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Goodbye Leningrad (2009)

by Elena Gorokhova(Favorite Author)

3.71 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

3423248823 (ISBN13: 9783423248822)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

DTV

review 1: What a beautiful coming-of-age memoir. Elena Gorokhova's selection of memories from her past in Soviet Russia compose a sort of beautiful mosaic, prodding and questioning large ideological differences in a heartfelt and personal way.One of my favourite stories is Elena learning English, questioning the word "privacy", and finding no Russian equivalent. Moments like this exquisitely explain the truly "otherworldly" disconnect between Russia and the Western world during the Soviet regime of 1960's and the chasm created by the duelling ideologies of capitalism and socialism. It gently teaches throughout the narrative, and the lessons are rich and provoking.Not only is this a fascinating look into the everyday life and workings of 60's Soviet Russia, it is also a story about l... moreove, family, compassion, duty, and courage. While it is a story of (ultimately) leaving Russia, it is not a story of despising Russia. In fact, she often says it is like the complex relationship most women have with their Mothers - a need to question, a need to stretch ideas and horizons. A need to grow.I truly enjoyed this. A worthy read.
review 2: This very beautiful, very honest, very touching memoir was compulsively readable for the first hundred or so pages, as the author told the stories of her girlhood to early teens growing up in the Soviet Union. It was especially fascinating for me to hear how the U.S. and capitalism were demonized, as during virtually the same time frame, I was growing up in that precise parallel universe, my own teachers and family railing against communism and the poor, deluded citizenry of the USSR. Not that reading this book made me want to go back in time and trade places, but it was a wonderful confirmation that people are people, wherever you go, and that power corrupts in remarkably similar ways, even if the outward styles differ. less

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