Ivan Petrov: Russia Through a Shot Glass

Bookwatch

It's hard to classify Ivan Petrov: blending travel, history, cultural observation and politics, this tells of vagabonding in Russia during its last days as part of the Soviet Union. Issues of alcoholism, social change and nostalgia blend in this unusual guide.

Library Journal

The failings of the former Soviet Union come vividly to life in this searing biography of a self-described vagabond alcoholic in post-World War II Russia. Ivan Petrov says that while some tried to make careers as informers or bureaucrats, he chose to become a drunk--and that his readers, under the circumstances, would have done the same. British writer Walton met Petrov, now living in the West, in 1996 and spent two years interviewing him and putting his story together. This first-person narrative details his wanderings, which embraced Soviet jails, hospitals, camps, and clinics. Told with a combination of humor, horror, and pathos, his story is not pleasant, but it forcefully illustrates how an oppressive political regime contributed to the destruction of the lives of so many of its citizens. Recommended for all libraries.--Ron Ratliff, Chapman H.S. Lib., Manhattan, KS Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.