cannot read this book and remain untouched by it - it is powerful stuff.

A unique feature is the author's language and style, which is often very poetic. The juxtaposition of the fine writing with the often macabre and disturbing subject matter makes for a strong effect.

I haven't read any other books by this author, but I will before long. This is an excellent, and highly memorable piece of work. Highly recommended.

I liked Thubron's book but felt he did not get close enough to the people. After three weeks in a small town (65,000 pop'n) west of Novosibirsk I've become very Russophilic. I recommend Tayler's Siberian Dawn and Taplin's Open Lands for a somewhat more personal view.