A review by corvidfax
Chevengur by Andrei Platonov

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!)