Russka

De: Edward Rutherfurd

Narrado por: Roger Davis

In this vast and gorgeous tapestry of a novel, serf and master, Cossack and tsar, priest and Jew are brought together in a family saga which unrolls through centuries of history to reveal that most impenetrable and mysterious of lands - Russia.

Through the life of a little town east of Moscow in the Russian heartland, Edward Rutherfurd creates a sweeping family saga from the baffling contradictions of Russia's culture and her peoples - bleak yet exotic, brutal but romantic, land of ritual yet riddled with superstitious fears.

From Russia's dawn and the cruel Tatar invasions to Ivan the Terrible and the wild Cossacks, from Peter, Catherine and the days of War and Peace to the drama of the Revolution and the extraordinary events of today - here is Russia's story in a spellbinding novel - history recreated with breathtaking detail and passion.

©1991 Edward Rutherford (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

Historically accurate and engrossing story

Well written and engrossing story that accurately and completely traces the history of Russia - could not put it down!

Cannot compare to Michener

This book was chosen based on a recommendation that Rutherford is comparable to James Michener. At 45%, I am bailing on the audible. I’m sure I will finish reading this book, but the narrator does not make me want to listen any more. Not sure if it’s the narrator’s or author’s fault.

Brutal

Great book, there was one part that was a little too much SA and I considered not finishing the book, but thankfully that was the only part I found difficult. Great writing great book, I’m more interested than ever in learning more about Russian history.

An epic on every level

This is a masterpiece and a thorough explanation of the entirety of Russia’s history. Unless we examine Russia’s past, and what therefore informs the country today, we are unlikely to understand it.

Great history lesson

Wonderful history lesson told with stories of families from BC to 1990’s. You begin to understand Russia a bit more !

So rich

I am impressed at how rich the characters are and how really emotional the story can be. The vocal performance was one of the best I’ve heard. I read this one because my family ran from the Bolsheviks to America and this was a creative way to explore that history.

Great Story!

It is a very good book and helps me review the history of Russia through the family story. The narrator is also excellent who vividly described people and scenes. By listening to the book of Russka I have learned something new about Russian history.

Wonderful Historical Novel

I just discovered Mr. Rutherford's novels after completing Ken Follett's historical trilogies and feeling at a loss as to 'what next'? What a delight to find these books! I feel that I have learned much about Russia through his story telling and indeed some of what makes me shake my head about Russia and how the country interacts on the world stage, now makes more sense. Also, the narration of Roger Davis is excellent and makes me feel a part of the story.

Narrator’s Pronunciation of Names is Awful

For a 47 hour reading, you would think the narrator would have made even the most basic attempt to pronounce Slavic names correctly. Not asking for no accent, but at least put the accent on the right syllable when reading a Slavic word! Literally every name, geographic markers, etc. were butchered. “Ivanushka” is supposed to be accented on the first “a” not the “u”. “Yaga” is supposed to be accented on the second “a” not the first. And it goes on and on.

Not a favorite

I struggled with this one. Russka was in my library and I thought it would be a good time to learn a bit about the history of Russia. I have read other Rutherfurd books but this one just didn't engage me. The structure of the story is that centuries go by and the time spent on each character is very little so the story just didn't evolve. Things got a little more interesting in the more modern era and I did learn many interesting facts.