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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
Not so easy to describe this one. Damn funny, though.
that it exists at all is a more profound satire of the stupid, tiny world the rich built for themselves than anything in the actual novel tbh. so well done and shame on you, shteyngart, u shant get me again
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
http://dsbs42.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/absurdistan-%E2%80%93-review-%E2%80%93-12/
I enjoyed this book but I think my lack of knowledge about Russia meant that I missed out on a lot of the humor. I still thought it was funny-for some reason I’m not sure I can articulate, it reminded me of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao…maybe just because both featured an overweight doomed hero? This was a good book to curl up on the couch with and I really appreciated its brand of dark humor. I particularly enjoyed the narrator’s descriptions of the people he encounters on his misadventures.
Absurdistan is a perfect title for the book. It immediately indicates the stance Shteyngart takes in the war on terror, but in an entertaining spoofy way. I agree with another reader of the book in that the narrator talks about his khui way too much. I noticed the nyt article mentions Borat, and I agree that Misha Vainberg echoes Borat but if you read this book's predecessor, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, you'll know that Shteyngart is remaining true to his own voice. The spoof was entertaining for the first 300 pages and then the Absurdistanis started blowing things up and, even though I knew it was coming, I still couldn't reconcile the characters with which the author sets the book up and a very sobering, albeit fictional, national religious uprising.
Couldn't get through the first few chapters! Too much rambling and not enough action!
Quirky, odd, well-written, often confusing, certainly educational.