There are seven obscure novels by some forgotten Soviet author, thematically they are just the talentless propagandistic trash, but they possess a certain mystical property – the one who has read a book finds oneself in the state of the incomparable beatitude…
As she read, long-ago scenes from her past life came alive again. The effect of the Book manifested itself in the form of a supremely powerful ecstasy. Koltsova quickly grasped the consistent connection between reading and gratification, after which she shared her discovery with her best friend.
So every book gathers around it a circle of readers but the books are very rare… Every group of readers wants to have more books and be even happier so the hunt for the novels commences… And such hunt always ends up in the pitiless sanguinary battles.
The Librarian is a gloomy postmodern allegory of a struggle for the absolute power…
A warrior’s duty and loyalty lifted dying Ievlev to his feet. In a few fleeting strides he was already beside Dankevich and he pressed himself against her an ardent lover who had crept up furtively, so that the long tip of the spear that had doomed him sank right into the burly woman’s flesh.
Dankevich swayed, and her drunken smile was replaced by a mask of bewilderment. She retched up spittle with a slight purple tinge. The hand holding the hook’s cable remained raised, but the hook sank lower as the radius of the mace shortened with every turn. Dankevich breathed heavily, a bulldog, and blood flowed down her fat chin, dripping onto the worker’s waistcoat. The cable stopped moving and the hook buried itself in the sand. Fused together, the two bodies collapsed heavily to the ground.
Ideology is the bane… Promises of the boundless happiness lead to the merciless bloodbaths and end in mean deception.134 s fagocitiruyu50 4

???????? ??? ???? ?????, ???????, ?????????????? ???????? ????, ??? ????? ????????? ???????? ????????? ????.
?????? ? ??????? ? ?????, ????? ? ???? ?????????, ? ?????? ????????? ?? ?????? ???????. ????? ??? ??????????? ??????? ? ?????? ???? ?? ? ??? ???????-?? ?????????. ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ??????????: ??-??????, ???? ???????? ???? ?????, ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ???????? ??? ?????????? ???? ???????: ??????? ? ?????????????. ? ?????? ? ??????? ? ?????? ?? ????????????. ??-???????, ??? ???????????, ??? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ??????????? ??????? ????? ??????????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????? - ???????? ?????????, ?? ??? ??????.

? ??? ??????? ??????? ????????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? "??????! ??????????, ?????!! ?????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ??????????". ?? ?????? ???????, ????? ?????? ????? ? ?????? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ????????????? ? ??????. ?? ??????? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ????????? ???????. ?????? ??? ?????? ? ?????????????? - ???????? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????????????. ????????, ??? ???? ???-?? ??-?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????????, ?? ??? ????? ?????? ????????? ???????? ?? ????? ???? ???????? ???. ???, ?????, ???????, ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???????

??????? ? ????????? ?????????? ??????? ??? ???????, ??????? ???? ???????????? ????????, ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ???-??, ???????? ?????????? ??????. ????? ??, ????? ??? ???????? ?????????????? ? ?? ??????????? ?? ?????????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ????.

???????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???????????. ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ???????, ???? ?????? ???????, ?? ?????????? ???????? ???? ? ?????? ??????????.
23 s Michael837 642

The books by Gromov, obscure and forgotten propaganda author from the Soviet era, have gained a bit of cult following. However this is not your normal fandom and his book are un anything you will ever read. These books have the ability to magically transform anyone; make the weak strong, the cowardly brave. Small groups have formed to protect these supernatural book with their leader given the title The Librarian. War breaks out between these libraries in desperate attempts to seize any copies of Gromov’s books they may have. The Librarian tells the story of Alexei, a loser who unexpectedly stumbles across one of Gromov’s books that changes his life forever.

This dystopian world created by Mikhail Elizarov is an obvious allegory for the Soviet Union, however it is something to be expected in post-Soviet literature. However Elizarov explores some interesting themes as well, in particular an idea of ‘blind faith’ in politics. The Librarian looks at the way people will thoughtlessly adopt a political system in which they are forced to inhabit. The author has a lot to say on the Soviet system and, other Russian authors (in Soviet and post-Soviet literature), he adopts a satirical method to explore these ideas.

Alternatively, you could look at The Librarian from the perspective of the power of books. The entire novel is about people reading these books and gaining power, knowledge, and so on. This is the true power of books; as readers, we educate ourselves and learn empathy, and also get different political, historical or cultural points of view. While we might not gain the same amount of power as the people in this novel, we do gain power.

I found this book extremely interesting and I was engrossed the entire way through it. It is violent and could be a little too hard for some to handle but there is something worth exploring here. The Librarian won the Russian Booker Prize in 2008; this is very similar to the Man Booker Prize but for Russian novels. I had not heard too much about the Russian Booker Prize previously but I am now very interested. As a fan of Russian lit, I will keep an eye out for books translated into English so I can continue to explore more post-Soviet literature.

This book originally appeared on my blog; http://www.knowledgelost.org/book-rev...2000s books-about-books buddy-reads ...more20 s Anna1,830 823

According to the back cover, ‘The Librarian’ won the Russian Booker Prize. I can see why, it is a beautifully written and memorable piece of writing. It could be termed literary fantasy, or perhaps magical realism. The story centres on a series of patriotic novels written by a very minor Soviet-era author. They have little in the way of literary merit, but convey temporary mystical powers upon those who read them all the way through with sufficient concentration. Different novels have different effects - there is a Book of Memory, one of Fury, one of Power, and one of Endurance, for example. People who’ve discovered such ‘books of power’ have formed a cult- subculture around them, using the terminology of libraries. The novel’s narrator is Alexei, who falls into this strange subculture when his uncle dies.

What I found most powerful and shocking was the frequency and intensity of violence throughout. The groups maneuvering to add more books of power to their libraries do not hesitate to murder each other. Indeed, there are careful procedures set up to enable wars between ‘reading rooms’. The quaint terminology conceals a blithe acceptance of horrific violence, which Alexei becomes inured to surprisingly quickly. I was fascinated by the possible subtexts here, although without very much knowledge of Russian history and culture felt I was missing a lot. The books of power are propaganda on several levels - literally, that’s what they were written for, yet they also have these mystical secondary effects. The battles over books could be interpreted as an allegory for post-Soviet Russian kleptocracy, when ideological certainty evaporated leaving an atomised struggle for resources and power. The dedication of the reading rooms to their books appears religious or ideological; reading the books sometimes seems addictive in the manner of a drug. I don’t think there is a single allegory at work, though, as the writing has such nuance. Moreover, I kept feeling that I was missing some subtext related to the narrator being from Ukraine.

I also enjoyed the vivid imagery, for example this description of improvised armour:

Lutsis had made small pockets in all his clothes and stuffed metal plates into them. The Vozglyakovs had steel strips inserted into the padding of their quilted trousers and work jackets. Igor Valeryevich donned a genuine cuirass, which made him look a samovar. Vyrin’s leather jacket was covered with Soviet roubles, fish scales - there must have been at least five hundred coins. Spotting my interested glance, Grisha explained, “I’d been saving up for a motorbike since I was ten, but then the Union fell apart and the money became worthless, so now at least I get some kind of value out of it…”

In keeping with the rest of the novel, the ending is unsettling and mysterious, with political undercurrents that I’m unsure how to interpret. I rather wish that the translated edition included an afterword more fully expounding its subtexts to ignorant Britons me, but without that it is still an excellent read. The brutality of the violence sometimes seems excessive, which may be making a point about Russia’s blood-soaked history and current demographic decline. There isn’t a great deal in the way of characterisation, everything is driven by the conflict over books. It adds up to a powerful, weird, and unforgettable novel.fiction ukrainian-lit16 s Felix Zilich451 61

????????-????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ????????? ??????? ? ???????? ?????? ??????????? ? ????????? ???????. ????? ? ??????? ??? ??????????, ???? ??????, ????????? ?????????, ??????? ? ???????? ????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ??????. ?? ? ????? ??????????? ???????? ??????????, ????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????? ????????? ?????? ?? ??? ????.

???????????, ???? ???????? ??????? ?????? ? ?????????????, ?? ????????? ?????? ??????????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????? ??????????? ???????????. ????????, ?????????? ????????? ?????? «???????, ????!» (????? ??????) ????????? ? ?????????? ?????????? ??? ???? ???? ? ???????, ???????? ???????? ? ????????? ????????? ????? ??????. ?????? ?????? «???????? ?????» (????? ??????) ???????? ?????????? ???????? ? ???????????? ? ???????????? ????????. ????? ???? – ?????: ??????, ??????, ??????, ????????, ??????? ? ???-?? ???. ???????, ???? ??????? – ????? ?????? – ?? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????????, ??????? ? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?????.

?? ???????????, ??? ?????? ?????????? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ????? ?????????-?????????. ? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ?????????? «????????????», ?????? – «??????????» ? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??????????? ? ???????? ????? ?? ????? ? ????? ???????. ??????? ? ???? ???? ???? ????? ? ????? ???????: ??????? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ? ??????, ??????? ?????????? ?????????? ????????? ?????????; ??? ????? ? ??????? ???????? ????????????? ??? ?????? ????????? ?????????? – ???????, ?????, ?????, ????? ? ?????? ????????????.

??????? ????? – ??????? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ???????? – ?? ?????????? ? ????????????? ??????????? ???????????, ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ???????????? ??????????? ????????.

?????? 40-50 ??????? ?????? – ?????? ? ??????? ???????????. ???????? ????? ? ??????????????: ??????? ???????????, ????????? ??????????, ???? ??????. ?????? ?? ????? ???????? ? ?????? ??????? «????????? ???????» ????? ???? ???????? ?? ????????? ???? ? ???. ??, ????-???, ???????? ? ???? ????? ????????????? ?? ?? ???????, ? ?? ???????? ? ?????????, ? ?????? ???, ??????, ???????? ??????? (??????????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?????-?????), ??????? ????? 50 ???????? ????? ?????????? ???????????? ? ??????? ???? «??????? ??????». ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?? ???????? ??????? ? ???????? ?? ???????, ???????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? «????????? ?????????» ? «????? ??????????», ??? ??? ? ??????? ????? – ????? ????? ??? ????? ???????, ??? ????? ??????????. ???????????? ???????? ????? – ????, ????????? ???????? – ????, ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ????? ?????????????.

???????????. ?????????????. ??????????.russian-blue urban-fantasy14 s Magdelanye1,780 228

Acting morphine, this book held all who were afflicted with pain and suffering firmly cemented into the library. p20

Considering that I do not have the familiarity with Russian history that would render this magnificent satire even more riveting; that I missed many clever references and failed to appreciate many of the more subtle nuances; and found hilarious many things that might have not been intended as such, the names of the characters who generally disappeared when I'd just about got their names right: I was blindsided by it's originality and dashing exuberance.

It was a delusion on the part of greater society to assume that it's outcasts were weak, unreliable and cowardly. On the contrary, the status of outcasts bordered on that of the chosen. p31

Certainly Alexei V Vyazintsev, who had come into a sudden inheritance when his Uncle Maxim died in somewhat murky circumstances, was chosen and unwittingly involved in the drama that unfolded even before he assumed his position of Librarian of the Shironin Reading Room.

Of course, if you try to locate it, you will most ly be led astray.
It is also unly that you will find reliable references to the works of Dmitry Alexandrovich Gromov.

A library chose its own new readers, more readily recruiting solitary individuals without families and with some kind of mental problems, and examining each candidate at length to make sure they were worthy. p18

A blistering critique of a society steeped in intrigue and corruption, this seamless and thrilling work of imagination is most of all a tribute to the power of the book and the bountiful rewards of reading.

You can make as many buckets and locomotives as you but a song and a thrill can't be made. A song is more precious than things. Andrei Platonov quoted on the frontispiecealternate-reality creative-process language-thought-reality ...more9 s Egor Mikhaylov115 191

???????? «????????????» ?????, ????, ?????????, ?? ??????? ??????????? ????????????? ??????? ????????? ?? ??? ????, ? ???????????. ??????? ? ????????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ????????; ?????? ???????? ?? ???????????? ????????? ???? ?? ??????, ?? ???? ????????? ??????????? ?????? ? ?????-???????? ????????? ????????????????? ?????? — ? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ??????????. ?????????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???????, ?????????? ????????? — ? ??, ??? ????????? ??????????? ?????? ???????? ??????, ??????????? ?????? ????? ???????????? ??????? ?????, ? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????? ? ???????????????? ??????????, ?? ??????? ????????. ???????? ?? ?????????, ?? ? ??????? ??????? ????? ???????? ????? ?? ???????? ???????, ????????? ??? ????? ????????????? ???????? ??????????.

???????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ????. ???, ???? ?? ? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????; ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ? ?? ??? ??? ????? ????????. ??? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ? ?????????? ????????, ?????? ???????? ??????? ? ???????. ???? ?????????, ????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????, ??????????? ??????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????. ????? ??????? ?????????, ??? ??????????? ? ???? ????????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ???????? ??????????? ? ??????????????. ?? ???????, ? ????????? ????? ?????????? ????, ? ?? ?????, ?? ? ? ??? ?? ??? ??????, ?? ? ???? ???? ??????????? ? ??????????????? «?????? ???? ? ??????? ????????» ? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ??????. ????? ??, ?????, ? ?????? — ???? ?? ?? ???? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? — ??????????? ?? ????????, ?? ??? ???????? ????????? ?? ????????? ????? ????? ????????, ??? ????????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ??????????: ?? ??????? ??? ??? ? ???? ??????, ??????? ? ??????? ??????, ?? ??????? ??? ???? ???????????? ??? ??-?? ???? ???????????

? ?????, ??????? ????????????? ? ?????? ???????? ????? ????????, ??? ? ???????? ????? ?????? ???????? ????????????? ?? ????, ????? ???????? ? ?????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ?????????? ????? ???????????.9 s Lisa Hayden Espenschade216 127

I enjoyed The Librarian but may be predisposed to a novel about clans of readers who fight to the death over books that aren't good fiction but have drug- effects. The Librarian seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it book: the violence, the weirdness, and the references to the past seem to put many readers off, but I thought they made for an interesting picture of a parallel world. I wrote about the book here on my blog.read-in-russian7 s Andrey105 275

????????? ? ??? ??? ??? ????????????? ?????7 s Sergei_kalinin451 167

?? ??... ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??????????? ?? "???????? ??????", ? ?????? "?????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?????????-?????????" :)))

????????? ??????????? ?????? - ????????? ? ???????????! ?? ???? ? ???, ??? ????? ????????? ????????-?????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? (????) ?????? ???????? ? ??????? ????. ??, ??? ?????????, ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ?????, ? ??? ???? ?????????? ? ??????? ????????? ???????????????, ?? ????? ???????? ????????? ???????????? ??????. ??????, ?????? ????? ??-??????: ????????, "????? ????????" ?????? ???????? ???????????????? ? ????, "????? ??????" ?????????? ???????? ? ???????? ? ?.?.

????? ???? ??????, ????? ??????? ????? ???????? ? ???? ??? ????? ???????????? ??????? :). ????? ??????????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ????????, ???????? ?? ????????? ? ?????? ????? ? ?????????. (???? ?? ???????? ??? ?????????, ?????????? ???????? ?? ????????????????, ??????? ? ?????????? ?.????? ;)).

?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? "????? ??????" ???? ?????????? ??????? ? ????????? ???????????? ???????-?????? :((. ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????????? ??????, ??? ?? ??? ???? ????????. ? ????? ?? ?????? - ????? ????? ????????????? (?.?. "????????????") ?? ????????? ???? ????? ?????????? (??????? ???????? ???????).

?? ??????????? ??????? ????????, ????? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ???????. ? ???? ?? ????????, ??? 80% ?????? - ??? ???????? ?????????! - ????????? ????????, ??? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ??????, ????????, ????????, ?????????, ?????????, ?????????? ??????? ? ?.?. (?????? ???????? ??????!).

??? ??? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ?????? ????????????? ?????????? :)) ? ?????, ? ???????? ???????????? :)))) ?????? ????????? ?????? (??????? ? ??????????? ????????? ? ??????????). ? ?????, ?????? ???????, ??????? ????? ?????? ???????, ????????? ?????... ?? ????? ?????-?? ????? ??? ??? ???????? :((.

????? ????? ????????????, ?? ?????????? ????????????. ????????????? ?????... :(. ?????-?? ????? ??? ???????? ??????????, ??????? ?? ????? ????? ?????????? ????????? ? ?????????? ???? (??? ???????!), ?? ? ???????????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ????? ????????? ??????????. ???????? ????????????? ????????, ????... :(

??? ?? ???????:

1) ???? ????? ????? ?? ??????????. ????? "?????????" ? ???? ?????? ????? ????????? ????? ? ????? ???????. ???????? ???? ???? ??? "??????? ??????????" ??? "??????? ???????/???????????? ??????????". ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????, ?? ?? ??? ??????? :(.

2) ???????????? / ???????????? ?????? ????? ? ???? (??? ? ??????????????) ???????? ?????? ??????????????? :). ?????? ????, ????? ??????? ?????? ????????, ?????? ?? ????? ? ?????, ??? ??... ??????? ?????????????/???????? ????? ?? ??? ??????????? ? ???????????? ????????.

3) ???????? ?????? ? ??????? ?????????? ?? ????. ? ??? ? ?? ????? - ?? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ???????????? ????? (??????? ???? ????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ????), ?? ?? ??? ?????-?? ?????????????? ???? (??? ???????????? ?????? ???????, ????????? ???????? ?????? ??? ???????. ??? ????? ??? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ????-?? ???????? ? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?????).

? ????? ????? - ?????????? ????! ?? ??????????. ??? ????? ???????? ?????? ?? ??, ??? ??????? (???????! :)) ?????? ?? ???? ?????????.
? ????????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ????, ?? ??? ? ?? ???? ????????????. ? ?????, ????????????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? :))

for_soul trash6 s Ronald Morton408 176

It's interesting that a book can have a solid premise, be well written/executed, deliver on the premise, and yet still be a slog. And really that's my main complaint with this book - it's a great idea, and it's believably put together, and it functions well as literary fiction and weird fiction and speculative fiction and general Russian fiction - yet despite all of that it never really grabbed me. It was interesting enough to finish, but it never really picked up steam for me.

I will note that I was about to move on to something else about the time that the book shifts and reveals the first person narrator (not really a spoiler, it happens around page 50); the book does pick up a bit there, and I suppose I just kept hoping that sort of shift would happen again, yet it never did.

This has gotten high praise elsewhere through, so maybe it's mostly me that's not super crazy about it.in-translation read-in-2016 russian6 s Tatyana Naumova1,351 160

???????? ???? - ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ??????.2016 ??????????5 s Melissa289 123

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley

I recently read an article in The New York Review of Books by Ian Frazier in which he describes Russian satire and humor and the ways in which it differs from the rest of Europe and the United States. Frazier writes, “Given the disaster Russian history has been more or less continuously for the last five centuries, its humor is of the darkest, most extreme kind. Russian humor is to ordinary humor what backwoods fundamentalist poisonous snake handling is to a petting zoo. Russian humor is slapstick, only you actually die.” Elizarov’s The Librarian is a perfect literary example of Frazier’s description of Russian humor.

The book opens with a description of a fictional Soviet-era writer named Gormov whose books were mass-produced but were of such poor quality that they were relegated to the bargain bin in used bookstores almost immediately. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Gormov’s books are rediscovered and are also found to have magical effects on their readers. The Book of Joy, for instance, puts readers into a temporary state of euphoria that is reminiscent of a drug high. There are seven such magical books in the Gormov collection. As groups acquire copies of these powerful books, they are called “Libraries.” These libraries then engage in ridiculous, epic battles to fight for ownership of Gormov’s books.

The most absurd “library” of the bunch is a group of frail and senile old women living in a nursing home to whom the Book of Endurance is read. All of a sudden their newly acquired strength turns these geriatrics into a fierce and bizarre army of warrior- Amazons who kill people by the hundreds in order to protect their precious library. There is an excessive amount of stabbing with knitting needles and pounding heads with hammers which ridiculous and droll scenes present us with the “slapstick” humor that Frazer describes but where characters “actually die.”

The main character of the book is a meek young man named Alexei whose only concern in life is to be an actor. Of course, his acting career has never taken off so he finds himself divorced and living at home with his parents. When his uncle dies he is asked to put his things in order and sell his uncle’s apartment. The contents of the apartment contain one of Gormov’s books so naturally Alexei is drawn into the world of the libraries. His lack of reaction as people are stabbed and killed around him in order to protect the book is ridiculous and comical. He eventually dons his own armour, which consists of old truck tires, and launches himself headlong into the bloody fray.

The problems with Alexei’s own library and its inevitable clash with other libraries is the topic of the second half of the book. There are many battle scenes where the rival libraries have more and more comical battles in which the clash of these book warriors resemble video games. In the end, Alexei is saved by the brigade of geriatric warriors who lock him up and want to use him as their guinea pig to test out the effects of reading all seven books at once. The ending has a more serious tone then the rest of the book and provides and interesting commentary on worshipping and overvaluing objects, blindly following leaders without questioning their motives and the sacrificing of one person for the safety of the whole community. For a sampling of Russian humor and satire THE LIBRARIAN is a perfect choice, but I will warn you to be prepared for a wild ride.

For more of my visit: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
lit-in-translation netgalley russian-lit5 s Margarita197

This book turned out to be amazing! I went through all stages of involvement with this book - cautious enthusiasm, interest, shock, disgust, quick research on the author and finally, decision that this is a really good book. Probably a star in my latest Russian reading thread. This book has to do more with concepts and other worlds contained in books than it has to do with any particular country or time. Certainly the ultra-utopic concept of the truly religious and sectarian movement of communism provides an excellent foundation on which much of Elizarov's research into the soul of the devotee is performed. The initially ridiculous idea of eternal life free of earthly needs and desires takes hold of the souls of many, and ultimately serves the ones that have enough cunning and intellect to make it serve them and make others their happy slaves imbued with a sense of purpose and a promise of distant heaven. The development of our civilization and the history of all major countries is built on this premise, and while the whole idea of otherwise civilized educated individuals going berserk (that word is used often in the book) for the idea garnered in a sacred book might sounds medieval (as are the bizzare graphic hand-to-hand combat scenes in The Librarian), one only need to look at the history of a few major countries in the last two or three centuries to see that this idea is very much alive. The desire of individuals to be part of the matrix of world history, the fate of their country, birthplace, community, even at the expense of taking lives of others and sacrificing their own life, is wise very current and readily exploited by various forces in any given country of the planet, big or small, rich or poor. While the dicussion of what makes the collective uncounscious phenomenon so powerful is certainly not new and way too complex for me and my short review to undertake, I think the book presents a masterful, shocking and well put-together analysis of it. The pace is relentless, the prose tight and concise, the language blunt, rough and real, and the result is just impressive. This is definitely not "genteel" Russian prose of the classics, but it would stand up to their ruminations of the battles past and their deliberations on the purpose of life; in fact, I think deliberately alludes to some of "big" Russian lit's most well-known examples while hyperbolizing them out of recognition. It is encouraging to see Elizarov write with such force and drive - his recent fame and literary recognition is well-deserved.

P.S. Anyone interested in an Elizarov short story "Nogti" (Fingernails)that first made him "scandalously famous" can find it here: http://www.guelman.ru/slava/texts/eli...
russian4 s foxantoine48 1 follower

??? ??????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????????, ??, ???? ??????... ??????? ????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ??????????, ??? ? ????????3 s Biblioworm605 13

???????? ???? - ?? ??????? ??????????, ????? ??????? ? ????? ????????.
?? ????? ???????????? ????. ??????? ???? ?????? ???????????, ??? ??? ?????? ?????????? ????? ??? ??????????? ?????????, ??????? ?????. ?? ??? ??????? ????? ??? ? ?? ???????????, ??? ????? ???????? ????? ???????, ?? ??????? ??????.
? ???? ? ????? ???? ????????, ??????????? ?????, ?? ????? ??????????????? ???????? ? ????? ???? ?????, ??????????? ??? ??????? ? ???????, ? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ????????? (????????? ?? ?????????, ????? ??????, ??? ? ?????? ???????? ???????? ? ??? ?? ????).
???? ?????? ? ???, ??? ????? ???????? - ???????? ? ?????? ????? ?????, ?? ?????? ????? ??????.
?? ??? ?? ???? ???????????? ?????? - ? ??????????.fiction3 s J.j. MetsavanaAuthor 15 books43

Jelizarovi "Raamatuhoidja" polnud küll nii võimas kui mõni Gromovi teos (näiteks jõu või raevuraamat) ja ega ma seda lugedes "kahte seadust" ei järginud aga kaifi sai sealt kätte küll. Musta huumori võtmes kirjutatud maagiline ning üllatavalt verine ja hüpervägialdne teos, mille enamus tegelasi leiavad võika otsa. Ühtlasi selline kerge ärapanemine nliidu teemalisele nostalgiale. Soovitan! täispunktid!

PS: Mõnesmõttes kahju, et kolmest suurest raamatukoguhoidjast toodi mängu vaid Mohhova. Muidugi eks tema ja ta vanamuttide armee oli neist üleäänutest ka kõige värvikam. Lõpp oli ka tiba etteaimatav aga julm sellest hoolimata.tõlkeulme3 s Fellini734 22

???? ??????, ?????????????? ????? ???, ??? ?? ??????????. ?? ??? ????????? ????? ????? - ?????, ????? ? ???????. ??????????? ??????, ?? ? ?????? ??????? ? ????????? ???? ? ?????? ? ?? ????.3 s Milena Kushka78 10

... ??? ???????? ?????? ????????? ? ??????? ????? ?????? ????????????????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? (???????, ????????, ????????????? ???????? ???????? ? ??????) - ???????, ?????? ????????? ???????????? ???????, ?? 100-?????????? ??????????? ?????? ? ????????????? ?????, ?? ??????? ?????? ?????? ? ??????? ???????????? ??????????? ?? ?????????? ????? ???????? ??????. ????? ??????? ???? ??????? ????? ???????, ????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ????????????? ????????????, ????? ???? ?????????? ? ????????, ? ??? ?????.
*????????, ??? ?? ?????????, ?? ??, ??????? ??????? ?? ????????, ??? ?????? "????? ?????", "?????? ??????" ? ??? ?????. ?????? ?????????? ????? ? ??????? ???????? ????????? ?? ?????: ???? ??-??-?? ??? ????????? ????? ?????????????? ???????? ??? ? ?????????, ?? ??????????, ??? ? ???, ???????, ? ?????? - ????? ?? ?????????????? ????????? ? ????????? ????? ????????.

?????? ?????? ????, ???? ??????????, ???????? ?????? ???? ???, ? ??? ?????????? ??????, ? ?????????? ??????????????. ???????? ? ???, ??? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????, ?????????? ???????? ???????????, ?????????????? ??????????????? ? ??? ?????, ?? ???? ??????? ? ?? ???? ?????? ????????? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????????? ??????.

???, ??????????, ? ??????? ?????.

*... ??, ???, ??????? ? ????? ??????????, ????????? ??? ???? ??????, - ?? ????, ??? ??? ?????????, ????????.

? ?????, ??????? ??? ????????, ?????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???. ??? ? ??? ??????????, ??? ???????????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ? ??????, ???? ???, ????? ???????, ? ???? ?????????? ?? ????????. ??????? ????????????, ?????????? ?? ???? ? ??????? ????, ? ?? ???????, ??? ?? ????, ? ???????? ?????? ????????. ??????, ?????? ????????, ????? ??? ?????.

* ? ??, ??????? ??, ? ?????, ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??????? - ??? "??????? ????? ????????" ???? ????????, ? ????? ???????? - "??? ?????????? ???????" ????? ????????. ????, ??, ???? ?? ????????, ????? ?????, ? ??? ?????, - ?? ? ???? ???? ??????????, ? ???? ????.

? ?????. ?????? ????????, ????????, ???????. ?????? ????? ????????????? ??????, ? ?, ??? ??? ????????? ????????-???????? ?? ???????? ("????, ? ??? ??? ? ??????") ??????? ?????? ? ?????? ????????, ???????? ??? ????? "????????????" ??? ???.

?? ???? ?????, ??????? ???, ??? ?? ????????, ? ?? ????? ???????. ? ??? - ?? ??????? ?????????? ??????????????? ???? ????????, ?? ? ?????????? ??? ????? ????? ???????? ?????????. ? ??? ??????? - ? ?? ???????, ??? ???-?? ?????? ?????????, ?????? ???????? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????; ??????????????, ????? ???? ???? ??????, - ? ???? ? ??????, ? ???? ???????? ???????????? ??????? ?????? ? ?????????? ??????????, ? ? ?????, ????? ? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????, ????????? ? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ????????????? ????... ??, ????? ??? ? "?????????" ?????????, ???, ???, ? ????????, ? ????? ?? ?????? ???????????? ??????????, ??? ???????? ?????????? ??????((

*??????, ? ????????, ??????? ???? ?????????; ??? ??? ???????, ??? ???????? ???? ?????????, ? "????????????" ????? ?????? ???????.
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??-??????, ??? ??? ??? ??? ???????????? ??????????, ??????? ??????? ?? ????????, ?? ???????????? - ??????? ????? "????????????" ? ???????????? ????? ????????, "?????", ? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ?????á? ??? ??? ??? ??? - ?? ?? ????(
...?????? ???????, ??? ??????? ???? ????-????????? ??????? ??????? - ??? ??????? ???????, ??????????????? ? ???????? ??????? ??????????? ?? ????? ???? ????????. ?????? ????????????? ????? ? ?????????????? ?????????, ?????? ????? ????????????, - ?? ??????, ????? ???? ???????? ????????? ? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ??????, ??? ??? ???, ??? ????? ??? ?????????? ????????? ??? ?? ????????.

?-???????, ??? ??? ? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ??????, ? ??? ?????-?? ????? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ??? ?????-??????, ??????? ????? ??????? ???????? ? ?????. ???????????, ????????-?? ???? ???-??. ????????.
???????? ?? ????????, ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ??????????? ???????, ????????? ???????, ????-?????? ? ??? ?????? ??, ? ????? ?? ?????????? ????? 7 ???? ? ????, ?? ????? ??????????.
??????? ?????, ??????? ????????, ???????? ??? ??? ? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ? ????????????, ?????? ????????????, ? ?????-?????-????????? ????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?????.

??????, ? ??????? ? ?????? ????? ???????????? ????? ???, ??? ??? ????? ???????, ? ? ???? ???? ????????. ?? ????? ?????????? ???????????? ?? ??????????, ? ???????? ????????? ? "???????" - ?????? ?? ?????, ??????.

*?, ?? ? ??????, ??? ????, ? ???? ?????? ????????????, ???????????? ??????????(

2023 contemporaryrussian2 s poesielos476 97

The Librarian was a wild ride to say the least. I loved the idea of the books and reading rooms/libraries springing up around them but the story is full of violence and over the top? You can tell that the author alludes to things but these aren't very clear for foreign readers, really would have loved it if Pushkin Press had added an afterword with some explanations or at least clues. Still I was really emerged in Alexei's story and wanted to know how everything would turn out.
2.5/5*books-about-books fantasy-supernatural read-2020 ...more2 s Letnikov Alexander12

??? ??? ??? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ? ??? ?????, ?? ???, ??????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?????, ???? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ???????! ? ???? ??????????, ???????? ????????? ????????, ?? ?????????? ?????? ????, ?? ??? ?? ????? ?????????. ?? ???? ?? ?????????. ??? ???????????? ?? ???? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????????, ?????? ???????? ?????, ?????????????? ??? ???????, ??????? ??????????????, ????? ??????????? ????, ??????? ?????????, ?????????????, ???? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???????? ??????, ??????? ? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????????? ??????? ?????????, ??? ????? ?????????, ???????? ? ????????? ???????????. ?? ??? ??? ??, ???? ????????, ??? ??? ????????, ??? ? ???, ???? ???????? ??? ????????, ???????, ????????, ??? ?????? ?????????, ? ?? ?????????????. ???? ?????????? ? ???????? ???????. ???????? ?????? ???, ??? ???????? ??????????? ??????????, ????????, ??????????. ?? ??????????? ???????????? ????????? ?? ???? ?? ??????? - ????? ???????? ??? ?????? ???????, ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????. ??? ?? ??? ?????????, ??? ?, ??????? ???????, ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????????, ?????????? ? ?????????, ???? ??????????? ???????? ??????, ????????????? ??? ???????? ???, ????? ????????? ? ?????????, ? ???, ??? ? ??? ? 89?? ?? 07? ??? - ??? ????? (????? ?????? ????-???????), ?????-??????????, ??????? ????????? ???? ???????????? ????????, ??????? ????, ?????? ???????? (?-??, ??????? ?? ??????? ?? ???????????, ??? ? ??? ?????, ???, ??? ?? ???? . ??????? ? ???????, ??, ?????? - ????????????, ??, ????? - ????? ????? ? ???????, ??? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??????). ?? ???? ???????, ??? ??????? ???????, ??? ?????? ??????????, ?? ??? ??????! ? ????? ??????? ????????????, ? ???? ???? ???? ????. ? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ?? ? ????????, ??? ? ??? ????? ????????? ??? ??????, ????? ???????, ??????? ????????????? ????. ??? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ? ????????? ????????: ''??????, ? ?????? ? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???????" ? ?????????? ?? "?????". ?? ??? ??????, ???? ???? ?????????? ?? ???????, ??????? ?????-?? ????????????. ?? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ????????! ? ??? ????? ????????! ? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ????...?????????. ??? ?. ?? ? ??? ??????, ? ? ??? ?? ???????? ????? ??????? ????????? ? ??????, ????? ??????? ???? ?? ??????? ???????? ????????????????, ??? ????, ????????? ?????? ? ????????????? ? ????, ?????? ????? ?????? ? ???????? ???????. ??? ???????? ????????????, ?? ?? ??? ??? ??, ???? ? ?? ???? ????? - ??????? ???????? ? ????????? ????? ????, ????? ???????, ?????? ??? ????????, ??????? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????, ?????? ?????, ???????? ????, ?????? ? ??????. ??? ???????. ?????? ??? ????????, ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????. ???????, ?? ??? ??? ? ???? ? ???????, ????????? ??????, ?????? ??? ?? ??????, ?????? ?? ????? ????.brilliant2 s David26 6

? ?? ????, ??? ????????? ??? ?????. ? ??? ??????????????, ????????, ??????????? ??? ?????, ??????????? ?? ?? ??????.
? ????? ???????, ??? ????????. ???, ??????????? ? ?????, ???? ???? ??? ?????????, ?? ? ???? ?? ??????? ? ??????. ????????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????? ? ????? ?????????? ? ????????? ???????, ? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ??????, ?????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ?????. ?? ?????? (????? ????) ??????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ? ?????.
? ?????? ???????, ????? ?????????? ???????. ? ??? ??????? ????????? ?? ????????? ?????, ???????? ???????????? ????? ???????. ?? ??? ?? ????????, ??????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????, ? ???????? ? ?????. ??????? ????-????????? ???????????? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ?? ??????????????? ? ??????-???????????? ?????????, ? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????. ? ????? ???????, ??? ????? ???? ???????, ????? ????????? ??? ??? ???????.
? ???, ?? ????? ????, ??????? ??????? ?????. ????????? ???????? ??? ?????? ????????????? ?? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????????????? ???? ?? ????????? ????????, ???????????? ??????? ? ??????????? ?????????????????? ??????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?????, ????? ?????????? ???????? ?? ????????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ? ?????????? ?? ?????? ?????. ?? ? ?? ???? ???????, ??? ???????? ?? ???? ?????.2 s Cold War Conversations Podcast415 290

The Librarian won the Booker Prize in 2008.

Aleksei narrates the story describing how he unexpectedly gains leadership of an odd book group after inheriting his Uncle’s apartment.

If you think book groups are full of gentle minded literary folk then think again. They fight each other, literally to death to gain access to books by Gromov, a World War 2 veteran whose Soviet-era novels never became popular.

It’s an interesting read showing a different side to books and their effects on the people who read them awayfrom the usual literary musings. Throughout the book there’s an overall feeling of melancholy that pervades the whole text.

The writing is readable for a translation and the characters are interesting and odd, but this book won’t appeal to everyone, particularly the violence.
eastern-europe fiction russia2 s ????? ????????129 1 follower

???????? ??????? ????????? ? ??????? ??? ???? ??????:
- ???????????? ???????? ? ????????,
- ?????????? ???????????????,
- ???????????? ??????? ?????????,
- ????????? ???? ? ????? - ????????? ?????? ??????????,
- ?????????? ????????,
- ??????????...
???? ?? ???? ?? ??? - ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?????. ??? ??? ???????.

?????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ? ????????????. ? ?? ????? ? ????? (? ?? ???? - ? ?????). ????? ???? ???????? ???????? ? ?? ????? ????????, ????????? ????? ? ?????????. ??????? - ?????????. ? ???? ????? ???-????? ???????? ?????? ??? ??????, ?? ??? ???????????? ? ?????? ???? ????????????. ( ??? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ? ??? ???? ?? ????????).

(???????? ?????????? ? ?????????? booblecat. - ? ?????????? ??????????? ???????????) and-the-battle-is-going-again favorites2 s Brent Legault729 130

This is brilliant. Just brilliant. I d what I learned about Elizarov's world, the world in his book, and I want to know much more. That's more than I can say about most worlds I read. The copy editor was rather half-assed, however. Here is an incomplete list of errors:

pg. 184 - "who had giving up drinking for ever."
pg. 271 - "Let see you home..."
pg. 296 - "Fuck it, will get you get a move on!"
pg. 310 - "danger was lurking directly in out path."
pg. 346 - "You childhood was spent..."
pg. 364 - "But when's she's crazy..."
pg. 370 - "They'll be their old selves again in a couple of day..."2 s Elisa2

Le stelle sarebbero 3 e mezza. L'autore ha una fantasia davvero sfrenata, e tra le storie incentrate sui libri che ho letto finora questa è sicuramente la più pazzesca. Non arriva però a 4 stelle perchè ha anche qualche difetto - ad esempio finisce per stancare l'interminabile sequenza di combattimenti, con la loro descrizione minuziosa di mosse ed equipaggiamenti. Nel complesso però è una lettura piacevole, e una volta iniziata non si può resistere alla curiosità di sapere dove va a parare.
2 s Liz593 10

It's very Russian: inescapable sense of fatalism, normalized violence and lots of it, and a cast of characters with multiple names that bleed together. I will say that the idea of a secret cult/cabal of readers, reading rooms, librarians, and libraries mystically powered by an author's work is intriguing.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2015 | Task 24: Read a book based entirely on its cover2015-popsugar-challenge fiction2 s Biblio Curious233 8,267

Mystery Meat Ranking! Fabulous book by a contemporary Ukrainian writer.

If Books go to War

My trusty review, just in case you need some motivation to pick up this great book!
http://www.biblioatlas.com/2017/04/th...

Eventually, I'll write up a reader's guide for those densely awesome first 30 pages.bunny-slipper-reads lit-russian-ukrainian5 s Olive Fellows (abookolive)659 5,561

I love the concept of this book and I really enjoyed the first parts. But this book is gratuitously violent and that is NOT my thing.translated2 s Sara!198 15

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