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Mud and Stars
Mud and Stars: Travels in Russia with Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Other Geniuses of the Golden Age | Sara Wheeler
4 posts | 2 read | 8 to read
With the writers of the Golden Age as her guidesPushkin, Tolstoy, Gogol, and Turgenev, among othersSara Wheeler searches for a Russia not in the news, traveling from rinsed northwestern beet fields and the Far Eastern Arctic tundra to the cauldron of nationalities, religions, and languages in the Caucasus. Bypassing major cities as much as possible, she goes instead to the places associated with the countrys literary masters. With her, we see the fabled Trigorskoye (three hills) estate that Pushkin frequented during his exile, now preserved in his honor. We look for Dostoevsky along the waters of Lake Ilmen, site of the only house the restless writer ever owned. We pay tribute to the single stone that remains of Tolstoys birthplace. Wheeler weaves these writers lives and works around their historical homes, giving us rich portraits of the many diverse Russias from which these writers spoke. As she travels, Wheeler follows local guides, boards with families in modest homestays, eats roe and pelmeni and cabbage soup, invokes recipes from Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking, learns the language, and observes the pattern of outcry and silence that characterizes life under Vladimir Putin. Illustrated with both historical images and contemporary snapshots of the people and places that shaped her journey, Mud and Stars gives us timely, witty, and deeply personal insights into Russia, then and now.
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

This was part travelogue, part Russian literature review, and part food diary. I wasn‘t sure if I would follow it because I‘m not a Russian literature expert, but I enjoyed it quite a bit despite my reservations. Sara Wheeler has a dry sense of humor, and a spirit of adventure that I like. #FoodandLit

Texreader Sounds good!! 3y
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BookishTrish
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Taking a break from historical fiction about Pushkin to start a travelogue... about Pushkin #sensingatheme

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jeanie49
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Pickpick

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book, but it is really good. The author takes us on a historical literary tour of Russia, touching on the past and present state of the country. I especially enjoyed her train trek through Siberia. I gave it 4 1/2 stars. You can read my review at www.thebookdelight.com

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BookishTrish
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The Followers 💐 The Rhine 💐 The Wild Heavens 💐 Sketches of the Criminal World 💐 Inland /// Loads - really looking forward to Weather 💐 /// 2 cats who loathe each other: May and Earl Grey

53 likes1 comment