Among the Russians

As a cultural anthropologist who was been living and working in St. Petersburg, Russia for several years I can recommend this book for only what it is now. This is a travel narrative written over a period of weeks by one person, who did not speak Russian, in a tightly regulated tourist industry. Firstly, most people would agree that not speaking a language of a culture seriously inhibits your ability to assess what is actually happening and why. Secondly, at the time this was originally written, the Soviet Union, nor anyone else thought that it was in decline (1980 was also the year that the Olympics were held in Russia and an year after the invasion of Afghanistan)and seeing it as such is only because of hindsight.Thuborn's travel is from the in-tourist perspective, several other Western travelers who visited for conferences and business trips might explain something completely different. I know one such American photographer, Demarest Peterson, who traveled to Russia in the 1950's who was virtually uninhibited by the tourist guides from the in-tourist department, and was even able to take pictures of worshipers in a Russian Orthodox church during this time!Consider the alternative, imagine a Russian who was able to visit the US, under false pretenses, at about the same time, alone, poor in English and by car (if this would ever have been allowed). Would they be allowed to travel independently? Probably not. Would they be monitored by governmental officials? Probably yes. Would they be requested to join an official tour group to "give them a better traveling experience" (to keep an eye on them)? Yes, most certainly. Would their documents have been examined? Yes. Seeing it from the other side may help to explain the experiences that Thuborn had. Very few traveled to Russia from the West during this time which may help to explain the enigma of Russia more than one persons two week journal.I can recommend this book from only this perspective, as a historical narrative, and not as something to be considered for 2010. Russia has changed greatly in the last 10 years alone and it resembles nothing of the Soviet Union in 1980. If taken as a guide this book, now, will only heighten one's sense of cultural shock. And when you return, write of your own experiences, they are sorely needed.

Colin Thubron is a wonderfully observant and quite literary writer. I marveled throughout the book at the beauty of its crafting. One thing only bothered me and made the last part of the book comparatively hard to enjoy as much. Beginning with the section on Armenia, the editing went to hell in a hand basket- almost as if the proofreader just decided to uncritically accept all spellcheck and autocorrect changes and go home to his slippers and beer. Still, the fact that it was written about a time when all these places were still part of the Soviet Union does not seem to compromise his portrait of the people and their lives.

An amazing journey at the end of an era. The author tried to understand the Russian soul and observed with as much insight as possible people and the places he visited. I was thoroughly impressed with the language of the text that in certain aspects it was very rich, almost poetic but sometimes convoluted and difficult to understand. Greatly enjoyed reading this book and I think it is a unique travel memoir.

This is a well-written book, for the pre-Chornoble era. So much has changed since 1983, it is now a history book. In fact, it is word-for-word "Where the Nights are Longest," published by Colin Thubron in 1983, save for a few lines in the Foreword. The "2001" copyright is therefore misleading--it is a a 1983 book.

Following my recent trip to St. Petersburg, this was an interesting read. I must admit, I read only the Leningrad and Tallinn portions of Thubron's book, but it is a heartfelt recounting of his amazing trip. Some of the language is little overblown for me, but it was his journey, and he tells the story well. I enjoyed the walkabout in St. Petersburg and Tallinn story of the pastor.

This is first of a trilogy travel journal. Maddening is that Thubron finds not one thing pleasant, admirable, or poignant about Russia. Hardly credible. And while Thubron is highbrow with vocabulary (you'll need a dictionary close by) the man cannot for the life of him spell "Tatar." "Tartar" is a fish sauce Colin! The people you are writing about are "Tatars" (ONE "r"). Stay with Colin though. He absolutely redeems himself in the two remaining books and will take you places all westerners must visit.

I should preface my review by making it clear that I am not generally a fan of hyper-descriptive, verbose writers in the vein of Hemingway. That said/understood, I found Among the Russians to be so long-winded and detail oriented (in terms of describing places, buildings, forests, etc) that it was difficult to get a sense of the people. He interjects tales of his human interactions sparingly and a bit chaotically, so it isn't the type of book that I enjoy. A balance of description, history, and on-the-ground human interaction is key in making a book like this readable and entertaining. His style misses this by quite a bit. That said, it is an interesting account of 1980's Soviet Russia. It is what it is, but it's definitely not my favorite.

a very interesting and well written book. Mr Thuron has a knack for describing unusual encounters with people and his descriptions of places visited is poetic at times and starkly realistic as well. His very subtle sense of humour reveals itself in the most unexpected ways. An insight into how things were in russia not that long ago!

Colin Thubron is No. 1 in my estimation as a travel writer. He captures personal and objective visions and ideas in every sentence. His meetings with Russians in this book are brilliantly evoked and bring this vast and bewildering country and its people to life. Although this book was written some years ago, the Russian character does not, I believe, change, and I recommend this short and brilliant piece of writing by this writer par excellence who never fails to interest, amuse, and educate.

Published in the 1980s so things will have changed. Found some of the descriptions about architecture a bit heavy and skipped some, but found the interviews most interesting. Overall, enjoyed it a lot.

Just to let people know this book is also sold under the title Where Nights are Longest. Travel by car through Western Russia. My mother wanted several of his books so duly ordered. Will be shipping one back

Thubron a bit less interesting here than in other books of his I have read- or maybe I just dont find Russia as interesting as I expected

Brilliant book