Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Beyond the stereotypes
I first picked up Russka, not out of any interest in Russia, but because I'd enjoyed Rutherford's book Sarum and wanted to read more of his books. Russka ended up influencing my life more than any other book I've ever read. Before reading the book I knew nothing about Russia beyond the usual Cold War stereotypes. After reading the book I was so interested that I learned to speak Russian and hope to travel there someday. In Russka, Rutherford brings history to life in a way his other books (Sarum and London) can't rival. Besides telling a good story with engaging characters, Russka shows how major historical events affected the lives of individuals and how human desires and frailties shaped history. Rutherford doesn't write about "the Bolshevik Revolution" or "Consumer good shortages during the Soviet era", he writes about the ups and downs of individual families living through these events. Russka is first and foremost a story that pulls the reader in. Gaining insight into the Russian mind-set is an unexpected perk. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, regardless of whether they're interested in Russia. However, if after you've finished the book you'd like to learn about post-Communist Russia, I recommend Mark Taplin's nonfictional account Open Lands: Travels Through Russia's Once Forbidden Places.
Rating:  - Big book; somewhat weak ending
This novel is, of course, a historical novel about Russia. The author seems to be most interested in the period before 1800 or so. After he reaches 1800 the books drags a bit. The author thinks the Russian Revolution of 1917 was a bad thing and that it harmed the people of Russia. I have no reason to quarrel with him.The author does a good job of keeping the story centered around the four or so families whose descendants make up the key characters. He does an excellent job of explaining the economic problems, particularly those associated with agriculture, that have plagued Russia for all of its history. Anyone who reads this book should be impressed with the enormous amount of research that went into it. I learned a great deal about Russia before 1800. For the period after 1800, there is little here that a well-educated person would not already know.
Rating: - I recommend it to anyone! Best book I ever read.
I first picked up this book at the library when I was doing research on russian history. After looking at the number of pages, I quickly put it down. It was only after I finished my project that I decided that I would buy the book because I found russian history so fascinating. I was not dissapointed. Mr. Rutherfurd goes into such detail that you grow to love the characters, you grow to understand russian culture so much more. So many people are still clinging to the steriotypes of Communist Russia: if they could read this book, I am sure that they would understand our friends in the east. What I enjoyed the most about the book was the fact that it was also educational. I even learned things that I did not discover in my studies. But that doesn't mean that if you know nothing about Russia that you won't understand the book, far from that. Rutherfurd takes the time to explain what is happening, so the reader is never lost. I'd recommend this book to anyone. If a 17 year old can read it and enjoy it, anyone can.
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