Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Terrible Country
Terrible Country | Keith Gessen
23 posts | 25 read | 23 to read
"A cause for celebration: big-hearted, witty, warm, compulsively readable, earnest, funny, full of that kind of joyful sadness I associate with Russia and its writers." --George Saunders, Man Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo A literary triumph about Russia, family, love, and loyalty--the first novel in ten years from a founding editor of n+1 and author of All the Sad Young Literary Men When Andrei Kaplan's older brother Dima insists that Andrei return to Moscow to care for their ailing grandmother, Andrei must take stock of his life in New York. His girlfriend has stopped returning his text messages. His dissertation adviser is dubious about his job prospects. It's the summer of 2008, and his bank account is running dangerously low. Perhaps a few months in Moscow are just what he needs. So Andrei sublets his room in Brooklyn, packs up his hockey stuff, and moves into the apartment that Stalin himself had given his grandmother, a woman who has outlived her husband and most of her friends. She survived the dark days of communism and witnessed Russia's violent capitalist transformation, during which she lost her beloved dacha. She welcomes Andrei into her home, even if she can't always remember who he is. Andrei learns to navigate Putin's Moscow, still the city of his birth, but with more expensive coffee. He looks after his elderly--but surprisingly sharp!--grandmother, finds a place to play hockey, a caf to send emails, and eventually some friends, including a beautiful young activist named Yulia. Over the course of the year, his grandmother's health declines and his feelings of dislocation from both Russia and America deepen. Andrei knows he must reckon with his future and make choices that will determine his life and fate. When he becomes entangled with a group of leftists, Andrei's politics and his allegiances are tested, and he is forced to come to terms with the Russian society he was born into and the American one he has enjoyed since he was a kid. A wise, sensitive novel about Russia, exile, family, love, history and fate, A Terrible County asks what you owe the place you were born, and what it owes you. Writing with grace and humor, Keith Gessen gives us a brilliant and mature novel that is sure to mark him as one of the most talented novelists of his generation.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
Bookwormjillk
post image

Each year at Christmas I go to the bookstore and buy myself a book I‘ve never heard of before. This is my 2019 book. I hope it‘s good! #elfies #wintergames #festivetradition

TheAromaofBooks I love this idea! 4y
KarouBlue Love that idea! 4y
22 likes2 comments
review
scowler1
post image
Pickpick

A really interesting look at Russian culture and history. The whole thing was a bit soul destroying though. 'Big hearted, warm and witty' said someone on the back cover. For me it was just a sad book about a terrible country. A timely read as we watch our freedoms in America dissolve into a more Soviet version of capitalism.

14 likes2 stack adds
review
Readerann
post image
Pickpick

Loved the writing and was fascinated by the main character‘s life in Moscow. One of my favorites of the March ToB short list so far. I don‘t even know which book won yet. After I get through the list, I‘ll go back and read the results. Better late than never! #ToB

Suet624 Oh, thank you for reminding me to find this book! 5y
16 likes1 comment
review
ReadingEnvy
post image
Pickpick

One of the books lingering on my stack at home from the Tournament of Books long list, A Terrible Country is the story of Andrei, an ABD in Russian Studies in 2008 just as universities are cutting Russian Studies programs and his job and romance prospects are bleak. His brother asks him to return to Russia to care for their grandmother, and that's where the story begins.

Emilymdxn I loved this one! 5y
ReadingEnvy @Emilymdxn it was good! 5y
74 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
Emilymdxn
post image
Pickpick

Next time someone tells me I‘m biased against books by white men, I‘ll remind them that I adore books like this one in a hands-shaking, breath catching in throat way when writers work THIS hard to show me a heart wrenching picture of immigration, age (for countries and people), relationships and how they fade (for countries and people), history and what it‘s like to want to be a better person and not be sure how. Smashed my expectations. #tob2019

KathyWheeler That “biased against books by white men” thing infuriates me. Most of us have spent our school lives reading nothing but books by white men. Trying to correct that imbalance in your reading life doesn‘t make you biased. 5y
Emilymdxn @KathyWheeler I know right! 😒😒😒 I‘m allowed to not like dickens I studied him at uni for a year and read piles of his writing. I always say I have nothing against white men, just the lazy derivative ones with nothing original to offer. 5y
KathyWheeler @Emilymdxn 👍🏼 Exactly! I have an undergrad degree and a masters degree in English Lit; very little of my reading for both of those degrees was anything other than white male writers. I remedied that after I was out of school. Still don‘t care for Henry James — other than The Turn of the Screw — although I tend to love the movies made from his books. (edited) 5y
Mindyrecycles Great review! I loved it, too, and was feeling so alone. 5y
56 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Emilymdxn
post image

Hi guys! I‘ve been a bit silent recently, I was in oxford celebrating my birthday this weekend (actual bday is Wednesday but I wanted to do it at the weekend). I‘ve had a great time but now I‘m tired and hungover and ready to curl up and read!

I‘m nearly halfway through but this one and it‘s really taking my breath away! I‘ve seen mixed reviews but I don‘t really see how it could disappoint me now

TheLibrarian Happy early birthday!! And feel better (hangovers are the worst). 5y
Tamra Happy Book Day! 😃 5y
Kalalalatja I‘m a bit hungover today, too, so I feel you! 5y
See All 6 Comments
Emilymdxn @TheLibrarian @Tamra thank you both!! I had such a lovely chilled out day 💖 5y
Emilymdxn @Kalalalatja hungover buddies 😍 I kinda love sleepy lazy days when I‘m hung over with a good book and a rainstorm outside. I did a face mask and was sooo lazy. It was fabulous. Hope you had a restful day too xoxo 5y
Kalalalatja That sounds lovely! I was too tired to read, so I mostly just slept and watched tv, but it was just what I needed 😅 5y
63 likes6 comments
review
Mindyrecycles
post image
Pickpick

My February finishes—what can I say, it‘s a short month! They were all good but Terrible Country was my favorite. #tob2019 #bookclub

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego You did great! 📚💖 5y
90 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Emilymdxn
post image

Free lunch in the middle of a v hectic day at work, nice to get a couple of pages in. This book is really something special!

blurb
Emilymdxn
post image

Next up, the last book I plan to read from the #tob2019 list! There are 2 that I can‘t get on audio or ebook and I can‘t afford to buy paper copies 😞 I‘m very pleased to be in a position to get through al the ones I could afford before it starts tho

review
BookishTrish
post image
Pickpick

Oof! I did a terrible job on the image for this one. Andrei was imperfect and I‘m not changing it as I think he‘d approve.

blurb
BookishTrish
post image

Suddenly bawling on my #audiowalk and not just because of the weather

Cathythoughts Oh dear !! It happens, the power of the book 5y
Kaye Just keep walking. There‘s no one out to see you. Even if they do, it doesn‘t matter. It‘s your business not theirs. 5y
74 likes2 comments
blurb
BookishTrish
post image

Still loving this relatively uneventful tale of a new adult living with his grandmother in Moscow #Russia

86 likes1 stack add
blurb
BookishTrish
post image

There are two hummingbirds frolicking and it is the loveliest privilege to watch them fly. #audiowalk

Crazeedi So awesome! Can't wait for my hummies to return! 5y
rockpools I neeeed to visit somewhere I can watch hummingbirds. Sounds just wonderful! 5y
Kaye ♥️ 5y
Cathythoughts How beautiful 5y
Reggie 😍 5y
78 likes5 comments
blurb
BookishTrish
post image

Very interesting sky on tonight‘s #audiowalk

DivineDiana Yes, it is! 5y
Wife 🌹 5y
Kaye Wow isn‘t that neat ? 5y
86 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Jason7
post image
Pickpick

A Terrible Country is my first audiobook of 2019. It takes awhile to get going, but Ari Fliakos‘ fantastic narration kept me interested. After a few hours, I began to like the story more. I didn‘t realize how much I liked it until it was almost over. A Terrible Country is about everyday life in modern day Russia, and while that may not seem all that interesting, I was quite invested by the end of the book. Overall rating: 4.49 stars.

blurb
RidgewayGirl
post image

Enjoying a few minutes reading before the day gets going. Tarzan is always willing to join me. #CatsofLitsy

This novel, about a man who returns to Russia to care for his Grandmother, is wonderful so far.

BarbaraBB I‘m happy you‘re liking it. It has such mixed reviews. And of course I need to read it too for the ToB! 5y
RidgewayGirl @BarbaraBB It‘s excellent so far. The main character speaks so lovingly about his grandmother. 5y
25 likes2 comments
review
merelybookish
post image
Bailedbailed

Current day Russia is interesting, but the white man whining is unbearable.
#tob.

MicheleinPhilly HAHAHAHAHA! I just said something similar to @batsy about this book. 🙄 5y
valeriegeary Can we make a t-shirt? "The white man whining is unbearable." ?? 5y
merelybookish @MicheleinPhilly This book reminded why I tend to avoid books by white men. It's too bad, because the premise had potential. 5y
See All 11 Comments
merelybookish @valeriegeary 😂😂 I'm game! I bet they'd sell like hot cakes. 5y
enidkeaner That‘s exactly what I thought about it 5y
BarbaraBB I guess I can skip this one from the ToB shortlist?! 5y
merelybookish @enidkeaner Did you finish? 5y
merelybookish @BarbaraBB I think you can safely put it at the bottom of the pile! 5y
batsy @MicheleinPhilly This is too perfect 😂 I'm definitely skipping. 5y
enidkeaner @merelybookish I did, but it was serious work 5y
AceOnRoam Yeah, I don't have high hopes for this one... 5y
69 likes11 comments
review
JSW
Bailedbailed

50 pages in and we still haven‘t gotten as far as the second paragraph on the cover blurb. 🙄🙄 Nope.

blurb
JSW
post image

Not great reviews here on Litsy, so we will see how far I get. 😂

review
Jana
Mehso-so

I don‘t know how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it was a crash course on Russia and Russian culture in the context of the 2008 financial crisis and a magnificent story but on the other hand, it was a tedious boring overwritten plot. I guess they‘re not mutually exclusive, though. Doesn‘t help me figure out how I feel but it wasn‘t terrible. Keep it on your radar but not necessarily a can‘t miss and get it today kind of book.

MicheleinPhilly Ugh. This book. I read it a few months ago as part of some BOTM early reader program. I found it tedious and pointless. It wasn‘t badly written it was just steeped in sad sack dudebro mediocrity. (edited) 6y
Jana @MicheleinPhilly YES! That is the perfect way to describe what I couldn‘t stand about it (edited) 6y
10 likes2 comments
blurb
Mel
post image

🎉🎉🎉

review
Well-ReadNeck
post image
Mehso-so

Several reviews I‘ve seen about this book call it charming and delightful. But for me, it was just meh. #netgalley #netgalleyTBRattack

MicheleinPhilly Agreed. I read this a few months ago and found it insufferable. 6y
GripLitGrl 😁😁great picture 👍 6y
unicoon Good to know. I saw it the other day and wondered if I may like it, as I've enjoyed similar books before. 6y
96 likes3 comments
blurb
Bookdodger
post image

Coming in July—I am halfway through this one and enjoying it immensely. It is funny, heartwarming, and very insightful.