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Khrushchev’s Russia begins by describing the history of Stalinism in the country but quickly moves on to what life was like during the Thaw. The passage I found most interesting of all, and which has contemporary relevance, argues that the Russian population have always needed a ‘stern, remote father-figure’ to lead them; he may beContinue reading “Khrushchev’s Russia”

I read Xstabeth in one sitting, and it reminded me of Bukowski’s novels. The form is made up of narrative interspersed with essay vignettes which illuminate, or obfuscate, the meaning of the text. A Russian woman walks around St Andrews late at night, hoping for a rendezvous with a famous golfer.  Я прочитал Xstabeth заContinue reading “Xstabeth”

Through a series of interviews with Soviet scientists and specialists Life in the Twenty-First Century imagines a future where plastic replaces marble in our government offices, where rivers have been diverted to feed arid plains, and where cities exist on the moon. Though grounded in occasionally dense interviews, the book becomes very exciting indeed whenContinue reading “Life in the Twenty-First Century”