Rated of 5
by Eileen E. (Asheville, NC) Come to the cabaret..
Moscow at the time capitalism begins to take hold is a intoxicating mixture of corruption and celebration. Ultimately, everything is on a downward slide, where greed and sin rule, and no one escapes the temptation. An engrossing read, thought of Gorky Park , the bleakness and the constant snow.
Rated of 5
by Eileen F. (Ephrata, WA) Snowdrops
Miller shines in this psychological drama. His debut novel gave me a view clear picture of Moscow. I was able to visualize the city, climate, politics, and characters. Thankfully, he limited his characters in number, so that I wasn't confused attaching the long Russian names to the characters.
Nick, the main character and an attorney, seemed very gullible. I found myself telling him to wake up. This novel would make a good airplane trip read.
Rated of 5
by Linda A. (Palo Alto, CA) Naivete or Innocence?
As much as I wanted to like this book, I found the premise so implausible I had a hard time feeling any sympathy for the protagonist. For me, writing the story for the purpose of telling his finance things he could not tell her in person was artifice. What torture to read the "confession", at length, of someone you love. The title is well-chosen and appropriate.
Rated of 5
by Joanne H. (Waconia, MN) Enter the emptiness of the hollow man (men)
If you want to visit Russia during its early experimentation with capitalism, Snow Drops could be a tourist guide to a bleak social realm, although much of the emptiness comes from an expatriate British lawyer who is the protagonist. The setting and ambiance were unusually effective,the plot satisfactory, and character development disturbing. I frequently found myself remembering lines from The Hollow Men as I read, and thinking this was a novel about them. Despite all the gloom, I would quite strongly recommend this book for the discomfiting experience it provides.
Rated of 5
by Kelly P. (Monterey, TN) a treat for the imagination.
A. D. Miller has created an atmospheric read which fully immerses the reader in post-soviet Russian society. The characters real, the settings are easy to picture in your head, and the story is plausible. The fact that the author was able to create a constant sense of underlying paranoia though was his best accomplishment. This is truly an immersing tale.
Rated of 5
by Susan F. (Rabun Gap, GA) Wildly Interesting, Riveting Read
"Snowdrops" is a wildly interesting, riveting read. I highly recommend it to all. Written as an explanation and, I believe, a possible apology to his present day fiancee, Nick Platt, an English attorney, sets forth his old life in Moscow, his "old life without a seat belt".
If you have been to Moscow, you may remember it as an impression of kaleidoscopes of color, spiraling, exotic architecture, and fast moving people. Such is Nick Platt's narrative as he took me on a wild ride through those heady times in the early 2000's as Moscow and Russia plunge head long into capitalism. I was swept up in the portrays of amoral behavior, decadence, and lust. A place where much that appeared true, usually was not.
After he has meet the charms of Masha and Katya and soon after their aunt, Tatiana, I saw Nick Platt become a victim of that culture, willing to ignore much that was obvious and deceptive in trade for the comfortable pleasures of the "here and now". He does, however, finally begin to realize his complicity in some very dark deeds. But alas, as the book spirals to an end, it was all to evident to me that the cultural seduction of Nick Platt was complete.
A very large book - in number of pages and in content - and every page worth reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and her first book on the...
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Two Lives is a memoir written by international best-selling author, Vikram Seth. In this interesting and engaging book, Seth writes about his great...
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Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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News Corp will officially split into two companies June 28(May 24 2013) As expected, News Corp has announced it will officially split its publishing and entertainment businesses on 28 June.
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Its board approved the...
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of 5
by Eileen E. (Asheville, NC) 
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by Linda A. (Palo Alto, CA) 
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by Joanne H. (Waconia, MN) 
