Sashenka

A Novel

De: Simon Montefiore

Narrado por: Anne Flosnik

In the best-selling tradition of Dr. Zhivago, Sophie's Choice, and The Island, this is an epic story of revolution, passion, and betrayal - and one woman whose extraordinary secret lies hidden for half a century.©2008 Simon Montefiore (P)2008 Tantor

Great story; bad reader

I love good historical fiction, and despite some implausible plot twists, this was a really good novel about the Russian Revolution, Stalinism and the aftermath. Particularly illuminating was the whole thread about how obsessive the true believer Bolsheviks were.

But, and it's a big "but", the narrator's fake Russian accents were so bad and such a major distraction that I almost quit, several times. When just narrating, she was fine, but the accents were appallingly bad. Since we know they weren't speaking Russian-accented English, why not simply continue with her normal accent? It was particularly troublesome because it made the characters, when speaking, much less credible.

I would recommend this book, with that caveat.

Just amazing

What a story, amazing in every way, full of details and emotions and history. Totally worth it! A great listen!

Vague and too real all at once.

It was a unique narrative about the fate of a fervently committed Bolshevik woman, Sashenka, and her tragic rise and fall in the Communist Party. Her journey started in high minded idealism and ended because of paranoid barbarism. The revolution eats its own.

Fascinating Historical Thriller About A Dark Time

I was pleasantly surprised by the suspense in this historical novel. Despite its relatively slow start, the story held my interest and filled in a missing chunk of what life must have been like for those enthralled by the Bolshevik philosophy that drove the Russian revolution and steered a nation through the dark waters of Stalin's macabre reign. The characterizations are strong, and Sashenka lingers as a haunting figure long after the author's last sentences fade to silence. The reader of this audiobook version is truly excellent--a true artist who brings the novel to full and vibrant life. I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I did.

Amazing

It was great. Amazing. Incredible. I want to come back to this book in a few months and revisit the magnificent writing that enthralled me. This story evoked all kinds of emotions from me: sadness, joy, anxiety, fear. I can't wait to share this book with others.

Great historical fiction.

Both author and narrator are becoming favorites of mine. A novel that shows the true Soviet Union under Stalin, and some of the millions of lives his reign impacted.

Intriguing

This was an interesting book, but not until the 3rd section. I found it a little confusing as far as listening to a book goes because of all of the similar names. Maybe it would have been better to read the hard copy and would probably be better the 2nd time. Unfortunately, this story was very slow starting and I found myself bored at the beginning. I am very glad that I forced myself to finish it because the end is redeeming.

Mangled robotic narration undermines this book

The narrator's jarring, hopeless effort at a Russian accent, and mispronunciation of every Russian term, was irritating. It would have been better to avoid all attempts at an accent, and better still to do just a little research on pronunciation. So the narrator killed the story. Someone like Rupert Degas might have made this sing.
The story was pretty good, and well researched but not so good that I would buy another fiction title by the same author.

Historical Novel That Touches Your Soul...

Great story! From the inception to self-destruction of infamous Soviet Union the book unveils many tragedies from the eyes of young, naive and idealistic heroine. Sashenka takes you on a life journey through the most depressing, though captivating time of Russian history. While listening to the book reader would truly experience that miserable existence under the iron boot of the Soviet cabal. Having firsthand knowledge of the subject I will attest, it is portrayed with finest accuracy. The writer reveals this dark period in all its malice. After the novel, you will understand what Russian people have endured for almost a century and ultimately still paying for. The readers voice illustrate the general mood and fear people lived under; the feeling lingers long time after you are finished listening. My only regret is that almost all of the names and places are butchered beyond recognition, unfortunately it includes the title. So don't try to flaunt your Russian pronunciation with any native speakers after the book. But you can certainly flaunt your intellectual understanding of that era.

A Great Read

Passion, History, Tragedy and Love - how well does the author combine these elements to weave a beautiful story, an unforgettable recounting of three distinct historical periods in Russia. Narration was at first hard to get used to but after a little while into the read it became much more enjoyable.