kirstyreadsandcreates's review
3.0
This was only a short book but it certainly packed a punch. The second half made for quite difficult reading.
The book is a mixture of Chekhov's letters to friends and family whilst travelling through Russia, and an account of the horrors of the penal colony on the island of Sakhalin. The letters were the first half of the book and were quite jovial, however the account of Sakhalin was harrowing to read. Reading, in graphic detail, about how the convicts were treated there sent chills through me.
The book is a mixture of Chekhov's letters to friends and family whilst travelling through Russia, and an account of the horrors of the penal colony on the island of Sakhalin. The letters were the first half of the book and were quite jovial, however the account of Sakhalin was harrowing to read. Reading, in graphic detail, about how the convicts were treated there sent chills through me.
slategreyskies's review
1.0
Strong triggers in this book for racism, sexism, child prostitution, and women bought and sold and used as currency. If you’re not triggered by these things, there are other sections of the book describing the landscape that are interesting, but I would not under any circumstances recommend this book.
bex_knighthunterbooks's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
2.0
The journey was somewhat interesting, with a few humorous moments and some interesting observations. However, the fact this was written as a report and letters for family was clear and did not improve the readability - it clearly wasn't written for a more general reader. I found the read a bit of a slog in places with excessive census facts, and the horrible living conditions weren't as upsetting as they should be as I felt I was missing some context of how most people lived in the Russian empire at the time.
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