I dove into this book not knowing anything about it — nor, honestly, about Russian history — and it took me a minute to get into the material and comprehend its rhythm. It opens with a brief chronology of Russia from 1953 – 2014, then presents an oral history, interviews with Russians, with little context or explanation. For instance: “Snatches of Street Noise and Kitchen Conversations, 1991 – 2001,” in which various citizens muse and opine and tell stories, as if you’re sitting in a smoky bar, just overhearing snatches of conversation. It’s a bit dizzying. But if you bear with it, after a minute you’ll get into the groove and hear unforgettable stories about life in Russia in the second half of the 20th Century. After finishing it I’m still quite confused about events and key players, but the book presents a fascinating emotional, personal history, and I will remember some of these stories for a long time.
The audiobook works exceptionally well thanks to expert direction and a brilliant cast of narrators, some of the best readers in the business. The way they embody the stories here is remarkable and haunting. Give it a shot. Just keep listening and don’t worry too much if you get lost for a bit here and there, especially early on.