The Soul of a Patriot (Writings From An Unbound Europe)
Description
One of the liveliest novels to come out of Russia in recent years, The Soul of a Patriot is, on the surface, a series of amusing letters written at the death of Leonid Brezhnev. The fictional Evgeny Popov's account of his family history becomes a rambunctious portrayal of the lives of ordinary Russians from the revolution to Brezhnev's death. As Popov pokes fun at every aspect of Russian culture and tradition, layer upon layer of satire turn convention inside out.
Freely parodying conformist Russian writing, this novel takes its lead as much from Sterne and Diderot as from the brilliant Russian satirist Mikhail Zoshchenko. In the offhand witticisms and jaunty humor speaks the spirit that survived the "era of stagnation" of Soviet literature.
Praise for The Soul of a Patriot (Writings From An Unbound Europe)
"In contrast to the doom and gloom that overburdens much Russian fiction produced by the so-called 'lost generation,' The Soul of a Patriot reverberates with laughter." —Independent
"A satirical masterpiece." —Berliner Zeitung
"Succeeds brilliantly in expressing the patriot's passion." —Guardian
"The rapid-fire satire and scorn of this, [Popov's] first novel to be translated into English, must have been sheer caustic to the stodgy Brezhnev regime." —Observer
"A brisk and often gritty work . . . Popov offers a wry and often amusing look at a moment in history . . ." —World Literature Today