Rating: 
Summary: a stunning and compelling but yet dark journey
Review: In Siberia was my first exposure to Colin Thurbon and I must say that I found the book quite compelling --it was a wonderful and involving "long flight read" (a very important criterion for me in my life). I haev read quite a bit of and about the Gulag --and the camps --primarily Solzeneichtin (not sure of the spelling) and have been greatly fascinated by the incredible destruction and persecution imposed on the Russian people by Stalin and his cruel despotic regime but this book brought the cold and hopelessness of this vast region a lot closer to me. I look forward to reading other books by Thurbon and have also ordered Valentin Rasputin's book about Siberia as an attempt to grasp more of this subject. I do, however, agree with some of the other customer revierwers that Thurbon could have given more of himself by letting us know more about how he went about planning this trip, who helped him along the way, etc. Now maybe that would ahve taken away from the narrative flow --or maybe that's another book in itself but I felt he was a bit too matter of fact on how he got from one place to another, But saying all that, I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading his other travel essays that are still in print.
Rating: 
Summary: A mesmerizing, gripping book
Review: Russia metamorphosed in the 20th century assuming and shedding identities as often as it did heads of state. Finding an examination of the history of these events that maintains some semblance of neutrality and pure observation seemed unlikely - until now. IN SIBERIA is a rare combination study of geography, economics, political science, sociology, and history in a format of conversations with the people who live there. Author Thubron is a modern day Richard Halliburton (remember him?), a man brave enough to singly explore the vastness of Siberia in search of the identity of its people. What he gives us is a lushly detailed panorama of physical grandeur and a near clinical insight into the psyches of the people he meets along his journey. His characters are so well reported that they seem to inhabit a fine fiction/history novel. But the sweep of his conversations with these time worn people is so honestly presented that the reader feels privy to shrouded secrets of the past and intimations of the future of a much maligned and misunderstood country.Thubron seems intent on finding the sustaining spirit of his acquaintances; we encounter myriad variations of Russian Orthodox /Buddhist/atheist religion. We hear personal accounts of the labor camps of Stalin and Kruschchev that surpass even Solzhenisyn's descriptions. But more important we are introduced to the ordinary people of this vast country and Thubron shares these characters with insight and intelligent reportage that makes us feel as though we journeyed with him. And this is supposed to be a Travel Book? I think not. This is a volume of first-hand information that leaves the reader enriched and empathetic.......an enormously fine read!
Rating:
Summary: Colin Communicates
Review: The agility of the authors words is best of class. This is one of the most enjoyable reads-of-art available. His journey is observable from any ecosphere within Siberia. The history and lore presented astounds even residents of the regions. The tone in general, however, is expected from the type of travel, and at some points, reaches the heights of the average....although it is not recognized....a la compare to hitchhiking across america.....but the art of description is deserved of siberia.....enjoy it, over and again it'no wonder that such an author resides in london, and lives in the world........
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent View of Post-Soviet Siberia
Review: This is an excellent, yet depressing, view of what has become of the vast land of Siberia. The effect Soviet rule had on the diverse peoples of the region gives more understanding as to why they are in many ways worse off now under "freedom."
Rating:
Summary: A riveting account of an unknown, tragic land
Review: This is one of the few books that I've wanted to read again the moment I finished it. It's like a cross between Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Kosinski's The Painted Bird with one crucial distinction - it's not fiction. The surreal and tragic effect of this book builds relentlessly as it goes along. By the end, I felt like I had a sense of a place that went well beyond a familiarity with appearance, to a much more important (and difficult for an author to convey) sense of what it feels like. The unspeakable tragedy of this land - centered around the hideous legacy of the Stalinist years - is conveyed in a thorough, convincing and compelling way. You cannot read this book and remain untouched by it - it is powerful stuff. A unique feature is the author's language and style, which is often very poetic. The juxtaposition of the fine writing with the often macabre and disturbing subject matter makes for a strong effect. I haven't read any other books by this author, but I will before long. This is an excellent, and highly memorable piece of work. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A Long Read
Review: This was an interesting book! Siberia strikes me as a much more friendly and beautiful place to visit than I formerly believed. The author's side trips by boat and bus and train are very descriptive and entertaining but he seems to meet quite a few depressing people! I found the book to be a "slow" read, the kind of book you can put down and don't rush back to continue, though you do want to know how it ends.
Also, the end wasn't satisfying to my taste. The author could have written a summary of his feelings about the trip and the people and thrown out a bit of hope for this economically ravaged land!
I recommend this book for the fascinating travel narratives but add an asterisk to prepare for the emotional rollercoaster one experiences from the interactions with the inhabitants of that region!!
Rating:
Summary: Literate wanderer
Review: Thubron travels by train through a Siberian winter night, gets off alone at some Godforsaken stop, is not met, guesses the way to the nearest semi-deslolate village, trudges through sleet and snowdrifts until he reaches his destination - then looks for a place to stay the night in a village with no lights.... The next day when Thubron finds the long deserted and flooded Gulag mineshaft that is his objective - he doesn't just look at it, he climbs down and into it..... as far as he can go... This is a magnificent work and one that will live beyond him.
Rating: 
Summary: A real let-down
Review: Thurbon's book got me very excited when I found it in the bookstore (sorry Amazon) as I had recently decided that I needed to know much more about the region than I did. After reading it, I have to say that Thurbon's book seems to follow a predictable pattern - Thurbon has his main point, which is that Siberia is a rotten place, and he finds locals to prove his point over and over again in a depressing manner. It doesn't seem to do justice to the region, nor is it very informative.
Rating:
Summary: A real let-down
Review: Thurbon's book got me very excited when I found it in the bookstore (sorry Amazon) as I had recently decided that I needed to know much more about the region than I did. After reading it, I have to say that Thurbon's book seems to follow a predictable pattern - Thurbon has his main point, which is that Siberia is a rotten place, and he finds locals to prove his point over and over again in a depressing manner. It doesn't seem to do justice to the region, nor is it very informative.
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