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lazygal's review against another edition
1.0
Very Russian - or perhaps Soviet is the better term? Set on the steppe, near the Chinese boarder, during World War II and very very bleak. I had to keep reminding myself that Petka was twelve, because he acted so much younger than that. And the aimlessness of the story around Petka's life just held no interest for me. Much more interesting was the history of the Japanese samurai clan from which Hirotaro is descended, but that was so outside the rest of the story that it didn't matter.
As the rating indicates, DNF.
As the rating indicates, DNF.
b_mcg's review against another edition
4.0
Gelasimov continues to evince a range of material and narrative style in his third novel to be translated into English. Set in a remote Russian village in the Asian steppe during WWII, following VE day and prior to VJ day, "Gods of the Steppe" paints a picture of life during the war not typically considered by Western audiences.
Petka is staunchly pro-Soviet (the certainty without understanding of a child), fantasizes about being a soldier, but is an outcast among the other boys due to his status as a bastard. Hirotaro is an introspective, thoughtful Japanese prisoner of war, outcast not only among his captors, but also among his fellow countrymen in the POW camp, even though as a doctor he provides a valuable service to both. The two serve as interesting counterpoints, both in their similar interactions within their own groups and in their differing interactions with the camp guards. When they cross paths with each other, they end up challenging each others' beliefs, but not in a stereotypical feel-good story way.
Some readers may struggle with the inner narrative of the characters that wanders freely from events in the present to seemingly unrelated events in the past, but overall it succeeds at conveying a realistic thought process without resorting to a more Joycean stream of consciousness. It is especially effective for Petka, as a young boy with little structure in his life whose attention can never remain focused in one place for too long.
Some aspects of "Gods of the Steppe" do feel more ragged than Gelasimov's previously translated novels, "Thirst" and "The Lying Year", such as the storyline involving Petka's pet wolf, and the epilogue which ties things together almost too neatly, but these are small detractions from an otherwise enjoyable story.
Petka is staunchly pro-Soviet (the certainty without understanding of a child), fantasizes about being a soldier, but is an outcast among the other boys due to his status as a bastard. Hirotaro is an introspective, thoughtful Japanese prisoner of war, outcast not only among his captors, but also among his fellow countrymen in the POW camp, even though as a doctor he provides a valuable service to both. The two serve as interesting counterpoints, both in their similar interactions within their own groups and in their differing interactions with the camp guards. When they cross paths with each other, they end up challenging each others' beliefs, but not in a stereotypical feel-good story way.
Some readers may struggle with the inner narrative of the characters that wanders freely from events in the present to seemingly unrelated events in the past, but overall it succeeds at conveying a realistic thought process without resorting to a more Joycean stream of consciousness. It is especially effective for Petka, as a young boy with little structure in his life whose attention can never remain focused in one place for too long.
Some aspects of "Gods of the Steppe" do feel more ragged than Gelasimov's previously translated novels, "Thirst" and "The Lying Year", such as the storyline involving Petka's pet wolf, and the epilogue which ties things together almost too neatly, but these are small detractions from an otherwise enjoyable story.
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