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Molotov's Magic Lantern: Travels in Russian History by Polonsky, Rachel
by Polonsky, Rachel | HC | Good
US $9.44
Approximately£7.07
Condition:
“Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ”... Read moreAbout condition
Good
A book that has been read, but is in good condition. Minimal damage to the book cover eg. scuff marks, but no holes or tears. If this is a hard cover, the dust jacket may be missing. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with some creasing or tearing, and pencil underlining of text, but this is minimal. No highlighting of text, no writing in the margins, and no missing pages. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
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Located in: Aurora, Illinois, United States
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eBay item number:196574043774
Item specifics
- Condition
- Good
- Seller notes
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Weight
- 1 lbs
- Product Group
- Book
- IsTextBook
- No
- ISBN
- 9780374211974
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN-10
0374211973
ISBN-13
9780374211974
eBay Product ID (ePID)
92372798
Product Key Features
Book Title
Molotov's Magic Lantern : Travels in Russian History
Number of Pages
416 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Special Interest / Literary, Russia & the Former Soviet Union, Political Ideologies / Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism, Russian & Former Soviet Union, Russia
Publication Year
2011
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Literary Criticism, Travel, Political Science, History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
1.3 in
Item Weight
0.4 Oz
Item Length
9.3 in
Item Width
6.4 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2010-023037
Dewey Edition
22
Reviews
Praise forMolotov's Magic Lantern"The result is an eccentric work, daring in conception, peculiar in construction, that incorporates all Polonsky's teeming scholarly knowledge of Russia and the Russian people . . . In the course of her travels, Polonsky visits monasteries, dachas, sanatoriums and bath houses. Her chapter on Siberia in particular offers a meticulous reportage tinged with poetry, in which almost every page radiates gem-like images and an impressive literary craft . . .Molotov's Magic Lanternremains a magnificent achievement, in which Russia emerges as less a nation than a marvellous region of the mind." --Ian Thomson,The Irish Times "It's a gem . . . [Polonsky] has achieved the unimaginable: a serious non-fiction account of Russia, which is as wide-ranging as it is entertaining . . . This is a wonderful account of a changing Russia . . . If you have always wanted to read an accessible, profound and original history of modern Russia, this is the book for you. It's a challenging and demanding read but one that is hugely rewarding." --Viv Groskop,Sunday Express "As promising and enticing as a novel . . . An unexpectedly delightful literary travelogue . . . Polonsky is not so much a wanderer as a meanderer of the mind . . . AndMolotov's Magic Lanternis not a piece of history, nor of literary criticism, but a pocket torch shone into the nooks and crannies between the two." --Wendell Steavenson,The Sunday Times "Polonsky's detail-studded hybrid of travelogue, biography and political and cultural history is dense and scholarly, and dares to lack a dominant propulsive narrative . . . Rather, it beautifully competes with Russia's endemic cultural amnesia to refract a terrifying national legacy through a bloodied sequence of endlessly shimmering stories, over which the figure of Putin still resolutely lies." --Metro "As promising and enticing as a novel . . . An unexpectedly delightful literary travelogue . . . Polonsky is not so much a wanderer as a meanderer of the mind. And Molotov's Magic Lantern is not a piece of history, nor of literary criticism, but a pocket torch shone into the nooks and crannies between the two." --The Sunday Times "Polonsky's detail-studded hybrid of travelogue, biography and political and cultural history is dense and scholarly, and dares to lack a dominant propulsive narrative. Rather, it beautifully competes with Russia's endemic cultural amnesia to refract a terrifying national legacy through a bloodied sequence of endlessly shimmering stories, over which the figure of Putin still resolutely lies." --Metro "[An] elegant book . . . This is a many-layered portrait in which the strands of Russia past and present, town and countryside, real and intellectual, are interwoven with skill and . . . erudition." --Mary Dejevsky,The Independent "Fascinatingskatulochka--jewellery box--of Russian history . . . Polonsky's description of the far north of Russia made me long to visit, with its ‘other-wordly' landscape. [Polonsky] achieves a more profound understanding of Putin's Russia than many other foreign observers." --Charlotte Hobson,The Daily Telegraph "Polonsky weaves an extraordinary web of connections between people, places and books. Her own work seems to belong to no known genre. It is neither political history, nor literary criticism, nor travelogue reporta≥ yet it combines some of the best features of all three, illuminating aspects of Russian cultural li, Praise forMolotov's Magic Lantern"Cogently descriptive, empathic, plucky, and acerbic, Polonsky begins with a tour of Moscow's grim landmarks of the Stalin era, then ventures out into the countryside, excavating the tragic and heroic stories of writers and scientists who suffered banishment and worse, many the victims of Molotov's industrious murderousness . . . Polonsky is so steeped in Russian history and literature that everywhere she goes, her inner magic lantern projects the past onto the present, the imagined onto the real, and what we see is an illuminated land of immense brutality and beauty, suffering and spirit." -Donna Seaman,Booklist"The result is an eccentric work, daring in conception, peculiar in construction, that incorporates all Polonsky's teeming scholarly knowledge of Russia and the Russian people . . . In the course of her travels, Polonsky visits monasteries, dachas, sanatoriums and bath houses. Her chapter on Siberia in particular offers a meticulous reportage tinged with poetry, in which almost every page radiates gem-like images and an impressive literary craft . . .Molotov's Magic Lanternremains a magnificent achievement, in which Russia emerges as less a nation than a marvellous region of the mind." -Ian Thomson,The Irish Times "It's a gem . . . [Polonsky] has achieved the unimaginable: a serious non-fiction account of Russia, which is as wide-ranging as it is entertaining . . . This is a wonderful account of a changing Russia . . . If you have always wanted to read an accessible, profound and original history of modern Russia, this is the book for you. It's a challenging and demanding read but one that is hugely rewarding." -Viv Groskop,Sunday Express "As promising and enticing as a novel . . . An unexpectedly delightful literary travelogue . . . Polonsky is not so much a wanderer as a meanderer of the mind . . . AndMolotov's Magic Lanternis not a piece of history, nor of literary criticism, but a pocket torch shone into the nooks and crannies between the two." -Wendell Steavenson,The Sunday Times "Polonsky's detail-studded hybrid of travelogue, biography and political and cultural history is dense and scholarly, and dares to lack a dominant propulsive narrative . . . Rather, it beautifully competes with Russia's endemic cultural amnesia to refract a terrifying national legacy through a bloodied sequence of endlessly shimmering stories, over which the figure of Putin still resolutely lies." -Metro "As promising and enticing as a novel . . . An unexpectedly delightful literary travelogue . . . Polonsky is not so much a wanderer as a meanderer of the mind. And Molotov's Magic Lantern is not a piece of history, nor of literary criticism, but a pocket torch shone into the nooks and crannies between the two." -The Sunday Times "Polonsky's detail-studded hybrid of travelogue, biography and political and cultural history is dense and scholarly, and dares to lack a dominant propulsive narrative. Rather, it beautifully competes with Russia's endemic cultural amnesia to refract a terrifying national legacy through a bloodied sequence of endlessly shimmering stories, over which the figure of Putin still resolutely lies." -Metro "[An] elegant book . . . This is a many-layered portrait in which the strands of Russia past and present, town and countryside, real and intellectual, are interwoven with skill and . . . erudition." -Mary Dejevsky,The Independent "Fascinatingskatulochka
Number of Volumes
1 vol.
Dewey Decimal
947
Synopsis
When the British journalist Rachel Polonsky moves to Moscow, she discovers an apartment on Romanov Street that was once home to the Soviet elite. One of the most infamous neighbors was the ruthless apparatchik Vyacheslav Molotov, a henchman for Stalin who was a participant in the collectivizations and the Great Purge - and also an ardent bibliophile. In what was formerly Molotov's apartment, Polonsky uncovers an extensive library and an old magic lantern - two things that lead her on an extraordinary journey throughout Russia and ultimately renew her vision of the country and its people. In Molotov's Magic Lantern , Polonsky visits the haunted cities and vivid landscapes of the books from Molotov's library: works by Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Akhmatova, and others, some of whom were sent to the Gulag by the very man who collected their books. With exceptional insight and beautiful prose, Polonsky writes about the longings and aspirations of these Russian writers and others in the course of her travels from the Arctic to Siberia and from the forests around Moscow to the vast steppes. A singular homage to Russian history and culture, Molotov's Magic Lantern evokes the spirit of the great artists and the haunted past of a country ravaged by war, famine, and totalitarianism., After moving to Moscow, British journalist Polonsky discovers the apartment of Stalin's henchman, Vyacheslav Molotov, and uncovers an extensive library and an old lantern--two things that lead her on a journey throughout Russia, which ultimately renews her vision of the country and its people.
LC Classification Number
DK510.29.P65 2011
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- c***m (417)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseWOW!; I cannot believe this 3 Days to Hawaii! ; AAA+++; Excellent Service; Great Pricing; Fast Delivery-Faster Than Expected to Hawaii!; Shipped 05/05, Mon, Received 05/08, Thu to Hawaii using free shipping; USPS Ground Mail, Book in Excellent Condition--Better Than Described ; TLC Packaging; Excellent Seller Communication, Sends updates . Highly Recommended!, Thank you very much!
- v***v (2054)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAlthough this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
- a***r (375)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchasei am so happy to have every book of this series! the price of the book & the shipping is very reasonable! the book was as described & was in excellent condition! it was shipped quickly & arrived quickly! the books are always packaged carefully so they arrived undamaged! the communication from the sellers is always excellent--they go out of their way for excellent customer service! i have been a repeat customer from this seller & always will be! this seller is the best bookseller on ebay!