The Reader's Mini-Guide to New Russian Books: A Catalog of Post-Soviet Literature

by Grigory Ryzhakov

Russia has always been a mysterious country to the rest of the world. But what better way to discover Russian mentality than by reading Russian books? Considering the country’s controversial political image, it is strange that contemporary Russian literature is still in the shade compared to its classical and Soviet counterparts.
So who are the modern Russian authors and what have they been writing about? This guide to new Russian books is the first concise encyclopaedia to cover post-Soviet Russian literature. Over a hundred authors and two hundred titles are reviewed. For the convenience of readers, the mentioned books are categorized in sixteen chapters according to their themes/genres:
• Modern Russia: 1990s, Putin’s era and office prose
• Debut (modern fiction by young authors)
• The Soviet Period
• Women and Love
• Family Life
• Psychological Novel
• Religion
• Humor
• Prison Life
• Biography
• Military and War
• Political Fiction
• Utopia and Dystopia
• Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Mystery, Crime, Adventure
• Postmodernism, Magic Realism, Philosophical and Metaphysical Fiction

At the end of the book there is a table of all the titles together with their ISBN numbers so readers can search for them online (e.g. on Google or Amazon) or in libraries. Also, a list of additional useful online resources about Russian literature is included.
This guide is primarily aimed at readers who are interested in learning about modern Russia and its literature. It will also be useful for students and scholars of Russian literature, publishers and translators.

Now you can easily discover your new favorite authors in Russia.

Genres: Contemporary, Russia, Nonfiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2015

About the author

Grigory (a.k.a Grisha) Ryzhakov grew up in the Russian Far East, bathing in the icy waters of Seas of Okhotsk and Japan and playing hide-and-seek in the snowdrifts that carpeted his native town of Korsakov.

He later travelled thousands of miles to vibrant London, on the way collecting his MSc degree in biochemistry at Moscow State and PhD in molecular biology at Cambridge University.
Meanwhile, Grigory has been ceaselessly creating poems, songs and prose until eventually he wrote his debut novel "Mr Right & Mr Wrong".

"Usher Syndrome" was his first published story, also adapted for the stage and performed at London's Barons Court Theatre in 2010.
To connect with Grigory, please visit his blog: http://www.ryzhakov.co.uk

You can also find him on Twitter/Facebook - @GrigoryRyzhakov
His songs are available on SoundCloud - http://soundcloud.com/grishamcarrow

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3* of five

A darn good intro to modern Russian literature. The problem with it is there is no example of any (edited 11/19 I said un- but this book is specifically about titles translated by 2015, my error!) translated writers' writing; there's nothing to back up the author's well-informed opinion. I read a book on the films of Frances Farmer, and was left hugely frustrated by the fact there was no way for me to evaluate the author's opinions since the films weren't publicly available. They'd never been released on any home-video system from VHS down to streaming. Just as in that case, I'd love to test my responses against the author's but there's no way for me to do it!

[Imi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fantastic resource and a great starting point for anyone interested in modern Russian literature and what the Russian literary landscape looks like today. Although classic Russian literature is widely discussed, I've been a little stuck on where to start for contemporary authors, which are far less well known, at least outside of Russia. This "mini-guide" did exactly what it said on the tin and now I have a long list (or well, goodreads shelf) of modern authors to look out for. In addition, this isn't just a long list of book recommendations, as Ryzhakov also considers the context and background of the themes found in post-Soviet literature. I don't think I'd be interested in reading all of Ryzhakov's recommendations, but as he splits the chapters by genre and aims to discuss is good variety of books, there should be something for everyone here.

[KVS · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would probably be unfair to describe this work simply as a reference book. This guide is a fascinating journey into a remarkable country and the mentality of its people. It has literary merit normally expected of a work of fiction. This is non-fiction with a poetic stroke. The result is you will not be able to put it down having opened it. If you have never been interested in Russia and the Russian literature, you will be after reading this book.

This work is a product of a meticulous research, yet apart from accuracy it offers an intimate and vivid portrait of a nation in the time of struggle and hope. The author engages our empathy by drawing on his personal experiences and sharing with us his own vision. He considers the books both against the backdrop of the country’s unique history, and in the context of their authors’ private circumstances, fears and expectations. It is this joint appeal to global and private, so skilfully combined and intertwined, that makes this work so exceptional, and us - engaged and wanting to know more.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.