Орфики

by Alexander Ilichevsky, Александр Иличевский

Герой нового романа Александра Иличевского "Орфики", двадцатилетний юноша, вместо того, чтобы ехать учиться в американский университет, резко меняет свою жизнь. Случайная встреча с молодой женщиной, femme fatale, рушит его планы, вовлекая в сумасшедшую атмосферу начала девяностых. Одержимый желанием спасти свою подругу от огромного долга, он вступает в рискованные отношения, апофеозом которых становится "русская рулетка" в Пашковом доме - игра в смерть.

Genres: Russia

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Александр Иличевский (Rus)

Winner of The Big Book Prize (2010) and the Russian Booker Prize (2007).

Reviews

[Margarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I love books about the 90's of the 20th century in and around Russia - the time was so grand, complex and mind warping that it seems to lead to some good writing, whenever someone wants to put in an effort. None of this writing would be complete without a bit of the bizarre, and some books are more so than others - Devil's Wheel by Gigolashvili comes to mind. Ilichevsky's book is also of that type - there is all the frantic feeling of the 90's, but also the ultimate morbid and bizarre experience of anyone trying to start a life in that vortex. The story line also connects it to the naughts, which as many know, could not have happened the way they did, had the crazy self-destructive 90's not come before them. The book and its final chapter especially, both read like a collective mind torrent of the times, the thrill of the free fall and the guilt for the deaths that came after can probably never be erased from its memory. A very good book, and I am looking forward to reading Matisse, Persian, and Matemalik.