Give Me:

by Irina Denezhkina

Published for the first time in America, an international best-selling collection based on the Russian author's passionate and disaffected youth features the stories of a Chechen soldier, a suicidal teenager, a young woman torn among three men, and more. 35,000 first printing.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Russia, Russian Literature, Contemporary, Novels, Unfinished

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Also known as: Ирина Денежкина and Irina Denejkina

Reviews

[Elena Papadopol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu cred ca este o lectura potrivita pentru oricine, insa mi-a placut - dincolo de imaginile socante, dure exista si ceva fragil, melancolic.

"Nefericirea - asta da, ii intereseaza pe toti pana in amanuntele cele mai mizere. Fericirea e banala. Este la toti la fel. N-are niciun rost sa vorbesti despre ea: in primul rand, nu vei fi inteles, in al doilea - e plicticos."

"Mi-a soptit la ureche cantecele ca pe niste versuri. De-ale lui si de-ale altora. [...] Si mi-era bine, ma simteam ca intr-un adapost antiaerian."

"Pe langa el zburau umbre, gunoi, ganduri - gandurile, la fel ca umbrele. Sau ca gunoiul."

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the way this format. It had short stories but they all seamless flow togheter making it flow like a normal story. It did feel like it was written for teens by teens. It held my attention and it was somewhat interesting. But I wasn't absolutely in love with the book but I would be interested in reading something else by Irina Denezhkina in the future

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought this was a collection of disparate short stories. Two thirds of the way through the book I realized all the stories are related, and by the end of the book I immediately wanted to start over and re-read them all again so I could map out the connections. I'm waiting to do this until I can read it all in one sitting. I would definitely read anything by this author.

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 3 out of 5]

..this book about young folks ...and for young folks...

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irina musí mať teda riadne divoké sny. Napísané to bolo super, hviezdička dole za 13-ročné trtkajúce deti – extrém, nech mi nikto nehovorí, že to je bežná vec... (vezme ju von na múrik, tam ju skláti, ona nič, ani ach ani au – no isto).

[Stan Georgiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

M-am saturat de adolescenti drogati, beti si de fete ce fac sex cu oricine. Nu vad de ce as citi ceva ce pot observa direct in realitate. Citesc carti tocmai ca sa scap de elementele ce nu imi convin.

[Adela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deși Expert a numit volumul o combinație cu accente din Salinger și Hemingway, eu nu am regăsit nimic din acești doi scriitori în paginile cărții.

Nu e vorba nici despre votca, nici despre Cola. E o suită de povești cu adolescenți decandenți și confuzi. Chitări, sex, amoruri obsesive, bilețele de dragoste absolut jenante, legături umilitoare și aleatoare sunt câteva din lait motivele cărții. Adolescența e tratată ca o boală. Toate sentimentele, care provoacă ”fluturi în stomac” au o notă de stupid.

Ultimile capitole mi-au adus aminte de American Psycho. Nu știu dacă e un lucru pozitiv sau nu.

Din cartea asta am aflat de unde vine denumirea hot-dog-ului. Nu am mâncat până acum unul și cu siguranță nu o să o fac de acum încolo.

Irina Denejkina avea 20 de ani când a scris volumul Votca-Cola, care i-a adus și o nominalizare la premiul National Bestseller al Rusiei. E impresionant modul de a nara al scriitoarei, ținând cont de vârsta ei. Totuși, mi s-ar părea trist dacă ar fi transpus realitatea, pe care o trăiește în paginile cărții.

[Krocht Ehlundovič · Rating 2 out of 5]

Desi mi dala like alebo niečo také. Ja som sa šiel vytešovať kto si ma všimol. A vidím, vidi, že tu som nič nenapísal.

Prečo asi...

Irinu som si kúpil ako milovník edície Ikaru NEO; mám odtiaľ Bananu :) Tak reku prečítam, keď mám už tie ženy... a Ruska! 90. roky, je ako návnada na potkany. Lovil som.

A dolovil.

Predstavoval som si presne ten stereotyp typickej Rusky: blondína, vysoká, kočka, modré oči, top prsia, pohŕdavý pohľad - vie, že ťa má (aj keď nechceš), chľast, dekadencia a opovážlivosť. Taká je Irina v poviedkach - a toto bol problém, moja zášť k poviedkam, neviem si ich tak vychutnať. No napriek tomu

je to bordel. Milý, ruský, dievčensko-ženským, bu: punk!

Ocenil som pasáž o zelených kontajnerových mužíkoch, to dodalo tomu dva body. Inak, well... mala niečo cez dvadsať, tak fajn - ja by som to nenapísal (reálne a na napier v jej veku, i keď som písal básne a kreslil/maľoval).

Za deň to dáš a povieš si, nahryzol som do ruskej súčasnej literatúry.
Čítaj a objavuj!

[Roberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho visto giudizi diversi, ma a me è piaciuto.

Innanzitutto per lo spaccato sulla nuova società russa e la sua gioventù, così diversa ma anche così simile a noi, o almeno ai miei ricordi dei primi anni universitari: stesso caos sentimentale e di obiettivi, stessa tranquilla confusione mentale quotidiana.

Nel racconto 'Song for lovers' poi mi è sembrato di ritrovare addirittura un pò del Bukowski che mi aveva colpito, con la sua energia vitale e reale. Ma senza quella disperazione di fondo e quel senso di sconfitta che mi sembrava fosse nell'aria.

Invece con la descrizione, senza giudizio, di una nuova 'mutazione genetica' (locale?) nella evoluzione della scoperta dei sentimenti e della vita. Non per un singolo protagonista perdente, ma per ciascuno di essi quale generale regola di vita. Aspra e difficile, per noi 'anziani' quasi inaccettabile, ma che nei racconti sembra ormai normale.

(Ma che cose arzigogolate ho scritto... spero comunque di essermi spiegato)

[Roberta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Noiosetto... storie di ragazzi svogliati, senza particolari problemi, che si fanno le paranoie tipiche dei 18anni. Mi sono piaciuti di più il racconto grottesco sugli omini verdi, il brevissimo intermezzo della moglie che pensa di uccidere il marito e la storia dei ragazzi alla colonia estiva.

[Axel Shut · Rating 2 out of 5]

bello bello "Song for lovers" (il capitolo 9 soprattutto, 4 paginette straordinarie sulla dissociazione mentale), il resto...

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jednoducho mu prísť na oči. Jednoducho pocítiť, že tri sekundy Sablinovho života, ktoré minul na Mašku, patria len jej. Dva nádychy a výdych. Štyri obehy krvi žilami a tepnami. A mozog na okamih zaujatý Maškiným obrazom. Maška postupne klesala na úroveň primitívneho organizmu.
- s. 131

3,5*

Detinské a spôsobuje to bolesti hlavy. Zároveň je to neviazaná sranda so žiadnym morálnym poučením v dohľade (a vo svete, kde rodičia takmer neexistujú či už ako hrozba alebo ako opora), kedy na seba veci nadväzujú len tak mimochodom a inak sme pevne v prítomnom "teraz". Občas (2x) si dovolí zájsť do niečoho temnejšieho a dospelejšieho (smrť, strata ilúzií ohľadom budúcnosti, pretnutý kontakt s rodinou, paranoje vo vzťahoch) a vtedy autorka kraľuje. Platí - čím kratší text, tým údernejší.

S tým množstvom nadávok sa to nepochybne chce tváriť veľmi drsne, akože by mi to jednu riadnu pridrbalo, ale v skutočnosti je to jak pes na dedine. Šteká, nekúše. Autorka si udržuje jeden mladistvý, jasný štýl, ktorý si je vedomý tým ako je (alebo vtedy bol) iný, mladistvý a dravý. Vie, že chce šokovať a z tých stránok to možmo priveľmi kričí. Že je to predpripravené a chvíľami to "neplynie" prirodzene. Predsa vie opísať vzťahy a dospievanie a všetko prvé (lásky, drogy, sklamania) veľmi dobre, až mám nostalgiu z vecí, ktoré sa mne osobne v tom veku nestávali (branie drog s členmi kapely, rapermi, apod).

Kebyže som mladšia asi ma to vykotí omnoho viac. Kniha aj tak odsýpa rýchlo, energicky a poviedky sú takmer až nádejné. Žiaden prehnaný nihilizmus. A to je dobre. Len jednoduché a obyčajné vzťahovky. Určite vám pomôže nejaké to kultúrne povedomie o tom, čo bolo kůl na začiatku tisícročia (decká sa bavia o obľúbenej hudbe, Zemfira je spomenutá xkrát, Pelevin to isté). Atmoška je na tom chvíľami silno vystavaná, tak odporúčam pustiť si niečo ako podmaz.

Najobľúbenejšie poviedky a jedna, z ktorej mi je doteraz grcno:

Valeročka = perfektné zobrazenie letného tábora a všetkých s tým spojených stratí.
Decká v tábore - drzí smradi, leto, vychovávateľka - neurotička Lýdia Michajlovna. Prvý sex, riadna nespokojnosť a strata ilúzií. Veľmi pekne je  opísané, ako sa decká oťukávajú, hľadajú (aj seba) a sú tak celkovo na vážkach, čo robiť.
Hento autorke sedí, text pekne plynie, je v ňom cítiť letnú nostalgiu, ktorá nie je zase prehnane romantizovaná, ale občas sa za ňou predsa obzrieš. Uveritelné machrovačky s raperskými textami som ocenila, lebo si matne na niečo podobné spomínam u seba.

Vasia = Ufóni ľudožrúti a znásilňovači, groteskné násilie, zanedbanie dieťaťa, možný postapo setting, veľmi depresívne. Ešte aj de Sade mal v sebe viac jemnocitu pri niektorých opisoch vrážd a sexuálneho napádania. Neviem, aké drogy človek berie, aby toto napísal a som si istá, že autorka presne takú reakciu odomňa očakáva. Ťažký hnoj, ktorý sa ani nejde tváriť, že sa na ňom niečo zmysluplné urodí. Tak nech, je to vlastne aj celkom okúzľujúce, keď si autorku predstavím, jak sa na mne teraz škerí, akoby som prvýkrát po opici blvala a ona mi musí držať vlasy nad wc. Len ja to tu potom dočítavam s krajnou nechuťou.

Postskriptum = Podobná úchylnosť ako Vasia, len prvá osoba, ženský pohľad. O dosť silnejšie, znepokojujúcejšie a realistickejšie aj so všetkými grafickými opismi párania tiel, vydlabávania očí a pod. Chorá mentalita a rozprávačka, na ktorú sa nedá spoľahnúť, to si do pamäte uložím narozdiel od Vasku, ktorého chcem zapudiť.

Ty a ja = Medzigeneračná vzťahovka. Úderná, rýchla, na tri strany a ty sa cítiš o 20 rokov staršie.

[Carlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raccolta di racconti in alcuni dei quali ricompaiono stessi personaggi in periodi cronologici diversi delle loro vite, ma comunque ravvicinati fra loro.
A farla da padroni sono i temi giovanili, soprattutto con le parti più importanti del libro, quelle che narrano di un gruppo di amici universitari.
In queste vicende ho trovato tanti spunti interessanti, intanto nel racconto così denso di sfaccettature, con personaggi e situazioni specifiche.
Abbiamo la compagnia che si crea all'università, con i suoi giochi di simpatie e antipatie interne, la passione per la musica, sia dei ragazzi che la suonano che di quelli che la ascoltano, e delle ragazze che sbavano dietro a questi musicisti in erba che, seppur a livello amatoriale, abbracciano la filosofia e la vita del punk/rocker.
C'è l'alcol, il sesso, la droga, ma anche l'amicizia, sincera e non, e l'amore.

Interessante anche un racconto fantasy in cui l’ambiente urbano �� infestato da un popolo di straccioni cannibali, e quello finale ambientato in una colonia estiva.

Non posso dire di essere stato super coinvolto, ma non mi è dispiaciuto affatto.

I nomi mi hanno mandato in confusione non masticando il russo, mi sono trovato a confondermi spesso fra i personaggi e a non sapere in prima battuta se un nome proprio fosse maschile o femminile. Limite mio.

[Burak]

Bu kitapla ilgili dikkatimi çeken ilginç bir şey, elimdeki Türkçe basımla İngilizce basımın adlarının kitabın içindeki farklı öykülerin isimlerinden alınması oldu. Türkçe basım için isim, Bayan Ölüm Chat Odası'nda adlı daha kışkırtıcı adlı bir öyküden alınırken İngilizce basım için isim Aşıklar İçin Şarkılar gibi romantik adlı bir öyküden alınmış. Tabii kitapların kapak resimleri de buna göre değişiklik göstermiş. Aslında öykü kitapları için yararlı olabilecek bir uygulama. Okur kitlesine ve döneme göre pazarlama çeşitliliği.

[Laetitia]

J'�tais ravie de trouver un recueil de nouvelles (genre que j'aime beaucoup) �crit par une autrice Russe contemporaine (pays que je connais mal et qui m'int�resse). Malheureusement, j'ai abandonn� au cours de la deuxi�me nouvelle (page 68, m�me pas le tiers du livre poche...). Je n'ai pas r�ussi � m'attacher aux personnages que j'ai trouv� trop pu�rils. Le style d'�criture ne m'a pas emball�e (peut-�tre trop adolescent ?). Et enfin, je n'ai pas trouv� grand int�r�t aux histoires... Ce trio de d�ception a eu raison de ma pers�v�rance, assez t�t d'ailleurs...

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for over a decade but somehow did not. I remember it being an internet sensation a long time ago mainly because it was written by a then teenager.

It's not bad, but not as shocking as I expected.

[Merja · Rating 4 out of 5]

En yleensä lue novelleja, mutta nämä liittyivät vissiin kaikki toisiinsa, joten kokonaisuudesta tuli ihan mukava paketti. Lukiessa tätä, tuli jotenkin niin venäläiset "vibat".

I don't think this book has been translated to English so I won't review it in English.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Podobało mi się przedstawienie życia studenckiego w książce, ale nie podobało mi się randomowość oddzielnych powieści. Niektóre nie miały żadnego związku ze sobą. Ale ja w ogóle nie przepadam za zbiorem opowiadań w jednej książce. 👍🏻

[Cassie Fleurs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this stories, they are so heartfell and excentlly written.

I dont even like short stories but i can crack this book open any time and enjoy it. As much as the first time i read it.

[Paul-Adrian Mihai · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dreptate nu are acela care are dreptate, ci acela care e fericit."

[Chuckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this in 2004, and found the stories fun and interesting. They depict daily life in Russia for mostly teens/young adults in the 90s. In many of the stories the characters are meandering through their days and nights, many focused only on appearances, drinking, music, and sex. But within there is a search for something more; often it gets suppressed out of a sense of embarrassment.

During a book shelf thinning two years ago I realized I had not reread this even though I had thought highly of the book when I first read it, and I considered getting rid of it. I sat down and started reading the first story just to get a feel for it, I'm two decades older and a book about young people might not interest me. I ended up reading them all that day and decided to keep it. The stories capture the place and time; newly democratic Russia, in the 90s, the feel is a deeply European version of the same angst American young people felt in the post cold-war era. I think when people think of that period in Russia they think of the rise of the Oligarchs and strong materialism but deep down these young people are even indifferent to that.

The titular story, "Give Me" sums up the overall vibe of the collection. The narrator is a young woman drifting through her university studies succeeding almost in spite of her best efforts. She goes though a litany of boyfriends before settling on a musician "husband" who seems indifferent to her; so she tries out a few more, one a rap fanatic with a terribly inappropriate name (but not shocking that it would be non-problematic in Russia), the other a young Chechen war veteran whose cool and calm demeanor conceals raging survivors guilt and resentment towards the rest of society. Meanwhile she can't help but compare herself to her friend who has curves and... such great eyebrows, and uses them to land a rich married man. The last line in the story, spoken by one of the men in a sudden moment of seriouness after she suggested ending their pointless relationship, says it all "No more messing around".

Another great story, "The Children's Collective", follows several characters at a summer camp for Russian's new wealthy and privileged class, sent there by parents who are ironically somehow nostalgic for the camaraderie they experienced at such places under the soviet state. This camp is of course nothing what the parents think it will be, in that as many of the boys are focused on drinking, sex, and violence, and many girls are simply focused on landing a boyfriend from the worst of that group. In all this, a camp counselor who feels powerless due to her charges parents' status, worries over how the violence one boy faces may come back on her. This boy and one girl who he tries to befriend are the only ones here who reject pretenses, but in the end both give in to it, he through giving in to violence, she through rejecting her feelings.

"Songs For Lovers" could have been written better; it depicts several young people who want to make a real emotional connections, but it never works out, either their friends seem to sabotage them or they ruin things for themselves not knowing what they really want or denying it. It is a difficult read because the story is told from changing POVs, usually from the third person but it begins from the first person for several sections. There are also jumps forward and backward in time, which lends to the confusion. All that said, after rereading sections several times to figure out who is who and clarify when a flashback starts and stops, the story itself is very good.

There were some misses for me, "The Little Green Men" felt like it wasn't quite completed yet, like it needed more revision and refining. There are also several very short stories that missed for me, they also felt like experimental efforts and likely included here just to fill it out.

There is however one very short story (not even five pages) that was very entertaining, "Isupov", that depicts a journalism student's infatuation with a goofy student, which entertains her friend to no end. Great ending.

I wondered about the accuracy and quality of the translation. While I can't attest to the accuracy, I can say everything flowed nicely and nothing seemed awkward, nothing felt "lost" due to idiom and slang not being conveyed in English, very well done.

[Félix Vanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merci à Lola pour l’ajout à son goodreads de ce livre il y a plusieurs années. Je dois dire que ma théorie s’avère exacte plus les années passent et que j’expérimente.

J’ai acheté ce livre en 2023? (À peu près) et c’est après plusieurs mois d’attente que j’ai reçu l’édition datant de 2004. Après, il est resté dans ma pile jusqu’à un certain jour de février 2025 et c’est là que j’ai commencé à le lire.

Bref, c’est un bon livre parlant d’adolescents, d’amour, d’espoir, de musique et du quotidien. Le tout, dans un contexte dur et quasi sovietique (limite dystopique par moment). Je pensais pas savourer ce livre à ce point. Merci la vie de l’avoir mis sur mon chemin. Des chapitres comme « Toi et moi », j’aimerais pouvoir vivre ce sentiment une fois de plus dans ma vie.

[Irina]

Someone said that this book is acombination between Salinger and Hemingway, personally, I haven't found anything like that in its pages.

First of all, it's not about vodka nor Cola, it is a series of stories about confuse, decadent teenagers. Guitars, sex, obsessive love stories, embarrassing love notes, random humiliating love connections are just some of the "leit-motifs" of the book. The adolescence is seen like a disease, and all childish feelings seem stupid.
The last chapters brought American Pshyco to my mind, I'm not sure if that's a positive thing.

Irina Denejkina was 20 years old when she wrote this volume, the book almost won the award for Russian Bestseller of the year.

[Koki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Osobne nerada čítam poviedky (čo je dosť zarážajúce vyhlásenie od osoby, ktorá poviedky píše), avšak Irina ma celkom zaujala. Jej jednoduchý, ľahko zrozumiteľný štýl písania má niečo do seba. Používa veľa slangov i vulgarizmov. Možno aj vďaka tomu stoja jej poviedky za prečítanie. Osobne ma najviac zaujali opisy osôb. Dovolím si na ukážku jeden citovať: "Stojíme úžasne vypeknené v metre - ja mám tesné tričko a šortky, ktoré sa končia skôr ako sa začali, Volkovová má dlhé modré šaty, ktoré ukazujú, kde má prsia a kde zadok, všetko veľké, šťavnaté. Vlasy má svetlé, starostlivo učesané a nalakované. Nos má veľký, ale nešpatí ju. Robí jej imidž." Zvyšok recenzie nájdete tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.sk/2007/10/da...

[Gijs Grob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gelezen in de Nederlandse vertaling van Madeleine Mes.

Korte en langere verhalen over tieners en jongeren die teveel chatten, drinken, roken en vrijen in het huidige Rusland.

Literair niet veel waard, maar wel vaak voorzien van een sterk neergezette sfeer van verveling en uitzichtloosheid, met het surrealistische verhaal 'Vasja' over groene mannetjes als uitschieter.

[Erica Chang · Rating 4 out of 5]

although a little overrated, i still like the stories. she made me realized that as bad and as boring teenaghood is, it's still much better than being old. teenagers get away with everything. also, ppl say it reveals how lives are like for russian teenagers, which to me seems no different than north american teenagers.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't see anything new in her writing. Nothing what would interests me. Even the language- it's too simple for me! I have some doubts about veracity of described characters, they exist only on paper. I mean- do the young people in Russia are like those described in her novels? I don't think so!

[Jacqui · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have started to read this book about five times and each time I get one more page ahead but still I stop. The storyline just doesn't really go anywhere fast. Maybe in the future, I'll give this book a sixth go, it has promise.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A- Very good, but translation a bit off, and confusing at times

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book meanders (even though it's short stories) without true purpose but it is an unusual look into the lives of Russian youth and an interesting read.