Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier

I really loved the author's introduction to the book, where he tells about the early days of his love affair with Russia. he is bursting with joy at what a wonderful place it is, and he meets a journalist who has been living in Moscow--Frazier asks him optimisitcally about what he thinks of Mussia--and th ejournalist tells him he hates it--it is corrupt, people are mean, lies are the norm, it is dysfunctional on a mammoth scale and there is no effor tto fix the problems. Well, yes, Frazier acknowledges that all that is in fact true, but what about the soul, the history, the vastness, the glory. He acknowledges the warts, but he thinks Russia still has a beuatiful face, and he goes on to describe his trips there, to Siberia in particularm, and in the end he has me hankering to take a trip.
There are lots of obstacles to overcome in Siberian travel--not the least of which is food and water. He has a guide, whom he variously adores and loathes, depending on a number of factors, only some of which are directly the fault of the guide--and that seems essential. English is not widely spoken, and it is just hard to get around.
First we learn that there are no actual boundaries to Siberia. It has become part of our vernacular, yet it doesn't have an exact place. Getting sent to Siberia means exile to extreme conditions--cold, limited resources, and lots of land, not many people. Quiet, I guess would be a good spin on it. Solitary confinement would be another way to look at it. In any case, Frazier does an excellent job spinning a tale that is gritty and alluring at the same time, suffused with some Russian history, and sprinkled with some thoughts on the people that populate the country. He is astounded that of the top twelve Russians, by their own account, two of them were responsible for reigns of terror--Stalin is third, and he personally oversaw the killing of many millions of his countrymen--more than were killed by Russia's enemies. That sums it up. This is a complicated place, but it has reall beauty that is worth seeking out and trying to understand.