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145th out of 196 books
—
45 voters
God Lives in St. Petersburg and Other Stories
by
Tom Bissell
Here are six fictional stories about Americans colliding with a remote and often perilous part of the world:
Two journalists, stranded in wartime Afghanistan, are taken in by a warlord who becomes the arbiter of their fates.
A female scientist investigating the Aral Sea disaster is drawn into a trap by a former KGB officer.
On a hike through Kazakhstan, Jayne and Douglas’s ma...more
Two journalists, stranded in wartime Afghanistan, are taken in by a warlord who becomes the arbiter of their fates.
A female scientist investigating the Aral Sea disaster is drawn into a trap by a former KGB officer.
On a hike through Kazakhstan, Jayne and Douglas’s ma...more
Hardcover, 212 pages
Published
January 25th 2005
by Pantheon
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Beautifully written - lyrical - with the raw and nuanced honesty of Eggers. The ending of Death Defier is a bit cliche; Aral, The Ambassador's Son, and God Lives in St. Petersburg are perfection; Animals in our Lives is slow but the most brutally truthful. The combination of lyrical writing and raw honesty is refreshing: "Somehow, the beginning of the end molts recognition's casing, a phantom countdown lacking even the condolence of a synonym."
I was drawn to the book after watching the movie Lon...more
I was drawn to the book after watching the movie Lon...more
a bit uneven collection of short stories, but the first one is worth it alone to pick up and read. "death defiers" about 3 journos in northern afghanistan in late 2001, so anarchy reigns. bissell wrote a very fine nonfiction about the aral sea (and did peace corps or something before that in the area?) Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia and hits all the high spots in this fiction (kazahkstan, uzbekistan, kyrgystan, tajikistan) with its fundos, sharpers, hopeless rus...more
Aug 16, 2010
Andrea
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library-books,
recommended
Written by an American man who spent some time in Uzbekistan, God Lives in St Petersburg is a collection of literary snapshots in the various ‘stans of Central Asia. It opens with ‘Death Defier’, which follows a couple of journalists and their local guide / translator in Afghanistan, and it was a bit of a punch in the face. I mean that in a good way — Bissell gets straight to the heart of the matter. All the stories felt authentic, especially the ones that involved Christian missionaries in one...more
After recently seeing the movie, "The Loneliest Planet", I was curious to read the short story the movie was based on hence, "God Lives In St. Petersburg" on my reading list. The story "Expensive Trips Nowhere" which was the basis for the movie actually ended up being my least favorite of Bissell's stories, ironically. All the stories take place in Central Asia a few years after the fall of the Soviet Union and they were all definitely interesting and thought provoking. Short stories are not usu...more
Dec 21, 2007
Patrick McCoy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-fiction,
short-stories
I saw that Ben Fountain, author of Brief Encounters With Che Guevara, was compared to Tom Bissell, and this alone made me curious about him. Then I realized, it was name that I thought I had heard before. Then I realized that I read an interesting piece by him in Harper’s about a trip he took to Vietnam with his father, who was friends with Philip Caputo (author of the Vietnam war memoir A Rumor of War-on my to read shelf). So when I saw a copy of God Lives In St. Petersburg, I snapped it up. It...more
I recently returned from a trip to Central Asia and was looking for more insight into the area. Can't say I enjoyed these stories but couldn't stop reading them.
This book includes a group of short stories set in the Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union except for the last semi-autobiographical story set in the US. Bissell's stories are bleak and he focuses on the darker side of man's nature. Without exception, I found Bissell's characters to be unlikeable and ill prepared for thei...more
This book includes a group of short stories set in the Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union except for the last semi-autobiographical story set in the US. Bissell's stories are bleak and he focuses on the darker side of man's nature. Without exception, I found Bissell's characters to be unlikeable and ill prepared for thei...more
It's so rare a story collection is this solid cover to cover. Nothing even approaching a clunker in the bunch. Also, while it's generally foolish to assume anything in a fictive work is true, I felt like I learned a whole bunch about Central Asia. Either way, Bissell is a great journalist writing great fiction here.
Well-crafted short stories paired with well-crafted misogyny. I picked up this book after seeing Julia Loktev's "The Loneliest Planet," which is based on his story, "Expensive Trips Nowhere." Interesting to see the story interpreted into to a film, but not an especially provocative collection.
As novelists grapple with how to represent that thing we call "globalization" some of them are writing books that portray americans abroad losing their innocence in the face of what their country's foreign policies have done--and Bissell is interested in his character's different modes of complicity as well. These stories strand their protagonists in some seriously bleak places, mostly in central asia, but america is presented as a pretty barren space too. Some of the stories didn't work for me,...more
This book of short stories is for those who have tried to put a finger on the loneliness of long-term, immersive travel; it succeeds in describing experiences of emotional confusion and indecision; it is quiet but not dull; in short, this book is really good. However, I think it might hit home only for those who can directly identify with the experiences of the author (though the stories are fiction they are obviously closely tied to his own life), and is definitely for those not in the midst of...more
a bit of a let-down after Bissell's wonderful "Chasing the Sea".
Positively brilliant. The stories in this collection make me feel so conscious of how appallingly lucky we middle class Americans are, surrounded by "luxury problems" of a too-full to-read shelf, not enough me time, a relentless search for perfect produce, always striving to lose those 10 vanity pounds. We don't even know what hardship is, most of the time. Each story is so inventive and so real and true to the spirit of the place in which it is set. I love Tom Bissell! Thanks to NPR's Selected...more
view all 4 comments
Jun 07, 2012
Michael O'leary
added it
Good stories that have some gravity.
Shaddows of characters wandering through never-begun and only partially resolved story-lines. In the space of a few pages, the striking lonliness of the stories' characters manages to strike at the sympathetic part of you which half enjoys being made to cringe. These stories of expats living in Central Asia will be enjoyed by those who simply enjoy good writing and ring painfully true for those of us who live something close to the lives portrayed.
Scritto bene, ma troppo noioso per i miei gusti.
These were wonderful stories! Bissell has a way with figurative language that is really unlike anything I've read recently -- it's very good. The subject matter is basically modern Americans in Central Asia. I don't unusally enjoy that subject, I'm more into the Victorian age in American and England, but I thought these stories were both interesting and engaging.
I liked it; Susan didn't. It's pretty dark, but contains some wry, bitter humor. Most of the stories take place in the Central Asian republics of the former USSR. It doesn't give much hope for progress in that area, at least in the Western sense.
really strong, tight stories set in the former soviet rebublics, touching on a variety of issues of being away from home and in unfamiliar lands, and the instinct to leave home that brought the characters there. the final story also hits home, of failed reuniting.
Bleak and set in a little-traveled area of the world. I have a lot of respect for Bissell's writing and his knowledge of central Asia, but I wasn't taken in by the stories as much as I would have liked.
Jul 10, 2007
Jim Coughenour
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
darkandfunny,
russianliterature
The title story alone is worth the book. Bissell is something of a sadist with his characters, reminding me of the fabulous stories by Rachel Ingalls, but his twisted humor redeems everything.
در ایران با نام آرال منتشر شده
یک داستان با هدف
اصلا لذتی از آن نبردم
یک داستان با هدف
اصلا لذتی از آن نبردم
A few stories here made me see that he truly has some insights into the natures of men and women. I was very impressed.
Jun 29, 2007
Janice
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone traveling in a former soviet republic
This is a great collection of stories. Some are very powerful and thought provoking. Especially if you live in the area.
Six stories about cultural immersion and cultural detachment--a fast but thought-provoking read.
Very funny, deeply affecting short story collection. Most take place in and around middle Asia.
Anyone who knows about the seemy underbelly of the FSU, will appreciate this.
An opening paragraph can change the readers paradigm. Read title story.
Holy shit good.
May 17, 2013
Rovsana Orucova
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Marco
is currently reading it
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