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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
challenging
informative
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A fascinating novel that plays with the boundaries of historical fiction and the political narratives we internalize ourselves. We follow an unnamed narrator researching his favorite author and finds out that he shares that passion with Vadim Baranov, a former political operative in Putin's (aka the Csar's) regime. Baranov then takes over the narrative, retelling his life story and his perspective on key historical moments and Russian culture. While I didn't have a lot of familiarity with Russian history, I think the constant questioning of the unreliable narrator only solidified the novel's themes of power and controlling the narrative further. Baranov is a captivating character, able to wax philosophical about his childhood and Russian culture while also demonstrating keen insight and a knack for spinning his own narrative to the audience. Overall, if you enjoy political historical narratives or simply memoir stylized novels, this could be a good fit for your TBR.
This blend of fact & fiction is well written, and quite an education about the political situation in Russia. Most of the book could be safely categorised as political satire, although the ending has more of a dystopian angle. Most of my Bookclub did not like the ending, but for me it felt in keeping with the tone of the book.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective