This was an easy read, and in fact hugely easy compared to some of last year's books! And I didn't really find anything interesting or inventive about the use of language. The story was ok if a bit too predictable, and it seemed rather 'stereotypical Russia' to me although I haven't actually been there to be able to comment with any authority. The biggest emotion that the story stirred in me was sympathy for the fiancee finding out her husband-to-be's past in this manner, that he still hankered after his Russian adventure and had been playing at middle class England. As a main character he wasn't very likeable, rather weak and easily-led. I enjoyed reading it but felt the book didn't really offer anything unusual or different, hence a 6/10.
I did enjoy this book, it definitely started off well, but my enthusiasm did wane a bit towards the end, and I started to wonder how ever got on the Booker shortlist, as I have read better crime/thriller novels by established authors such as Reginald Hill Nick, our narrator has escaped the boredom of London for the excitement of post communist Russia, and he is portrayed as very much the idiot Englishman abroad , and quite a shallow character to boot! Like Sarah I ended up feeling a bit sorry for his fiancée who the book is dedicated to – and wondering if she dumped him after reading it!! The Moscow landscape is Stereotypically Russian, with the scantily clad female fraudsters Masha and Katya, the elderly widow Tatiana who had lived under Soviet rule with her positive attitude, bent oligarchs, disappearing people etc. I did think with Miller was maybe commenting on the fact that Russia hasn’t been freed from communism under Putin, life for many is probablty as challenging, just in different ways. He writes pretty well, but the plot, though enjoyable was really predictable – I kept waiting for something more exciting to happen but it never did……. It has made me want to go to Moscow more than ever, anyone else up for a trip?! 6/10
Considering the comments from the press. "Totally gripping", I found it quite predictable and very easy to put down,to come back later in the day.I could see where it was going. "Disturbing and dazzling",I think most people know what is happening in Russia at the moment. The story only endorsed my concepts of resignation to corruption in that nation.It is their history.One of the best books I have read about Russia was Rutherford's Russka. "Electrifying......Leaves you stunned and addicted", it shows how easily one can become party to and carried along with the general run of life. It is depressing in that corruption comes in degrees.Russia is a hopeless case, I feel happier not being a part of it,and yet how much corruption are we aware of in our own land.
How could the narrator be so naive.It seemed so obvious that Masha was a set up. Even the first time they had sex with the sister watching - tacky! Very stereotyped characters, all the villains one hears about in the press- the Cossack, corrupt officials etc. Having spent a very short time in Russia on an exchange we met none of these people, just ordinary folk with similar concerns to our own, although we were not in Moscow. Finding things which had been buried in the snow was a familiar theme as we were there when the snow started to melt and saw the piles of rubbish which became apparent as the thaw set in. Apparently things were thrown out in the knowledge that the snow would cover them up- out of sight out of mind I guess. The narrator seemed a man without morals, self deceptive and a bit pathetic in his obsession with Masha. I hope his fiance said no! However I did enjoy reading the book it kept my interest to the end -probably hoping for some redeeming features in the main characters but they did not come.
This was an easy read, and in fact hugely easy compared to some of last year's books! And I didn't really find anything interesting or inventive about the use of language. The story was ok if a bit too predictable, and it seemed rather 'stereotypical Russia' to me although I haven't actually been there to be able to comment with any authority. The biggest emotion that the story stirred in me was sympathy for the fiancee finding out her husband-to-be's past in this manner, that he still hankered after his Russian adventure and had been playing at middle class England. As a main character he wasn't very likeable, rather weak and easily-led. I enjoyed reading it but felt the book didn't really offer anything unusual or different, hence a 6/10.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy this book, it definitely started off well, but my enthusiasm did wane a bit towards the end, and I started to wonder how ever got on the Booker shortlist, as I have read better crime/thriller novels by established authors such as Reginald Hill
ReplyDeleteNick, our narrator has escaped the boredom of London for the excitement of post communist Russia, and he is portrayed as very much the idiot Englishman abroad , and quite a shallow character to boot! Like Sarah I ended up feeling a bit sorry for his fiancée who the book is dedicated to – and wondering if she dumped him after reading it!!
The Moscow landscape is Stereotypically Russian, with the scantily clad female fraudsters Masha and Katya, the elderly widow Tatiana who had lived under Soviet rule with her positive attitude, bent oligarchs, disappearing people etc. I did think with Miller was maybe commenting on the fact that Russia hasn’t been freed from communism under Putin, life for many is probablty as challenging, just in different ways.
He writes pretty well, but the plot, though enjoyable was really predictable – I kept waiting for something more exciting to happen but it never did…….
It has made me want to go to Moscow more than ever, anyone else up for a trip?!
6/10
Considering the comments from the press.
ReplyDelete"Totally gripping", I found it quite predictable and very easy to put down,to come back later in the day.I could see where it was going.
"Disturbing and dazzling",I think most people know what is happening in Russia at the moment. The story only endorsed my concepts of resignation to corruption in that nation.It is their history.One of the best books I have read about Russia was Rutherford's Russka.
"Electrifying......Leaves you stunned and addicted", it shows how easily one can become party to and carried along with the general run of life.
It is depressing in that corruption comes in degrees.Russia is a hopeless case, I feel happier not being a part of it,and yet how much corruption are we aware of in our own land.
How could the narrator be so naive.It seemed so obvious that Masha was a set up. Even the first time they had sex with the sister watching - tacky! Very stereotyped characters, all the villains one hears about in the press- the Cossack, corrupt officials etc. Having spent a very short time in Russia on an exchange we met none of these people, just ordinary folk with similar concerns to our own, although we were not in Moscow. Finding things which had been buried in the snow was a familiar theme as we were there when the snow started to melt and saw the piles of rubbish which became apparent as the thaw set in. Apparently things were thrown out in the knowledge that the snow would cover them up- out of sight out of mind I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator seemed a man without morals, self deceptive and a bit pathetic in his obsession with Masha.
I hope his fiance said no! However I did enjoy reading the book it kept my interest to the end -probably hoping for some redeeming features in the main characters but they did not come.