Ok i'm going to kick-start this blog. I've just finished reading 'Pale Fire' by Vladimir Nabokov (who might be my favourite author). He has an amazing way of writing, i think in part because he is writing in English, but not originally from England, he is Russian. He experiments and has more fun with English than a native author might. Russia doesn't feature too heavily in the book, although he does imagine a place called 'Zembla' some far northern kingdom which i suppose he envisages being above Russia somewhere. He's really a wonderful author. My favourite book ever is Lolita - by Nabokov, again not really featuring Russia, but he wrote his first nine novels in Russian which have since been translated and perhaps they might be interesting to read. I think i remember Nain saying she loved his book 'Ada' which is high on my list to read. It isn't set in Russia or the earth we know - its set in an alternate world (!)

Another Russian book which I've read and really does give you a sense of Russia is 'The Master and Margarita' by Bulgakov. Its full of Soviet Union cultural and intellectual references. A little heavy going at times, but really fascinating and i think would provide an interesting insight into the country.