This likely is not an issue in print form. Many of the metro station names are very similar and often mentioned in relation to each other in quick succession (e.g., sentences along the lines of 'first they went to station A, then from there to station B, and from there made their way to Station C,') which can make it difficult to follow. The author's use of Russian location names, while adding to authenticity, is very difficult to follow in an audio-only format for a listener who is not familiar with the language. How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable? I am glad that I did not give up on the story and ask for a replacement book (which I was close to doing, about half way through). Those complaints aside, there are some genuinely unique and memorable scenes in the book, and the story finished strong, which made up for my complaints. The same occurs with some of the dialog of other secondary characters, wherein they are presented in one manner, then suddenly they are espousing a point of view that does not seem consistent with what had been presented beforehand. For example, some of the lines of thought explored by the main character seem far too sophisticated for the level of education and experience he is described as having, and seem to come through more as the author's own opinions on those subjects rather than the idle daydreams of a young man. As an example, the author at times rambles off into characters' daydreams or deeper thoughts, which, while interesting, are not always particularly consistent or believable for the character in question. There were some points when I was second-guessing my selection and not enjoying the story due to some elements of the writing. Overall I am glad that I listened to this book. Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not? I enjoyed the book, but if you're looking for action, save your money. I would recommend this book to someone as a thriller/horror novel that can really make you reflect on the human race as a whole, and how we have the capacity to be absolutely horrible, or even wonderful at times. The one and only problem I have is that sometimes these beliefs can really drag on. Religion and politics reign heavy in this book, and can be discussed at some length. There's a lot of horror and suspense there) Instead, this book is about the devolution of human society, and the desperate clutching of its beliefs. (Although, the surface sections are by far my favorite. In fact, Artyom doesn't even venture up to the surface until, what would be 300+ pages in, and aside from the first ten pages, only one mutant is seen before that. There are no shootouts or hordes of mutants that come to attack the protagonist. However, and I say the following as someone who happened across this book solely because of the video game, the book has almost nothing to do with the game except for the underlying premise: stopping the dark ones. It was well written, translated beautifully, and narrated perfectly. This was, by no means, a disappointing book. If you plan on buying this book because of the game, consider something else. He holds the future of his station in his hands, the whole Metro - and maybe the whole of humanity. Artyom, a young man living in VDNKh, is given the task of penetrating to the heart of the Metro to alert everyone to the danger and to get help. But a new and terrible threat has appeared. VDNKh is the northernmost inhabited station on its line, one of the Metro's best stations and secure. Stations have become mini-statelets, their people uniting around ideas, religions, water-filters, or the need to repulse enemy incursion.

A few score thousand survivors live on, not knowing whether they are the only ones left on Earth, living in the Moscow Metro - the biggest air-raid shelter ever built. Mutated by radiation, they are better adapted to the new world.

Man has handed over stewardship of the Earth to new life-forms. Survivors still remember the past greatness of humankind, but the last remains of civilisation have already become a distant memory. Beyond their boundaries, they say, lie endless burned-out deserts and the remains of splintered forests. Humanity is nearly extinct and the half-destroyed cities have become uninhabitable through radiation.

Metro 2033