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The Factory
The Factory by poet and prose writer Ihor Mysiak, translated by Yevheniia Dubrova and Hanna Leliv, was published in its original Ukrainian in 2022, dedicated to the author's friend who was killed by Russia while defending his home. The following spring, Ihor himself was also killed by Russia, and a global community came together to further share his deeply poetic and insightful words.
Atmospheric and meditative, Mysiak's staccato Ukrainian storytelling paints an evocative tale of a motley and rather strange gathering of men who restore a broken-down factory aside an old, forgotten village to build and sell electronic machines assured to cause happiness. Though smoothly woven between pleasantries and mishaps, often calming, and frequently amusing, there is a deeply cutting edge of satire, fury, and rebellion to this meandering tale. In all of this, The Factory builds its own modern parable to remind the reader of love, community, and the joys of every single day, and the need-the urgency-to protect them.
Atmospheric and meditative, Mysiak's staccato Ukrainian storytelling paints an evocative tale of a motley and rather strange gathering of men who restore a broken-down factory aside an old, forgotten village to build and sell electronic machines assured to cause happiness. Though smoothly woven between pleasantries and mishaps, often calming, and frequently amusing, there is a deeply cutting edge of satire, fury, and rebellion to this meandering tale. In all of this, The Factory builds its own modern parable to remind the reader of love, community, and the joys of every single day, and the need-the urgency-to protect them.
- GenresUkraine
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2024
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 17, 2025
“You invented a device for happiness at home, but has even one device made it into a warm, living home? No. The device that was supposed to help people live happily actually helps them work—often for the benefit of others.”
This book is rather unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The novel focuses on a factory, of course, which makes machines that create happiness; over the course of the novel we follow the workers through the process of acquiring and restoring the old abandoned factory to successfully fulfilling orders and manufacturing on a larger scale. Workers and guests come and go, and ups and downs happen. It often feels light, with minor setbacks and funny incidents at the forefront, but there is definitely more going on underneath. I’m not sure I fully grasped every aspect of the commentary here, but I enjoyed the journey.
I hope that one day, more of Ihor Mysiak’s work will be translated; I would certainly pick it up.
This book is rather unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The novel focuses on a factory, of course, which makes machines that create happiness; over the course of the novel we follow the workers through the process of acquiring and restoring the old abandoned factory to successfully fulfilling orders and manufacturing on a larger scale. Workers and guests come and go, and ups and downs happen. It often feels light, with minor setbacks and funny incidents at the forefront, but there is definitely more going on underneath. I’m not sure I fully grasped every aspect of the commentary here, but I enjoyed the journey.
I hope that one day, more of Ihor Mysiak’s work will be translated; I would certainly pick it up.
December 25, 2025
I expected magical realism and instead I got very bleak literature. Nothing wrong with the writing but it was quite boring. I do get the hype, it's really beautifully written and it compares favorably to the Big literature, but I had no idea about that going in.
There's one terrific scene that turns a very common trope in Russian literature upside down and strangles it. Otherwise it's just a lot of slice of life, showing the futility of it all. What even is the meaning of happiness? The book doesn't really provide an answer, but in its avoiding of the answer it hints at one - happiness is life going on.
There's one terrific scene that turns a very common trope in Russian literature upside down and strangles it. Otherwise it's just a lot of slice of life, showing the futility of it all. What even is the meaning of happiness? The book doesn't really provide an answer, but in its avoiding of the answer it hints at one - happiness is life going on.
February 9, 2025
Rather than slice-of-life, The Factory is more like cupcakes-of-life. Within a very small town centered around a fictional factory in Ukraine, the uniqueness of each person and situation is presented in beautiful language, but matter-of-factly. From a worker who “behaved weirdly, or rather, he did whatever he felt like doing” to a “mysterious building that snuggled up against the forest like a sleeping baby,” there’s much more to wonder about than theoretical happiness machines.
Written by Ihor Mysiak, a Ukrainian poet and soldier, there are probably layers of meaning I’m missing, since I share none of that background. I would love to see those and other perspectives written up in future reviews. For readers more like me, rest assured, this story is still mesmerizing and relatable. The author’s voice (with great credit to the translators and editor) flows like an older relative sharing hard-earned wisdom mixed with local gossip. It helps to trust the author and open your mind to what he wants to share. Backstories for nicknames, tales of misplaced items or people, and partial explanations for bizarre actions are vividly described without becoming prescriptive. Unlike mainstream novels where every string ties up neatly, these loose threads reappear naturally, like a tapestry in progress, which for me proved truly satisfying.
Written by Ihor Mysiak, a Ukrainian poet and soldier, there are probably layers of meaning I’m missing, since I share none of that background. I would love to see those and other perspectives written up in future reviews. For readers more like me, rest assured, this story is still mesmerizing and relatable. The author’s voice (with great credit to the translators and editor) flows like an older relative sharing hard-earned wisdom mixed with local gossip. It helps to trust the author and open your mind to what he wants to share. Backstories for nicknames, tales of misplaced items or people, and partial explanations for bizarre actions are vividly described without becoming prescriptive. Unlike mainstream novels where every string ties up neatly, these loose threads reappear naturally, like a tapestry in progress, which for me proved truly satisfying.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews