Midnight in Siberia

A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia

By: David Greene

Narrated by: David Greene

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

After two and a half years as NPR’s Moscow bureau chief, David Greene travels across the country - a 6,000 mile journey by rail, from Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok - to speak with ordinary Russians about how their lives have changed in the post-Soviet years. Reaching beyond the headline-grabbing protests in Moscow, Green speaks with a group of singing babushkas from Buranovo, a teenager hawking “space rocks” from last spring’s meteor shower in Chelyabinsk, and activists battling for environmental regulation in the pollution-choked town of Baikalsk. Through the stories of fellow travelers, Greene explores the challenges and opportunities facing the new Russia: a nation that boasts open elections and newfound prosperity yet still continues to endure oppression, corruption, and stark inequality.

Set against the wintery landscape of Siberia, Greene’s lively travel narrative offers a glimpse into the soul of 20th century Russia: how its people remember their history and look forward to the future.

©2014 David Greene. Recorded by arrangement with W.W. Norton & Company. (P)2014 HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books.

The intensity of encountering modern Russia

If you could sum up Midnight in Siberia in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, moving, relevant

Who was your favorite character and why?

You meet so many marvelous Russian individuals, but the favorite character who emerges is modern Russia, herself.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

In 2007 I spent 3 months in Russia as an American with little prior understanding of the country, and this book vividly brought back many feelings from that time. I was so grateful to recognize what I had seen and felt while there in a fellow traveler's experience. I recognized the culture-shock, and realization that there is this vast nation on the other side of the world about which most of us know very little, and that these people have a history and point of view that is unique and completely fascinating. It was very moving.

Any additional comments?

David Greene captures so many elements of the culture, from confusing idiosyncrasies of day-to-day Russian life, to a deeper, insidious mindset that holds fast to a nation of people beaten down by decades (or centuries, really) of political repression. By travelling via third class railway tickets across the country, Greene offers a unique perspective that cannot be found by studying Russian history or following the news. You learn about the state of humanity in this nation. While watching the development of post-soviet Russia from afar, it can be completely perplexing for a westerner to grasp such things as Putin's high approval rating, or a wave of seemingly anti-democratic, anti-western sentiment from the country. This book helps make sense of a nation of people who have been closed to America for so much of the 20th century, and it's incredibly relevant for any American who wants to better understand who those people are.

Like "All Things Considered", only much longer!

Good insights into the Russian fatalistic state of Mind. I am third generation American, with a western Ukrainian Jewish background but I can see the traces of those fatalistic sensibilities in my families genes.
Although the editor did not catch a few grammatical or geographical errors, Such as The Pyong Yang restaurant in Vladivovstok being a propaganda tool of South Korea. In spite of a few other verbal faux pas David Greene has a wonderful voice and is an accomplished writer. He succeeded with his democratic look at an people favoring an autocracy, the type of government it has been their lot historically. As my beloved Ukrainian Grandmother would say "if a worm has only known horseradish. How can it dream of an
His end note about the people simply craving a group to identify with, was a great insight. This feeling resonates after my own experiences with Russians, either as expats or in my travels in Russia or other parts of the world.

Excellent and Exciting Story; Average Performance

This expose of life in post-Soviet Russia and Siberia was insightful and very interesting to listen to. The interviews of real people who had dealt with both fortunate and unfortunate events in their lives showed a true picture of the Russian people I have gotten to know in 20 years working as a Russian translator and teacher. I, myself, hope to replicate the author's journey across Siberia via the Trans-Siberian Railroad seeing the sights and meeting the people described herein, and this book will serve as an excellent travel guide for my trip.

Unfortunately, in trying to remain true to the author's perspective, he chose to narrate the book himself. Even though Greene is an excellent NPR personality, his narration seemed hurried and in some areas, confusing. Instead of letting the words express the feelings he meant to share, he relied too much on his enunciation and speech to convey excitement or anxiety. There were a few places throughout where the author also repeated sentences that were missed in the editing process. It would have been better to hire a professional audiobook narrator to share this interesting story of a journey most of us will never have the fortune to experience.

Overall, the story is worth listening to and I will be recommending it to my fellow Russophiles so that they can share in this wonderful story.

Fantastic

This book not only completely changed my understanding of what post-Soviet Russia is, but also caused me to reflect on the transformations in my own country in the same time period. I became emotionally invested in Greene’s journey so quickly, and it greatly humanized(if that’s even the right word) a people and country that are so often described as a monolithic group in our media/entertainment. I’ll be looking forward to anything else by David Greene.

Russia.s people from west to east

You might like reading/hearing this really fascinating book. Trains' taxis and hovercraft. With a young correspondant, David Green. He went to HS in Lancaster.
Love, Pat

Overview of Russian People and their lives

I like the way the author describes how the people feel about Russia and how their culture influences their lives. The descriptions of the landscape and the train rides are interesting and moving. Good job.

Informative and repetitive!

This book provides the reader with a guttural understanding of Russians and the Russian culture. However, it tries hard not to state an opinion, and tries even harder not to offend Russians. It is hardly critical of anything in modern Russia and explains away any short-comings. The book is also very repetitive and one third of it could have easily been edited away.

David Greene's story telling

Greene gives great insight into Russian citizens and how their past influences their present day lives.

deilghtful and informative

I didn't realize when I selected this book that the narrator is the guy I listen to almost every morning on NPR. David Green tells a great story here. It's a little weird listening to him in long-form, versus short form NPR. Nonetheless, his stories of his travels through Russia are fascinating.

amazing look into life

I neve, never, Never write reviews. this book was so eye opening. I always wondered why Russia didn't seem to want to be democratic. this truly puts things into perspective. loved this book!!