December 01, 2019

Russophile's Bookshelf


Russophile's Bookshelf

We receive dozens of books from publishers each year, yet can only review a few in each issue of Russian Life. Here are a few books we recently received that are in publication and should be brought to Russophiles' attention.

 

Midnight in St. Petersburg, by Vanora Bennett (Thomas Dunne, $25.99)

Faberge jewels, Rasputin, and a priceless Stradivarious violin all play a part in a young woman's flight for survival, and for love, in revolutionary Russia.

 

Russian Tattoo, by Elena Gorokhova (Simon and Schuster, $15.99)

We reviewed this fine memoir by the author of Mountain of Crumbs in our November/December 2014 issue. The book is now out in paperback.

 

Alla Osipenko, by Joel Lobenthal (Oxford University Press, $34.95)

An autobiography of the legendary dancer and rebel who paid the price for speaking truth to Soviet power. The book draws on 40 interviews with the prima ballerina, tracing her life from classical darling to avant-garde rebel.

 

Soviet Leaders and Intelligence, by Raymond L. Garthoff (Georgetown University Press, $26.95)

A leading Soviet expert offers an informed and highly readable assessment of how Soviet leaders understood (and misunderstood) the intentions and objectives of their "main adversary." Garthoff shows how Soviet leaders were often not receptive to intelligence analyses that conflicted with their existing beliefs, and that intelligence officers were often not willing to challenge ideological orthodoxy.

 

Hit Parade: The Orbita Group, edited by Kevin M.F. Platt (Ugly Duckling Presse, $18)

A bilingual Russian-English colleciton of poems by the four leading authors of the Orbita creative collective, based in Riga, Latvia. Orbita is a trans-ethnic, trans-linguistic phenomenon that draws on both the traditions and contemporary scenes of Russia, Latvia and Europe.

 

Russia: Putin's Playground, by Anastasia Edel (Lightning Guides, $8.99)

Mini travel book sized, this is a brief guide to recent trends in culture, politics and society, with a dash of history thrown in. Lightning Guides "are short, beautiful books that connect curious readers to big ideas." Brevity is the watchword here, but it could be a good starting point for someone just dipping their toe in Russophilia.

 

The St. Petersburg Connection, by Alexis S. Troubetzkoy (Dundurn, $29.99)

A short, well-written history of Russian-American relations from 1776 to 1917, exploring the seemingly unlikely connections between the two countries – one a champion of liberty and progress, the other an absolute monarchy and defender of tradition. 

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Some of Our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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