Now, I'm a sucker for things Russian. So I had to post this.
Over at Conversational Reading, they highlighted a new Russian satire, Ice, by Vladimir Sorokin. It's published by the good people at NYRB. (New York Review of Books keeps finding these interesting things to publish, don't they?)
Jon Fasman reviewed it for the LA Times, and claims it "provides a head-scratching pleasure and deceptive quickness similar to that found in the novels of Haruki Murakami."
The Publisher Weekly describes it as " a Master and Margarita for the age of Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
Russian, Haruki Murakami, Master and Margarita and Buffy. They have my curiosity piqued.
8 comments:
Sounds like a delectable combination, even though I don't go in for Buffy! Big fan of Russian lit and Murakami. Being a fan of Russian literature you might enjoy Robert Dessaix. He's an Australian author with a distinctly Russian influence. I'm not sure how well known he is outside of Australia considering he's only known in certain circles here.
Wow that does sound intriguing.
Okay, I'm hooked.
Hi, acquistionist, thanks for the recommendation. I did some research on Dessaix after reading your comment, and I'm interested in the Turgenev angle in Twilight of Love. Local library has exactly ONE copy. I'm reserving it. Oh happy. Book to read.
Hi Sara, thanks for dropping by. Always nice to see someone who appreciate Graham Greene.
Hi Stefanie, Ice is available 28 January 2007. So what do you say? One more for your Reading Across Borders Challenge? ;)
A Russian Murakami Buffy? My head is spinning. There's another novel with the same title by Anna Kavan that I want to read. Maybe I should set aside a winter month for some Ice reading.
Argh, Dark Orpheus, what are you trying to do to my TBR pile??!!! I love Russian lit, and this sounds like a must-have.
I hope you enjoy Twilight of Love: Travels with Turgenev . I have this beautiful hardcover edition on my shelf waiting to be read. Just finished another Dessaix book though so I'll space it out. A friend who introduced me to Dessaix got hooked after reading it so I hope you enjoy it just as much. Let me know how you go :)
Imani: Hey, I have a few icy books lined up for this year too! The Ice Museum by Joanna Kavenna, This Cold Heaven : Seven Seasons in Greenland by Gretel Ehrlich, and Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski. Maybe we should read them all together on a very warm month. *grin*
Literate Kitten: What is it with these Russians that's so alluring, huh? ;p You have May set aside for New In the Stack Month. Hmm...Ice, perhaps?
Are you doing Kate's Read Across Borders Challenge? It seems like a good pick. Everyone's read Dostoevsky, Tolstoy etc - but we don't get to read that many new, modern Russian writers these days.
acquisitionist: I'm looking forward to it too. Oh, my TBR pile! And I have stuff to research on Turkey!
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