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Russka: The Novel of Russia

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 3,926 ratings · 235 reviews

"Impressive."
THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
Spanning 1800 years of Russia's history, people, poltics, and culture, Edward Rurtherford, author of the phenomenally successful SARUM: THE NOVEL OF ENGLAND, tells a grand saga that is as multifaceted as Russia itself. Here is a story of a great civilization made human, played out through the lives of four families who are divided...more

Paperback, 960 pages

Published October 24th 1992 by Ivy Books (first published July 1991)

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Oct 21, 2008 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been reading this one off and on for the last three months. I have been caught up in other books and so it has kept me away from reading this one. I plan to do so now. It has the same feel as Sarum, of course, but it is a little harder for me to get into. Perhaps because I don't know the history of Russia as well to be able to put myself into the book. I am 5 chapters into it and I get the feeling that I will like it soon. (my husband says I will)

Now that I have finished it I can't believ...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Anna Ligtenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 6-stars

ISBN 0804109729 - It's unavoidable that Rutherfurd be compared to Michener; their styles are similar, their books tend to be EPIC NOVELS and they both like one-word place-name titles. In a world without Michener, I'm especially glad there's Rutherfurd. Ignore the Russophiles; this book wasn't written for them. It is a novel, meant to entertain - dissecting it as if Rutherfurd had marketed it as a textbook is a ridiculous sort of snobbery.

Russka is set in two towns of the same name in Russia over...more ISBN 0804109729 - It's unavoidable that Rutherfurd be compared to Michener; their styles are similar, their books tend to be EPIC NOVELS and they both like one-word place-name titles. In a world without Michener, I'm especially glad there's Rutherfurd. Ignore the Russophiles; this book wasn't written for them. It is a novel, meant to entertain - dissecting it as if Rutherfurd had marketed it as a textbook is a ridiculous sort of snobbery.

Russka is set in two towns of the same name in Russia over a period of 1800+ years. The lives of two families are woven together through the entire novel. Each chapter covers a period of time, some following right on the heels of the previous chapter and others leaving gaps of decades or centuries; it's nice to have the family tree in the front of the book to refer to. Power shifts from family to family over the centuries; that they remain tied to one another for so long, and that they are largely unaware of those ties is an enjoyable aspect because the reader, of course, knows all about them.

Re-telling history through individual stories is a particularly good choice for Russka and by weaving the families together the scope of the story stays manageable. The story of the country is told in how it affects our two families, their immediate circle and the towns of Russka. That the years from 1918 onward are condensed into a very small percentage of the book is a gift - we've been reading that history for decades, we know those stories. It's the fictional look at life in the 1700 previous years that draws you in and makes you pity Paul Bobrov, Sergei Romanov and Ludmilla Suvorin - our last generation of characters - for what they don't even know they've lost.

There are wonderful things that stick out - women "swinging their sickles" in 180 (no, that's not missing a digit) and still at it in 1945; the amulet given to Kiy in the first chapter and its progress through the generations; most of all, the story of the firebird that survives the entire history of the country. Worthy of at least one thorough reading, as long as you're here for the story and not looking for history.

- AnnaLovesBooks (less)

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Apr 25, 2011 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read several other Rutherfurd historical fiction offerings it was only natural to feel the need to tackle Russka. I say tackle because it was 945 pages of sprawling history involving Russia. Although the author states in the very begining of the book that it is close to historical yet still fiction this book does give an amazingly informative assessment of the history of Russia from AD to present. I enjoyed this book and it was entertaining, however at times the characters did seem a bit...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, historical-fiction, russia, family-saga

Russia is a country far too infrequently written about by Western novelists, but with Russka, Edward Rutherfurd helps remedy that lack. This book is practically a class in Russian history (and fun besides). I wasn't sure about the format, which is best described as ten novellas and three short stories, following two families (and their offshoots) through hundreds of years. But it really works. The chapters flow logically, so I didn't feel at all disoriented jumping from one to another. And I avo...more Russia is a country far too infrequently written about by Western novelists, but with Russka, Edward Rutherfurd helps remedy that lack. This book is practically a class in Russian history (and fun besides). I wasn't sure about the format, which is best described as ten novellas and three short stories, following two families (and their offshoots) through hundreds of years. But it really works. The chapters flow logically, so I didn't feel at all disoriented jumping from one to another. And I avoid short-story compilations religiously, so that's saying something.

What's so excellent about these novellas, though, is the character development: in many cases we know these characters as well as if we'd read an entire novel about them. Rutherfurd doesn't fall into the trap of repeating characters over the generations; everybody's distinct, and many are quite memorable. The author is willing to take risks with the characters, featuring types who would rarely star in a full-length novel--perhaps because nobody is required to be "the hero." And the way the characters change and grow over the years is exceptional. Really, there's some outstanding stuff here; one that stands out is a character's descent into evil, possibly the best and most believable story of that type I've ever read.

And the plots: maybe it's true that Rutherfurd "borrowed" ideas, because not only are the stories interesting, there's an almost mythological resonance to many of them. Some incredibly memorable scenes. And although the book is light on action despite Russia's numerous wars, at times it's still hard to put down.

A word on the history: yes, Rutherfurd inserts mini-history lessons within the stories. To me this was helpful, as I wasn't familiar with much Russian history beforehand. The detail was fascinating and he never seemed to go overboard. But since others found this tedious, I'll add that the book seemed aimed toward readers who (a) have some interest in Russian history and (b) don't know a great deal about it already. If you majored in Russian studies on the one hand, or you're looking for a historical page-turner but couldn't care less about Russia on the other, this may not be the book for you.

Finally, to clear up some factual matters. This book is said to "cover 1800 years of Russian history." Technically that's true, but after the first 42 pages (in paperback) set in 180, the narrative leaps on to the 11th century... and there are only 21 pages post-1920. (For the record, I think the first decision was a good call, since few authors can make prehistory compelling, but really, how can you write a 945-page book about Russian history and give the entire Soviet period only 6? Yeah, those final 15 are set in 1992.) In the first half the book, skipping hundreds of years between chapters is the norm, but in the second half, time slows down and we meet every generation of the families in question.

So what keeps this from being a 5-star book?
1. I found the first chapter, and to a lesser extent the second, to be tedious, before Rutherfurd finally hit his stride in the 13th century. Then come hundreds of pages of excellence until...
2. The ending was weak; I didn't feel like I had a handle on the Revolution as on the earlier eras, and would have liked to read more about the 20th century.
3. Women are somewhat sidelined, serving as love interests, wives, and mothers to male characters--even when women take the spotlight, these roles define their lives and motivations. This seems to be due partly to historical gender roles and partly to Rutherfurd's lack of interest in other aspects of women's lives (also evident in the dearth of women: the family tree listing nearly every relevant fictional character in the book includes 55 named male characters, and only 20 females). Their personalities are diverse; I just would have liked to see someone have interests or goals in life in addition to men and marriage. (One gets close, until she gives up her love of music "for health reasons"--problems that are instantly cured upon her falling in love and having a son. Ugh.)
4. Any writer has personal tics that are bound to annoy you after awhile. Here, it's the overuse of rhetorical questions and the word "remarked" to tag lines of dialogue, plus the habit of stating things readers should be allowed to deduce on our own. For instance, we're told that one character is "shrewd," and everything he says is said "shrewdly"; also, Rutherfurd has a tendency to interpret events and make announcements like, "What happened next was her fault."

This book both educated and entertained me; sadly, I've found Rutherfurd too misogynistic an author to continue reading his books, but otherwise they aren't bad.(less)

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May 24, 2012 Andrew rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like Edward Rutherfurd's other books, Russka focuses on one place, and tells its story through the centuries. His books are series of interconnected short stories, which are set in different eras of history. Characters in each story are often decendents of characters in earlier stories, so the books follow families down through history.

I've read and enjoyed all of Edward Rutherfurd's books, but I have to say that Russka isn't up to his usual standard. Russka is a fictional village in Russia, so...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Clarice rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: quit-reading-may-come-back-to

For some reason, I've been craving some early Russian history lately. I heard many good things about Rutherfurd's "Sarum: The Novel of England" and this novel, "Russka" had very good reviews as well, so I gave it a try. Unfortunately, it just didn't scratch my itch.

I love to learn about history through well-written, mostly accurate, historic fiction like Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles or the novels of Ken Follett. I even enjoy straight-up history as long as it isn't too dry - for example an...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Abhishek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, historical-fiction

It took me thirteen days straight to finish this book but at the end it’s very satisfying because this book is worth the every effort and the time it demands.
Spanning across 1800 years, this book describes the fictional account of Russian history. The story commences from the time when Russia was no more than an unoccupied steppe half covered in snow, and covered the whole history of Russia up till the early 90’s .The story revolves around the bloodline of two families whose several generation’...more

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May 30, 2011 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read and loved Sarum (1987), Edward Rutherfurd's sweeping historical novel re England, especially the Salisbury plain area (Sarum was the Roman name for the area), I bought Russka in 1991 when it first came out and have intended to read it ever since but somehow never got to it--his books are a commitment, 700 plus pages. I figured this period of convalescence and rehab from my shoulder surgery would be the perfect time to take it on, so sadly Russka will always be associated with this pe...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Cheri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thought this book was worth a second try...boy, was I right!!!! I'm glad that I don't remember books well after I've read them. It's been 10 years since I read this book...it's all brand-new for me! I do remember some of the characters and story lines, but it's wonderful to re-read this book. Love Rutherfurd!!!!!

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Sep 23, 2008 Gregory rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Peace Corps Ukraine

Recommended to Gregory by: James Mosher

While it reads like a grocery store bought romance, it gives a great summary of Ukrainian and Russian history, avoiding overly fleshing out the lives of the Tzars. Enjoyable, but perhaps that's because I've been half the places in the book.

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Oct 07, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really appreciate the structure of this book. The two villages called Russka and the intertwining lines of family trees effectively illustrated and contrasted the changes (and lack of changes) of Russia over the centuries. And I certainly learned a lot about Russian history! It was ambitious to tackle such a long period in one book. But that's also where I had some trouble. In the middle, the plot and characters started to feel redundant and my attention wandered. But then, in the last couple...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Juan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Leído de la edición "de bolsillo" (si es que bolsillo alguno quepan las 1.300 páginas)de Punto de Lectura.
Es interesante para aquellos aficionados a la cultura, histora y folklore rusos, pues la novela tiene como transfondo la historia de Rusia desde sus orígenes hasta el fin de la Unión Soviética. Literariamente el interés de la novela radica mucho más en su transfondo histórico que en la historia de los personajes en sí, la que parece ser un mero pretexto. Esto se evidencia de manera más nítid...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Theresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Insightful. Strangly sad. Characters I loved and hated. Laced with universal human truths. Using a narrative which sweeps through centuries, it becomes easier to understand how communism was a logical next step when it happened. And the eventual chaos after the collapse of the USSR also becomes easier to understand. The Eastern persspective was enlightening for me. I'm saddened by man's inhumanity to man - and mindful that we all particpate in it, no matter what country or time or activity we ar...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Chrissy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was looooooong. Maybe too long. There were quite a few parts that could have been cut out, and I found myself bored on several occasions. The story of Russia, however, is fascinating, and this book tells its story through a generations of different families: a family of serfs and peasants, a family of landowners, and a family of merchants. It starts at the beginning of Russia (when it was called Rus) all the way up until the end of WWII. I found the parts about the Russian Revolution t...more

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Jul 04, 2009 Alcornell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-novels

Formulaic in its repeated motifs, phrasing, characteristics of successive generations in the lines of families portrayed. That said, the sweep of the stories was grand enough to convey a feel for what "Russian" might mean, and how it came to be. The novel is satisfying in its grasp of complicated developments in the political life of Russia, and its clear rendering of some of the conflicts which left the Orthodox church and its Christian cousins disconnected. This ultimately resulted in the who...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Shanyn Hosier rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book is depressing as hell. I read it more than 10 years ago, just after the birth of my first child. There are several nightmarish scenes in this book that affected me very deeply, to the point that I suffer from periodic flashbacks all these years later. The thought of them makes me shudder all over again. Rutherfurd's an amazing writer, but the fatalistic portrait he paints of Russian history and culture is not a flattering one by any means.

Proceed with caution. I don't recommend this b...more

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Oct 15, 2009 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, does-my-book-look-big-in-this, pre-gr

I read this in 1992 when I was a very bored, unchallenged high school student. I got lost in the epic, sweeping tale and the history of the region. This book, above all other influences, is what propelled me to become an exchange student. Thanks to The Next Best Book Club in the thread, What books do you miss, for reminding me how much I wish I could recapture that complete absorption that happens when you read the right book at the right time.

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Jul 29, 2012 Jerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this book because I have a minimal knowledge of the history of Russia. I have questions. What forces brought tproduced a communist nation under the cruel and heavy hand of Joseph Stalin? What makes Russia what it is today? What distinct geographical and political forces are at work? What are connection does Russia have historical with the European nations as well as the Asian ones?

To answer those questions, I sought an historical novels. I was fortunate in finding this epic. While it hasn...more I read this book because I have a minimal knowledge of the history of Russia. I have questions. What forces brought tproduced a communist nation under the cruel and heavy hand of Joseph Stalin? What makes Russia what it is today? What distinct geographical and political forces are at work? What are connection does Russia have historical with the European nations as well as the Asian ones?

To answer those questions, I sought an historical novels. I was fortunate in finding this epic. While it hasn’t answered all the questions, nor has it made me anything like an authority on Russian history, it has given me a perspective on the Russian story.

The author, Edward Rutherfurd is highly respected. He diligently emerged himself in Russian history and sought to tell the story through a novel.

Rutherford serves as the narrator who weaves an 800 year history through the lives of four families that are rooted in a relatively small geographical community called Russka. These people are caught in the vortex of complex forces of nature, power struggles, religious influences and pride. They are peasants, land owners, monks, soldiers, scholars, politicians, revolutionaries, musicians and others. They are ordinary people who embrace, resist, fight against and flee from that which occurs.

The author brings to life fictional characters who are influenced by the events that occur and the circumstances in which they are immersed.

Periodically Rutherford pauses and becomes a commentator. He does so by inclusion of a “footnote” type of comment within the body of the text. One example is an observation about the crucial choices the Russians habitually made. On one hand there are those parities who believe that the best way into the future would the be the development of good government structure through a carefully drafted constitution. At the same time there are others who held firmly to the belief that the future was dependent upon having the right person in power. Rutherford observes that while this continued to be an argument, historically the people placed hope having the right person. This thread continues from within the home, through local officials to the heads of state.

A dominant theme is how those in power use their power for their own advantage. This characteristic is described in one way or another through all forms of relationships whether in community, monastery, church or nation. It characterized the role of the male head of the family, the status of serfs, soldiers, Czar’s who laid laid down autocratic laws they enforced through intimidation and strength.

From this perspective, communism is embraced because it promised a new day when all are equal and all share everything together. The irony is that dream for the future was ever bit as cruel as any previous endeavors. The huge cost paid by the people of that period of history continues to be evident even today. (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 MG Mason rated it 3 of 5 stars

So, onto the next mammoth book by Edward Rutherfurd who is known - perhaps uniquely - for creating a story around the history of a place and populating it with characters and their descendants as we move through history's most memorable events. This time, he has chosen to take on the geographically mighty Russia, telling its history from the second century AD through to 1990 and the end of Communism.

If you have read at least one of his works, you know what go expect. Each chapter is a set in a d...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, around-the-world-challenge

At long last, I can finally say I have read ALL of Edward Rutherfurd’s historical novels. Russka, was technically his second published novel, and it is a novel about Russia. As is typical of Rutherfurd historical fiction, we follow a couple of families from very early in the history of this area, in this case the book begins in the year 180 A.D. The author creates two fictional settlements, both named Russka, one of the south and one in the north. As the novel progresses, we see how the families...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book - confirming I knew little about Russia. The best part of Rutherfurd's approach, for me, is he provides the reader a glimpse into how a Russian views the geography around the homeland - a Russian homeland, the motherland beset by the Mongol menace from the South across the steps, the suspicion of the West,intertwined with the tension between Russian Orthodox and Christianity, combined in those Catholic Germans and Poles; then there is the menace of powerful Sweden and the Baltic state...more

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Jun 16, 2008 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, favorite-historical-fiction

This was the first Edward Rutherford book I read, and I was immediately taken in by both the book itself and its genre. Edward Rutherford writes location-based historical fiction--that is, instead of recounting an important life or event, he selects a location (in this case, a town in the Ukraine) and spins his tale around the place. This book begins in preliterate Russia and ends with the fall of the Soviet Union, always centering around one area (actually two, the original town Russka "moves"...more

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May 02, 2008 Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fair-to-middling one in the arena of historical fiction. Quite long. I think his others concerning British history were better -- London and The Forest. I suppose with any novel that tries to cover such an expanse of time, you run the risk of losing the reader at times and becoming a bit repetitive and/or formulaic in how you lay out the repeated generations of stories and characters.

That aside, I feel like I actually have a basic grasp now of how the Russian empire transitioned from a Czaris...more

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Jan 19, 2010 Mykl rated it 4 of 5 stars

I debated between four or five stars. On the one hand the book looks at Russia from 100a.d thru the 1900's in a very coherent manner. I also believe the book does a good job looking at the split between the eastern orthodox and roman catholic church.

The quality of the writing itself though does not quite compare to the Russian novel by V. Aksynov. Still, this book is highly recommended by myself to give an overview of Russian history and its people.

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Sep 01, 2012 Gere Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another excellent Rutherfurd work. Granted, I do not know a great deal about Russian history, but I was drawn in by the characters and their stories. Reading this made me eager to know more and I will be getting some books on Russian history soon enough. Any fan of Edward Rutherfurd novels is almost sure to love Russka. I would also recommend it to anyone that would like a gateway into learning about Russian history. It certainly warmed me to the idea.

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Aug 13, 2012 Laura LeAnn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall, this book was quite excellent, as Rutherford's other historical fiction novels have been as well. Because I know very little of Russian history it was easy for me to get swept up in Rutherford's descriptions of the people and places of this extraordinary place. For a long while, I have wanted to visit Russia and this novel only makes that desire grow. While I did miss out on the 30 pages or so that were missing from my printing, it didn't seem to make me misunderstand what was happening...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Long epic novel to keep around for when you need a book. Not an engrossing page turner, but not "fluff" and still relaxing to sit back and read a book. This book. You do get a historical feel for the place. You don't have to work too hard to read it. It's not a quickie, but it's a good book to have in your purse to pull out when you need something to read, or sit by the fire all winter reading it under a cozy blanket with tea.

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Nov 21, 2010 Catherine Richmond added it

Peasants, nobles, revolutionaries. Alans, Cossacks, Mordvinians. Babushkas, factory workers, musicians. As in other novels by this author, the characters play their roles to illuminate the main character, Russia itself. Rutherfurd gallops through Russia from AD 180 to 1990, attempting to answer the question, why? Why are Russians the way they are? Why is Russia so different? And in Russka, the author brings us closer to understanding.

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Jan 20, 2013 Janis Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Glad to see this back in print. Rutherford's books are always well researched and interesting. This in particular resonated with me, since all my grandparents came from Russia and Poland. A lot of things about those countries, historically, suddenly made sense. He does a good job of linear history, much as Michener does (though I confess I find Michener more fun to read). Worth looking at.

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Sep 09, 2012 Skye Perry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this because of my absolute LOVE for "Princes of Ireland." However, I was not as enthralled with the story as I had expected to be. This is probably due to the fact that Ireland was much more mystical to me, but it was still a good book. I feel as though I know more about Russia then I did before, and the essence of the country. This book made me want to visit Russia.

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About Edward Rutherfurd

Francis Edward Wintle, best known under his pen name Edward Rutherfurd, was born in the cathedral city of Salisbury. Educated locally, and at the universities of Cambridge, and Stanford, California, he worked in political research, bookselling and publishing. After numerous attempts to write books and plays, he finally abandoned his career in the book trade in 1983, and returned to his childhood h...more

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“as I said,I believe in fate.Things happen as they are meant to be.We just have to recognize our destiny.” — 8 people liked it

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