What I’m reading

Frazier, Ian. Travels in Siberia. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.

This is a wonderful book. Frazier, a regular contributor to the New Yorker, first fell in love with Russia in the 1970s. Since then he’s travelled to the country a bunch of times. Most significantly, he went on a five week car journey from Moscow to Vladivostok in August and September 2001, and took a shorter train and automobile trip through Siberia in 2005. While on his travels he sketched the urban and rural landscapes around him, and the book is peppered with these marvellous drawings.

Travels in Siberia is Frazier’s homage and contribution to the centuries-old tradition of travellers writing accounts of their journeys in the region. It is also a love story, a personal account of his relationship with Russia over the decades, and a wonderful introduction to Siberia’s history and lore. Frazier’s enthusiasm, curiosity, and humanity are always present, making the book a joy to read. And parts had me laughing out loud!

As an academically-trained historian, I can be picky about books, especially ones that stake a claim on my territory. I’ve little time for lazy thinking, easy punch lines, and writing that lacks verve. So what a treat this book is! It’s insightful, creative, and completely down-to-earth. Take this sentence, from early on (p. 61), which unintentionally but essentially sums up scholarship on US foreign relations: “Americans believe in democracy and they like to fix things.” Indeed. The author’s presence is clear throughout, of real benefit to the text. By the end of it I felt I, too, could smell Russia, and I, too, could imagine myself enjoying that reindeer meat meal in northern Siberia. What a ride.