Review - Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow

Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow

I received a digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really nice translation of an important book, and one that makes Radishchev accessible and even enjoyable to an English-speaking audience. While I'm able to read in Russian, Radishchev is not an author I feel very confident tackling in the original--and this translation worked really well for me. I enjoyed it and found myself digitally highlighting passages in nearly every chapter--it's not exactly light reading, but certainly worthwhile for those with an interest in Russian intellectual and political history. Many of Radishchev's observations and ideas are striking and relevant even today, even beyond their true significance to Russian history and literature. This is a book that is meant to make the reader think, and it does.

The introduction to this translation is interesting and informative, and provides a good amount of historical context on Radishchev and his work. It's probably most helpful and of more interest to someone with some background in Russian history, and I can't speak to how accessible it would be for someone without that background--but personally, having the necessary background, I really liked it.

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