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laradk's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
djbeyers75's review against another edition
4.0
After winning a copy of this book through a Goodreads contest, I received a copy from the Canadian publisher. I was not disappointed.
Readable and engaging, the story is narrated by a young boy, Yuri, previously wounded by an accident. The head injuries he sustained leave him both naive and cunningly observant. With few inhibitions, he speaks candidly and discovers that others are drawn to him and confess their deepest and darkest secrets. Although considered an "idiot" by many, the boy often perceives more clearly what others fail to see.
Whether the author intended it or not, the choice of the word idiot is striking to me. It is the word that makes this book a good work of satire. Unlike our modern understanding of idiot as a derogatory and offensive term, the word held a different meaning to the Greeks: an idiot was one who did not participate in the political world and often was ignorant of it. Yuri is just that; he is shockingly ignorant of the Soviet state. As such, he is unthreatened by the powers of the state, enabling him with a certain freedom around the men he meets. His lack of fear for the leaders allows him to enter into their inner circle.
What follows in the book is an entertaining, shocking, and at times, disturbing tale of a boy thrusted into an imaginary world of the Soviet leaders of the early 1950s.
The Zoo is an engaging and quick read. I highly recommend it.
Readable and engaging, the story is narrated by a young boy, Yuri, previously wounded by an accident. The head injuries he sustained leave him both naive and cunningly observant. With few inhibitions, he speaks candidly and discovers that others are drawn to him and confess their deepest and darkest secrets. Although considered an "idiot" by many, the boy often perceives more clearly what others fail to see.
Whether the author intended it or not, the choice of the word idiot is striking to me. It is the word that makes this book a good work of satire. Unlike our modern understanding of idiot as a derogatory and offensive term, the word held a different meaning to the Greeks: an idiot was one who did not participate in the political world and often was ignorant of it. Yuri is just that; he is shockingly ignorant of the Soviet state. As such, he is unthreatened by the powers of the state, enabling him with a certain freedom around the men he meets. His lack of fear for the leaders allows him to enter into their inner circle.
What follows in the book is an entertaining, shocking, and at times, disturbing tale of a boy thrusted into an imaginary world of the Soviet leaders of the early 1950s.
The Zoo is an engaging and quick read. I highly recommend it.
samstillreading's review against another edition
3.0
I have a thing for books that are set in Communist era Eastern Europe. Maybe it’s because I have people close to me that lived through it, maybe it’s just me being nosey. Whatever the reason, give me a book set there and I’ll devour it. I don’t think The Zoo was in my possession more than 24 hours before I’d slipped it into my handbag to read at any convenient break.
The Zoo is a quirky satire of the last days of Stalin’s regime in the Soviet Union. All the details are a bit obscure, but if you know some Communist history, you will find several familiar faces and actions. To lighten the mood, the story is told in the first person by Yuri, a 12 year old boy who is broken. Not in spirit, but in body. Yuri has to be the unluckiest little boy in the Kapital after being hit by multiple things. There’s a part of his brain that doesn’t quite work, but he’s all heart. Plus, Yuri’s father has given him rules to live by including never to mention politics and changing your underwear. When Yuri and his father are suddenly taken from the apartment at the Kapital Zoo, they are naturally frightened. Yuri’s father has been asked to treat someone who is, but definitely isn’t, Comrade Iron-Man. Uncle Joe. The problem is that Yuri’s dad is a vet, not a human doctor. But Comrade Iron-Man takes a special liking to Yuri and his bald, but well-meaning questions. He makes Yuri his official food taster, which means he sees a lot of the Kapital’s finest at their not so fine…
The Zoo is a cleverly written satire with both obvious and not-so-obvious clues and symbols as to life in the 1950s Soviet Union. I loved how Yuri exchanged a zoo of animals for a zoo of politicians (maybe there’s something to say about the current political climate). Uncle Joe is a character that you can’t love, but you can’t quite hate either. At this point, he’s a broken, dying man who occasionally shows a flicker of compassion in Yuri’s presence. With his subordinates, he tries desperately to hold the fort, forcing his staff to do a lot of degrading things. But he never quite reaches the heights of power that Yuri tells us. And as for his fate…I found the ending not quite surprising as I knew these people were capable of everything, but a little sad. Yes, sad for Stalin. Or not Stalin. Because he was never there, you see.
Christopher Wilson adds to the satire by including some tender scenes that come almost out of the blue. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but they are unexpected and bring a tear to the eye. He reminds us that beyond the drinking, eating and drunken humiliation lies something more sinister in the Kapital. The casual references and actual violence of some of the inner members of the Kapital take the reader backwards to remind us that this wasn’t all fun and awkward questions from Yuri. Yuri is adorable, but the darker parts of the book help to make the story feel a bit more personal rather than a caricature.
Overall, The Zoo was equal parts dry wit and satire. Definitely worth reading if you like your books razor sharp!
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The Zoo is a quirky satire of the last days of Stalin’s regime in the Soviet Union. All the details are a bit obscure, but if you know some Communist history, you will find several familiar faces and actions. To lighten the mood, the story is told in the first person by Yuri, a 12 year old boy who is broken. Not in spirit, but in body. Yuri has to be the unluckiest little boy in the Kapital after being hit by multiple things. There’s a part of his brain that doesn’t quite work, but he’s all heart. Plus, Yuri’s father has given him rules to live by including never to mention politics and changing your underwear. When Yuri and his father are suddenly taken from the apartment at the Kapital Zoo, they are naturally frightened. Yuri’s father has been asked to treat someone who is, but definitely isn’t, Comrade Iron-Man. Uncle Joe. The problem is that Yuri’s dad is a vet, not a human doctor. But Comrade Iron-Man takes a special liking to Yuri and his bald, but well-meaning questions. He makes Yuri his official food taster, which means he sees a lot of the Kapital’s finest at their not so fine…
The Zoo is a cleverly written satire with both obvious and not-so-obvious clues and symbols as to life in the 1950s Soviet Union. I loved how Yuri exchanged a zoo of animals for a zoo of politicians (maybe there’s something to say about the current political climate). Uncle Joe is a character that you can’t love, but you can’t quite hate either. At this point, he’s a broken, dying man who occasionally shows a flicker of compassion in Yuri’s presence. With his subordinates, he tries desperately to hold the fort, forcing his staff to do a lot of degrading things. But he never quite reaches the heights of power that Yuri tells us. And as for his fate…I found the ending not quite surprising as I knew these people were capable of everything, but a little sad. Yes, sad for Stalin. Or not Stalin. Because he was never there, you see.
Christopher Wilson adds to the satire by including some tender scenes that come almost out of the blue. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but they are unexpected and bring a tear to the eye. He reminds us that beyond the drinking, eating and drunken humiliation lies something more sinister in the Kapital. The casual references and actual violence of some of the inner members of the Kapital take the reader backwards to remind us that this wasn’t all fun and awkward questions from Yuri. Yuri is adorable, but the darker parts of the book help to make the story feel a bit more personal rather than a caricature.
Overall, The Zoo was equal parts dry wit and satire. Definitely worth reading if you like your books razor sharp!
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
helbest_coskun's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
wind_up_hen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Funny but also so interesting - genuinely felt attached to Yuri
delsim's review against another edition
4.0
If you liked this book, watch the movie, Death of Stalin. Very similar premise and humour.
jordancattley's review against another edition
4.0
interesting perspective but gave the history some life
flajol's review against another edition
3.0
A satirical exploration of Stalin's last days through the eyes of a naive yet world-wise twelve-year-old.
Yuri was hit by a horse cart and then a tram at age 6, causing brain damage which has rendered him the target of bullying at school. At home, he assists his father who is a vet at the city zoo, and hopes for the eventual return of his mother from a work camp. His father gives him advice on how to survive in a harsh society, which Yuri helpfully passes on to us:
Don't slouch. Don't smile at strangers. People misunderstand. These are grave times. Be warned. Blow your nose, you're dribbling. Pay close attention. Stop gibbering like a demented gibbon. Mind your manners. Stay on your guard. Try not to scuff your shoes when you walk. Brush your teeth, morning and evening. Get an early night when you can. Keep your head down. Change your underpants. Don't confide in strangers. Shut the door for pity's sake. Keep your lips sealed. If people ask you awkward questions, act simple-minded. Go to the lavatory when you can. You don't know when the chance will come again. Don't prattle on like a total idiot. Above all, don't mention politics, or voice opinions off the top of your head.
When his father is dragged out of the home to treat Stalin (all his doctors have 'disappeared'), Yuri is taken along too. Having captured the old man's attention, Yuri is kept behind when his father is ushered off, and he enters into a surreal existence as the Iron Man's food taster and confidant. What follows is a fortnight of Yuri observing the upper circle of paranoid government at work.
Yuri's observations and attitude add humour and humanity to a harsh and heartbreaking tale. I wasn't always comfortable in my laughter, or in my pity towards characters who really did not deserve that sentiment. I don't think this a book to like, really, but I'm glad I read it.
Yuri was hit by a horse cart and then a tram at age 6, causing brain damage which has rendered him the target of bullying at school. At home, he assists his father who is a vet at the city zoo, and hopes for the eventual return of his mother from a work camp. His father gives him advice on how to survive in a harsh society, which Yuri helpfully passes on to us:
Don't slouch. Don't smile at strangers. People misunderstand. These are grave times. Be warned. Blow your nose, you're dribbling. Pay close attention. Stop gibbering like a demented gibbon. Mind your manners. Stay on your guard. Try not to scuff your shoes when you walk. Brush your teeth, morning and evening. Get an early night when you can. Keep your head down. Change your underpants. Don't confide in strangers. Shut the door for pity's sake. Keep your lips sealed. If people ask you awkward questions, act simple-minded. Go to the lavatory when you can. You don't know when the chance will come again. Don't prattle on like a total idiot. Above all, don't mention politics, or voice opinions off the top of your head.
When his father is dragged out of the home to treat Stalin (all his doctors have 'disappeared'), Yuri is taken along too. Having captured the old man's attention, Yuri is kept behind when his father is ushered off, and he enters into a surreal existence as the Iron Man's food taster and confidant. What follows is a fortnight of Yuri observing the upper circle of paranoid government at work.
Yuri's observations and attitude add humour and humanity to a harsh and heartbreaking tale. I wasn't always comfortable in my laughter, or in my pity towards characters who really did not deserve that sentiment. I don't think this a book to like, really, but I'm glad I read it.