Natasha's Dance
A Cultural History of Russia
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Natasha's Dance
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Narrated by:
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Ric Jerrom
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By:
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Orlando Figes
About this listen
History on a grand scale - an enchanting masterpiece that explores the making of one of the world's most vibrant civilizations.
A People's Tragedy, wrote Eric Hobsbawm, did 'more to help us understand the Russian Revolution than any other book I know'.
Now, in Natasha's Dance, internationally renowned historian Orlando Figes does the same for Russian culture, summoning the myriad elements that formed a nation and held it together.
Beginning in the 18th century with the building of St. Petersburg - a 'window on the West' - and culminating with the challenges posed to Russian identity by the Soviet regime, Figes examines how writers, artists and musicians grappled with the idea of Russia itself - its character, spiritual essence and destiny.
He skillfully interweaves the great works - by Dostoevsky, Stravinsky, and Chagall - with folk embroidery, peasant songs, religious icons and all the customs of daily life, from food and drink to bathing habits to beliefs about the spirit world.
Figes' characters range high and low: the revered Tolstoy, who left his deathbed to search for the kingdom of God, as well as the serf girl Praskovya, who became Russian opera's first superstar and shocked society by becoming her owner's wife.
Like the European-schooled countess Natasha performing an impromptu folk dance in Tolstoy's War and Peace, the spirit of 'Russianness' is revealed by Figes as rich and uplifting, complex and contradictory - a powerful force that unified a vast country and proved more lasting than any Russian ruler or state.
©2018 Orlando Figes (P)2018 Audible, LtdListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Natasha's Dance
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Magdalena
- 20-05-23
Great story, terribly read
A wonderful book that helps understand the Russian mentality today.
I listened despite the horrible reader whose favourite voice modulation was that of mockery, as if he passed judgement on those barbaria Russians. Why on earth does he use French accents when quoting French people? To the effect they sound like detective Clouseau or characters from Allo Allo. Peasants speak with some sort of faux Cockney accents. Thankfully he does not read quotes by Russians with a Russian accent. But some research how to pronounce Russian words would have been advisable. My ears were falling off. A huge disservice to this fantastic work.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- A. J. Taylor
- 02-02-22
We Danced All Night
If you’re interested in Russia then you must read this book. It is a deep dive into Russian history, based on themes, which loosely are in chronological order. From the building of St Petersburg and the European looking court of Peter the Great and the 18th Century aristocracy, to the aftermath of the Napoleonic invasion of 1812. The cultural home of Russia: Moscow, to the influence of eastern cultures. How culture grew in the Soviet Union (fun fact it was repressed and then pre 1917 culture was brought back) to the culture of Russians who fled the terrors of the Bolsheviks. It is a history of folklore, art, music, poetry and famous figures and how they crossed paths to great the Russian identity. In order to understand this fascinating country this is a must read and I was extremely impressed. There is a lot of information in this book and I had to re read chapters to take it all in. However this is not a problem as Orlando Figes is an excellent writer, his style is simply captivating. In spite of this, I have read in other reviews that Figes has basic facts wrong, especially around the Russian language itself, which is a shame and takes away from the overall achievement of the book. There is more than one reference to this and as I result I cannot give this book five starts as it leaves question over his validity.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-08-19
Best narrator on audible
Ric Jerrom made an already well-written book an absolute joy to listen to. He should train all other audible narrators as he was hands down the best narrator I’ve ever had. Excellent book that helped inform my recent travels to Russia
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 27-11-20
wonderful natasha
Best book about Russian culture ever written by an Englishman. It's all here, the last 200 years
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christina
- 05-04-24
Enthralling artistic & cultural history of Russia
Ric Jerrom is a splendid narrator giving voice to Orlando Figes' rich and complex description of Russia through Art and Culture.
A must-listen for anyone seeking to understand Russia and its people, as the book navigates us through a vast and intricate woven story of politics, geography, painting, music and literature,
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr. John P. O'Dwyer
- 11-07-22
beautiful
thr reading was superb and content kept me wanting more and more and more
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M V Curr
- 14-07-20
wonderful book, important history
very interesting indeed. only complaint is the fake accents adopted by the reader when quoting people, that was very annoying indeed.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ann
- 27-03-22
Illuminating history, outstandingly performed
This is a monumental work that I hadn’t been able to finish, let alone handle in book form. Read, superbly by Ric Jerrom, I couldn’t stop listening.
Orlando Figgs writes cultural history with passion, clarity and a scholarly ease which enables my understanding of a complex nation, linking key cultural figures through the narrative giving coherence and context.
A long way from the one dimensional history I endured at school!
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history for the content and fluid writing and the exceptional performance by Ric Jerrom.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- F. Wynn
- 28-06-22
A Masterpiece
This book should be read by all who love Russia. All the old Russian life is encompassed within.
The information is well researched.
I would recommend this highly. A wonderful book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Fergus Lamb
- 29-12-18
Great
a very interesting book, the narrator is the best I've heard on Audible, give him a pay rise.
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4 people found this helpful