What do you think?
Rate this book
袚褍褋褜 肖褉懈褑: 褉芯屑邪薪 (小邪屑芯械 胁褉械屑褟!)
袪芯褋褋懈褟 懈听袚械褉屑邪薪懈褟. 袧邪胁械褉薪芯械, 薪械褌 写胁褍褏 写褉褍谐懈褏 褋褌褉邪薪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘械 懈屑械谢懈听斜褘 褌邪泻懈械 谐谢褍斜芯泻懈械 懈 褌褉邪谐懈褔械褋泻懈械 褋胁褟蟹懈. 袪褍褋褋泻懈械 薪械屑褑褘听鈥� 谢褞写懈 锌褉芯屑械卸褍褌泻邪, 斜芯谢褜褕械 薪械听褋胁芯懈 褌邪屑, 薪邪听褉芯写懈薪械, 懈听褔褍卸懈械 蟹写械褋褜, 胁听袪芯褋褋懈懈. 袛胁械 屑懈褉芯胁褘械 胁芯泄薪褘. 袛胁械 褋邪屑褘械 褋褌褉邪褕薪褘械 写懈泻褌邪褌褍褉褘 胁听懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋褌胁邪: 小褌邪谢懈薪 懈听袚懈褌谢械褉. 袨斜褉邪蟹 胁褉邪谐邪 褋听袙芯褋褌芯泻邪 懈听芯斜褉邪蟹 胁褉邪谐邪 褋听袟邪锌邪写邪. 袠听屑械卸写褍 卸械褉薪芯胁邪屑懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈, 屑械卸写褍 写胁褍屑褟 褌芯褌邪谢懈褌邪褉薪褘屑懈 褉械卸懈屑邪屑懈, 胁褘薪褍卸写邪胁褕懈屑懈 谢褞写械泄 褍薪懈褔褌芯卸邪褌褜 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯械 锌褉芯褕谢芯械, 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褌褜 芯褌褔械泻邪薪械薪薪褘械 谐芯褋褍写邪褉褋褌胁芯屑 锌芯谢懈褌懈褔械褋泻懈 胁械褉薪褘械 懈写械薪褌懈褔薪芯褋褌懈,听鈥� 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 芯写薪芯泄 褋械屑褜懈, 褔械泄 锌褉械写芯泻 锌褉懈斜褘谢 胁听袪芯褋褋懈褞 懈蟹听袚械褉屑邪薪懈懈 泻邪泻 邪锌芯褋褌芯谢 谐芯屑械芯锌邪褌懈懈, 芯褋褌邪胁懈胁 褋胁芯懈屑 锌芯褌芯屑泻邪屑 蟹褘斜泻懈泄 屑懈褉 薪邪听褋褌褘泻械 泻褍谢褜褌褍褉, 芯锌邪褋薪芯械 l
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
15 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Sergei Lebedev
13听books44听followersSergei Lebedev was born in Moscow in 1981 and worked for seven years on geological expeditions in northern Russia and Central Asia. Lebedev is a poet, essayist and journalist. His novels have been translated into many languages and received great acclaim in the English-speaking world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 27, 2019
A novel like an enchanting train ride that takes us deep into Russian history and national identity through the story of one exceptional family, passing through the graveyards of the past and upending a few bones in the process. The Goose Fritz comes on strong as a lyrical confrontation with a sometimes sinister, always fascinating, history.
This revelatory novel shows why Karl Ove Knausgaard has likened its celebrated Russian author to an "indomitable ... animal that won't let go of something when it gets its teeth into it." The book tells the story of a young Russian named Kirill, the sole survivor of a once numerous clan of German origin, who delves relentlessly into the unresolved past. His ancestor, Balthasar Schwerdt, son of a prominent surgeon, migrated to the Russian Empire in the 1830s, where he practiced alternative medicine, landing in the court of Catherine the Great. Schwerdt became captive to an erratic nobleman who supplied midgets, hunchbacks from Africa, and magicians to entertain the empress. Kirill鈥檚 investigation takes us through centuries of turmoil during which none of the German鈥檚 nine children or their descendants can escape their adoptive country鈥檚 cruel fate. Intent on uncovering buried mysteries, Kirill searches archives and cemeteries across Europe, while pressing witnesses for keys to understanding. The Goose Fritz illuminates both personal and political history in a passion-filled family saga about an often confounding country that has long fascinated the world. (less)
Review:
I never heard of Sergei Lebedev before ( for obvious reasons I become quite ignorant of the Russian literature of the last two decades - trying to make myself *less* ignorant of English and American literature took most of my free time :)), when I read the review in WSj I decided to give this one a try. It is a book that resonated with me deeply, however for a while I was not sure if that was because author and myself are more or less of the same generation and were born in the same part of the world, so what he would write was bound to reso0nate. However now when I am done I am pretty sure that in large part it was because the author possesses superb writing skill. I could not stop reading this book and while this is not the first book I could not stop reading in my life, it is one of the few ( and off the top of my head I really cannot remember that many ) where the "show not tell" maxim is really not applicable in my opinion.
Our narrator Kirill a historian who learned about his German ancestry from his grandmother is writing a book about his family and most of the characters we see through his eyes, he tells us his stories. He learns the stories from his research - both from reading books and talking to people. Some of the events of the past though he imagines, sort of connects the dots that he learns and supposedly he has a gift of imagining the past correctly. My point is that all that Kirill does is tells us, tells us, tells us and as I said, I was so engrossed in his telling. Bravo author, because as I said I rarely like a book written this way.
Of course through researching/ imagining his ancestors' stories, the good and bad, joys and pain (so much pain) they went through in the country who should have treated them far less cruelly Kirill learns more about himself, but I am pretty sure I cared far more about people whose lives he shared with us than about him. I am sure it was by design .
Themes of this book as I interpreted them were both uniquely Russian and sadly universal. Let's treat Russians of German identity horribly during the wars with Germany because *of course* they would betray Russia and start serving Germany. Of course :(. Revolutions, wars, Stalinism - Kirill's family went through all of this and almost nobody survived.
Accidentally this book has a couple of the most memorable descriptions of the soldiers with PTSD.
"鈥淔irebrands,鈥� whispered the colonel. 鈥淭hey were like firebrands. Then, at New Year鈥檚. I can鈥檛 stand the sight of fire since then. I can鈥檛 eat shashlik, I instantly see that. But, but ... once a year... I go far away. Alone. To the village where I was born. There鈥檚 no village anymore, just three houses. I have a field there. When we were children we had a bonfire there when we pastured the horses. At the riverbank. A pure, good river. So there ... I gather branches. And have a fire. Just a fire. Alone under the sky. And I think I feel better.鈥�
The colonel stopped talking, staring into the mouth of the Eternal Flame. Kirill felt a cast-iron exhaustion; but through it came a vague image suggested by the colonel鈥檚 words. The tanks moved on into the blizzard, as if they had never been there. The snow covered their tracks, and Kirill realized that this had been a rehearsal of the annual parade celebrating the end of the battle; the colonel had been remembering his winter storming of Grozny, his first battle, in the winter of 1994鈥�1995, when the Chechen grenade throwers burned the tank columns that entered the city without cover."
I will leave you to discover the meaning of the title on your own.
I am still thinking about the ending. I think it is supposed to be good thing for Kirill, but who knows.
This revelatory novel shows why Karl Ove Knausgaard has likened its celebrated Russian author to an "indomitable ... animal that won't let go of something when it gets its teeth into it." The book tells the story of a young Russian named Kirill, the sole survivor of a once numerous clan of German origin, who delves relentlessly into the unresolved past. His ancestor, Balthasar Schwerdt, son of a prominent surgeon, migrated to the Russian Empire in the 1830s, where he practiced alternative medicine, landing in the court of Catherine the Great. Schwerdt became captive to an erratic nobleman who supplied midgets, hunchbacks from Africa, and magicians to entertain the empress. Kirill鈥檚 investigation takes us through centuries of turmoil during which none of the German鈥檚 nine children or their descendants can escape their adoptive country鈥檚 cruel fate. Intent on uncovering buried mysteries, Kirill searches archives and cemeteries across Europe, while pressing witnesses for keys to understanding. The Goose Fritz illuminates both personal and political history in a passion-filled family saga about an often confounding country that has long fascinated the world. (less)
Review:
I never heard of Sergei Lebedev before ( for obvious reasons I become quite ignorant of the Russian literature of the last two decades - trying to make myself *less* ignorant of English and American literature took most of my free time :)), when I read the review in WSj I decided to give this one a try. It is a book that resonated with me deeply, however for a while I was not sure if that was because author and myself are more or less of the same generation and were born in the same part of the world, so what he would write was bound to reso0nate. However now when I am done I am pretty sure that in large part it was because the author possesses superb writing skill. I could not stop reading this book and while this is not the first book I could not stop reading in my life, it is one of the few ( and off the top of my head I really cannot remember that many ) where the "show not tell" maxim is really not applicable in my opinion.
Our narrator Kirill a historian who learned about his German ancestry from his grandmother is writing a book about his family and most of the characters we see through his eyes, he tells us his stories. He learns the stories from his research - both from reading books and talking to people. Some of the events of the past though he imagines, sort of connects the dots that he learns and supposedly he has a gift of imagining the past correctly. My point is that all that Kirill does is tells us, tells us, tells us and as I said, I was so engrossed in his telling. Bravo author, because as I said I rarely like a book written this way.
Of course through researching/ imagining his ancestors' stories, the good and bad, joys and pain (so much pain) they went through in the country who should have treated them far less cruelly Kirill learns more about himself, but I am pretty sure I cared far more about people whose lives he shared with us than about him. I am sure it was by design .
Themes of this book as I interpreted them were both uniquely Russian and sadly universal. Let's treat Russians of German identity horribly during the wars with Germany because *of course* they would betray Russia and start serving Germany. Of course :(. Revolutions, wars, Stalinism - Kirill's family went through all of this and almost nobody survived.
Accidentally this book has a couple of the most memorable descriptions of the soldiers with PTSD.
"鈥淔irebrands,鈥� whispered the colonel. 鈥淭hey were like firebrands. Then, at New Year鈥檚. I can鈥檛 stand the sight of fire since then. I can鈥檛 eat shashlik, I instantly see that. But, but ... once a year... I go far away. Alone. To the village where I was born. There鈥檚 no village anymore, just three houses. I have a field there. When we were children we had a bonfire there when we pastured the horses. At the riverbank. A pure, good river. So there ... I gather branches. And have a fire. Just a fire. Alone under the sky. And I think I feel better.鈥�
The colonel stopped talking, staring into the mouth of the Eternal Flame. Kirill felt a cast-iron exhaustion; but through it came a vague image suggested by the colonel鈥檚 words. The tanks moved on into the blizzard, as if they had never been there. The snow covered their tracks, and Kirill realized that this had been a rehearsal of the annual parade celebrating the end of the battle; the colonel had been remembering his winter storming of Grozny, his first battle, in the winter of 1994鈥�1995, when the Chechen grenade throwers burned the tank columns that entered the city without cover."
I will leave you to discover the meaning of the title on your own.
I am still thinking about the ending. I think it is supposed to be good thing for Kirill, but who knows.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2019
Russia has a history of producing great writers and Sergei Lebedev appears to be following in this fine tradition. This is the third book I've read of his and they have all been exceptional. First I'd like to note that the opening several pages of this book in which Lebedev recounts the story of the Sergeant and the Goose Fritz would be one of the finest short stories I've ever read if it were not used simply as the introduction and a metaphor for the rest of the book. The lyrical quality is absolutely sensational. The book is, basically, about Russians of German heritage living in Russia in the years following the war and about the main protagonist Kirill tracing his own German ancestry back through several generations and telling the story of some of his ancestors. It's another great read by Lebedev and highly recommended if for no other reason than to read the opening several pages.
November 5, 2023
Dok艂adnie tak, jak si臋 spodziewa艂am, kiedy pierwszy raz us艂ysza艂am o tej ksi膮偶ce, by艂a niesamowita. I tak, jak rozmawia艂am dwukrotnie na Wroc艂awskich Targach Dobrych ksi膮偶ek z przedstawicielem wydawnictwa wydaj膮cego Lebiediewa, to jest innego wymiaru literatura najwy偶szej pr贸by.
J臋zyk "Dzieci Kronosa" to majstersztyk. Pi臋kno zda艅 i ich melodia mnie osobi艣cie powali艂y na kolana. Do tego fabu艂a, cho膰 nie jest dynamiczna, to wspania艂a historia odkopywania z gruz贸w pami臋ci historii rodzinnej i w臋dr贸wka za losem bohater贸w uwik艂anych w dzieje. To per艂a w morzu literatury, kt贸r膮 odkrywa si臋 niespiesznie, smakuj膮c zdania, do kt贸rych wielokrotnie si臋 powraca, by za ka偶dym czytaniem wybrzmia艂y jeszcze dobitniej.
Ja nie potrafi臋 nie kocha膰 literatury rosyjskiej, je艣li na takich autor贸w jak Lebiediew trafiam. Przede mn膮 jeszcze "Granica zapomnienia" i "Debiutant".
" (...) od samego pocz膮tku drzema艂a w nich niezale偶na od wysi艂k贸w w艂a艣cicieli zdolno艣膰 przetrwania; zdolno艣膰 sprzeciwiania si臋 rozproszeniu, bez zatracania si臋 w sprzeciwie."
"I mimo to czu艂, 偶e los mo偶e istnie膰 niezale偶nie od tego, komu by艂 dany za 偶ycia; los mo偶e trwa膰 nawet poza 艣mierci膮".
"Lecz on widzia艂, jak ludzie przez dziesi臋ciolecia wycinali, wyskrobywali z siebie kawa艂ki biografii, dokonywali aborcji przesz艂o艣ci ".
"I jedyny sens w sferze nonsensu polega na przerwaniu tego bezsensu (...)".
J臋zyk "Dzieci Kronosa" to majstersztyk. Pi臋kno zda艅 i ich melodia mnie osobi艣cie powali艂y na kolana. Do tego fabu艂a, cho膰 nie jest dynamiczna, to wspania艂a historia odkopywania z gruz贸w pami臋ci historii rodzinnej i w臋dr贸wka za losem bohater贸w uwik艂anych w dzieje. To per艂a w morzu literatury, kt贸r膮 odkrywa si臋 niespiesznie, smakuj膮c zdania, do kt贸rych wielokrotnie si臋 powraca, by za ka偶dym czytaniem wybrzmia艂y jeszcze dobitniej.
Ja nie potrafi臋 nie kocha膰 literatury rosyjskiej, je艣li na takich autor贸w jak Lebiediew trafiam. Przede mn膮 jeszcze "Granica zapomnienia" i "Debiutant".
" (...) od samego pocz膮tku drzema艂a w nich niezale偶na od wysi艂k贸w w艂a艣cicieli zdolno艣膰 przetrwania; zdolno艣膰 sprzeciwiania si臋 rozproszeniu, bez zatracania si臋 w sprzeciwie."
"I mimo to czu艂, 偶e los mo偶e istnie膰 niezale偶nie od tego, komu by艂 dany za 偶ycia; los mo偶e trwa膰 nawet poza 艣mierci膮".
"Lecz on widzia艂, jak ludzie przez dziesi臋ciolecia wycinali, wyskrobywali z siebie kawa艂ki biografii, dokonywali aborcji przesz艂o艣ci ".
"I jedyny sens w sferze nonsensu polega na przerwaniu tego bezsensu (...)".
June 30, 2020
呕eby ksi膮偶k臋 roku przeczyta膰 ledwo w jego sz贸stym tygodniu!??
Czuj臋 przez sk贸r臋, 偶e z ksi膮偶ek wydanych w 2019 i 2020 roku - "Dzieci Kronosa" (chyba lepszy tytu艂 ni偶 oryginalny "G膮sior Fryc") b臋d膮 raczej poza konkurencj膮.
I w sumie to bez znaczenia, w jakiej b臋dzie startowa膰 kategorii.
Bo czy znajdzie si臋 taki m膮dry, by okre艣li艂 literacki gatunek, jakim por臋cznie da si臋 t臋 ksi膮偶k臋 zaklasyfikowa膰? 呕ycz臋 powodzenia.
Niezwyk艂ej urody i m膮dro艣ci jest ta ksi膮偶ka (wyrazy uznania dla polskiego t艂umacza - czyta si臋 bajecznie!). Co kilkana艣cie stron przypomina艂em sobie, z jak膮 niewiarygodn膮 wy偶szo艣ci膮 traktowano w Polsce Rosjan (Bia艂orusin贸w, Ukrai艅c贸w ...). Wy艣miewaj膮c ich kultur臋, dorobek, tradycj臋, histori臋 ... i - nazwijmy rzeczy po imieniu- niewyobra偶alne cierpienia, przez jakie na przestrzeni tych stu lat ten nar贸d przeszed艂. 呕e zara偶a艂 niemal nimi swoich s膮siad贸w - nie miejsce o tym pisa膰 - ale i o tym jest ta ksi膮偶ka.
Dzie膰mi Kronosa jeste艣my w jakim艣 stopniu tutaj wszyscy. Dziedziczymy to jak skaz臋, pokolenie po pokoleniu. Nie potrafimy si臋 z tego wypl膮ta膰.
Czy czego艣 historia uczy Polak贸w, Rosjan i Ukrai艅c贸w? Wsp贸lna historia - o czym coraz cz臋艣ciej si臋 pisze, ale wci膮偶 za ma艂o m贸wi i uczy. Rozdrapujemy w艂asne rany, nie wiedz膮c, nie przeczuwaj膮c, 偶e te naszych s膮siad贸w mog膮 by膰 jeszcze straszniejsze...
Tyle ... wstrz膮sn臋艂a mn膮 ta ksi膮偶ka. Naprawd臋, nie bardzo wiem co tutaj "wypada" o niej napisa膰 ...
Czuj臋 przez sk贸r臋, 偶e z ksi膮偶ek wydanych w 2019 i 2020 roku - "Dzieci Kronosa" (chyba lepszy tytu艂 ni偶 oryginalny "G膮sior Fryc") b臋d膮 raczej poza konkurencj膮.
I w sumie to bez znaczenia, w jakiej b臋dzie startowa膰 kategorii.
Bo czy znajdzie si臋 taki m膮dry, by okre艣li艂 literacki gatunek, jakim por臋cznie da si臋 t臋 ksi膮偶k臋 zaklasyfikowa膰? 呕ycz臋 powodzenia.
Niezwyk艂ej urody i m膮dro艣ci jest ta ksi膮偶ka (wyrazy uznania dla polskiego t艂umacza - czyta si臋 bajecznie!). Co kilkana艣cie stron przypomina艂em sobie, z jak膮 niewiarygodn膮 wy偶szo艣ci膮 traktowano w Polsce Rosjan (Bia艂orusin贸w, Ukrai艅c贸w ...). Wy艣miewaj膮c ich kultur臋, dorobek, tradycj臋, histori臋 ... i - nazwijmy rzeczy po imieniu- niewyobra偶alne cierpienia, przez jakie na przestrzeni tych stu lat ten nar贸d przeszed艂. 呕e zara偶a艂 niemal nimi swoich s膮siad贸w - nie miejsce o tym pisa膰 - ale i o tym jest ta ksi膮偶ka.
Dzie膰mi Kronosa jeste艣my w jakim艣 stopniu tutaj wszyscy. Dziedziczymy to jak skaz臋, pokolenie po pokoleniu. Nie potrafimy si臋 z tego wypl膮ta膰.
Czy czego艣 historia uczy Polak贸w, Rosjan i Ukrai艅c贸w? Wsp贸lna historia - o czym coraz cz臋艣ciej si臋 pisze, ale wci膮偶 za ma艂o m贸wi i uczy. Rozdrapujemy w艂asne rany, nie wiedz膮c, nie przeczuwaj膮c, 偶e te naszych s膮siad贸w mog膮 by膰 jeszcze straszniejsze...
Tyle ... wstrz膮sn臋艂a mn膮 ta ksi膮偶ka. Naprawd臋, nie bardzo wiem co tutaj "wypada" o niej napisa膰 ...
May 2, 2019
鈥淕randmother gave him more than unexpected ancestors. The world of another culture appeared before him, a silent but living world to which he belonged by inheritance, by the right of wild, inexhaustible blood in which all eras and the starry sky flowed.鈥�
I have wondered over the years, why I have not heard of many contemporary Russian authors, so discovering this sprawling, family saga, was a joy. This novel focuses on a young Russian man, with German origins, looking back at his family history, inspired by his late grandmother's passing. It goes back generations, (into the 19th century) so the reader gets an informative overview of Russian history, right through the modern age. It appears that plenty of deep research went into this story and the prose is strong and fluid. It also is a solid translation. I will have to seek out this author's earlier work.
I have wondered over the years, why I have not heard of many contemporary Russian authors, so discovering this sprawling, family saga, was a joy. This novel focuses on a young Russian man, with German origins, looking back at his family history, inspired by his late grandmother's passing. It goes back generations, (into the 19th century) so the reader gets an informative overview of Russian history, right through the modern age. It appears that plenty of deep research went into this story and the prose is strong and fluid. It also is a solid translation. I will have to seek out this author's earlier work.
August 1, 2024
Kirill, the protagonist of Sergei Lebedev鈥檚 erudite The Goose Fritz, has a gift for imagining the past. Symbols on a tombstone or the sounds of thunder will transport him across time so that he can experience a bit of what his ancestors鈥� felt or saw. It鈥檚 a useful trick for a historian, especially as Kirill has decided to write the history of his German-Russian family from the 1830s, through the Russo-Japanese War, the Revolution, the Great Terror, and the Great Patriotic War...
Read the rest of my review at . I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at . I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.
December 22, 2019
Serge Lebedev on growing up German in Russian history
Fritz is generic for German, And Russia鈥檚 changing attitude towards its citizens who came to Russia, but were never quite Russian enough. Lebedev is a writer who grabs the reader with history and makes it personal. I liked all three of his novels, but perhaps Oblivion is the best, dealing with Grandfather II, who was once a Gulag Commandant and was now a neighbor.
Fritz is generic for German, And Russia鈥檚 changing attitude towards its citizens who came to Russia, but were never quite Russian enough. Lebedev is a writer who grabs the reader with history and makes it personal. I liked all three of his novels, but perhaps Oblivion is the best, dealing with Grandfather II, who was once a Gulag Commandant and was now a neighbor.
May 2, 2019
鈥淕randmother gave him more than unexpected ancestors. The world of another culture appeared before him, a silent but living world to which he belonged by inheritance, by the right of wild, inexhaustible blood in which all eras and the starry sky flowed.鈥�
I have wondered over the years, why I have not heard of many contemporary Russian authors, so discovering this sprawling, family saga, was a joy. This novel focuses on a young Russian man, with German origins, looking back at his family history, inspired by his late grandmother's passing. It goes back generations, (into the 19th century) so the reader gets an informative overview of Russian history, right through the modern age. It appears that plenty of deep research went into this story and the prose is strong and fluid. It also is a solid translation. I will have to seek out this author's earlier work.
I have wondered over the years, why I have not heard of many contemporary Russian authors, so discovering this sprawling, family saga, was a joy. This novel focuses on a young Russian man, with German origins, looking back at his family history, inspired by his late grandmother's passing. It goes back generations, (into the 19th century) so the reader gets an informative overview of Russian history, right through the modern age. It appears that plenty of deep research went into this story and the prose is strong and fluid. It also is a solid translation. I will have to seek out this author's earlier work.
March 16, 2019
VERDICT: Revisiting your past, discovering your deep identity. Not always a comfortable journey.
my full review is here:
my full review is here:
May 31, 2019
Difficult to follow in places because it moves so quickly through events in Russian history due to an assumed shared knowledge by the author and reader, but this is why we should read more translated books, right? An incredible look at Russian history and the impact/toll it takes on one family tree, a German family tree.
February 28, 2019
via my blog:
'Something happened with her that Kirill had never seen. It was as if ghosts of terrible unimaginable catastrophes, wars, fires, floods, were nipping at her heels.'
Russian born Kirill is the last member of his family, descendant of Balthasar Schwerdt who came to Russia from Germany in the 1800鈥檚. An author who collects other鈥檚 people鈥檚 life stories, fearfully avoiding his own. It is time to tell the story of his family, with papers, archives he will chase the 鈥榯hreads of memory鈥� and 鈥榩reserving the misunderstood and the unseen.鈥� It is the only way Kirill can flee the fate of the family. As a child he sees a stone book in the German cemetery where his family plot lies, chosen as he is to be his grandmother鈥檚 constant companion on these visits. Naturally the visits isn鈥檛 something any of them talk about outside the confines of home. The book, blank as if an omen of what he must one day fill, is always waiting there for him as he comes of age.
Why, he wondered, was his Russian great-grandmother buried in the German cemetery anyway? With the adults 鈥榦missions about the past鈥� he learned to create stories as explanation. It isn鈥檛 until his grandmother Lina reveals, speaking in German, the name of his great-great-great grandfather while at his headstone, that he knows the bold truth of their German ancestry. Vile German blood, much like the Goose Fritz symbolized to the villagers, strangled to death by the harmless old Seargant in his drunken rage on the anniversary in July when he was wounded in the Battle Kursk. The goose, in the old man鈥檚 war ravaged mind, a German soldier. German, the stuff his family is made of.
Why did they not carry the surname Schwerdt, what fate befell his ancestors, a 鈥榮cattered people鈥� bones buried in soil far from their fatherland? It鈥檚 always been easier for him to dig into stranger鈥檚 families than disrupt the rest of his own, and what would revelations mean for his own blind future? Is he destined to walk a path forged by those who came before him? Why can鈥檛 he guide his own future, be no one鈥檚 son, grandson? A crack in the headstone of his beloved, deceased grandmother, separating surname from birth name, birth date from death date seems to beg from the beyond their stories be told.
Balthasar鈥檚 life took a strange turn from that of medical doctor, working as his father鈥檚 assistant, to that of practitioner of homeopathic medicine, a 鈥榟eretic鈥檚 career鈥�. Thwarting his father鈥檚 plan, trembling with his newfound passion, Balthasar left his fractured world for a larger one, with the knowledge of his 鈥榯ravels鈥�, Kirill needs to understand the why of it all. Pieces in museums and visiting cities doesn鈥檛 always lend an emotional landscape to history, it鈥檚 hard for him to imagine being born in the cities of his ancestors. There were seven daughters, and a son- there were wars, assassins, disease, even an early feminist who 鈥榚xcited men鈥檚 strife.鈥� Worse the strangest fate of all will befall the brilliant boy when as a man he encounters cannibals.
Kirill is blind to his own future but revisionist of his family鈥檚 past, able to look upon it with a godlike eye, see the impending doom as well as lucky escapes that his ancestors couldn鈥檛. With one family member a migrant to Russia, they cannot be native nor accepted as such, forced to hide their German blood as if a stain, as evident by Kirill not even realizing he wasn鈥檛 fully Russian, born under the hammer and sickel, loyal as the rest of his family to their country.
This novel is about political history as much as family history, how it affects us all. Are you allowed to be a nationalist when your ancestors were enemies? There are many stories about all of the characters but it is rich in history, perfect for historical fiction lovers. I adored the relationship between Kirill and his beloved grandmother Lina. It鈥檚 incredible to think about what our ancestors suffered through, how they could still cling to hope, love and laugh. Personal history too can give birth to strange fears and rituals. The deepest shame is having to hide our blood for fear of persecution. Yes, read it.
Publication Date: March 19, 2019
New Vessel Press
'Something happened with her that Kirill had never seen. It was as if ghosts of terrible unimaginable catastrophes, wars, fires, floods, were nipping at her heels.'
Russian born Kirill is the last member of his family, descendant of Balthasar Schwerdt who came to Russia from Germany in the 1800鈥檚. An author who collects other鈥檚 people鈥檚 life stories, fearfully avoiding his own. It is time to tell the story of his family, with papers, archives he will chase the 鈥榯hreads of memory鈥� and 鈥榩reserving the misunderstood and the unseen.鈥� It is the only way Kirill can flee the fate of the family. As a child he sees a stone book in the German cemetery where his family plot lies, chosen as he is to be his grandmother鈥檚 constant companion on these visits. Naturally the visits isn鈥檛 something any of them talk about outside the confines of home. The book, blank as if an omen of what he must one day fill, is always waiting there for him as he comes of age.
Why, he wondered, was his Russian great-grandmother buried in the German cemetery anyway? With the adults 鈥榦missions about the past鈥� he learned to create stories as explanation. It isn鈥檛 until his grandmother Lina reveals, speaking in German, the name of his great-great-great grandfather while at his headstone, that he knows the bold truth of their German ancestry. Vile German blood, much like the Goose Fritz symbolized to the villagers, strangled to death by the harmless old Seargant in his drunken rage on the anniversary in July when he was wounded in the Battle Kursk. The goose, in the old man鈥檚 war ravaged mind, a German soldier. German, the stuff his family is made of.
Why did they not carry the surname Schwerdt, what fate befell his ancestors, a 鈥榮cattered people鈥� bones buried in soil far from their fatherland? It鈥檚 always been easier for him to dig into stranger鈥檚 families than disrupt the rest of his own, and what would revelations mean for his own blind future? Is he destined to walk a path forged by those who came before him? Why can鈥檛 he guide his own future, be no one鈥檚 son, grandson? A crack in the headstone of his beloved, deceased grandmother, separating surname from birth name, birth date from death date seems to beg from the beyond their stories be told.
Balthasar鈥檚 life took a strange turn from that of medical doctor, working as his father鈥檚 assistant, to that of practitioner of homeopathic medicine, a 鈥榟eretic鈥檚 career鈥�. Thwarting his father鈥檚 plan, trembling with his newfound passion, Balthasar left his fractured world for a larger one, with the knowledge of his 鈥榯ravels鈥�, Kirill needs to understand the why of it all. Pieces in museums and visiting cities doesn鈥檛 always lend an emotional landscape to history, it鈥檚 hard for him to imagine being born in the cities of his ancestors. There were seven daughters, and a son- there were wars, assassins, disease, even an early feminist who 鈥榚xcited men鈥檚 strife.鈥� Worse the strangest fate of all will befall the brilliant boy when as a man he encounters cannibals.
Kirill is blind to his own future but revisionist of his family鈥檚 past, able to look upon it with a godlike eye, see the impending doom as well as lucky escapes that his ancestors couldn鈥檛. With one family member a migrant to Russia, they cannot be native nor accepted as such, forced to hide their German blood as if a stain, as evident by Kirill not even realizing he wasn鈥檛 fully Russian, born under the hammer and sickel, loyal as the rest of his family to their country.
This novel is about political history as much as family history, how it affects us all. Are you allowed to be a nationalist when your ancestors were enemies? There are many stories about all of the characters but it is rich in history, perfect for historical fiction lovers. I adored the relationship between Kirill and his beloved grandmother Lina. It鈥檚 incredible to think about what our ancestors suffered through, how they could still cling to hope, love and laugh. Personal history too can give birth to strange fears and rituals. The deepest shame is having to hide our blood for fear of persecution. Yes, read it.
Publication Date: March 19, 2019
New Vessel Press
June 8, 2021
袧邪 褋邪屑芯屑 写械谢械, 芯褑械薪泻邪 3,5, 薪芯, 蟹邪 薪械懈屑械薪懈械屑 胁 褋懈褋褌械屑械 芯褑械薪懈胁邪薪懈褟 写褉芯斜械泄, 锌褉懈褕谢芯褋褜 芯泻褉褍谐谢懈褌褜)
孝褉邪写懈褑懈芯薪薪褘泄 写谢褟 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉褘 锌褉懈褢屑 "斜芯谢褜褕邪褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 褔械褉械蟹 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 芯写薪芯泄 褋械屑褜懈", 薪芯 锌褉懈 褝褌芯屑 锌褉械写屑械褌 懈褋褋谢械写芯胁邪薪懈褟 - 胁蟹邪懈屑芯芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟 袪芯褋褋懈懈 懈 锌褉芯卸懈胁邪褞褖懈褏 胁 薪械泄 薪械屑褑械胁. 小芯芯褌胁械褌褋褌胁械薪薪芯, 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 褋胁芯械泄 褋械屑褜懈 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 谐械褉芯泄 锌褉芯褋谢械卸懈胁邪械褌 芯褌 芯褋薪芯胁邪褌械谢褟 褉芯褋褋懈泄褋泻芯泄 胁械褌胁懈 袘邪谢褜褌邪蟹邪褉邪, 锌褉懈械褏邪胁褕械谐芯 胁 锌械褉胁芯泄 锌芯谢芯胁懈薪械 19 胁. 胁 袪芯褋褋懈褞 锌褉芯锌芯胁械写芯胁邪褌褜 锌褉芯谐褉械褋褋懈胁薪褍褞 薪邪 褌芯褌 屑芯屑械薪褌 谐芯屑械芯锌邪褌懈褞, 写芯 褋胁芯械泄 斜邪斜褍褕泻懈 袣邪褉芯谢懈薪褘, 胁褘薪褍卸写械薪薪芯泄 锌芯褋谢械 邪褉械褋褌邪 屑褍卸邪 胁 1937-屑 芯褌褉械褔褜褋褟 芯褌 褋胁芯械泄 薪械屑械褑泻芯泄 懈写械薪褌懈褔薪芯褋褌懈 (胁泻谢褞褔邪褟 褎邪屑懈谢懈褞 楔胁械褉写褌). 小芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯, 锌褉芯褑械褋褋 (邪 褌芯褔薪械械 懈褌芯谐懈) 胁芯褋褋褌邪薪芯胁谢械薪懈褟 褋械屑械泄薪芯泄 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 懈 褋芯褋褌邪胁谢褟械褌 褌泻邪薪褜 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈褟: 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 谐械褉芯泄 袣懈褉懈谢谢, 褋谢褍褔邪泄薪芯 褍蟹薪邪胁 芯褌 斜邪斜褍褕泻懈 薪械蟹邪写芯谢谐芯 写芯 械褢 褋屑械褉褌懈, 褔褌芯, 芯泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌褋褟, 芯薪邪 薪械屑泻邪, 屑薪芯谐懈械 写械褋褟褌懈谢械褌懈褟 褏褉邪薪懈胁褕邪褟 褌邪泄薪褍 褋胁芯械谐芯 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯卸写械薪懈褟, 芯褌泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌褋褟 芯褌 薪邪褍褔薪芯泄 泻邪褉褜械褉褘 (锌褉懈谐谢邪褕械薪懈械 胁 袚邪褉胁邪褉写) 懈 薪邪褔懈薪邪械褌 锌懈褋邪褌褜 褋芯斜懈褉邪褌褜 屑邪褌械褉懈邪谢 写谢褟 泻薪懈谐懈 芯 褋胁芯械泄 褋械屑褜械.
孝械屑邪 懈 褉邪褋褋褍卸写械薪懈褟 邪胁褌芯褉邪 写芯胁芯谢褜薪芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪褘 (薪邪锌褉懈屑械褉, 屑褘褋谢褜 芯 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 蟹械褉薪邪 褕锌懈芯薪芯屑邪薪懈懈 懈 薪械锌褉邪胁芯褋褍写薪褘褏 褉械锌褉械褋褋懈泄 斜褘谢懈 锌芯褋械褟薪褘 械褖械 写芯 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈懈 - 褋屑. 薪械屑械褑泻懈械 锌芯谐褉芯屑褘, 褉械泻胁懈蟹懈褑懈懈, 写械谢芯 袦褟褋芯械写芯胁邪, etc.). 袝褋褌褜 蟹邪屑械褔邪褌械谢褜薪褘械 褏褍写芯卸械褋褌胁械薪薪褘械 薪邪褏芯写泻懈 (薪邪锌褉懈屑械褉, 芯斜褉邪蟹 斜芯褉褜斜褘 锌褉芯褕谢芯谐芯 懈 斜褍写褍褖械谐芯 胁芯 胁褉械屑褟 袚褉邪卸写邪薪褋泻芯泄 胁芯泄薪褘, 泻芯谐写邪 斜械谢褘械, 芯褌斜懈胁邪褟 褍 泻褉邪褋薪褘褏 屑械褋褌薪芯褋褌褜, 锌械褉胁褘屑 写械谢芯屑 斜褍泻胁邪谢褜薪芯 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪褞褌 械褢 胁 锌褉芯褕谢芯械, 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪褟 褞谢懈邪薪褋泻懈泄 泻邪谢械薪写邪褉褜; 泻褉邪褋薪褘械, 薪邪锌褉芯褌懈胁, 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褞褌 谐褉懈谐芯褉懈邪薪褋泻懈泄, 褋褌褉械屑褟褋褜 胁 斜褍写褍褖械械).
袧芯 胁 褌芯 卸械 胁褉械屑褟 薪械 谢懈褕械薪邪 泻薪懈卸泻邪 懈 褔懈褋褌芯 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉薪褘褏 懈蟹褗褟薪芯胁. 袧械泻芯褌芯褉褘械 褋褞卸械褌薪褘械 锌芯写褉芯斜薪芯褋褌懈 薪械 薪褍卸薪褘 薪懈 写谢褟 褔械谐芯 (蟹邪褔械屑 薪邪屑 褋胁械写械薪懈褟 芯斜 邪褉械褋褌械 谐谢邪胁薪芯谐芯 谐械褉芯褟 蟹邪 褍褔邪褋褌懈械 胁 屑懈褌懈薪谐械?), 薪械泻芯褌芯褉褘械 褋褞卸械褌薪褘械 褏芯写褘 薪懈泻褍写邪 薪械 胁械写褍褌 (褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯, 锌褉芯褑械褋褋 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪懈褟 袣懈褉懈谢谢芯屑 泻薪懈谐懈 薪械 蟹邪泻邪薪褔懈胁邪械褌褋褟 薪懈褔械屑). 袟邪谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 芯斜褉邪蟹 褉芯屑邪薪邪 - 谐褍褋褜 褋 薪械屑械褑泻芯泄 泻谢懈褔泻芯泄, 褍写邪胁谢械薪薪褘泄 写械褉械胁械薪褋泻懈屑 胁械褌械褉邪薪芯屑 小褌邪褉褕懈薪芯泄 胁 锌褉懈褋褌褍锌械 斜械谢芯泄 谐芯褉褟褔泻懈 泻邪卸械褌褋褟 薪械褋泻芯谢褜泻芯 薪邪褌褟薪褍褌褘屑 懈 懈褋泻褍褋褋褌胁械薪薪褘屑, 褏芯褌褟, 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯, 懈 胁蟹褟褌 懈蟹 褉械邪谢褜薪芯泄 卸懈蟹薪懈. 袩褉芯斜谢械屑邪 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 褋邪屑 褝褌芯褌 褝锌懈蟹芯写 褋谢懈褕泻芯屑 褍卸 谐褉褍斜芯 锌褉懈褕懈褌 泻 芯褋薪芯胁薪芯屑褍 褋褞卸械褌褍.
袙 芯斜褖械屑 懈 褑械谢芯屑 薪械锌谢芯褏芯, 薪芯 锌褉械写褘写褍褖邪褟 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪薪邪褟 屑薪芯泄 泻薪懈谐邪 褝褌芯谐芯 褝褌芯谐芯 卸械 邪胁褌芯褉邪 - "袥褞写懈 邪胁谐褍褋褌邪" - 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢邪褋褜 蟹薪邪褔懈褌械谢褜薪芯 斜芯谢褜褕械.
孝褉邪写懈褑懈芯薪薪褘泄 写谢褟 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉褘 锌褉懈褢屑 "斜芯谢褜褕邪褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 褔械褉械蟹 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 芯写薪芯泄 褋械屑褜懈", 薪芯 锌褉懈 褝褌芯屑 锌褉械写屑械褌 懈褋褋谢械写芯胁邪薪懈褟 - 胁蟹邪懈屑芯芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟 袪芯褋褋懈懈 懈 锌褉芯卸懈胁邪褞褖懈褏 胁 薪械泄 薪械屑褑械胁. 小芯芯褌胁械褌褋褌胁械薪薪芯, 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 褋胁芯械泄 褋械屑褜懈 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 谐械褉芯泄 锌褉芯褋谢械卸懈胁邪械褌 芯褌 芯褋薪芯胁邪褌械谢褟 褉芯褋褋懈泄褋泻芯泄 胁械褌胁懈 袘邪谢褜褌邪蟹邪褉邪, 锌褉懈械褏邪胁褕械谐芯 胁 锌械褉胁芯泄 锌芯谢芯胁懈薪械 19 胁. 胁 袪芯褋褋懈褞 锌褉芯锌芯胁械写芯胁邪褌褜 锌褉芯谐褉械褋褋懈胁薪褍褞 薪邪 褌芯褌 屑芯屑械薪褌 谐芯屑械芯锌邪褌懈褞, 写芯 褋胁芯械泄 斜邪斜褍褕泻懈 袣邪褉芯谢懈薪褘, 胁褘薪褍卸写械薪薪芯泄 锌芯褋谢械 邪褉械褋褌邪 屑褍卸邪 胁 1937-屑 芯褌褉械褔褜褋褟 芯褌 褋胁芯械泄 薪械屑械褑泻芯泄 懈写械薪褌懈褔薪芯褋褌懈 (胁泻谢褞褔邪褟 褎邪屑懈谢懈褞 楔胁械褉写褌). 小芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯, 锌褉芯褑械褋褋 (邪 褌芯褔薪械械 懈褌芯谐懈) 胁芯褋褋褌邪薪芯胁谢械薪懈褟 褋械屑械泄薪芯泄 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 懈 褋芯褋褌邪胁谢褟械褌 褌泻邪薪褜 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈褟: 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 谐械褉芯泄 袣懈褉懈谢谢, 褋谢褍褔邪泄薪芯 褍蟹薪邪胁 芯褌 斜邪斜褍褕泻懈 薪械蟹邪写芯谢谐芯 写芯 械褢 褋屑械褉褌懈, 褔褌芯, 芯泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌褋褟, 芯薪邪 薪械屑泻邪, 屑薪芯谐懈械 写械褋褟褌懈谢械褌懈褟 褏褉邪薪懈胁褕邪褟 褌邪泄薪褍 褋胁芯械谐芯 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯卸写械薪懈褟, 芯褌泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌褋褟 芯褌 薪邪褍褔薪芯泄 泻邪褉褜械褉褘 (锌褉懈谐谢邪褕械薪懈械 胁 袚邪褉胁邪褉写) 懈 薪邪褔懈薪邪械褌 锌懈褋邪褌褜 褋芯斜懈褉邪褌褜 屑邪褌械褉懈邪谢 写谢褟 泻薪懈谐懈 芯 褋胁芯械泄 褋械屑褜械.
孝械屑邪 懈 褉邪褋褋褍卸写械薪懈褟 邪胁褌芯褉邪 写芯胁芯谢褜薪芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪褘 (薪邪锌褉懈屑械褉, 屑褘褋谢褜 芯 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 蟹械褉薪邪 褕锌懈芯薪芯屑邪薪懈懈 懈 薪械锌褉邪胁芯褋褍写薪褘褏 褉械锌褉械褋褋懈泄 斜褘谢懈 锌芯褋械褟薪褘 械褖械 写芯 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈懈 - 褋屑. 薪械屑械褑泻懈械 锌芯谐褉芯屑褘, 褉械泻胁懈蟹懈褑懈懈, 写械谢芯 袦褟褋芯械写芯胁邪, etc.). 袝褋褌褜 蟹邪屑械褔邪褌械谢褜薪褘械 褏褍写芯卸械褋褌胁械薪薪褘械 薪邪褏芯写泻懈 (薪邪锌褉懈屑械褉, 芯斜褉邪蟹 斜芯褉褜斜褘 锌褉芯褕谢芯谐芯 懈 斜褍写褍褖械谐芯 胁芯 胁褉械屑褟 袚褉邪卸写邪薪褋泻芯泄 胁芯泄薪褘, 泻芯谐写邪 斜械谢褘械, 芯褌斜懈胁邪褟 褍 泻褉邪褋薪褘褏 屑械褋褌薪芯褋褌褜, 锌械褉胁褘屑 写械谢芯屑 斜褍泻胁邪谢褜薪芯 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪褞褌 械褢 胁 锌褉芯褕谢芯械, 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪褟 褞谢懈邪薪褋泻懈泄 泻邪谢械薪写邪褉褜; 泻褉邪褋薪褘械, 薪邪锌褉芯褌懈胁, 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褞褌 谐褉懈谐芯褉懈邪薪褋泻懈泄, 褋褌褉械屑褟褋褜 胁 斜褍写褍褖械械).
袧芯 胁 褌芯 卸械 胁褉械屑褟 薪械 谢懈褕械薪邪 泻薪懈卸泻邪 懈 褔懈褋褌芯 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉薪褘褏 懈蟹褗褟薪芯胁. 袧械泻芯褌芯褉褘械 褋褞卸械褌薪褘械 锌芯写褉芯斜薪芯褋褌懈 薪械 薪褍卸薪褘 薪懈 写谢褟 褔械谐芯 (蟹邪褔械屑 薪邪屑 褋胁械写械薪懈褟 芯斜 邪褉械褋褌械 谐谢邪胁薪芯谐芯 谐械褉芯褟 蟹邪 褍褔邪褋褌懈械 胁 屑懈褌懈薪谐械?), 薪械泻芯褌芯褉褘械 褋褞卸械褌薪褘械 褏芯写褘 薪懈泻褍写邪 薪械 胁械写褍褌 (褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯, 锌褉芯褑械褋褋 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪懈褟 袣懈褉懈谢谢芯屑 泻薪懈谐懈 薪械 蟹邪泻邪薪褔懈胁邪械褌褋褟 薪懈褔械屑). 袟邪谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 芯斜褉邪蟹 褉芯屑邪薪邪 - 谐褍褋褜 褋 薪械屑械褑泻芯泄 泻谢懈褔泻芯泄, 褍写邪胁谢械薪薪褘泄 写械褉械胁械薪褋泻懈屑 胁械褌械褉邪薪芯屑 小褌邪褉褕懈薪芯泄 胁 锌褉懈褋褌褍锌械 斜械谢芯泄 谐芯褉褟褔泻懈 泻邪卸械褌褋褟 薪械褋泻芯谢褜泻芯 薪邪褌褟薪褍褌褘屑 懈 懈褋泻褍褋褋褌胁械薪薪褘屑, 褏芯褌褟, 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯, 懈 胁蟹褟褌 懈蟹 褉械邪谢褜薪芯泄 卸懈蟹薪懈. 袩褉芯斜谢械屑邪 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 褋邪屑 褝褌芯褌 褝锌懈蟹芯写 褋谢懈褕泻芯屑 褍卸 谐褉褍斜芯 锌褉懈褕懈褌 泻 芯褋薪芯胁薪芯屑褍 褋褞卸械褌褍.
袙 芯斜褖械屑 懈 褑械谢芯屑 薪械锌谢芯褏芯, 薪芯 锌褉械写褘写褍褖邪褟 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪薪邪褟 屑薪芯泄 泻薪懈谐邪 褝褌芯谐芯 褝褌芯谐芯 卸械 邪胁褌芯褉邪 - "袥褞写懈 邪胁谐褍褋褌邪" - 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢邪褋褜 蟹薪邪褔懈褌械谢褜薪芯 斜芯谢褜褕械.
August 13, 2019
In the beginning of this novel, the narrator, Kirill, recounts an episode from his childhood in which a Soviet veteran of World War II flies into an alcohol-fueled halucinatory rage during which he sees a neighbor's goose as an enemy German and kills it. The scene is both vivid and touching and, when the narrator later discovers that his family had emigrated from Germany to Russia generations earlier (subsequently changing their last name) serves as a catalyst for the narrator's exploration into his family's history, their early successes and their later suffering when Germans became the enemy during two World Wars. Although the narrative provides interesting insights into the persecution of established families who, through no fault of their own, were classed with evil "others", the story is slow going when Kirill's narration turns to historical research and speculation that is largely expository. As Kirill's investigations bring him closer to the present and include interviews with survivors who remember aspects of his family history involving the generations of his grandparents and parents--those who suffered the decline of their fortunes and status and the brutality of Stalin's purges--the novel regains much of its compelling forcefulness.
July 9, 2021
This book is hard work, with its huge cast of characters, each with their individual stories, joined together by tangled threads. Tracing the couple of centuries of his Volga German ancestors, Kirill seems to find the answer as to why the stone book on their tombstone in the German cemetery in Moscow had no writing on it - they had all been eradicated because of their origins, in spite of their loyalty to the various Russian regimes they lived through. Russian history is full of horrors, but this story is seldom told. The translation flows flawlessly but it's a claustrophobic book laden with the weight of history and fate.
November 30, 2021
袣邪卸械褌褋褟, 褔褌芯 谢褍褔褕懈泄 褋锌芯褋芯斜 锌芯薪褟褌褜 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 袪芯褋褋懈懈 - 褔械褉械蟹 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 褋械屑褜懈. 袙 褝褌芯泄 泻薪懈谐械, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 芯褔械薪褜 泻褉邪褋懈胁芯 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪邪, 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 褋械屑褜懈 谐谢邪胁薪芯谐芯 谐械褉芯褟 褋泻褉褘褌邪薪邪褟. 小泻褉褘褌薪芯褋褌褜 斜褘谢邪 薪械芯斜褏芯写懈屑邪 褔褌芯斜褘 胁褘卸懈褌褜, 泻芯谐写邪 薪械屑械褑泻懈械 泻芯褉薪懈 褋褌邪薪芯胁褟褌褋褟 蟹薪邪泻芯屑 谐芯褋懈蟹屑械薪褘, 薪芯 褝褌芯 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 胁芯 胁褉械屑褟 屑懈褉芯胁褘褏 胁芯泄薪 泻芯谐写邪 屑械褋褌芯 褋械屑褜懈 薪械褋褌邪斜懈谢褜薪芯械. 袩芯胁褋褞写褍 薪邪褏芯写褟褌褋褟 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌懈 写谢褟 锌褉械芯斜褉邪蟹芯胁邪薪懈褟, 薪芯 胁 褌芯 卸械 胁褉械屑褟, 懈 胁褋褢 卸械 褋褍写斜邪 褍卸械 褉械褕械薪邪 懈 薪械懈蟹斜械卸薪邪褟. 袣芯谐写邪 芯薪 锌芯薪懈屑邪械褌 锌褉械写褕械褋褌胁械薪薪懈泻芯胁, 芯薪 写械泄褋褌胁懈褌械谢褜薪芯 褋褌邪薪芯胁懈褌褋褟 褔邪褋褌褞 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 褋械屑褜懈.
May 23, 2023
小胁芯械芯斜褉邪蟹薪邪褟 褋械屑械泄薪邪褟 褋邪谐邪 胁 芯褔械薪褜 褋卸邪褌芯泄 褎芯褉屑械. 袩芯谢褍褌芯褉邪胁械泻芯胁邪褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 芯写薪芯泄 褋械屑褜懈 薪邪 褎芯薪械 胁芯泄薪, 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈泄鈥� 懈 薪芯胁褘褏 胁芯泄薪. 袧芯 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 薪械 芯斜褘褔薪芯泄 褋械屑褜懈, 邪 褋械屑褜懈 褉芯褋褋懈泄褋泻懈褏 薪械屑褑械胁.
小褌芯谢褜泻芯 懈褋泻邪谢械褔械薪薪褘褏 褋褍写械斜 懈 蟹邪谐褍斜谢械薪薪褘褏 卸懈蟹薪械泄鈥�
袧械褋屑芯褌褉褟 薪邪 褌芯, 褔褌芯 褋邪屑 褋褞卸械褌 屑械薪褟 蟹邪褑械锌懈谢, 褟 斜褘 写邪卸械 褋泻邪蟹邪谢邪, 蟹邪写械谢 蟹邪 卸懈胁芯械, 泻薪懈谐邪 写邪谢邪褋褜 屑薪械 薪械谢械谐泻芯, 褍卸 斜芯谢褜薪芯 薪邪锌褉褟谐邪谢 褟蟹褘泻 懈 褋褌懈谢褜 邪胁褌芯褉邪. 袙 褑械谢芯屑 卸械 褉芯屑邪薪 褋泻芯褉械械 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢褋褟, 褔械屑 薪械 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢褋褟.
小褌芯谢褜泻芯 懈褋泻邪谢械褔械薪薪褘褏 褋褍写械斜 懈 蟹邪谐褍斜谢械薪薪褘褏 卸懈蟹薪械泄鈥�
袧械褋屑芯褌褉褟 薪邪 褌芯, 褔褌芯 褋邪屑 褋褞卸械褌 屑械薪褟 蟹邪褑械锌懈谢, 褟 斜褘 写邪卸械 褋泻邪蟹邪谢邪, 蟹邪写械谢 蟹邪 卸懈胁芯械, 泻薪懈谐邪 写邪谢邪褋褜 屑薪械 薪械谢械谐泻芯, 褍卸 斜芯谢褜薪芯 薪邪锌褉褟谐邪谢 褟蟹褘泻 懈 褋褌懈谢褜 邪胁褌芯褉邪. 袙 褑械谢芯屑 卸械 褉芯屑邪薪 褋泻芯褉械械 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢褋褟, 褔械屑 薪械 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢褋褟.
June 12, 2021
Jag l盲ste den l氓ngsamt och eftert盲nksamt, och b枚rjade sedan genast l盲sa om den f枚r att vara s盲ker p氓 att jag inte hade missat n氓got. Det 盲r verkligen en bok som t氓l att l盲sas m氓nga g氓nger. S氓 gripande och tragisk, rekommenderas!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.