"Daily life in Russia under the last tsar&quo

[Sylvia]

I might very well prove my ignorance here, all of you are possibly aquainted with this book, but if someone particulary feel for a very good insight in the Romanovian Russia, I can only recommend the following book by Henri Troyat: Daily life in Russia under the last tsar.

In original language, i.e French, La Vie Quotidienne en Russie au temps du dernier tsar. Originally it is written in the late 50's, but it still feels very 'contemporary'. I found it in London some years ago, so it is still in print.

I made a search at the forum to see if anyone had commented or read this great book, but the search came back with noting, so I thougt I'd just tell you.  

//Grigorevna

[Ortino]

I've never heard of this book, but it looks interesting. Thanks for the info. Here's a link for those interesting in purchasing it. It's relatively cheap (~$20).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804710309/qid=1125589174/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-2139440-1639858?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[Elisabeth]

I have this book; it's quite good and I highly recommend it. Chapters include "Family Party," "Entertainment and Dining Out," "The Workers," "The Tsar and his Entourage," "The Peasants." There are also photographs and tables of weights, measures, and money.

This is a social overview of Russia before the Revolution. If you are looking for an intellectual overview, Russia Under the Last Tsar, a collection of essays edited by Theofanis George Stavrou, is also very helpful.  This includes essays on "Russian Radical Thought, 1894-1917" (by Donald Treadgold), "Problems of Industrialization" (by Theodore van Laue), and "The Cultural Renaissance" (by Gleb Struve). Published by the University of Minnesota Press, 1969.

[Sylvia]

Yepp, Ortino, that's it. Even the cover is the same as I have. Thanks for posting the link. Didn't think about it myself.

The book is actually written as a sort of travelogue, about a londoner named Russell. He knows a friend who arranges interesting meetings with different stratas of the Russian society. Well, sometimes it feels a bit constructed, but not too bad.

//Grigorevna

[Belochka]

While this book provides a narrative approach, using "Russell" as a visitor to Imperial Russia in 1903, to create his social portrait, I must disagree with Troyat's assertion that 1903 was a "logical year" to select.

Perhaps more worthy to read as a novel, it is somewhat simplistic in its approach. I found the artificially created conversations dispersed throughout, were extremely annoying.

I agree with Elizabeth there are far more intellectual works available.

[Sylvia]

Right, but there can be a pleasure in reading books that are not top-super-intellektual as well. For someone who would like to get an easy-read first impression, I think this book actually is satisfying.


//Grigorevna