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drillvoice's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so impressed by this book.
Basically, Yaffa is interested in the idea of the 'wily' Russian who sort of hustles to get by in the Putin system, who isn't a hardcore ideologue supporter, nor a revolutionary opponent, but just sort of working their way in the system to try to eke out what they can. Each chapter looks at a different such person, from a high-ranked employee of a state news station, to a humanitarian philanthropist who depends upon Putin to resource life-saving work.
I think the best bit of the book is how comfortable it is with nuance. Yaffa sketches an empathetic portrait of each person, trying to show how difficult their situation is and the trade-offs they have wrestled with, what lines they have and haven't been willing to cross. The author is rarely enacting moral judgment, which I think is good and leads to a better book. At the same time, he does record judgments from others he interviews, helping to create a multi-faceted picture of each subject.
One great example of this is an account around someone who was interned in the Soviet prison system, who later was released, and then supported a museum about the system. That person later befriends a former a camp guard and basically reflects: both of us were victims of the system. Both of us did what we had to, didn't really have an alternative. I thought this was the most interesting part of the book and really gets to all the various shades of grey that make up an ordinary human life, and that the author is inviting us to comprehend.
Funnily enough, I read this book because I wanted to read "Nothing is True and Everything is Possible", but I had forgotten the name. Maybe this book wasn't the grand political treatise on modern-day Russia, but it was a beautiful sort of 'people's history' that looks at the society from the ground up. *****.
Basically, Yaffa is interested in the idea of the 'wily' Russian who sort of hustles to get by in the Putin system, who isn't a hardcore ideologue supporter, nor a revolutionary opponent, but just sort of working their way in the system to try to eke out what they can. Each chapter looks at a different such person, from a high-ranked employee of a state news station, to a humanitarian philanthropist who depends upon Putin to resource life-saving work.
I think the best bit of the book is how comfortable it is with nuance. Yaffa sketches an empathetic portrait of each person, trying to show how difficult their situation is and the trade-offs they have wrestled with, what lines they have and haven't been willing to cross. The author is rarely enacting moral judgment, which I think is good and leads to a better book. At the same time, he does record judgments from others he interviews, helping to create a multi-faceted picture of each subject.
One great example of this is an account around someone who was interned in the Soviet prison system, who later was released, and then supported a museum about the system. That person later befriends a former a camp guard and basically reflects: both of us were victims of the system. Both of us did what we had to, didn't really have an alternative. I thought this was the most interesting part of the book and really gets to all the various shades of grey that make up an ordinary human life, and that the author is inviting us to comprehend.
Funnily enough, I read this book because I wanted to read "Nothing is True and Everything is Possible", but I had forgotten the name. Maybe this book wasn't the grand political treatise on modern-day Russia, but it was a beautiful sort of 'people's history' that looks at the society from the ground up. *****.
robthereader's review against another edition
5.0
A journalistic work for the current geopolitical times, Between Two Fires is a peep in to Putin’s Russia that Westerns usually only get a glimpse of if anything at all. Joshua Yaffa sets the book up with a prologue that dives into a sociologists research into the collective psyche of the Russian people which has them bargain with whatever political system is in power at the time and their own ambitions. This theme is stretched over the stories of seven unique individuals from around Russia. The reader is introduced to an avande garde director turned propaganda television executive, a humanitarian turned mouth piece and others. Each start their careers with a sense of purpose but they eventually must either join or work with the Soviet and eventually Putin’s governments to gain the acclaim they desire or spread the help they originally believed in.
Yaffa’s interviews and accounts are fair in that he talks to the subjects as well as those who have seen their rise and sometimes fall on all sides of the political spectrum. Yaffa leaves the extrapolations on their moral fibers to his subjects and readers. The stories provide layers of context as it becomes evident that even the facets of life we take for granted for being free from state interference such as religion and art, are succumbed to the wielding of power and influence.
Yaffa’s interviews and accounts are fair in that he talks to the subjects as well as those who have seen their rise and sometimes fall on all sides of the political spectrum. Yaffa leaves the extrapolations on their moral fibers to his subjects and readers. The stories provide layers of context as it becomes evident that even the facets of life we take for granted for being free from state interference such as religion and art, are succumbed to the wielding of power and influence.
elise_dragon13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
mkesten's review against another edition
2.0
While I found the essays in this book interesting and well-written I must say I found the execution of the book as a survey of life in today’s Russia insufficient. How anyone can write about ambition and compromise in Russia and ignore the super-wealthy is beyond me. This is one of several books I’ve read recently by New Yorker journalists in which the author seemingly has repurposed or expanded on work they have done for the magazine. Among the better of these books are Jane Mayer’s book on right wing billionaires and Patrick Radden Keefe’s book about the “troubles” in Northern Ireland.
readers_block's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating look at live inside Putin's Russia, as told through the stories of 7 people living there. The author does a miraculously good job of capturing the nuances of living there, toeing the line between survival/success and capitulation to an oppressive regime. He makes no judgment, he merely captures the way it is in a way that I was very impressed by.
We meet the CEO of Russia's top state news outlet, a man trying to run a successful circus in Crimea, etc etc.
We also get some context for the current invasion of Ukraine, which made it a great time to read this.
It got me even more in interested in Soviet/Russian history, so I will definitely be reading more about that.
We meet the CEO of Russia's top state news outlet, a man trying to run a successful circus in Crimea, etc etc.
We also get some context for the current invasion of Ukraine, which made it a great time to read this.
It got me even more in interested in Soviet/Russian history, so I will definitely be reading more about that.
23149014345613's review against another edition
3.0
Nice series of interviews/portraits of people surviving and getting by in Putin's Russia. I could've done with more connective tissue between the threads, though. I liked the theme of the "wily man" as the soul of modern Russia - a smart, cynical character who dances over the line between conformity and compromise under an oppressive regime.
miguelf's review against another edition
4.0
Between Two Fires focuses on six or so characters who lived or are living in Putin’s Russia (or former Soviet Union) as we get a glimpse into the personal hardships of everyday Russians (and Ukrainians) and their thoughts on their lives and the trajectory of the country. We also are given a wider view of individuals dealing with the endemic corruption but as well the aspirations of those living in the modern Russian State as driven by Putin and his cronies. Most are very sympathetic characters and in most instances the reader is quite taken with their plight (although less so for the Crimean safari owner). At its best Yaffa evokes other writers who have written so eloquently on Russian life and politics such as Masha Gessen and Timothy Snyder.
treandgro's review against another edition
5.0
I was swept away by the complex portraits of conflicted individuals facing compelling conflicts that make up this book. The author has clearly spent a great deal of time interacting with most of the subjects he details, and with close associates of those he was unable to meet. It was a breath of fresh air to read humanizing accounts of Russians navigating challenges in their politics and culture, really viewed from a much different angle than what we've seen in American news over the past several years. From religion to art to warfare, terrorism, and humanitarian work, the book is filled with insights into a spectrum of issues faced by Russians across various walks of life. It's a tremendous read for anyone interested in a more detailed look into contemporary Russian life, and an eye-opening introduction to individuals who have faced dilemmas that may have startling relevance for our own lives, whether in politics or business or media.