Literary Russia: A guide.

For book lovers, literary Russia is as vast as one can imagine. Not only are the writers famous in their own right, but the scenes from Russian literature are remarkable as well. Bartlett, a literary translator and writer on Russian culture, and Berm (editor, The Insight Guide to Russia) have compiled a marvelous tool to help those interested in Russian literature find their way. They include sketches of all the major writers, the museums devoted to them, and the sites where they lived and worked, dividing the book into sections of the country (e.g., Moscow, St. Petersburg). One only wishes that more photographs had been included (there are only 36), and some readers may have problems with the arrangement of the book into geographical sections. Listing the writers alphabetically would have worked better, though a very good index is included. Still, browsing this book will make you want to hop a flight to Russia and start the sightseeing. Recommended for all libraries.