Midnight in Siberia - A Portrait of a Nation Through its Railway

 Midnight in Siberia by David Greene

    The Trans Siberian Railway in the longest and one of the most famous in the world but there is remarkably little written about it in English. Many have written of Siberia, the place, but aside from brief sections in Paul Theroux's and Colin Thurbon's books, the railway has escaped the eye of literature. NPR host David Greene has to some extent remedied this with Midnight in Siberia, an account of his winter journey on the train in 2013. He uses the rail journey as a frame through which he explores the larger human experiences of modern Russia, making it an important social work Americans should read and bear in mind when reading the headlines. 

      Having made the journey myself, I can say his descriptions of life on the train were vivid and brought to life a few memories. "I would take a ride (on the TSSR) over a ride on amtrak any day of the week." he writes, "There's nothing boring about riding the Trans-Siberian. Its hard, yet poetic, perplexing yet entertaining." The train becomes a world unto itself and you form a daily routine on it; the hot water boiler which becomes your primary source of water; the dining car, where most of the socializing happens; getting guidance from your provodnik; the thrill of simply getting off at rural stations; sharing a closet sized space with four people.

       And here Greene's background as a journalist shines as he finds the real subject of the book, the Russian people. The train is a vehicle to explore this, which ties together the narrative. Each chapter is named for a different person he encounters, in which he describes their story. They range from environmental activists, to small business owners trying to make it in the new economy, to anthropologists exploring the ancient roots of Siberia.  All tell tales of woe and success (mostly woe). It is at once grim yet hopeful, and brings out a portrait of an endearing people. The result is an informative picture of modern Russia, good and bad, from which the reader can draw his own conclusions.

                                                             

      If there is any fault in Midnight in Siberia, it is that in places it treads the much-tread ground of psychoanalysis which boils down to "Russians are different from Americans", when the journey and interviews could have easily stood on their own merits without commentary.  Another is that the icy winter setting is exactly what we expect of anything set in Russia. Ian Frasier comments in his Travels in Siberia that "writers are required to visit Siberia in winter" and it seems to be true. (This is more of a personal interest of the reviewer than a fault with the book however as I made the trip in the summer - when it is generally warm, sunny, and green.)

           

     The book is physically well-presented and overall an easy read. In the end, Midnight in Siberia is a valuable new addition to the travel shelf, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in both Travel and the general human experience.