A review by riviasol
The Funeral Party by Lyudmila Ulitskaya

5.0

I'm writing this review from the position of an unconventional reader. I came across this book in my research of a lost relative. This relative of mine was a painter from Russia who immigrated to the US. In doing my research, I learned that this fictional book was written, or more so inspired, by him and his death. I know very little about him in reality so I cannot tell you how close to reality the book is, but that, in all honesty, is part of the pain and magic of reading this book. Ulitskaya beautiful captures the transience of life and the bonds we create along the way, how important they are in making a place our home. She writes about the mindset and experience of immigrants in such a way that is heart-wrenching and relatable at the same time. Reading this book as fiction but knowing that it had connections to a member of my family that I didn't know of, left many questions on my mind. How close to reality is the story? Despite my connection, I would recommend this book to anyone. It has instantly become one of my favorite books.