Merry-Making in Old Russia: And Other Stories

By Evgeny Popov

Book Overview

Popov's short stories move from the village prose genre into the territory of the grotesque via the stark reality of late Soviet life. In a landscape peopled by sympathetic yet stunned characters caught between the harsh routine of everyday existence and the trappings of the modern world, these men and women resort to vodka and to tall tales, and to physical and verbal abuse, to dull the pain of the dehumanizing Soviet regime that is their lot.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810113279
• ISBN13: 9780810113275
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: Northwestern University Press
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.7" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Extraordinary darkly humorous honesty

Popov shows us a glimpse into Russian society that we have never had before. His stories range from the ridiculous to the sublime, each one telling tales of life's absurdities and hilarities. Many stories discuss alcohol abuse in Russia and it's effects on the culture. The book begins with Five Stories about Vodka, five sad yet funny tales about the effects of drinking on the people and the state. Popov is highly recommended reading for me and I believe that anyone who has spent any time reading Russian literature, either classic or modern with find this writer refreshing and familiar.