Mud and Stars combines Sara Wheeler’s periodic travels in and around various parts of the former Soviet Union with chapter-size biographies of some of Russia’s literary greats plus summaries of their major work(s).
She also makes interesting detours into the worlds of translation and her London-based adventures in learning the Russian language, culture and cuisine.
A good book for insights into modern Russia, and the great playwrights, poets and novelists of the 19th and 20th century – about whom I know (knew) next to nothing.
Publisher page: Mud and Stars – Sara Wheeler