291st out of 1,249 books
—
2,684 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Through Siberia by Accident: A Small Slice of Autobiography” as Want to Read:
Through Siberia by Accident: A Small Slice of Autobiography
For more than forty years, Dervla Murphy has been recording her remarkable adventures--traveling by bicycle and on foot--in some of the most inaccessible places on earth.
Through Siberia by Accident is an account of a journey that didn't happen--and what happened instead. While still thousands of miles from her original destination, Ussuriland in the Russian Far East, Murp
...more
Hardcover
,
302 pages
Published
January 1st 2005
by John Murray Publishers
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Through Siberia by Accident
,
please sign up
.
Be the first to ask a question about Through Siberia by Accident
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
255)
Best book on Russians EVER!!!
Strongly recommend to anyone interested in Russia/Russians. I am Russian. And I am all ears when it comes to foreigners trying to explore and explain the essence of this enormous country and its controversial folk. That is why I try not to miss such kinds of books. Mostly what I fish out is just a crusade for confirmation of deep rooted stereotypes/myths or very shallow account a-la Marco Polo.
I must say this book is a precious exception. With surprising astuteness s ...more
Strongly recommend to anyone interested in Russia/Russians. I am Russian. And I am all ears when it comes to foreigners trying to explore and explain the essence of this enormous country and its controversial folk. That is why I try not to miss such kinds of books. Mostly what I fish out is just a crusade for confirmation of deep rooted stereotypes/myths or very shallow account a-la Marco Polo.
I must say this book is a precious exception. With surprising astuteness s ...more
view all 7 comments
Some of Dervla Murphy's travel anecdotes reinforce stereotypes - bleak urban landscapes, say, or endless tracts of irreparably polluted land, yet others break them down - the book is nothing if not a showcase of Siberian hospitality toward strangers, and her descriptions of the immense variability and beauty of the landscape shattered my notions of a dreary, Siberian monotony. Ms. Murphy also manages to effectively intersperse fascinating tidbits of Russian/Siberian history throughout. In sum,
T
...more
May 20, 2015
Caroline
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Caroline by:
Denniz Pez
Shelves:
world
This is a book about a trip that didn’t happen. Dervla, queen of the world's class-B roads, was due to cycle her way across part of Siberia, but then right at the start of her journey she hurt her knee. So, instead of cycling, she took to BAM – The Baikal-Amur Mainline railway – and explored those bits of Siberia around Lake Baikal and the lower reaches of the River Lena instead.
Dervla is the sort of woman you must refer to by christian rather than surname, she is so down to earth and gutsy. The ...more
Dervla is the sort of woman you must refer to by christian rather than surname, she is so down to earth and gutsy. The ...more
not sure exactly how full of shit this lady is, but very enjoyable travelogue of her journey to Siberia to ride her bike and take a big bike tour. but then she injured her knee and such so got way sidetracked on the bike portion, but did travel around and stay are various and sundry places centered roughly around lake Baikal. she seems pretty snappy this old Irish lady. i want to read her book about biking in south Africa now. and she really likes beer.
I like Dervla Murphy. In this trip to Siberia, she has an accident that makes continuing in her regular fashion by bicycle impossible. Instead she meets lots of people and takes the train and the bus and the ferry around part of Siberia – a lot of it near Lake Baikal. I was particularly fond of her descriptions of travel by BAM, a sort of off shoot of the better known Trans Siberian Railway. I loved the description of her experiences on and around Lake Baikal. The environmental issues are concer
...more
I had a suspicion I found my favorite travel writer when I first read "Full Tilt" by Dervla. This was the next book I picked up and was amazed by it in the beginning. I can imagine not everyone would enjoy this book as I did and I don't say it's a must-read for everyone. Not to get your hopes up, I only gave it four stars, so you don't expect too much from it. However, for me, personally, this was such an extremely interesting read, it's going on my favorites shelf.
Dervla is in her 70's and due ...more
Dervla is in her 70's and due ...more
I read Murphy's first travel book Full Tilt - about her bike trip through Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and it was awkward and charming. Written as a diary, it focused on the mundane details of her daily struggles and also the joys of bike travel.
This book is written at a much later date and sets out to provide too much historical and contextual information about Siberia and the Russian far east. Instead of making a richer text, it only bogs itself down and makes for a much less enjoyable rea ...more
This book is written at a much later date and sets out to provide too much historical and contextual information about Siberia and the Russian far east. Instead of making a richer text, it only bogs itself down and makes for a much less enjoyable rea ...more
this great octogenerian, an Irish Lady who travels to remote places of the globe by bicycle or on foot, is so entertaining and fun to see the world through her eyes. This is my first of her books, but I hope to read more. She is also deeply concerned about saving the environment. She is indomitable and her books are a great gift to those of us who don't have her ability or courage to see first hand for themselves how our world is developing and our need to converve and protect its resources. I s
...more
I read half way through this book and then read the last pages. I saw no changes in the book from beginning to end. Dervla continues to travel through Siberia meeting and eating the food of wonderfully generous natives. The descriptions were all very much surface, lacking depth exploration of personalities met. I had a very hard time maintaining interest. I have to admit that I learned a very different view of Siberia than I held previously, but half the book did it for me.
A foreign babushka's travels through Siberia. A pleasant book about the people she meets, some recent history/current affairs and the natural world (inc regret at environmental damage). Felt like a ramble by train through Siberia.
Bit heavy going at times with all the Russian/Siberian names but really enjoyed it and learnt some things too!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Dervla Murphy is an Irish touring cyclist and author of adventure travel books for over 40 years. She is best known for her 1965 book Full Tilt: Ireland to India With a Bicycle, about an overland cycling trip through Europe, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Murphy normally travels alone and unaided, without luxuries and depending on the hospitality of local people. When not travelling, Murph ...more
More about Dervla Murphy...
Murphy normally travels alone and unaided, without luxuries and depending on the hospitality of local people. When not travelling, Murph ...more
