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A Tourist Visa Kindle Edition

by Paul Vitols (Author)

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Welcome to the Latvia Hotel, Riga’s only high-rise and the pinnacle of three-star luxury in this Baltic republic. The year is 1982, and here young Canadian traveler Curtis Jansons discovers that even a small serving of Soviet hospitality comes with a heaping side order of bureaucracy. But this time, that side order is served by Galina, a young, pretty Intourist officer—and when he asks her for a date, she gives him a chance to glimpse more deeply life behind the Iron Curtain.

By turns funny and moving, A Tourist Visa blends autobiography with artful storytelling, and reminds us that we’re all travelers, looking for both love and meaning. And as we strive against forces larger than ourselves, we discover that our ultimate journey is a solitary one.

Length: 14 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Language: English

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Product details

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 2680 KB
Print Length: 14 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Paul Vitols; 1 edition (4 April 2017)
Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B06Y2LSPJV
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray:

Not Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

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Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com

Amazon.com: 6 reviews

Myke

A quick and thoughtful read!

13 December 2017 - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

In this short story you follow Curtis Jansons as he travels to the Soviet controlled city of Riga, Latvia. Reading It gives you a sense of the bureaucratic corruption which saturated every aspect of life in the Soviet Union, which seemed to make even the most ordinary tasks an ordeal. While reading it I felt immersed in the story and could easily visualize the locations, and almost feel the icy Latvian wind. Reading it left me with a feeling of thoughtful melancholy, though it closes with a chuckle. It's an interesting read and totally worth the purchase.

Courtney

A well-written and fulfilling read

14 April 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

I greatly enjoyed Paul Vitols' short story "A Tourist Visa." There are two main reflections I have after finishing a short story to measure how good and well-written I found the piece to be: 1) do I find myself wondering or hoping for certain "what if"s and "what could have been"s within the story; and 2) do I find myself imagining what became of the characters both in the short-term and the long-term after the story's particular point in time. In other words, how successful was the author in pulling me into the characters' lives and leading me to build connections with the characters? "A Tourist Visa" met all of these measures for me. I was so intrigued by the shared attraction and the exciting and witty flirtation between Curtis and Galina. I was also drawn in by the perceptions and expectations they both had of each other, and whether those perceptions and expectations were fulfilled by reality. Even in the midst of writing this review, my mind drifted off to fondly imagining what paths the characters' lives took. Overall, "A Tourist Visa" is a delightful read that I highly recommend to lovers of short stories.

Kerstin Vollbrecht

Good

22 January 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

On a visit with his grandfather in Riga, Curtis Janson, a Canadian-American tourist is struggling with Russian bureaucracy as he didn't prepare properly to understand the requirements for a foreign tourist to visit a family member living in that country. As he has to accept the enormous bill he has to pay for his visit, he asks the Russian Intourist Officer out on a date on his last day there.
This book give an insight about the importance to understand the cultural idiosyncrasies of other countries before traveling, not only in order to avoid unnecessary bureaucratic surprises, but also to better enjoy the journey, understand it's people and extract a richer experience.

Robin Atkins

Love this short story!

25 February 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

I really liked this short story as it is thought provoking.

Traveling to other countries can be tricky and not so easy as the story points out, but this adventure for Curtis Janson is over in a sense and at the same time, it is not.

The ending was abrupt and I was left to my own imagination of what was going to happen next! Are they ever going to meet again? Did they want to? Will there be a part two to this story?

This is a very fast read and I look forward to reading more short stories by Paul Vitols. This is a year to read outside of my comfort zone.

I received a copy of this short story from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
Thanks also to Booktasters for the opportunity to enjoy books from new to me authors.

Ivona

Nice read, but it lacked a bit more development or action

23 January 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

I am not a huge fan of short stories because I always feel like something is left unsaid and unfinished in them. This is exactly what I thought about this story as well. The read was very pleasant, I liked this story slightly more than another short story by Paul Vitols (The Thought Dial), but the plot lacked a little bit more development and action. I thought that as soon as something was starting, the story ended in a rush and this really left me a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, I liked the clear and concise portray of the Soviet system; I liked the descriptive narration regarding the people the protagonist meets, the places he visits and the thoughts he has; and finally I loved reading the inner voice of the main character. I think if the author writes a longer version or a continuation to this story, I would be eager to read it and until then I would recommend it to anyone who wants something quick and relaxing to read either during their lunch break, while traveling or before sleeping.

Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical > Cultural Heritage
Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories & Anthologies > Short Stories
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories

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