Reviews

Chevengur by Andrei Platonov

corvidfax's review

dark funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the Soviet condition directly from someone who not only lived through its beginnings but genuinely believed in its promises. Not only is Platonov's language unique and poetically unmatched, but his ability to humanize and draw forth the hunger and yearning of his "orphaned" people with clarity and honesty--and not a small amount of irony--deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience.

(Also, kudos to the translators, for whom Platonov must have been an especially challenging task, but they did so well!)

mateaaah's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

spadeano's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

heavenlyspit's review

adventurous challenging sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

schellenbergk's review

The Washington Post gave this a great review, so I had high expectations. I found it rambling, unfocused, lacking memorable characters. It’s a one-joke book stretched over 600’pages.

mishasw's review against another edition

4.0

Woah. Woah. How to review this or even summarize it... basically it's don Quixote but Don Quixote is trying to bring about communism instead of chivalry. The catch is that while the main character has this protective level of irony and satire, everyone he interacts with is profoundly suffering. A book that bucks all genres, incredible!

encgolsen's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

The author of this novel was initially a true believer in the communist revolution in Russia; this fatalistic, absurdist and often lyrical novel is the product of his experiences. It's no wonder it was suppressed for 60 years, given the confusion, despair and end times yearning it depicts as villagers attempt to somehow trigger communism from within. A Russian blend of Don Quixote and Waiting for Godot, mournfully comic and doomed from the start.

varvara12's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

jennystacy1212's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

ancab's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75