Anna

Absolutely wonderful book! Some say it's too slow, but I loved the insights into characters' past and into their minds and thinking patterns! It was fascinating to notice that some of them had minds working in similar fashion to mine.

The ending is a bit cheesy and quite predictable, but for me this book is not about the ending, it's more about the process. I found the book impossible to put down. I loved how all the little details were exactly right: the Russian words, the Soviet past, the fitness stuff.

I honestly didn't get this one. The beginning is thrilling, the setting is original, the ending is unexpected. But between the initial suspense and the climax there's not much happening. Several characters develop unexpected relationships with each other, a few come with some sort of self-discovery. Apart from some funny details and a few interesting interactions the novel just drags on and on, I found I had to really struggle to plow through.

I was not impressed with this book at all. It got my interest because of all the travel involved. In reality the book does not paint an interesting picture of all the places, instead it focuses on the constant dissatisfaction and whining reminiscences of a middle-aged loser. It feels like despite having traveled almost around the world he has learned nothing, gained no perspective and grown in no way as a person. The ending was disappointing and unbelievably cheesy.