My Life at First Try

by Mark Budman

This semi-autobiographical debut novel chronicles the life of Alex, born in Siberia in 1950, and his dreams of becoming a writer and of meeting Annie, his distant American cousin. As a child, Alex observes a group of foreign tourists do something that non-drunk Soviet adults seldom do: they laugh. Alex yearns to become one of them—a free and happy foreigner. Those aspirations quickly fade as Alex begins to encounter the absurdities and constraints of living in a society where conformity is institutionalized. Hilarious and sometimes sobering, the book’s short chapters chronicle making it through the army, mastering the English language, sex, and meeting the girl of his dreams. In 1980, Alex and his young family finally get the chance to move to America. There he realizes that he is finally a foreigner—not the happy foreigner of his dream, but an alien. Ultimately, Alex finds his own place in the world, despite the fact that having the right “to vote for an elephant or an ass” does not necessarily guarantee self-fulfillment.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2008

About the author

I’m a first-generation immigrant. My novel “My Life at First Try” was published by Counterpoint Press. I have published two short story collections with Livingston Press and two anthologies with Ooligan Press. My work has been featured in publications including Catapult and the Mississippi Review. My latest collection received a starred review from Kirkus, and Kirkus also named it one of the best books of 2023, and one anthology had an honorable mention in the 2022 Foreword Indies Award.


markbudman.com


A trailer for his anthology "You have Time for This."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfOw1...
***
Mark Budman’s "My Life at First Try," is smart and funny and compelling, and in an era when both the immigrant experience and the resurgent aggression of the once-Soviet Russia are central issues, the novel is timely, as well. This is a splendid debut by an important new American voice.

Robert Olen Butler, a Pulitzer Prize winner, the author of "Intercourse" and "Severance"
***
A review of "My Life at First Try" in Publishers Weekly.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/artic...

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant semi-autobiographical story of an immigrant, the story stark, funny and beautiful. I read this book in one sitting, anxious to see what happened, and was continually astounded by Budman's unique prose.

[Cachambers3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What was most stunning about this book is Mark Budman's ability to combine sparse language with wit and keen assessments of the world from an individual's point of view. The observations about American life were fresh and insightful, and something that is not easy to pull off. Within the recounting of the seemingly mundane, the most interesting and profound nuggets of wisdom are found.

I adore the structure of this book. Each short chapter begins with the first two sentences setting the reader in year and age of the main character. We journey through almost an entire life and fully believe in this character and what he has endured, discovered, joyed at, and been sorrowful over. Throughout, the thread of hope links all of this. It is as if the real American dream has been pointed out to the reader, with all its faults and its remarkably wonderful essence.

There are other points to speak of, specifically the treatment of language itself, that this short review does no justice to. I have picked up books lately, read a bit, and been disappointed. This is, without a doubt, not one of them.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Budman strings together moments in the life of a man who is born in Stalinist Russia, emigrates to the U.S. as a young adult, and builds up a career as an electronics engineer until he's laid off in the economic downturn in the early years of this century. The chapters feel disjointed at first, but bits of connective narrative tissue do emerge: concerns and obsessions that linger with Alex over the decades. Still, it felt like voice was one of the main priorities here, and Alex's first-person narration is a strong factor in the book's success--even as life gets him down, even when you recognize he's being a bit of a fool, you're likely to find yourself rooting for Alex.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this semi-autobiographical debut novel, Mark Budman chronicles the story of Alex born in Siberia in 1950 and follows his dreams of becoming a writer to America where he wins a visa lottery is able to leave the Soviet Union. This book is unique, lol funny at times and genuinely tender. I look forward to other works by this author.

[Nina Kossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a naïve child's eye view of Soviet life, then, a young man's eye view of Soviet life: I'm still in the first half of the book, and enjoying it immensely! A wonderful biography. Highly recommended.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book. The writing style is different and refreshing -minimal words, not many emotions and flowery language at all. Dry humor. And while tragic at times, you will not feel it. He humors the situation rather than dwelling on it. "Get up! Shame on you, private. You are a student, gonna be an engineer soon[...:]What kind of officer will you be? [...:]" I get up. When I am an officer, I'll order you to crawl from here to Moscow. with the full pack. On your eyebrows. That will teach my subordinates how to be fit." During the first half, when he describes his life in the former USSR, his stories are full of misery, but he will always turn them into something that makes you laugh. "Tragedy makes a rich blood meal for a growing plant. Comedy adds water. This book is a balance of both." Aside from the humor, I quite enjoyed being taken back to communism and what it felt like growing up, although I realize that Russians had it much harder than us East Germans. Then his immigration to the US. Interesting observations, similar to the ones I made when I arrived. His friend that never asks him anything personal, never returns his phone calls. Work, and how it consumes life. Food. "All you can eat - a concept unheard of back in the old country and probably anywhere in the world. That's because America produces too much food and has no idea what to do with its excess except for ramming it down our throats."

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like Natasha by David Bezmogis, this is a series of short stories about the same person aging, in this case, from 4 to 56. Rarely for me I couldn't finish it. Not so rarely, what kept me from being able to finish was the lack of narrative force. Bezmogis's stories were actual stories. These very short chapters are so slight as to be mere vignettes. They are like snapshots of a life at various times, weakly strung together on the premise of aging. Each chapter begins with the year and the age of the narrator at that time. The life isn't even all that interesting, although it reinforces the experiences of the Soviet immigrants I knew.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me. The writing in this semi-autobiographical Russian immigrant tale was beautiful. I tend to prefer simpler prose, the "why use two words when you can use one" adage (as is referenced in this book), and this style is definitely stark, though very poignant and unique as well. The progression of the story didn't nab me, though, which is why I didn't rate it higher. I just wasn't as emotionally invested as I expected to be. Nonetheless, a good, fast, enjoyable read with highly memorable writing.

[JanieH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book and I tried really hard to let it draw me in emotionally. The writing was beautiful and the story line had so much promise, but somehow I failed to connect emotionally to this book. The chapters were too short and often lacked a fluid connection. I kept reading and did make it to the end, but I actually felt a little relieved to get there. I debated between two and three stars for this and finally gave it a 3 based upon the writing, which no one will be able to argue is wonderfully crafted.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read. As an online friend of the author, I expected a different book, altogether, so this was like reading someone I don't know at all. A series of short short stories strung together to be a novel in stories, it is semi autobiographical (although I didn't recognize the lead character as the author at all. ) It is light reading, and the journey of a Russian Jew who makes his way to America, though seemingly American from childhood.

[Marvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This mildly amusing novel is told as sort of a memoir from early childhood in Siberia through emigration as an 30-year-old engineer, with wife (a doctor) and child to the U.S. It's told in very simple language as a series of short (mostly 2-5 pages) set pieces--scenes, if you will--in his life that somehow do give a sense of the shape of his life but don't really add up to a lot.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful fast and easy read about a modern-day Russian immigrant. With wry humor Budman pokes fun at himself, and both Russia and America. Never mean, realistic internal dialogue about Alex and the worlds he lives in.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a guy who grew up in the Soviet Union in the 60s/70s and emigrated to the U.S. in the late '80s. Much pessimistic observations of both communism and capitalism. Very witty, enjoyable. Several wonderfully written paragraphs throughout book that deserve a second reading.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific book for those of us who think life is absurd, and that humor in the face of hardship is perhaps the most noble response imaginable.

Self-deprecation never felt so uplifting. Highly recommended.

[Avital · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this lovely book, a semi-autobiography. The Russian protagonist’s trip to the U.S. or rather, to his American cousin starts with dreams and ends with a struggle. The experiences are divided: each part counting ten years, and are told with a lot of wit and insight.

[Melanie]

How to resist something described as "Borat meets Interpreter of Maladies..."?

[Marie]

Book is on order

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice book for a first novel. very funny, in a russian-gee-i-just-chopped-off-my-foot sort of a way. worth reading for insight of soviet, then russian life then life in the good ol' usa.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned from this book that it's hard to write a novel.