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A review by brisingr
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko
4.0
This book was a pick for our Eastern European literature book club. If you'd like to diversify your reading alongside us, please join us! https://www.instagram.com/kultbookclub/
If you ever wondered what studying at the School of Philology in an ex-soviet/communist country is like, this book is the answer: just pure vibes, utterly severe incomprehensible teachers, and an obsession with grammar, stupidly long train journeys and terrible living conditions. I did not think that a novel about a magical school set in early 2000s Ukraine would be as captivating as it ended up being: in its familiarity, all throughout.
I admit I, even Eastern European myself, am just as guilty in my ignorance of books from the area. But oh, it does feel absolutely divine to read books that are so familiar to the mapping of my soul, from the way these people are vacationing, to Gaudeamus igitur as the school's anthem, all the way to the phrasing of the dialogue, which may sound choppy in English, but is so utterly recognizable because we all say it the same: "Close your mouth when I am talking." / "What do you want? What? Just let me die! All of you, let me die!"
I am left with a thousand more questions now that I finished this volume than when I started it, and I am fearful that I won't see a translation of the continuation any time soon. But what I do know is that, despite my expectations and the headache-inducing minuscule font, I somewhat enjoyed myself reading this. I loved the oh so familiar, communist and severe approach of the teachers, the absolute stubbornness of the main character, and the running plot and magic system that is yet to be explained, but I can already tell is so studied, and is in its own, an elegy to how I learnt language and the power of the word.
I have no idea how we are supposed to talk about this book, couldn't explain it if I tried. Literally vibes. UBB Cluj wishes it fucked this hard.
If you ever wondered what studying at the School of Philology in an ex-soviet/communist country is like, this book is the answer: just pure vibes, utterly severe incomprehensible teachers, and an obsession with grammar, stupidly long train journeys and terrible living conditions. I did not think that a novel about a magical school set in early 2000s Ukraine would be as captivating as it ended up being: in its familiarity, all throughout.
I admit I, even Eastern European myself, am just as guilty in my ignorance of books from the area. But oh, it does feel absolutely divine to read books that are so familiar to the mapping of my soul, from the way these people are vacationing, to Gaudeamus igitur as the school's anthem, all the way to the phrasing of the dialogue, which may sound choppy in English, but is so utterly recognizable because we all say it the same: "Close your mouth when I am talking." / "What do you want? What? Just let me die! All of you, let me die!"
I am left with a thousand more questions now that I finished this volume than when I started it, and I am fearful that I won't see a translation of the continuation any time soon. But what I do know is that, despite my expectations and the headache-inducing minuscule font, I somewhat enjoyed myself reading this. I loved the oh so familiar, communist and severe approach of the teachers, the absolute stubbornness of the main character, and the running plot and magic system that is yet to be explained, but I can already tell is so studied, and is in its own, an elegy to how I learnt language and the power of the word.
I have no idea how we are supposed to talk about this book, couldn't explain it if I tried. Literally vibes. UBB Cluj wishes it fucked this hard.