RUSSIAN
WRITING
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A.J. Perry
Twelve Stories of Russia: A Novel, I guess
a novel, 448 pages
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Twelve Stories of Russia: A Novel, I guess is about
a young American who moves to Moscow in 1991, knowing next to nothing about
the country. In his discovery of Russia he is witness to an unsuccessful
coup, an even-less-successful rebellion, rampant inflation, unprecedented
social, economic and political change, mafia infighting, and a host of
other phenomena that characterize this period. He moves among ordinary new Russians, meeting all sorts of curious characters, learning unsuccessfully to drink vodka and discussing English grammar and the other stumbling blocs of Western culture with his Russian friends. "Why is it," his Russian friend asks, "that you Americans smile so much?" His misconceptions about Russia land him in funny and sometimes dangerous situations while at the same time allowing him to have a good look at the underside of the various social strata. |
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| Twelve Stories is an intelligent novel about contemporary
Russia. For readers seeking an alternative to the "Russia-as-menace"
genre, it offers observations on real life that are both thought-provoking
and true, providing a fresh and thoughtful perspective on Russian culture.
The author, a graduate of NU, is a young writer and translator who lives in Moscow with his Russian wife. This is his first novel. | |||
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