Russian Journal

Andrea Lee is an acute writer, though her writing sometimes has the stiff and hyper-educated feel that is not surprising from someone with a doctorate in English from Harvard. The characters she brings to life in the journal are vivid and interesting. The concept of the book is novel. It is a worthwhile read for any Russian enthusiast. The book's only flaw is its cultural arrogance towards the Soviet Union and its citizens. Often the Soviet characters in the book are portrayed as ridiculous, shallow, hypocritically materialistic, etc., which probably had a basis in truth, but seems exaggerated to pander to common perceptions of the Soviet Union in America at the time it was written.

Andrea Lee and her husband spent ten months in the Soviet Union in 1978-1979, living as an ordinary Russian would. This is an account of her day-to-day life, and that of her many friends and acquaintances. Dated now, but the book is probably still a good tool for grasping what the daily Russian life is like, if not how the government deals with those under its thumb.