Coming Soon...

Gods of the Steppe 
by Andrei Gelasimov  

Translated from the Russian by Marian Schwartz 

Coming Soon...

Three Apples Fell from the Sky
by Narine Abgaryan

Translated from the Russian by Lisa C. Hayden

Coming Soon...

The Essential Fictions
by Isaac Babel

Translated from the Russian by Val Vinokur

Coming Soon...

The Little Devil and Other Stories
by Alexei Remizov 

Translated from the Russian by Antonina W. Bouis

Coming Soon...

Calligraphy Lesson
by Mikhail Shishkin

Translated from the Russian by Marian Schwartz, Leo Shtutin, Sylvia Maizell, and Mariya Bashkatova

Coming Soon...

Doctor Zhivago 
by Boris Pasternak

Translated from the Russian by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

Coming Soon...

Klotsvog
by Margarita Khemlin 

Translated from the Russian by Lisa C. Hayden

Coming Soon...

Redemption
by Friedrich Gorenstein 

Translated from the Russian by Andrew Bromfield

Coming Soon...

Necropolis
by Vladislav Khodasevich

Translated from the Russian by Sarah Vitali

Coming Soon...

Sentimental Tales
by Mikhail Zoshchenko

Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk

Coming Soon...

Sisters of the Cross
by Alexei Remizov

Translated from the Russian by Roger Keys and Brian Murphy

Coming Soon...

Devilspel

by Grigory Kanovich

Translated from the Russian by Yisrael Elliot Cohen

Coming Soon...

The Man Who Couldn't Die: The Tale of an Authentic Human Being
by Olga Slavnikova
Translated from the Russian by Marian Schwartz

Laughter in the Dark

Nikolai Nikolaevich

A pickpocket by profession, upon his release from Prison, our titular hero Nikolai Nikolaevich soon finds a job in a science lab via his scientist neighbor, Kimza. From the very beginning, we're acquainted with his obscene language and vulgar slangs, and Nikolai uses them without any shame, almost seamlessly, that not only gives an idiosyncratic character to him but allows him to make 'Soviet-Satire' and humor. Over time, with Kimza's alluring proposal, Nikolai's role changes from being a lab assistant to sperm donor for research (artificial pregnancy and what's more…)¹. In time taking advice from his thief friend, he bargains for high pay and diet for his donation, and for the fair share of alcohol. His ideas are based on the characters and influences from the Soviet rule, and the footnotes give the text more authenticity in this regard.

1.       Their idea was to send my sperm to the Andromeda galaxy in a glass test tube that would be like an impregnated belly. Nine months later, just like that, there’d be little Nikolai Nikolaeviches on planet Andromeda. A hundred or so would be born right away, and they’d fucking well adapt fast to their new surroundings. You don’t believe this could happen?

The story then follows his daily schedule as a sperm donor and his growing love for Vlada Yurevna. Under the policies of Lysenko, who rejected works done in genetics and heredity, and who was fervently supported by Stalin, as expected by Kimza, their lab is cracked down. Nikolai who believes that Morganism is somehow related with morgue and sexing the corpses is convinced that politics has entered their work. Shortly, he is interrogated by authority but he swirls it with wit and ignorance.

Swearing, cursing and denouncing – these can be found aimed at anyone or anything, but most particularly at the conflicting interests of the regime and people. The broader picture of Soviet regime surfaces out as the story progresses – time just before and after Stalin's death. After Stalin's death, the science lab gets reinstated and Nikolai gets his job back but this time he becomes subject for complicated experiments than before, as a puppet in the science quests: one being to track down his brain cell responsible for sexual activity. He takes part in another secret experiment to find pattern on how books are related to his sexual arousals when finally everything is too much for him.²

2.         That's absolutely right! That's it—jacking off! Jack-ing off! Absolutely jacking off. All of Soviet and world science, Kolya, is nothing but jacking off—ninety percent of it! And Marxism-Leninism? It's obvious onanism. Yours at least is harmless. But how much blood has been spilled by Marxism-Leninism—just in its laboratory (that is, in Russia)? An entire oceanful! An ocean! And have we ever produced any beneficial, useful jizz? Not a drop. Everything all around us is jacking off! The Party jerks off. The government engages in onanism. Science is masturbating, and it seems to everyone that, any minute, some crippled Kimza will start yelling: ‘Attention—Orgasm!’ and things will get easier, the bright future will begin. That's Communism. Well, Kolya, you have done your jerking off and goofing off, and now it's time to stop.

In this anti-Soviet satirical work which densely uses Mat (Russian obscene language) and obscenities, the ongoing struggle for scientific achievement and recognition during the period could be inferred at the cost of ordinary people³ distinctive to Soviet regime trying to achieve greatness. Nikolai doesn't realize he's making fun of the time; he just can't get angry about things so makes fun of them instead.⁴ A concoction of science fiction and profane humor, Nikolai Nikolaevich mimics aspects of Soviet Union, that is being in constant watch and threat by the authority.

3.       "It’s hard to tell the difference between killing and giving birth.”

4.       Anyone else wouldn’t even keep his own prison cell in the shape Stalin kept the whole country. He was a real mob boss.” Believe it or not, I had no urge to touch Stalin’s body at the funeral.

For Nikolai, every step, even if that is imagination has dead ends, ending in political obscurities or social misfortune. If we don't mind his language, his mindset is enough to surprise us, which encompass more than just his story. Nikolai is a by-product of the regime whose raw and fragile life could be molded by the users. Talking to his drinking buddy, Nikolai has shared his experience of being used, being happy and then being free. These three tiers are characterized by the changes in the Soviet Union and Nikolai's understanding of the world around. His consciousness is less likely driven by his sexual fantasies then by his cloudy motive to go on living. This impeccable translation has rendered the rightful tone to the text.

Camouflage**

Author: Yuz Aleshkovsky

Translator: Duffield White (edited by Susanne Fusso)

Publisher: Columbia University Press (Russian Library Series)

Author's Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuz_Aleshkovsky

Review Copy Courtesy: Columbia University Press

** Coming Soon

Where is the Home?

Largely drawn from Andrei Ivanov's personal experience and observation while at Danish refugee camp Hanuman's Travels is a picaresque novel of illegal immigrants, friendship and a witty view of the immigrant crisis. Set in Denmark in 1990s, mostly in Jutland region—episodes moving in and out of refugee camps—we come across a world full of chaos, insecurity, escapade, fear of deportation and odd ways of living brewed in these circumstances. The protagonist Hanuman (of Indian Origin) with a gift of the gab is richly animated character and the narrator Yevgeny (of Estonian origin) has fair view of the world such that private and interpersonal obsession, tragedies, frenzy and musings are all obvious.

Hanuman and his partner Yevgeny are thoroughly disgusted, unable to understand the ways of the Danish cities and people, and they hate the risk of encountering authorities. But both of them don't want to return to their homeland in any case. The refugee camp—remotely located and socially estranged—they settle in is full of people in flux with different national identities and language, held by a hope to get asylum but very few earn the "Yes". The world inside the camp live by its own rules and soon Hanuman and Yevgeny adapt the ways. While legal proceeding for the asylum-seeker's case is slow and an allowance to live by is meager, Hanuman and Yevgeny do not submit to the authorities¹ and soon find ways to earn living, and of course for their hash, booze and brothel obsessions meanwhile harboring the dream to escape to Lolland.

1.       But, dear God, if the Danish could take one look into the asylum seeker's dreams. If only they could hear the roar of the asylum seeker's stream of consciousness. If only they knew how turbulent, how terrifying, that torrent was. Those waters were full of rocks and debris, they carried the asylum seeker' fears in suspension, and the silt pressed on their spleens. If only the Danish knew how badly their heads ached, then they would have forgiven them anything, anything at all, even petty theft.

The bickering and bantering of these two friends, whose dream to settle somewhere is ever fluctuating, animate the episodes of frenzy, fun and frustrations. We come across range of characters and their daily mundane rituals flowing over the pages, and these reflect the exact experience² and impressions of living in a refugee camp cut-off from family elsewhere and haunted by the ghost of xenophobia and deportation. Even the narrator falls into dreamy torpor of hopelessness and loneliness. 

2.       Every morning was the same, exactly the same. Like a rehearsal for the most excruciating play. Like the return of the same nightmare. Morning manifested itself in every bend of the corridor,… in every flush of the toilet. And it was always the same, down to the most tedious of details. It was so uniform that any sensation of progression through time evaporated

Repairing electronics from the junks, selling mediocre paintings or rotten meat, running telephone scams to car adventures buying hash or selling goods or even fooling an old man are few of the odd enterprise the characters pursue trying to make easy money. Their misadventures only give rise to crazy ideas so as to relish in smoke and booze. Killing time elsewhere for a while if they make enough the two friends return time and again for the favor of the camp dwellers, taking advantage of everything they can. The narrator often broods over these tireless quests and rejoice in slumbers, and often wants to submit but soon joins another venture with Hanuman. All the character's lives have rough edges, filled with personal dreams and tragedies. They have little time for nostalgic feeling or even for memories of their origin.

Amid the crisis, camp dwellers try out several options of stay and escape, even to neighboring countries. With lies, racial hatred, fake identities and extravagant tales, camp dwellers have developed new traits, mostly for the survival and security. With slangs and tightly packed twists and plots with mimetic style, humor and subtle political satire Hanuman's Travels develops anguish and crisis into a road misadventure or drama even. Nepalino, Potapov, Ivan, Svenaage and others characters represent the social or rather national outcasts. Bull chase, snake bite, drug-delirium, smell of fertilizers, bars and brothels, stealthy scams, little happiness to gather over survival... many stories coming together reaches the core of immigrant crisis and hardships of refugees. The story is not targeted on any nation in particular despite the Danish setting and rather speaks about the statelessness in a global sense.

Author: Andrei Ivanov

Translator: Matthew Hyde                                                             

Publisher: Vagabond Voices

Page Count: 426

Price: $ 15.58