Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Other Stories
Maxim Osipov

Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Other Stories by Maxim Osipov

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Maxim Osipov's ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, AND OTHER STORIES hits chillingly close to home no matter where we are or what we want to think. "I'd been given a glimpse of a little slice if the world...a very brief glimpse of a very little slice -- but I saw it. I did." A masterpiece. The prose in this collection is everything I love about translated Russian lit. It makes English sound better. Osipov longs to find that kind of beauty everywhere, the beauty of classical music. But he's too observant to find it.

Another favorite bit (quoted with irony, considering Osipov's achievement): "If you ignore everything man-made, it's very beautiful indeed."

Favorite story: "After Eternity: The Notes of a Literary Director"



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