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That's what I wanted to convey, since it's hard to be definitive with such a work Larry Send a noteboard - 17/05/2010 03:16:19 AM
It fits in well with the book, which is, as you said, hard to pin down. If you liked this book at all I would recommend going on to his Generation P or Empire V or The Holy Book of the Werewolf. Of the three, I think the first mentioned was the best, but my wife likes the third best. I think Generation P is probably his best book, but Chapaev and Pustota is probably the one that generates the most discussion and requires the least cultural grounding in modern Russian society (don't even get me started on Empire V - unless you have spent an appreciable amount of time living in Moscow you just won't get it, period - it's a social commentary/satire on the insanity that is current Moscow society and I really can't even describe that).


I can believe that, based on the hints that I took. From what I understood, isn't there quite a bit of slang in this book as well, with diction that plays upon certain cultural stereotypes in Russian throughout the 20th century?

Will look for the others later, as this indeed is an author I'll want to revisit in the near future. By the way, found this book listed in a thousand-plus listing of "Big Ass Fantasy" on that VanderMeer list that I posted a few months ago that generated some debate here. Maybe in a day or so, we could have two subthreads, one devoted to the ways the story was translated and another to could this book be read as a "fantasy" in form, if not content?
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
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Russian Book Club: Chapaev and Pustota or Buddha's Little Finger Tom - 16/05/2010 03:42:07 PM 964 Views
I'll have my full thoughts up in a few hours Larry - 16/05/2010 04:33:54 PM 623 Views
Could you give me a better reference as to where that was in the book? Tom - 17/05/2010 03:09:16 AM 604 Views
It's about halfway into Chapter 5 in my edition *NM* Larry - 17/05/2010 03:12:43 AM 306 Views
Chapter 5, just before Kocurkin appears for the first time. *NM* wahooka - 17/05/2010 02:34:30 PM 279 Views
In Russian it says "succubus" became the Russian "suka" or "bitch" *NM* Tom - 17/05/2010 02:49:03 PM 355 Views
Ahh, so the English version is closer. wahooka - 17/05/2010 07:38:35 PM 640 Views
Does Czech have a word similar to "suka"? *NM* Tom - 19/05/2010 03:11:10 PM 339 Views
Well, sort of. wahooka - 19/05/2010 07:30:38 PM 527 Views
This reply is mostly empty of thoughts. wahooka - 16/05/2010 05:37:54 PM 620 Views
I'll wait until it is substantially empty but nominally full, then. *NM* Tom - 17/05/2010 03:09:52 AM 320 Views
OK, here's what I wrote for the OF Blog on this book Larry - 17/05/2010 02:22:18 AM 646 Views
I like the way your review is an un-review. Tom - 17/05/2010 03:08:20 AM 567 Views
That's what I wanted to convey, since it's hard to be definitive with such a work Larry - 17/05/2010 03:16:19 AM 673 Views
I wouldn't term it "fantasy". Tom - 18/05/2010 02:24:40 PM 599 Views
Perhaps Larry - 18/05/2010 02:36:13 PM 660 Views
Psychedelic fiction suits it well. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:12:10 PM 659 Views
By the way, I just finished The Sacred Book of the Werewolf Larry - 18/07/2010 09:14:33 PM 893 Views
My thoughts. wahooka - 17/05/2010 02:16:11 PM 644 Views
Pelevin isn't a real Buddhist, he's a superficial pop-culture Buddhist. Tom - 18/05/2010 02:33:37 PM 663 Views
Re: Pelevin isn't a real Buddhist, he's a superficial pop-culture Buddhist. wahooka - 18/05/2010 10:37:36 PM 591 Views
Russian TV spits out soap operas almost daily now. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:19:22 PM 628 Views
Re: Russian TV spits out soap operas almost daily now. wahooka - 19/05/2010 07:59:05 PM 1056 Views
It is apparently called Clay Machine Gun in the UK. Rebekah - 17/05/2010 02:41:41 PM 618 Views
It's Čapajev a Prázdnota (Chapaev and Emptiness) in Czech wahooka - 17/05/2010 07:46:14 PM 658 Views
In Russian prazdny or prazdnost' would mean "lazy, inactive" *NM* Tom - 18/05/2010 02:21:42 PM 301 Views
And pustota means barrenness or desolateness in Czech. wahooka - 18/05/2010 10:51:22 PM 701 Views
Passion used to mean suffering in English, now it means lust. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:21:47 PM 816 Views
Bah. No bookshop in Edinburgh has it. Amazon will have to be my saviour. Rebekah - 18/05/2010 12:56:28 PM 517 Views
Sure, as long as we're not reading Gogol by then. *NM* Tom - 19/05/2010 03:22:13 PM 291 Views
I like this passage about 10 pages from the end of the book on Russia Larry - 17/05/2010 02:56:49 PM 642 Views
I think the pseudo-Buddhist bit is not as good as the Russian vodka psychology. Tom - 18/05/2010 02:35:07 PM 606 Views
Perhaps Larry - 18/05/2010 02:38:24 PM 557 Views
All and none. Russia is a paradox, but one that can be explained. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:30:58 PM 612 Views
Re: I think the pseudo-Buddhist bit is not as good as the Russian vodka psychology. wahooka - 18/05/2010 11:12:10 PM 661 Views
I'll drink to that! Tom - 19/05/2010 03:34:40 PM 475 Views
Heh, yeah, but I still think there's something to it. *NM* wahooka - 19/05/2010 08:04:51 PM 326 Views
And I still don't have a copy of this book! The Shrike - 17/05/2010 07:37:35 PM 667 Views
I'll bet you could find a Russian version online if you searched rambler.ru. *NM* Tom - 18/05/2010 02:35:49 PM 315 Views
Re: I know a weird "lending library" sort of site that can give you the English version. Danae al'Thor - 20/05/2010 12:48:57 PM 757 Views
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