Russian Journal

I read this book when it came out in 1982, and it has stayed in my mind ever since. It captures perfectly the sense of wonder and excitement of being young and relatively carefree in a foreign culture, and living it in an intense and intimate way. There are characters, places, and situations described in the book that are as real and memorable as those in any good work of fiction, and the book somehow has become almost a part of my own memory, as if I had been there as well.

While one immediately realizes that this book is a bit outdated, that does not make it less poetic and a vibrant portrait of a repressed people. This book made me fall in love with Russian culture and people, even at its darkest time Lee paints a lovely (and realistic) portrait of a country and a people. Very worth picking up!

Andrea Lee and her husband were Harvard graduate students who went to Russia for advanced studies. Ms. Lee wrote a series of essays that captures the people she met and the events and spirit that would eventually lead the Soviet Union to "freedom" and the collapse of communism. Her style is unique, and her insights into the people she met are beautifully described, with occasional flashes of irony and clever observation. For example, she notes that (in an essay on farmer's markets) that the Russians have done to architecture what American's have done to food: gone for size without taste. Is it outdated? Of course it is, this was a country beginning to fray around the edges (this was the mid '70's) politically, but she captures the spirit of the people she met and the country she saw (the "unofficial" one) perfectly. As a depiction of a time and a place it is a wonderful read, and she has a style (or voice) that is uniquely her own. I for one, am glad that this "place" no longer exists, but I am glad that this book does if for no other reason than to remind one of the harsh conditions under which the Russian people lived for so long. It is a small masterpiece of the "travel" genre, and an excellent example of the art of the essay. It is literature, not history, a fact that seems to have been lost on some of the reviewers.

Sure, Andrea Lee comes off smug at times....but she is being honest! And she was 25! What an amazing writer.

I picked up this book without great expectations. I was merely doing an assignment for English class, but I found the book to be delightful and interesting. I couldn't seem to put it down, and when I finished, I recounted how much I learned. The descriptions of Ms. Lee's surroundings were detailed so one could easily picture the architecture in one's mind. The descriptions of Russian citizens are most intriguing because of Ms. Lee's opportunity to become close friends, not acquaintences with them. All in all, a good read that teaches a lot.

This was an unexpected gem. Russian Journal is a great read for people who love to travel or who don't travel but want to. It was less a journal and more a love letter to the people of Russia that the author met in the late 1970s. I easily could picture the harsh architecture and the warm people, what a startling contrast! I began the book wondering about Andrea's experiences (will she encounter the KGB? etc.) and by the end I was curious about her friends and wanting to go there myself. I am actually leaving in 15 months for a year long stay.