I've posted a couple of times about this one. I ended up finding its account of pre/ post Soviet ruptures very affecting.
I've posted a couple of times about this one. I ended up finding its account of pre/ post Soviet ruptures very affecting.
It's taken me a long time to appreciate this book (possibly because I tend to spread readings over years). I realized, however, that the courtyard of the Soviet-style apartment complex is itself a character with a unique beauty: something I can appreciate through some similar childhood memories
"Es war jener Hass, der aufkommt, wenn man im anderen wie in einem Spiegel plötzlich die Sackgasse sieht, in die das eigene Leben führt." Andreï Makine
"Wie ein frisch Operierter, der noch schwach und blutarm ist, schöpfte der Hof im Frühling neuen Atem." Andreï Makine