Russia & USSR

The Encyclopedia of the Dead

4:03 am in Eastern/Central Europe, Kiš, Danilo, Recommended, Russia & USSR, fiction, short stories | No Comments

The Encyclopedia of the Dead

by Danilo Kiš (1983)

A collection of metaphysical short stories set in various times and places, luminously darkened with the themes of fate and death’s impenetrability.


A Tomb for Boris Davidovich

4:36 am in Eastern/Central Europe, Kiš, Danilo, Recommended, Russia & USSR, fiction, short stories | 3 Comments

A Tomb for Boris Davidovich

by Danilo Kiš (1976)

Seven different yet casually interlinked short stories about revolutionaries, mostly centering around the Russian Revolution


Kampus Kabelnaya

3:05 am in Indonesia, Russia & USSR, biography & memoirs, essays & criticism | 1 Comment

Kampus Kabelnaya

Menjadi Mahasiswa di Uni Soviet
by Koesalah Soebagyo Toer (2003)

A collection of vignettes about his study in the then USSR.


Heart of a Dog

6:04 pm in Bulgakov, Mikhail, Russia & USSR, fiction | No Comments

Heart of a Dog

by Mikhail Bulgakov (1925)

A renowned Moscow scientist implanted the pituitary’s gland and the testes of a dead criminal into a stray dog with the unexpected result of Sharik turning into a complete human.


Natasha’s Dance

4:22 am in Figes, Orlando, Russia & USSR, history | 1 Comment

Natasha’s Dance

A Cultural History of Russia
by Orlando Figes (2002)

Thematically organized, the book encompasses the cultural history of Russia from around 17th to 20th century, with heavy emphasis on the earlier period, especially the 18th and 19th century. Central to all these themes are the questions of quintessential “Russian culture” and national identities.


A History of Modern Russia

9:37 pm in Russia & USSR, Service, Robert, history | No Comments

A History of Modern Russia

From Nicholas II to Putin
by Robert Service (2003)

Lucidly written with a lack of political bent and a handful of wry humour, this revised and updated history of Russia is a useful general reference on Soviet past with the main focus on the period of communist government.


Voices from Chernobyl

9:48 pm in Alexievich, Svetlana, Eastern/Central Europe, Recommended, Russia & USSR, biography & memoirs, current events, environment, history | No Comments

Voices from Chernobyl

Chronicle of the Future
by Svetlana Alexievich (1997)

“This is not a book about Chernobyl, but about the world of Chernobyl,” a wide range of oral, first-hand testimony, accounts, sometimes occasional rant and condemnations from broad range of people involved and/or affected by Chernobyl.


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A division of coffee-cat.net that houses reviews of books I have read, sporadically written. (More info)

If you live in Surabaya, Indonesia, you can find (most of) these books available to borrow from C2O library . cinematheque . cafe.

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