Case of the General's Thumb

The Case of the General's Thumb / Andrey Kurkov
London: Harvill, 2003.
224 p.

This book has just been released by Melville House Books in North America -- however, my copy has been with me for quite a while, as it is the UK translation which I picked up at a small English language bookshop when I was in Kyiv in 2008. I know, I know, why has it taken so long to read it? Well, I was saving it, hoping to hang on to that sense of possibility and anticipation for as long as I could. However, I've since read two other books by Kurkov (Death and the Penguin and Pengin Lost) which I got via the library -- and they were both very good. So I decided it was silly not to read this book which was just sitting on my shelf easily available to me.

It is definitely in the same line as his other books, though perhaps a little more slapstick, a bit more action oriented. The bizarre nature of the tale can be seen in this cover -- a Bonnie & Clyde style adventure that includes driving a hearse, tossing fish over gates, and carting around a parrot. Too bad it doesn't show the turtle... As you can see, there is a large serving of absurdity in this tale.

It begins in Ukraine, in the Maidan (main square) where a general is found dead, attached to an advertising balloon, missing a thumb. A police officer and a KGB agent are assigned to investigate, neither of whom trusts the other. Add in a criminal or two also on the trail, and the resultant chaos leads the story all over Europe -- from Ukraine to Germany and beyond. The surreal characters are weird but compelling, and the action is as incomprehensible to the characters as it is to us at times. But it is darkly funny and I read it very quickly and with great enjoyment. There is something about Kurkov's sense of irony and humour that appeals to me, and even the bleak violence of life as a Ukrainian criminal is bearable when he writes about it.

His style is very particular -- in this one there is a lot of jumping back and forth from various characters' perspectives and perhaps has a feeling of not being as consistent as the others I've read. And the ending is rather sudden and/or anticlimactic. Still, definitely worth a read for its absurdist essence and strong evocation of a particular cultural moment. Since this is the UK translation, I did notice some word choices that stuck out as odd -- perhaps the American edition will solve that issue for American readers. In any case, I enjoyed it, and Kurkov is still on my must-read list. Glad to see that he is getting wider distribution as I think he has a distinctive voice that is well worth sharing.

Penguin Lost

Penguin Lost / Andrey Kurkov; translated by George Bird.
Brooklyn: Melville House, 2011.
160 p.

This is the follow up to Kurkov's first novel about Misha the penguin, Death and the Penguin. I read and enjoyed that book a while ago now, and was eager to get to this one, which I ended up reading via Netgalley.

I enjoyed it a lot, though it had a different feel than the first: for one thing, Misha is "offscreen" a lot of the time (thus the title) and I missed his silent seriousness. In this book, Viktor Zolotaryov has returned from his Antarctic exile where we left him at the close of Death and the Penguin. Conveniently he has also come into a lot of money so off he goes back to Kyiv, where he finds his foster daughter Sonya and her adult companion Nina living in his apartment with a new man. He wanders around Kyiv, gets involved with a young prostitute, falls into a handy job writing for a politician wanting re-election (which comes with room and board), then heads off to Chechnya to find Misha -- rumour has it that Misha was last seen there, in the midst of the conflict.

There is a lot of action in this tale, unlike the first one which felt melancholy, stolid and full of Soviet resignation. Viktor travels around outside of Kyiv for most of the tale -- from Antarctica to Moscow to Chechnya and eventually to South America. Actually, it reminds me a lot of another of Kurkov's books that I've recently read, The Case of the General's Thumb, with all the farcical coming and going and a full cast of eccentric bad guys.

Still, once Viktor arrives in Chechnya he ends up working at a makeshift crematorium in the woods and things get pretty dark and serious. He patiently waits for this newest trial to pass so that he can contact Misha's last known owner, a mobster. Eventually he does find Misha, living in a dog enclosure with protective huskies.

From then on there is a lot more complicated finagling to get Misha back to Kyiv with him -- and eventually to get them both out of Kyiv altogether. While parts of this scheme were pretty amusing, it was awfully convenient to have a beautiful young woman decide to marry him and take him along on a sea journey to South America. Still, this led to the poignant ending in which Misha finally finds freedom. I admit I got a bit teary saying goodbye to Misha at the end. Viktor I could take or leave, but Misha was truly endearing.

I've been waiting to read this book for a couple of years now, so took my time and reacquainted myself with the characters slowly. Even with the different feel to this book I really enjoyed it and was glad to find out more about Viktor's progress and miraculous survival! There was a lot of broad humour to be found in this one and I found it entertaining. Though the first book was deeper and felt more "Literary", this was a fine follow-up that I still liked a lot. Misha was the symbol of Viktor's search for meaning and connection, and it seemed that Viktor was only able to let his responsibility to his penguin go once he had forged a new life outside of Ukraine. Interesting conversations about nationality, one's place in the world, and responsibility to others could ensue if you decided to discuss this one over drinks! I really like Kurkov's writing and find lots to think about even in his lighter novels. This one, having Misha in it, was of automatic interest and lived up to my expectations. Definitely one I'd reread someday.

Faithful Ruslan

Faithful Ruslan / Georgi Vladimov; translated and with an introduction by Michael Glenny.
Brooklyn, NY: Melville House, c2011.
224 p.

I love this new series (The Neversink Library) put out by Melville House. The name of the series comes from a quote from a Melville book which I copied out into my own commonplace book many years ago now, because I found it so perfect. It reads:

I was by no means the only reader of books on board the Neversink. Several other sailors were diligent readers, though their studies did not lie in the way of belles-lettres. Their favourite authors were such as you may find at the
book- stalls around Fulton Market; they were slightly physiological in their nature. My book experiences on board of the frigate proved an example of a fact which every book-lover must have experienced before me, namely, that though public libraries have an imposing air, and doubtless contain invaluable volumes, yet, somehow, the books that prove most agreeable, grateful, and companionable, are those we pick up by chance here and there; those which seem put into our hands by Providence; those which pretend to little, but abound in much.

—Herman Melville, White Jacket

This series has wonderful covers: solid coloured with some kind of silhouette relevant to the story. I love the simplicity and the power. I've read a few in the series so far and have enjoyed them; I'm grateful for Melville's intent, which is to republish novellas that have been overlooked, forgotten, underappreciated.

Now -- on to this specific title. Faithful Ruslan is about a dog: Ruslan, a guard dog at a Siberian prison camp. He is dutiful and faithful, almost to the point of fanaticism. One of the other dogs, the recognized leader, is more pragmatic and thinks Ruslan is taking things a bit too far in his devotion to The Masters.

We begin on the day that the camp is being disbanded and all the prisoners are released. The soldiers are supposed to kill all the dogs; Ruslan's master can't do it, however, and releases him outside the camp. Ruslan, and the other former camp dogs, end up in the nearest settlement, a place they know from the times they guarded the prisoners arriving via train as they marched to the camp. The dogs all find a place for themselves somehow. Ruslan finds a place to live, with a former prisoner, who thinks that Ruslan is now a kind of household pet. Ruslan knows better -- he is still faithfully guarding this prisoner until the time comes to return to the camps.

The story is told from Ruslan's perspective, and reveals the dog training methods that have made him into the perfect guard dog. From a human perspective we'd call it brainwashing. There are really no sympathetic humans in Ruslan's life, except for the original dog trainer at the camp who states that he comes from a long line of trainers. His methods are humane; the dogs love him. But when his favourite dog is killed, he goes mad, moving into the kennels and barking so that the dogs understand him -- he's preaching rebellion against the masters.

That was an emotional high of the book, along with the ending. I couldn't help tearing up at the end; it was violent, sad, full of regret and of pathos. It's a deceptively simple narrative style which reveals complex mental and social entanglements. It's at the same time the "Among the greatest animal stories ever written..." (richard adams) and an allegory for the dissolution of Soviet Russia. It reveals the manner in which those twisted by Stalin's regime -- animals and prisoners alike -- were simply left to do the best they could with no acknowledgement of their experiences.

It's a powerful read about loyalty, betrayal, and the darkness in human nature. If you want to read something about the Stalinist era, try this brief novella; it provides a larger impact than you might expect from such a brief tale.

Anna's Shadow

Anna's Shadow / David Manicom
Montréal: Véhicule Press, c2009.
260 p.

Moving from 2007 North America to 1990's Moscow, this story follows the life of Adrian Wells, minor Canadian diplomat. In the days after the breakdown of the Soviet Union, he meets particle physicist Anna Mikataev, who has figured out how to bend light. She's now the centre of interest for Soviets and NATO alike, and is being held in a small room in the basement of the Canadian Embassy in Moscow (or as they like to call it, she's "protected" by the Embassy).

Adrian has to interview her and record everything, and their relationship deepens as he spends countless hours listening to her. He discovers a link between Anna and a Russian businessman who lives in Montreal but has returned to Russia recently. And he finds out the dark secrets of Anna's past.

Anna is going stircrazy with being confined and convinces Adrian to help her secretly escape, long enough to confront her Russian businessman. Adrian's naivety allows him to assist her, and things -- of course -- go terribly wrong.

This is a brief plot summary of a thriller featuring Cold War diplomats and scientists -- but this book is so much more. It doesn't depend on fast movement or conspiracy to move the book along, rather it moves slowly, following the characters. It has a sense of tired, world-weary corruption and acknowledges the allowances governments and their organizations make for one another, over the interests of the individual.

The story includes love, betrayal, loss of innocence, questions of intellectual vs. commercial research, and of course, some physics. Anna is a prickly, stubborn, and marvellously individual character, who gets involved with things out of her usual reach -- and has her life altered irrevocably. Adrian's role changes him as well, and leads to the events of 2007... the arrival of CSIS agents at his country home near Ottawa, to question him about events in Moscow nearly 20 years before.

I enjoyed this book. The main characters were well drawn, and I found their moral struggles absolutely absorbing. The atmosphere is smoky and grey, whether in the basement of the dingy Embassy where Anna lives for months, or on the streets of a uncertain and demoralized Moscow. In the scenes with Anna in Siberia, at her research institute, the town comes to life through the descriptions of the public spaces -- two restaurants in particular stand out for their realistic menus and decor, which show the differences in social strata among the poor and the newly rich. Only at the beginning, as Adrian works outside at his Canadian home in 2007, is there a sense of sunshine and of life progressing naturally.

It's a slow moving story but well worth it for fans of Russian-set stories, or those who find diplomatic intrigue of interest. The only thing I would have liked to see added to it was a little more physics. Although Anna's research was considered to be dangerous because of its military applications, we didn't find out enough about it for my taste. But then I love to read about physics ;) I'm glad I discovered this story; I'm still thinking about Anna. Great character.

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Véhicule Press

Véhicule Press began in 1973 on the premises of Véhicule Art Inc., one of Canada's first artist-run galleries. The large space occupied by both the gallery and the press at 61 Ste-Catherine St. West was once the Café Montmarte--the renowned jazz club of the 1930s. In spring 1981, Simon Dardick (who had joined the press during the summer, 1973) and Nancy Marrelli continued Véhicule Press from Roy Street East, not far from The Main (just around the corner from where the poet Emile Nelligan lived) in the Plateau area of Montreal. Since 1973 Véhicule Press has published award-winning poetry, fiction, essays, translations, and social history.

Warm the Children, O Sun

Warm the Children, O Sun / Olena Pchilka et al.; trans. by Roma Franko; ed. by Sonia Morris.
Saskatoon: Language Lanterns, c2000.
471 p.

This is the fifth volume in a unique series called "Women's Voices in Ukrainian Literature". It compiles short stories on the theme of childhood and adolescence by a varied group of Ukrainian writers, most of whom were writing in the years between the late 19th and early 20th century. (for bios on each of the writers, check the Language Lanterns site; they share a lot of great information there). The brief biographies of each of the writers are also included in the book.

It's a good book to follow my last read, as it focuses on women and girls' lives in mostly peasant families, in 19th century Ukraine. And it makes me very glad I don't live then. Their lives are unrelenting work...childcare, food growing and preparation, housekeeping, submitting to their (often drunken) husbands and so on. One story delves into the cultural expectation of early marriage and how these lovely young girls, so finely dressed, expect only marriage in their lives -- and then are utterly disillusioned and realize they were only really free before marriage but now it's too late and they keep encouraging other young girls and their own daughters to get married asap.

In one tale, a husband is considered a gentle man and a good catch because he only beats his wife once a month. In another, all the local girls mock another, who is a frail and indulged only child, because she can read. They are merciless in pointing out the ridiculous nature of that talent and how it will make her unfit for a good marriage. (fortunately she finds a husband who, when he discovers her talent, is amazed and happy, as he is himself illiterate -- it is the only 'good' marriage in the entire book).

The strength of one girl who is determined to become a dancer, in one story, highlights the way that most people stayed put, never leaving even their villages; she makes a shocking escape by faking her own death, and travels Europe as a famous performer. She is perfectly safe because the people of her childhood home are so isolated and insular they'd never know it. Just the narrator moves between worlds.

I love reading this series because of the continual surprises. My expectations are always being challenged and changed when I read these stories -- I think I know what their lives were like but reading contemporaneous accounts, though fictional, reveals things that were taken for granted by the society in which these tales were written. The class structure is quite startling, and to me reveals a lot about the reasons for the patterns of immigration to places like Canada.

Not all of the stories are at the same literary level; the series points out that they are translating these previously untranslated works for the social importance as much as the literary. All the contributing authors worked as writers, but some (like Olena Pchilka) have much more of a literary profile. Of all the books in this series that I've read so far, I found this one to be a tough go -- mainly because it is unrelenting on the limited options for girls in this time and place. The story about the reading girl (entitled "She's Literate!") touched a nerve; and the constant reminder through most of the stories that wives were generally considered necessary evils and shrewish, and beaten regularly, was quite dispiriting. The whole book tied the theme of poverty and misery together rather effectively, however, and is certainly an important collection. I am once again impressed and grateful to Language Lanterns for undertaking this translation project on.

The Forest Horses

The Forest Horses / Byrna Barclay
Regina: Coteau, c2010.
368 p.

This is an extraordinary book. I really loved it. It's from one of my favourite small publishers, who always create beautiful books: look at the cover...it is a wonderful double design and I feel it really says a lot about the book itself... the character is Russia, and Russia is the character.

This is the story of Signe, a middle aged woman dealing with a family tragedy who decides to travel back to Russia to search out her family roots. Her parents and aunt came from Russia to Canada when she was a very young child, and despite her fears of water she is going on a river cruise starting in St Petersburg and stopping at the island she grew up on.

Her parents, Pytor and Lena, meet in a very unusual way: Pytor kidnaps Lena rather accidentally when he steals a herd of Gotland ponies from Northern Sweden to sell back in Russia (Lena's father owns the herd and she is tending it at the time). After facing down the challenges of anger, distress and the lack of a common language, they end up becoming lovers and then spouses. It sounds strange, but is wonderfully told and makes sense in the story. Pytor is an adventurer and inadvertently kidnapped Lena, and his brash charm seems to win her over. Lena herself is quite practical, and makes the best of things both for herself and for her beloved herd of ponies.

Peter takes Lena back to Russia, right in time for the Siege of Leningrad. Being the hustler that he is, he gets the two of them, and his sister, out of the city and they make a place for themselves on a distant island, along with their ponies. But as the city slowly starves, he realizes their tiny, strong ponies can travel the ice road back to the city, laden with food.

Meanwhile, we also hear the tale of Signe's children (one deceased, one irretrievably brain-damaged), as well as the story of Lena's own Swedish mother. Signe is travelling the river, facing down her fears of water and of the past, while befriending the Russian ornithologist and tour guide working for the cruise. Her story floats on the outlines of her parents', which is by far the strongest element. The heart of the book is Peter and Lena, and the ponies. And it is wonderful. The landscape, the relationships, the privations of war, the struggle to survive, all of this comes through in a vibrant narrative.

The story weaves all these elements together and reveals a picture of family through the generations, taking us from Sweden to Russia to a Canadian homestead in Livelong, Saskatchewan. It has a rich folktale-like atmosphere at times, and was utterly absorbing. I really loved the Russian and Swedish bits, and found Signe's own story only slightly less fascinating. A great read, especially if you like historical fiction or family sagas. Or horses! Recommended.

Challenges Ahead, 2011

And here is my list of the challenges I want to participate in next year. I love setting up reading lists and thinking about all the potential reading I could be doing!



Canadian Book Challenge

This one, hosted by John at The Book Mine Set, is ongoing: it is also a year-long challenge, but runs from Canada Day to Canada Day(July 1) rather than January-December. So I am half-way through, and will continue reading for the 4th Challenge as well as knowing already that I'll be signing up for the 5th when it rolls around!


What's in a name 4

This is once again hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and is a challenge I really enjoy participating in. The random nature of the book selections makes it a lot of fun, and I usually to read from my TBR in order to clear it up just a bit!

The rules are that you must read 1 book during 2011 from each of the following categories -- my three possibilities for each category are below, as well.

1. A book with a number in the title:

The Importance of Being Seven / Alexander McCall Smith
Four Letters of Love / Niall Williams
Fahrenheit 451 / Ray Bradbury


2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title:

The Attenbury Emeralds / Jill Paton Walsh
Gold Boy, Emerald Girl / Yiyun Li
Opal: a life of enchantment, mystery and madness/ Kathrine Beck

3. A book with a size in the title:

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party / Alexander McCall Smith
The Eleven Million Mile High Dancer / Carol De Chellis Hill
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute / Grace Paley

4. A book with travel or movement in the title:

Passing On / Penelope Lively
Far to Go / Alison Pick
Skating to Antarctica / Jenny Diski
Read: Into That Darkness / Steven Price

5. A book with evil in the title:

Soucouyant / David Chariandy
Consequences of Sin / Clare Langley-Hawthorne
My Phantom Husband / Marie Darrieussecq

6. A book with a life stage in the title:

Never the Bride / Paul Magrs
Warm the Children, O Sun (collection of stories)
The Grandmother / Bozena Nemcova



Science Book Challenge 2011

This is the fourth year of this wonderful challenge, hosted by Jeff at Scienticity I've been in on this one since the beginning, and I love it, because it makes me read more widely than I would otherwise and because it is "easy as pi" -- the rules are to read 3 (or 3.14) books over 2011. (how can you not love that slogan?) Although some years I read more than others, I enjoy this one absolutely. Here are this year's rules:

Read at least three nonfiction books in 2011 related to the theme "Science & Culture". Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or the relationship of science with our culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books, from the bookstore or your local library. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading, looking for perspectives on science as part of culture and history.
After you've read a book, write a short note about it giving your opinions of the book.

My list of possibilities includes:

Einstein Wrote Back / John W. Moffat

The Arcanum / Janet Gleeson

Decoding the Heavens / Jo Marchant

Empire of the Stars / Arthur I. Miller (I had meant to read this one last year)

Nordic Challenge
This is hosted by Zee at Notes from the North.

This blog is new to me, so this is a double delight -- a new blog and a new challenge to participate in! She states:

There is no need to make a list before hand. Any book by any author born in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and/or Sweden) or a book set in a Nordic country. They can be from any genre (I will be reading a mixture of classics, children’s books, YA and mystery).

I'll be reading at the second level:

Freya: Read 3-5 books

But since one of the things I most love about joining challenges is making lists, I'm still going to make a list of possibilities to inspire me ;)

1. Astrid & Veronica / Linda Olsson -- I've wanted to read this one for ages, but it always seems to be out at my library!

2. Summer Book / Tove Janssen -- I read her novel The True Deceiver this year, and thought it was amazing. I'll be on the lookout for this one now.

3. The Tricking of Freya / Christina Sunley -- set partially in Canada and partially in Iceland, dealing with the main character's Icelandic heritage, this has been on my TBR for ages.

4. House of Orphans / Helen Dunmore -- set in Finland, by a British author

5. The Unit / Ninni Holmqvist -- so many book bloggers mentioned this one highly over the last year. It sounds intriguing.



Eastern Europe 2011 Challenge
This is hosted by Amy at The Black Sheep Dances -- another new-to-me blog and challenge! Another year-long challenge to take on.

These are the parameters:
Regions: Choose titles about or by an author from any of the following regions: Croatia, Ukraine, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Hungary, Belarus, Estonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Rep., Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Romania, Moldova, and Kosovo.
Titles: Can be any genre: crime, poetry, literary fiction, history, historical fiction, memoirs, etc.
Levels:
tourist: 4 books over the 12 months
ambassador: 8 books over 12 months
scholar: 12 books over 12 months

As most of my long-time readers know, I have a Ukrainian background, and love reading from that area. So I will most likely be reading primarily Ukrainian literature. I'll sign up at the tourist level, while hoping to move up to the ambassador level by the end of the year! Here is my current list of potential reads:

1. The Case of the General's Thumb / Andrey Kurkov -- set in Kyiv, though originally written in Russian.

2. The Master & Margarita / Bulgakov (ditto) I started this one when I was in Kyiv a few summers ago, but never did finish it.

3. Dead Souls / Gogol (ditto)

4. Wave of Terror / Theodore Odrach

5.READ: Warm the Children, O Sun AND/OR For a Crust of Bread

These are short story collections in the "Women's Voices in Ukrainian Literature" series by Language Lanterns

READ: Penguin Lost / Andrey Kurkov
Faithful Ruslan / Georgi Vladimov
Anna's Shadow / David Manicom
The Forest Horses / Byrna Barclay