Title: Russka: The Novel of Russia  

Author:Edward Rutherfurd  

Genre: Historical Fiction     

Publisher: Ballantine Books    

Format: Paperback

Pages: 960

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Spanning 1800 years of Russia’s history, people, poltics, and culture, Edward Rurtherford, author of the phenomenally successful SARUM: THE NOVEL OF ENGLAND, tells a grand saga that is as multifaceted as Russia itself. Here is a story of a great civilization made human, played out through the lives of four families who are divided by ethnicity but united in shaping the destiny of their land.

Review:

Wow what a book! Like the previous two Rutherfurd books I’ve read, this massive beast of a book encompasses so many important parts of history that’s it’s hard to describe all the key details! I must say I’m happy that this one went in chronological order, unlike Paris 😂

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The book spans several generations throughout Russian history, set in a fictitious town of Russka. I love the idea of taking interesting historical events and telling them with fictional characters, as you get a sense of connection to the time period that I think some people may not get if they read a historical non fiction book! Like his previous books, this one follows a few main families and how their lives development throughout time. Some events include the Mongol invasion, the reign of Ivan the Terrible, Peter The Great and Catherine the Great, as well as the invasion of Napoleon and the Russian Revolution. There were also important discussions, such as the Age of Enlightenment, Nihilism, and some great authors like Tolstoy and Gogol. We got a sense of how Russia’s relationship with Ukraine developed, and the connection between a Russian landowner and his serfs. The one thing I wish the book had spent more time on is the Second World War, as I think the defence of Moscow could have been really interesting. But I can understand how it didn’t really fit with the characters!

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It’s hard to talk about the characters because there were so many and they were changing as the years changed, so I’m just going to say that the family connection between the characters helped to keep me invested as a reader! Great book!

Happy reading!