Travels in Siberia

Finished January 10
Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier, read by the author.
Though nonfiction, this is an epic of a book. Telling of not only his own trips to Siberia (five in total) but also of others travels, this book provides an interesting view of a symbolic but little known part of the world. Frazier covers history, geography, literature, and politics in this amazing book. Frazier took on learning Russian to better equip himself for his travels, and talks about the greatest triumph: getting Russians to laugh on purpose. There is sadness and humour and so much more here.
I think that while I enjoyed the audio, reading the hard copy would have enabled me to look back at different sections, take note of particularly interesting passages, and skip some of the long lists Frazier was prone to.
In his own travels, he talks about the large numbers of beautiful women in Siberia, the preponderance of mosquitoes, and the type of garbage prevalent along the roadways. We see his friendships with the people of this part of the world and his Russian guides, his touchstones for Siberia in his own world, and the wonderful things that he learned. A great book with so much to offer.