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Приключения Эраста Фандорина #12
All The World's A Stage: Erast Fandorin 11
Eliza Altairsky-Lointaine is the toast of Moscow society, a beautiful actress in an infamous theatre troupe.
Her love life is as colourful as the parts she plays. She is the estranged wife of a descendant of Genghis Khan. And her ex-husband has threatened to kill anyone who courts her.
He appears to be making good on his promise.
Fandorin is contacted by a concerned friend -- the widowed wife of Chekhov -- who asks him to investigate an alarming incident involving Eliza. But when he watches Eliza on stage for the first time, he falls desperately in love ... Can he solve the case -- and win over Eliza -- without attracting the attentions of the murderer he is trying to find?
Her love life is as colourful as the parts she plays. She is the estranged wife of a descendant of Genghis Khan. And her ex-husband has threatened to kill anyone who courts her.
He appears to be making good on his promise.
Fandorin is contacted by a concerned friend -- the widowed wife of Chekhov -- who asks him to investigate an alarming incident involving Eliza. But when he watches Eliza on stage for the first time, he falls desperately in love ... Can he solve the case -- and win over Eliza -- without attracting the attentions of the murderer he is trying to find?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
57 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Boris Akunin
295 books1,640 followersReal name - Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili (Russian: Борис Акунин; Georgian: გრიგორი შალვას ძე ჩხარტიშვილი; Аlso see Grigory Chkhartishvili, Григорий Чхартишвили), born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1956. Since 1958 he lives in Moscow. Writer and translator from Japanese. Author of crime stories set in tsarist Russia. In 1998 he made his debut with novel Azazel (to English readers known as The Winter Queen), where he created Erast Pietrovich Fandorin.
B. Akunin refers to Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and Akuna, home name of Anna Akhmatova, Russian poet.
In September of 2000, Akunin was named Russian Writer of the Year and won the "Antibooker" prize in 2000 for his Erast Fandorin novel Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs.
Akunin also created crime-solving Orthodox nun, sister Pelagia, and literary genres.
His pseudonyms are Анатолий Брусникин and Анна Борисова. In some Dutch editions he is also known as Boris Akoenin.
B. Akunin refers to Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and Akuna, home name of Anna Akhmatova, Russian poet.
In September of 2000, Akunin was named Russian Writer of the Year and won the "Antibooker" prize in 2000 for his Erast Fandorin novel Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs.
Akunin also created crime-solving Orthodox nun, sister Pelagia, and literary genres.
His pseudonyms are Анатолий Брусникин and Анна Борисова. In some Dutch editions he is also known as Boris Akoenin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 10, 2016
I think this might just be the worst book Akunin has written.
It's definitely the worst Fandorin novel, and I didn't think it was possible to surpass such boring exploits as "He, Lover of Death" or "Leviathan".
The mystery part is poor at best, not one of the characters involved in the theatre company is well developed and I couldn't differentiate between them; the ending is more absurd than usual but not even Fandorin, let alone Akunin, cared about the resolution, so it felt like an afterthought.
But the big problem here is the protagonist, who seems extremely changed from the previous books. Mid-life crisis is a bitch: he spends the whole book acting alternatively like a teenager and an old creep who lusts over a woman thirty-six years his junior while constantly undermining her as a person, and thinking about how her profession (she's an actress) makes her false, voluble, untrustworthy; and even towards the end he doesn't trust her fully when she shows her feelings, because she's probably being melodramatic, as actresses (and women) are. The rest of the time he seems to have lost his intelligence and, while trying to solve the case, makes a bunch of stupid mistakes he woulnd't have made when he was 20 (and I'm honestly starting to think that he was at his most mature when he went to war at 22).
Fandorin has been in love before; he's acted ridiculous before (and there's always been a bit of benevolent misogyny in his behaviour and thoughts), but never in such a way: it was sad and irritating to see such a great character end up like this.
The women in Erast Petrovich's life have never been a strong point of Akunin's writing: they're very often sterotypes (like Esfir from The State Counsellor), barely there (Ariadna Arkadevna from The Death of Achilles) or underdeveloped (like Angelina and many others); the only exception, in my opinion, is Ksenia Georgevna Romanova from The Coronation who, although she appeared rather briefly, was written as a thoughtful, mature young woman navigating contrasting feelings in an extremely stressful situation. But the best female character he's written in this series is definitely Needle from The State Counsellor, and I think there's a connection between the fact that she's a great character and the fact that she doesn't interact directly with Fandorin.
Here Eliza, who we're supposed to believe is Fandorin's second great love, is so badly written (apart from being incredibly self-centered and shallow she makes a bunch of idiotic decisions throughout the book) that it was impossible for me to root for her and Fandorin. Instead I hated every single page that was devoted to their relationship and especially those written from her point of view; their whole love story was a "tell, don't show" fest: they keep saying how much they are in love, how much they're confused by their feelings etc. etc., but as reader I never saw this love in their interactions.
Another thing that was irritating is the setting: it's 19-fucking-11 and Akunin, who's dealt in very interesting ways with major Russian history events in the past (the terrorists of the 1870s and 1880s, the espionage side of the war with Japan, etc.), finds nothing better to do than spend all the time inside a theatre with a bunch of self-obsessed assholes and a murder plot that makes no sense whatsoever.
So, awful. Really really awful, especially because I usually love this author and this character.
It's a bitter disappointment, given that we're in the home stretch of the series.
The less said about how it all sounds in French, the better.
It's definitely the worst Fandorin novel, and I didn't think it was possible to surpass such boring exploits as "He, Lover of Death" or "Leviathan".
The mystery part is poor at best, not one of the characters involved in the theatre company is well developed and I couldn't differentiate between them; the ending is more absurd than usual but not even Fandorin, let alone Akunin, cared about the resolution, so it felt like an afterthought.
But the big problem here is the protagonist, who seems extremely changed from the previous books. Mid-life crisis is a bitch: he spends the whole book acting alternatively like a teenager and an old creep who lusts over a woman thirty-six years his junior while constantly undermining her as a person, and thinking about how her profession (she's an actress) makes her false, voluble, untrustworthy; and even towards the end he doesn't trust her fully when she shows her feelings, because she's probably being melodramatic, as actresses (and women) are. The rest of the time he seems to have lost his intelligence and, while trying to solve the case, makes a bunch of stupid mistakes he woulnd't have made when he was 20 (and I'm honestly starting to think that he was at his most mature when he went to war at 22).
Fandorin has been in love before; he's acted ridiculous before (and there's always been a bit of benevolent misogyny in his behaviour and thoughts), but never in such a way: it was sad and irritating to see such a great character end up like this.
The women in Erast Petrovich's life have never been a strong point of Akunin's writing: they're very often sterotypes (like Esfir from The State Counsellor), barely there (Ariadna Arkadevna from The Death of Achilles) or underdeveloped (like Angelina and many others); the only exception, in my opinion, is Ksenia Georgevna Romanova from The Coronation who, although she appeared rather briefly, was written as a thoughtful, mature young woman navigating contrasting feelings in an extremely stressful situation. But the best female character he's written in this series is definitely Needle from The State Counsellor, and I think there's a connection between the fact that she's a great character and the fact that she doesn't interact directly with Fandorin.
Here Eliza, who we're supposed to believe is Fandorin's second great love, is so badly written (apart from being incredibly self-centered and shallow she makes a bunch of idiotic decisions throughout the book) that it was impossible for me to root for her and Fandorin. Instead I hated every single page that was devoted to their relationship and especially those written from her point of view; their whole love story was a "tell, don't show" fest: they keep saying how much they are in love, how much they're confused by their feelings etc. etc., but as reader I never saw this love in their interactions.
Another thing that was irritating is the setting: it's 19-fucking-11 and Akunin, who's dealt in very interesting ways with major Russian history events in the past (the terrorists of the 1870s and 1880s, the espionage side of the war with Japan, etc.), finds nothing better to do than spend all the time inside a theatre with a bunch of self-obsessed assholes and a murder plot that makes no sense whatsoever.
So, awful. Really really awful, especially because I usually love this author and this character.
It's a bitter disappointment, given that we're in the home stretch of the series.
The less said about how it all sounds in French, the better.
November 7, 2021
Some say this is book 12, others that it’s book 11 in the series, maybe both are correct as it seems to be the 11th in the series translated to English but certainly book 12 going by the date written….. either ways it’s the one im reading next in this epic series….! One that im pleased has continued after first hearing that book 10 was to be the last in the series!
Looks like we’re with the theatre in this one, we’re not given a year (although later I find out it’s 1911 via reviews) but Erast Fandorin is aged 55 so one should be able to approximate the date…. He also seems to be some sort of private detective but that isn’t really clear, perhaps he’s jus a gentleman between jobs, in all honesty it doesn’t really matter as the fellow is in fine form. The case he takes revolves around a theatre & it’s cast.
What’s it about? Well, lets jus say that someone within the cast has an unwelcome shadow, who has made threats, its an early reveal (and can be read in many a synopsis) & this is the first of our threads….. events occur & each member of the cast’s back story is peeled away as we go, all while Fandorin is “investigating” from within, very much a whodunnit style of crime, akin to Leviathan which was one of his earlier books. I’ll let you discover the rest rather than give spoilers in this review….
Did I enjoy it? I have to say the wow factor was missing when comparing to the prior few books & I did drift in (quite a few) places as the story meandered without any real intent, come page 250 I found it a real struggle to pick it up & start reading every time as the story had jus fizzled out completely for me. It’s as if Fandorin (Akunin) has lost his way ……
In continuing the series does this volume recapture that magic? I felt the books to this point were building & adding summit each time, getting better n better right through until the finale (book 10) which was brilliant, this read certainly didn’t follow in that vein. Its jus ok & although I enjoy the character Erast Fandorin & the writing of Mr Akunin this jus doesn’t fit with the rest of the series, Erast is jus “wrong”….. is it a book too far, especially after the reveals of the “last” in the series preceding this one? There’s a sorta explanation during the endings, almost an apology from Erast if you will but….. Jury’s out for me.
3 Stars is all I can give it, which even then is jus rounded up from 2.5 stars, by far one of my lowest scores for a Erast Fandorin adventure since the very early escapades where perhaps I was jus getting used to the style/translation, even so I think they were way better than this. Quite disappointed come journeys end after the initial excitement that he had decided to revisit the series & continue.
Addendum to the opening paragraph – it was indeed the next one in the series as depicted in the front of the book I noticed. It also says Black City follows this book.
Looks like we’re with the theatre in this one, we’re not given a year (although later I find out it’s 1911 via reviews) but Erast Fandorin is aged 55 so one should be able to approximate the date…. He also seems to be some sort of private detective but that isn’t really clear, perhaps he’s jus a gentleman between jobs, in all honesty it doesn’t really matter as the fellow is in fine form. The case he takes revolves around a theatre & it’s cast.
What’s it about? Well, lets jus say that someone within the cast has an unwelcome shadow, who has made threats, its an early reveal (and can be read in many a synopsis) & this is the first of our threads….. events occur & each member of the cast’s back story is peeled away as we go, all while Fandorin is “investigating” from within, very much a whodunnit style of crime, akin to Leviathan which was one of his earlier books. I’ll let you discover the rest rather than give spoilers in this review….
Did I enjoy it? I have to say the wow factor was missing when comparing to the prior few books & I did drift in (quite a few) places as the story meandered without any real intent, come page 250 I found it a real struggle to pick it up & start reading every time as the story had jus fizzled out completely for me. It’s as if Fandorin (Akunin) has lost his way ……
In continuing the series does this volume recapture that magic? I felt the books to this point were building & adding summit each time, getting better n better right through until the finale (book 10) which was brilliant, this read certainly didn’t follow in that vein. Its jus ok & although I enjoy the character Erast Fandorin & the writing of Mr Akunin this jus doesn’t fit with the rest of the series, Erast is jus “wrong”….. is it a book too far, especially after the reveals of the “last” in the series preceding this one? There’s a sorta explanation during the endings, almost an apology from Erast if you will but….. Jury’s out for me.
3 Stars is all I can give it, which even then is jus rounded up from 2.5 stars, by far one of my lowest scores for a Erast Fandorin adventure since the very early escapades where perhaps I was jus getting used to the style/translation, even so I think they were way better than this. Quite disappointed come journeys end after the initial excitement that he had decided to revisit the series & continue.
Addendum to the opening paragraph – it was indeed the next one in the series as depicted in the front of the book I noticed. It also says Black City follows this book.
June 1, 2024
знаменитый plot device подростковой литературы "мальчик и девочка влюблены друг в друга, но никак не могут поговорить словами через рот" добрался до детектива про мужика 55 лет. получилось ли у маститого автора справиться с ним лучше, чем у авторов янг адалта? не особо. а почему? потому что нет конфликта глупее, чем misunderstanding
February 6, 2018
The latest to be translated. A melodramatic mystery that happens within a theatre company, an older Fandorin is still very much active and subject to wild emotions.
(Minor spoiler alert!) While the prose is as good as ever, and one expects the protagonist to chase red-herrings, there is one cardinal sin in that Fandorin isn't exactly the one to bring full resolution to the case. Despite that slightly sour note, it's still a good read, in line with the rest of the series.
What to Expect
Each novel is written as a different type of mystery. Akunin set out to rectify the low-brow reputation of the mystery genre in post-USSR Russia by writing worthy literature and exploring the wide gamut of sub-genres. Each novel is therefore excellently written as a different type of detective case. While there is continuity in the protagonist's life between the novels, each is very different in themes and tones.
I've written a condensed review of the whole series on my website.
What I liked
I like the writing style. The prose is intelligent and flowing, the mysteries are complex, and the cast is varied (though those that make repeat appearances tend to die). Fandorin himself is a great character, even though as a main character he still remains an enigma - a tantalising mystery in itself that keeps readers engaged and clamouring to know more.
I love the historical background. Akunin has done his research into Russian culture, mannerisms, environment, personalities, etc. of the late 19th century / early 20th century. Most of the stories take place around Moscow, and Fandorin gets to meet and associate with the people of the times (from the low-life criminals of Khitrovka, to the grand-dukes of the imperial family). In a few cases, Akunin also has Fandorin active around notable events of the era, at times filling in details where history has left us stumped.
Akunin is also a Japanophile, and has Fandorin spend a few years in Japan. While details are sketchy (and we want more! More!), it is clear that he has a great love and deep knowledge of that culture and times.
What to be aware of
Be aware that each of the novel is told in a different style. Besides the obvious (something new and different in each volume), one keyword is 'told'. They are almost all in 3rd person perspective, and quite often not from the point of view of Erast Fandorin (which is both tantalising and frustrating at times). It's this distance that keeps Fandorin an enigma, and keeps us coming back to learn more.
Fandorin has a Sherlockian intellect and impressive physical prowess. He is not without his faults (most notably hubris), but as a hero he is certainly a cut above the rest. He also tends to get involved with a different femme fatale in each book. This suits the detective genre perfectly, regardless of modern sensibilities.
While the books are not really related and have few continuing characters, I'd still strongly recommend to read them in order.
Lastly, and this has nothing to do with Fandorin, since these are professional translations (amazingly done by Andrew Bromfield) via a traditional publisher, the price of ebooks and hardcovers is almost the same. The ebooks are also missing some of the illustrations and other typographical effects that are present in the print. I'd definitely recommend reading the print edition, where possible.
Summary
Should you read these novels? Yes! By all means, if you love historical mysteries these novels are a must read. It is an intelligent, engaging, and just different enough series to be in a class of its own. It's not surprising that in his home country of Russia, Akunin out-sells JK Rowling. In fact, since it's been a few years since I've read them, I think I'll go back and re-read my favourites (Winter Queen, State Counsellor, and The Coronation).
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
(Minor spoiler alert!) While the prose is as good as ever, and one expects the protagonist to chase red-herrings, there is one cardinal sin in that Fandorin isn't exactly the one to bring full resolution to the case. Despite that slightly sour note, it's still a good read, in line with the rest of the series.
What to Expect
Each novel is written as a different type of mystery. Akunin set out to rectify the low-brow reputation of the mystery genre in post-USSR Russia by writing worthy literature and exploring the wide gamut of sub-genres. Each novel is therefore excellently written as a different type of detective case. While there is continuity in the protagonist's life between the novels, each is very different in themes and tones.
I've written a condensed review of the whole series on my website.
What I liked
I like the writing style. The prose is intelligent and flowing, the mysteries are complex, and the cast is varied (though those that make repeat appearances tend to die). Fandorin himself is a great character, even though as a main character he still remains an enigma - a tantalising mystery in itself that keeps readers engaged and clamouring to know more.
I love the historical background. Akunin has done his research into Russian culture, mannerisms, environment, personalities, etc. of the late 19th century / early 20th century. Most of the stories take place around Moscow, and Fandorin gets to meet and associate with the people of the times (from the low-life criminals of Khitrovka, to the grand-dukes of the imperial family). In a few cases, Akunin also has Fandorin active around notable events of the era, at times filling in details where history has left us stumped.
Akunin is also a Japanophile, and has Fandorin spend a few years in Japan. While details are sketchy (and we want more! More!), it is clear that he has a great love and deep knowledge of that culture and times.
What to be aware of
Be aware that each of the novel is told in a different style. Besides the obvious (something new and different in each volume), one keyword is 'told'. They are almost all in 3rd person perspective, and quite often not from the point of view of Erast Fandorin (which is both tantalising and frustrating at times). It's this distance that keeps Fandorin an enigma, and keeps us coming back to learn more.
Fandorin has a Sherlockian intellect and impressive physical prowess. He is not without his faults (most notably hubris), but as a hero he is certainly a cut above the rest. He also tends to get involved with a different femme fatale in each book. This suits the detective genre perfectly, regardless of modern sensibilities.
While the books are not really related and have few continuing characters, I'd still strongly recommend to read them in order.
Lastly, and this has nothing to do with Fandorin, since these are professional translations (amazingly done by Andrew Bromfield) via a traditional publisher, the price of ebooks and hardcovers is almost the same. The ebooks are also missing some of the illustrations and other typographical effects that are present in the print. I'd definitely recommend reading the print edition, where possible.
Summary
Should you read these novels? Yes! By all means, if you love historical mysteries these novels are a must read. It is an intelligent, engaging, and just different enough series to be in a class of its own. It's not surprising that in his home country of Russia, Akunin out-sells JK Rowling. In fact, since it's been a few years since I've read them, I think I'll go back and re-read my favourites (Winter Queen, State Counsellor, and The Coronation).
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
July 20, 2020
I am surprised that several reviews here were disappointed with book.
As an unabashed Akunin fan, I am as delighted with this one as my other favorite "He lover of Death".
My pleasure is not at all about the Sherlockian mysteries or the Superman hero.
I LOVE the ironic, at times outright hilarious style. Maybe readers, who do not read Russian, and do not "get" many references to Ilf and Petrov, Gogol, Pushkin etc., focus in the actual mysteries, and thus are disappointed. I am sorry for them.
Anyway, since I had spent my distant youth in Moscow in 1970s, had a terrific school, and as a teenager worked for a spell in the State Central Theatre Library in Pushkinskaya street, I literally bathed in Akunin's subtle references to Chekhov, Knipper-Chekhova, Stanislavsky and Nemirivich-Danchenko (who do you think are the barely mentioned Konstantin Sergeevich and Vladimir Ivanovich at the banquet in Noah's Ark"?), possibly, Meyerhold (Shtern?) and many others, whom I may not have recognized.
I think that the Gazonov character, and a brief but memorable cameo by Monsieur Simon (no spoilers!), were terrific as well.
Since I am well past middle age, I could relate to the 55 y.o. Fandorin's philosophical musings about aging, the nature of love, and possibility or lack of true happiness.
Immanuel Kant and Pushkin are given appropriate credit there.
And in the middle of all the theatre, romance, philosophy, there are requisite dead bodies, shots fired, even a duel on sabres, as well as the poisoned cup of Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.
In other words, a true delight.
Jump right in, even if you, poor soul, are going to read it in translation.
As an unabashed Akunin fan, I am as delighted with this one as my other favorite "He lover of Death".
My pleasure is not at all about the Sherlockian mysteries or the Superman hero.
I LOVE the ironic, at times outright hilarious style. Maybe readers, who do not read Russian, and do not "get" many references to Ilf and Petrov, Gogol, Pushkin etc., focus in the actual mysteries, and thus are disappointed. I am sorry for them.
Anyway, since I had spent my distant youth in Moscow in 1970s, had a terrific school, and as a teenager worked for a spell in the State Central Theatre Library in Pushkinskaya street, I literally bathed in Akunin's subtle references to Chekhov, Knipper-Chekhova, Stanislavsky and Nemirivich-Danchenko (who do you think are the barely mentioned Konstantin Sergeevich and Vladimir Ivanovich at the banquet in Noah's Ark"?), possibly, Meyerhold (Shtern?) and many others, whom I may not have recognized.
I think that the Gazonov character, and a brief but memorable cameo by Monsieur Simon (no spoilers!), were terrific as well.
Since I am well past middle age, I could relate to the 55 y.o. Fandorin's philosophical musings about aging, the nature of love, and possibility or lack of true happiness.
Immanuel Kant and Pushkin are given appropriate credit there.
And in the middle of all the theatre, romance, philosophy, there are requisite dead bodies, shots fired, even a duel on sabres, as well as the poisoned cup of Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.
In other words, a true delight.
Jump right in, even if you, poor soul, are going to read it in translation.
January 30, 2010
Fandorin is in love amd makes quite a lot of mistakes, but nevertheless the writing is beautiful and sometimes funny.
September 16, 2022
4.5/5
Вот это я понимаю, совсем другое дело. Предыдущая часть меня совсем не порадовала, а эта очень захватила. Скандалы, интриги, расследования! Ну и, конечно же, герой-любовник Фандорин.
Вообще было интересно читать о театре, об актерах, о подготовке к представлениям. Классно, что все актеры пусть и поделены на типичные амплуа, все же их взаимодействие интересовало и притягивало.
Короче, эта часть прям зашла, наконец. Да здравствует снова интригующий Акунин.
Вот это я понимаю, совсем другое дело. Предыдущая часть меня совсем не порадовала, а эта очень захватила. Скандалы, интриги, расследования! Ну и, конечно же, герой-любовник Фандорин.
Вообще было интересно читать о театре, об актерах, о подготовке к представлениям. Классно, что все актеры пусть и поделены на типичные амплуа, все же их взаимодействие интересовало и притягивало.
Короче, эта часть прям зашла, наконец. Да здравствует снова интригующий Акунин.
June 30, 2022
Ну что ж. Весь мир - театр. Всем сердцем люблю эту цитату Шекспира, потому что все мы - актёры, ведаем ли мы об этом иль нет, но это факт. С друзьями мы одну надеваем маску, на работе следующую и так далее маски сменяют друг друга, пока мы все не становимся дряхлыми, ворчливыми людишками. Но! Очередная книга о Фандорине не об этом. Говоря о летАх, Эрасту в этой книге исполняется уже аж 55. А лет с 50ти он выбрал для себя путь правильного старения: необходимо постоянно развиваться как физически, так и интеллектуально.
На самом деле, мне всё тяжелее и тяжелее читать про любимого персонажа, потому что он стареет из книги в книгу, бесповоротно. Однако, сюжеты про него не становятся менее захватывающими, нет. Эраст всё так же рассудителен, ловок и подкован на язык. Но! Эрастушка уже более разражённый и озлобленный; он всё более стремительно несдержанно ведёт себя с людьми, срывается на невиновного Масу, влюбляется по уши и именно это его и ослепляет.
Всё-таки актёры - особая каста людей, которая играет не только свои собственные роли, но и «проживает» на спектаклях роли других,аплодирую Вам стоя.
На самом деле, мне всё тяжелее и тяжелее читать про любимого персонажа, потому что он стареет из книги в книгу, бесповоротно. Однако, сюжеты про него не становятся менее захватывающими, нет. Эраст всё так же рассудителен, ловок и подкован на язык. Но! Эрастушка уже более разражённый и озлобленный; он всё более стремительно несдержанно ведёт себя с людьми, срывается на невиновного Масу, влюбляется по уши и именно это его и ослепляет.
Всё-таки актёры - особая каста людей, которая играет не только свои собственные роли, но и «проживает» на спектаклях роли других,аплодирую Вам стоя.
December 22, 2021
Long and drawn out. Sometimes confusing. I have liked some other books in the series better; I wonder if Mr. Akunin is running out of steam....
January 7, 2019
"Весь сир театр", как и другие детективы о Фандорине - легкое и занимательное чтиво.
Что понравилось:
- стиль Акунина и все те фирменные фишки, которые делают исторический фикшн о Фандорине узнаваемым
- читать было настолько легко и приятно, что я этого практически не заметила
Что не понравилось:
Повествование велось то от лица Фандорина, то от лица главной героини. Именно от нее мы знали, что версии Фандорина были совсем неверны, поэтому читать об их развитии и углублении было не очень-то интересно. Да и самому Фандорину, кажется, не особо интересно было их развивать. Расследование было как будто на заднем плане в течение всей книги и делалось в пол-ноги. А потом бац! и как черт из табакерки - разгадка, вся разом. А на переднем плане все время маячил немного унылый романчик, который не был достаточно интересен и проработан, чтоб нести на себе книгу.
В общем, не почувствовала особого накопления напряжения, приближения к развязке детектива. Ее просто не было совсем, а потом она появилась сразу вся.
Что понравилось:
- стиль Акунина и все те фирменные фишки, которые делают исторический фикшн о Фандорине узнаваемым
- читать было настолько легко и приятно, что я этого практически не заметила
Что не понравилось:
Повествование велось то от лица Фандорина, то от лица главной героини. Именно от нее мы знали, что версии Фандорина были совсем неверны, поэтому читать об их развитии и углублении было не очень-то интересно. Да и самому Фандорину, кажется, не особо интересно было их развивать. Расследование было как будто на заднем плане в течение всей книги и делалось в пол-ноги. А потом бац! и как черт из табакерки - разгадка, вся разом. А на переднем плане все время маячил немного унылый романчик, который не был достаточно интересен и проработан, чтоб нести на себе книгу.
В общем, не почувствовала особого накопления напряжения, приближения к развязке детектива. Ее просто не было совсем, а потом она появилась сразу вся.
December 27, 2018
Fittingly for Fandorin’s 11th English language outing, it is now 1911 – half way between Russia’s three revolutions (1905 & the two in 1917), the Prime Minister has just been assassinated and Fandorin, contemptuous as he is of the Kiev police, is awaiting the summons to investigate: although a private citizen, he remains one of the Empire’s most accomplished criminal investigators. But the summons never comes, and instead he is roped into investigate what seem like threats to one of Russia’s rising young stars of acting and estranged wife of a Khan of the caucuses: Eliza Altairsky-Lointaine.
At first it seems a frustratingly frivolous case, a paranoid actor in a theatre troupe headed by a marketing innovator – although Fandorin is struck by Eliza’s similarity to a once-great-love (see The Winter Queen ) and unable to separate his ‘romantic’ yearning from his assessment of the case, although he doubts there much to it – that is, until people around Eliza start dying in murders that seem like suicides. It’s a tale of red herrings and mis-taken paths, of bribery and corruption, of fear and incomplete information, of love-struckness leading to confusion and error, of misinterpretation, deception and distraction; that is, it is a tale where Fandorin’s usual clarity and insight is absent, in favour of jealousy, suspicions of betrayal all wrapped up in the façade of the theatre.
Much as the yarn is delightfully convoluted, if a little baggy, many of the characters are poorly developed, and even the recurring ones grow little in the very narrative driven tale. What’s more, there are references that lead me to wonder whether (once again) the English language publication series is not the same as the Russian – but I might be over-reading things. Not Akunin’s strongest but still an engaging, entertaining novel that seems to portend major shifts in Fandorin’s world.
At first it seems a frustratingly frivolous case, a paranoid actor in a theatre troupe headed by a marketing innovator – although Fandorin is struck by Eliza’s similarity to a once-great-love (see The Winter Queen ) and unable to separate his ‘romantic’ yearning from his assessment of the case, although he doubts there much to it – that is, until people around Eliza start dying in murders that seem like suicides. It’s a tale of red herrings and mis-taken paths, of bribery and corruption, of fear and incomplete information, of love-struckness leading to confusion and error, of misinterpretation, deception and distraction; that is, it is a tale where Fandorin’s usual clarity and insight is absent, in favour of jealousy, suspicions of betrayal all wrapped up in the façade of the theatre.
Much as the yarn is delightfully convoluted, if a little baggy, many of the characters are poorly developed, and even the recurring ones grow little in the very narrative driven tale. What’s more, there are references that lead me to wonder whether (once again) the English language publication series is not the same as the Russian – but I might be over-reading things. Not Akunin’s strongest but still an engaging, entertaining novel that seems to portend major shifts in Fandorin’s world.
March 30, 2021
A rather weak entry in the series, specially the ending, that was quite lackluster. I expected a proper resolution of the "Genghis Khan" subplot and was left disappointed, and much of the plot's drama could be solved within five minutes and an honest conversation between Fandorin and Elisa. But still, Akunin's prose is worthy the read, and it was nice seeing Senka again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2017
Quelle déception, quel dommage !
Queste sono le parole che mi son ripetuta durante l'intera lettura, lettura durante la quale ho visto un personaggio con una bruttissima crisi di mezza età che lo porta a un rimbambimento che neanche un adolescente alle prese con la prima cotta e che mette in discussione tutto il lavoro fatto sul citato personaggio nei romanzi precedenti. Perché in sostanza è questo quello che succede a Fandorin in questo romanzo che, da un inizio promettente, è passato improvvisamente a uno sviluppo e a una conclusione che definire deludenti è dire poco.
Come il titolo stesso fa capire, l’azione si svolge principalmente in teatro. Fandorin, ormai 55enne ma con nessuna intenzione di lasciarsi andare alla pigrizia e al piangersi addosso, riceve una chiamata dalla vedova di Chekhov che gli chiede di aiutarla a capire cosa affligge una giovane attrice sua conoscente, tale Elisa Altairskaja-Lointaine. Fandorin accetta, anche se controvoglia, ma finisce per rimanere colpito da Elisa e col trovarsi presto ad aver a che fare con i suoi sentimenti e con degli omicidi che sembrano essere misteriosamente legati all’attrice.
Gli elementi per rivelarsi un romanzo promettente c'erano tutti, a partire dalle prime pagine dedicate alle riflessioni di Fandorin su questa nuova fase della sua vita, ma anche dopo aver immaginato che il teatro avrebbe avuto un certo ruolo nella storia e non che venisse sminuito e ridotto a fare da metafora catastrofica in un paio di paragrafi a fine libro. Siamo nel 1911, la Russia, come Fandorin stesso, si sta pian piano avviando verso la fine di un’epoca e il tema del teatro, col suo accattivante misto di realtà e finzione che si intrecciano fino a confondersi, non avrebbe non potuto trovare il modo per rappresentare questo lento declino. Idem i personaggi, Novimskij aka il Lermontov/Pechorin dei poveri aveva tutte le carte in regola per essere un signor personaggio con i suoi rimandi alle inquietudini romantiche, così fuori luogo agli inizi del ‘900 (e anche negli ultimi decenni dell’Ottocento, ma questa è un'altra storia). Avevo tante aspettative e sono andate tutte a farsi benedire non appena mi sono resa conto che il fulcro di questo romanzo era l’amore. E non un amore qualsiasi, ma un amore che l'autore ha deciso di imporci e di imporre a Fandorin, a Elisa e a noi lettori senza neanche degnarsi di spiegarci cosa l’abbia fatto scaturire. E dico imposto, perché da parte di lei nasce quasi dal nulla e da quella di lui da una serie di coincidenze che gli ricordano la povera Lisa, la moglie morta trentacinque anni prima e mai dimenticata. Akunin non si sa destreggiare tra i meandri di questo sentimento, sembra che entrambi i personaggi stiano recitando la parte dei malati d’amore e non ho percepito nulla che mi facesse capire che ci fosse qualcosa di sincero e spontaneo tra i due o che si trattasse di un legame importante. Non parliamo, poi, dell’ultimo capitolo, ma dov’è questa felicità tanto decantata? Nell’aver stabilito dei ruoli, proprio come a teatro? Di amore non ho visto nulla e mi scoccia terribilmente che 515 pagine di libro (escludo le ultime ottanta circa con la pièce di Fandorin) siano quasi interamente dedicate alle fisime di Elisa e di Fandorin, che fanno finire in secondo piano tutto il resto - l’omicidio di Stolypin a cui si accenna nelle prime pagine del romanzo finisce subito nel dimenticatoio e lo stesso Fandorin, in un primo momento deluso per non essere stato coinvolto nelle indagini, se ne rallegra dopo aver visto Elisa recitare; il caso del romanzo tirato fuori di tanto in tanto, ma come fosse un sassolino nella scarpa, fastidioso ma tenuto perché essenziale in un crime novel; il teatro e la follia come metafora per l’imminente guerra e i suoi disastri limitati a qualche paragrafo a fine libro. E tutto per vedere Fandorin che fa numerosi salti indietro, diventando più impacciato di un adolescente alle prese con la prima cotta e incapace di ragionare e fare qualcosa di concreto prima della fine del libro. Vedere un personaggio, personaggio seguito per più libri e che ho amato tanto (pregi e difetti inclusi), ridotto così è stato a dir poco frustrante. Il vero crimine del romanzo non sono gli omicidi misteriosi, ma questo trattamento riservato al povero Erast Petrovich.
Naturalmente non è la prima volta che Fandorin si innamora, in quasi ogni libro c’è stato un love interest più o meno importante, anche se il più delle volte si è trattato di personaggi femminili solo abbozzati (alcuni con del potenziale, altri venuti fuori irritanti e basta) e che purtroppo sembrano essere uno dei punti deboli di Akunin. Fandorin un personaggio che, nel corso degli anni, ne ha viste di tutte e di più, ha vissuto esperienze, ha sofferto, è stato costretto a reprimere presto una parte di sé a causa di tragedie varie che lo hanno profondamente segnato. Tutto ciò pare finire in secondo piano, per non dire dimenticato, in nome di questo nuovo amore basato su pochi elementi concreti e su molta, moltissima fiducia in quello che l’autore ha deciso ma non è riuscito a sviluppare in modo soddisfacente. Non dico che Fandorin non meriti almeno una gioia nella vita, ma a quale prezzo? Un romanzo in cui, sostanzialmente, non succede nulla se non mostrarci un uomo maturo che cerca di analizzarsi quando si scopre malato d’amore, che non è più in grado di mettere in moto il cervello neanche per dei ragionamenti semplici, che si ritrova geloso di una persona che ha vicino da 33 anni e che gli consacrato la sua vita (sorvoliamo sulla riappacificazione sbrigativa delle ultime pagine, il rapporto tra Masa e Fandorin meritava di meglio)?
Tornando ai personaggi femminili, Elisa non rappresenta un’eccezione. Almeno per quanto mi riguarda, è un personaggio che manca di brio e di una caratterizzazione decente. È piena di sé, come ci si può aspettare da un’attrice, ma risente molto del trattamento e del ruolo che il romanzo le riserva, ovvero quello di donna alle prese con un marito abbandonato e geloso che si innamora di un uomo più grande di lei per qualche motivo non ben affrontato nel corso della storia, uomo che, tra l’altro, nutre dei pregiudizi sulla sua professione dall’inizio alla fine (nel vero senso del termine, Fandorin dubita anche dopo il loro chiarimento-dichiarazione-accordo pre-matrimoniale in forma orale, ovvero fino a pagina 515). Dovrebbe essere un personaggio importante, visto che si tratta di una donna destinata a restare per sempre nella vita di Fandorin, eppure è un personaggio che non brilla, che si lascia dimenticare dopo aver chiuso il libro e di cui, sinceramente, non si sente la mancanza.
Insomma, Fandorin rimane uno dei miei personaggi letterari preferiti e Akunin rimane sempre un signor scrittore, infatti è per questo che ho dato due stelle e non una. Ho sofferto non poco a dargliene meno di tre, ma non avrei potuto fare altrimenti, sono profondamente delusa per come ha sviluppato questo romanzo, per tutte le occasioni sprecate e per la piega che ha fatto prendere a Fandorin. Il grande dispiacere per un libro che avrebbe ma non ha e che sembra avere poco o nulla a che fare con quelli che lo hanno preceduto rimane, certo, ma continuerò a leggere la serie perché non potrei fare altrimenti, a Fandorin sono troppo affezionata, e anche perché fare peggio di Le monde entier est un théâtre sarebbe davvero difficile - e spero non siano le ultime parole famose.
Queste sono le parole che mi son ripetuta durante l'intera lettura, lettura durante la quale ho visto un personaggio con una bruttissima crisi di mezza età che lo porta a un rimbambimento che neanche un adolescente alle prese con la prima cotta e che mette in discussione tutto il lavoro fatto sul citato personaggio nei romanzi precedenti. Perché in sostanza è questo quello che succede a Fandorin in questo romanzo che, da un inizio promettente, è passato improvvisamente a uno sviluppo e a una conclusione che definire deludenti è dire poco.
Come il titolo stesso fa capire, l’azione si svolge principalmente in teatro. Fandorin, ormai 55enne ma con nessuna intenzione di lasciarsi andare alla pigrizia e al piangersi addosso, riceve una chiamata dalla vedova di Chekhov che gli chiede di aiutarla a capire cosa affligge una giovane attrice sua conoscente, tale Elisa Altairskaja-Lointaine. Fandorin accetta, anche se controvoglia, ma finisce per rimanere colpito da Elisa e col trovarsi presto ad aver a che fare con i suoi sentimenti e con degli omicidi che sembrano essere misteriosamente legati all’attrice.
Gli elementi per rivelarsi un romanzo promettente c'erano tutti, a partire dalle prime pagine dedicate alle riflessioni di Fandorin su questa nuova fase della sua vita, ma anche dopo aver immaginato che il teatro avrebbe avuto un certo ruolo nella storia e non che venisse sminuito e ridotto a fare da metafora catastrofica in un paio di paragrafi a fine libro. Siamo nel 1911, la Russia, come Fandorin stesso, si sta pian piano avviando verso la fine di un’epoca e il tema del teatro, col suo accattivante misto di realtà e finzione che si intrecciano fino a confondersi, non avrebbe non potuto trovare il modo per rappresentare questo lento declino. Idem i personaggi, Novimskij aka il Lermontov/Pechorin dei poveri aveva tutte le carte in regola per essere un signor personaggio con i suoi rimandi alle inquietudini romantiche, così fuori luogo agli inizi del ‘900 (e anche negli ultimi decenni dell’Ottocento, ma questa è un'altra storia). Avevo tante aspettative e sono andate tutte a farsi benedire non appena mi sono resa conto che il fulcro di questo romanzo era l’amore. E non un amore qualsiasi, ma un amore che l'autore ha deciso di imporci e di imporre a Fandorin, a Elisa e a noi lettori senza neanche degnarsi di spiegarci cosa l’abbia fatto scaturire. E dico imposto, perché da parte di lei nasce quasi dal nulla e da quella di lui da una serie di coincidenze che gli ricordano la povera Lisa, la moglie morta trentacinque anni prima e mai dimenticata. Akunin non si sa destreggiare tra i meandri di questo sentimento, sembra che entrambi i personaggi stiano recitando la parte dei malati d’amore e non ho percepito nulla che mi facesse capire che ci fosse qualcosa di sincero e spontaneo tra i due o che si trattasse di un legame importante. Non parliamo, poi, dell’ultimo capitolo, ma dov’è questa felicità tanto decantata? Nell’aver stabilito dei ruoli, proprio come a teatro? Di amore non ho visto nulla e mi scoccia terribilmente che 515 pagine di libro (escludo le ultime ottanta circa con la pièce di Fandorin) siano quasi interamente dedicate alle fisime di Elisa e di Fandorin, che fanno finire in secondo piano tutto il resto - l’omicidio di Stolypin a cui si accenna nelle prime pagine del romanzo finisce subito nel dimenticatoio e lo stesso Fandorin, in un primo momento deluso per non essere stato coinvolto nelle indagini, se ne rallegra dopo aver visto Elisa recitare; il caso del romanzo tirato fuori di tanto in tanto, ma come fosse un sassolino nella scarpa, fastidioso ma tenuto perché essenziale in un crime novel; il teatro e la follia come metafora per l’imminente guerra e i suoi disastri limitati a qualche paragrafo a fine libro. E tutto per vedere Fandorin che fa numerosi salti indietro, diventando più impacciato di un adolescente alle prese con la prima cotta e incapace di ragionare e fare qualcosa di concreto prima della fine del libro. Vedere un personaggio, personaggio seguito per più libri e che ho amato tanto (pregi e difetti inclusi), ridotto così è stato a dir poco frustrante. Il vero crimine del romanzo non sono gli omicidi misteriosi, ma questo trattamento riservato al povero Erast Petrovich.
Naturalmente non è la prima volta che Fandorin si innamora, in quasi ogni libro c’è stato un love interest più o meno importante, anche se il più delle volte si è trattato di personaggi femminili solo abbozzati (alcuni con del potenziale, altri venuti fuori irritanti e basta) e che purtroppo sembrano essere uno dei punti deboli di Akunin. Fandorin un personaggio che, nel corso degli anni, ne ha viste di tutte e di più, ha vissuto esperienze, ha sofferto, è stato costretto a reprimere presto una parte di sé a causa di tragedie varie che lo hanno profondamente segnato. Tutto ciò pare finire in secondo piano, per non dire dimenticato, in nome di questo nuovo amore basato su pochi elementi concreti e su molta, moltissima fiducia in quello che l’autore ha deciso ma non è riuscito a sviluppare in modo soddisfacente. Non dico che Fandorin non meriti almeno una gioia nella vita, ma a quale prezzo? Un romanzo in cui, sostanzialmente, non succede nulla se non mostrarci un uomo maturo che cerca di analizzarsi quando si scopre malato d’amore, che non è più in grado di mettere in moto il cervello neanche per dei ragionamenti semplici, che si ritrova geloso di una persona che ha vicino da 33 anni e che gli consacrato la sua vita (sorvoliamo sulla riappacificazione sbrigativa delle ultime pagine, il rapporto tra Masa e Fandorin meritava di meglio)?
Tornando ai personaggi femminili, Elisa non rappresenta un’eccezione. Almeno per quanto mi riguarda, è un personaggio che manca di brio e di una caratterizzazione decente. È piena di sé, come ci si può aspettare da un’attrice, ma risente molto del trattamento e del ruolo che il romanzo le riserva, ovvero quello di donna alle prese con un marito abbandonato e geloso che si innamora di un uomo più grande di lei per qualche motivo non ben affrontato nel corso della storia, uomo che, tra l’altro, nutre dei pregiudizi sulla sua professione dall’inizio alla fine (nel vero senso del termine, Fandorin dubita anche dopo il loro chiarimento-dichiarazione-accordo pre-matrimoniale in forma orale, ovvero fino a pagina 515). Dovrebbe essere un personaggio importante, visto che si tratta di una donna destinata a restare per sempre nella vita di Fandorin, eppure è un personaggio che non brilla, che si lascia dimenticare dopo aver chiuso il libro e di cui, sinceramente, non si sente la mancanza.
Insomma, Fandorin rimane uno dei miei personaggi letterari preferiti e Akunin rimane sempre un signor scrittore, infatti è per questo che ho dato due stelle e non una. Ho sofferto non poco a dargliene meno di tre, ma non avrei potuto fare altrimenti, sono profondamente delusa per come ha sviluppato questo romanzo, per tutte le occasioni sprecate e per la piega che ha fatto prendere a Fandorin. Il grande dispiacere per un libro che avrebbe ma non ha e che sembra avere poco o nulla a che fare con quelli che lo hanno preceduto rimane, certo, ma continuerò a leggere la serie perché non potrei fare altrimenti, a Fandorin sono troppo affezionata, e anche perché fare peggio di Le monde entier est un théâtre sarebbe davvero difficile - e spero non siano le ultime parole famose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
Wow - what a book!
I didn't really know what to expect from this - saw it's based in Russia and just hoped it would be easier than War and Peace!!
The story follows a man who sees himself as a detective, and when someone tries to kill the Russian PM he thinks the authorities will call him for assistance. A call comes in and he says yes without realising who he's speaking to and ends up working on the mystery of what is making an actress sad - which is of course far beneath him! But the mystery is more deadly than it first appears and Fandorin works hard to work it all out, accidentally falling in love at the same time.
I had no clue who was behind the murders but it did all connect at the end. The novel is beautifully worded and I really enjoyed the characters - there is a certain elegance to the characters and the story. I found it fluid and imaginative and very enjoyable. There were a few errors but nothing that took away from the overall quality.
I especially love that the play is included (Fandorin writes a play to win the heart of his love interest) and I thought the play was also very good - I would go see it!!
A brilliant surprise, I will read all of Fandorin's books that I can get my hands on!!!
I didn't really know what to expect from this - saw it's based in Russia and just hoped it would be easier than War and Peace!!
The story follows a man who sees himself as a detective, and when someone tries to kill the Russian PM he thinks the authorities will call him for assistance. A call comes in and he says yes without realising who he's speaking to and ends up working on the mystery of what is making an actress sad - which is of course far beneath him! But the mystery is more deadly than it first appears and Fandorin works hard to work it all out, accidentally falling in love at the same time.
I had no clue who was behind the murders but it did all connect at the end. The novel is beautifully worded and I really enjoyed the characters - there is a certain elegance to the characters and the story. I found it fluid and imaginative and very enjoyable. There were a few errors but nothing that took away from the overall quality.
I especially love that the play is included (Fandorin writes a play to win the heart of his love interest) and I thought the play was also very good - I would go see it!!
A brilliant surprise, I will read all of Fandorin's books that I can get my hands on!!!
December 19, 2022
Lots of colourful characters. A story within a story. Mystery. Melodrama. Escapist pleasures.
June 6, 2016
Фандорин – прекрасният, хладнокръвният, умът – машина с чувства – практически несъществуващи – е влюбен! И то на достопочтената възраст от 55, и то в актриса, която може да му е дъщеря. Скандал, невъзможно, абсурд! Все едно да видиш Холмс с айсберг във вените да тича след невръстно девойче – просто такива неща не се допускат от литературните им бащици, щото имидж и прочие. Но руснаците си вършат работата по малко по-различен начин, и затова заничателният ни Фандорин е обречен да точи лиги и да дави малките си сиви клетчици в нездравословно упойващи дози допаминово щастие. Повтарям – скандал, невъзможно, абсурд!
Като се поуспокои човек малко след идея толкова безумна, като да речем сър Елтън Джон да се вземе с Кралица Елизабет, идва и истински страшната част на историята – трупове се изливат зад затворени врати, в хотелски стаи, гримьорни и ресторанти, натровени, обезобразени, нарязани по най-бандитски начин. А Ераст се черви смутено в ъгъла, докато ревнува от своя японски побратим, защото същият може да докосва по стечение на обстоятелствата неговата позакъсняла любима. Руснаците отново ни учат как всъщност се организира една стройна престъпна групичка, как се вадят пари от новите технологии и страстта към мелодраматични забавления на масите, но и как се обича главозамаяно и на ръба на разума. Който е гледал Сибирският бръснар – знае какво е това руснак от началото на миналия век да обича, и да слага в малкото си джобче по измерение на страстите всичките префърцунени франчоля и препотени италианци, дето се броят за господари на любовните работи. Ами, не са.
Трогателно, и някак неудобно воайорско на моменти идва да четем за сърцето на Фандорин, където ледовете отстъпват на тропическата буря на закъснелите страсти по руски, които дори азиатското образование в сдържано страдание не могат да облекчат. Една екзотична пиеса служи вместо обяснение в любов, но за по-малко новата прима на руския театър няма и да обърне внимание на белокосия, но все пак ужасно младолик чаровник, отлично познаващ неща като болка, нещастие и самота, но имащ толкова малко представа от споделеност, нужда от другия и мечта за утрешния днес с някого освен със себе си. А всъщност единственият му проблем е, че не може да повярва във възможността да бъде истински щастлив, ех. Кървавата криминална история здраво хваща в обятията си мелодраматичния романс, и обърква, и успокоява, и развълнува по онзи начин, който могат да предизвикат наистина големите любовни истории. Не съм сигурна дали такъв Фандорин ми харесва, но да го отдадем на есента в живота му, където всеки слънчев лъч струва повече от дните горчиво изпепеляване на младото лято. Пък и му е позволена малка почивка преди отново да подеме войната срещу световната несправедливост. Така де, дори и Бонд си почива понякога.
Като се поуспокои човек малко след идея толкова безумна, като да речем сър Елтън Джон да се вземе с Кралица Елизабет, идва и истински страшната част на историята – трупове се изливат зад затворени врати, в хотелски стаи, гримьорни и ресторанти, натровени, обезобразени, нарязани по най-бандитски начин. А Ераст се черви смутено в ъгъла, докато ревнува от своя японски побратим, защото същият може да докосва по стечение на обстоятелствата неговата позакъсняла любима. Руснаците отново ни учат как всъщност се организира една стройна престъпна групичка, как се вадят пари от новите технологии и страстта към мелодраматични забавления на масите, но и как се обича главозамаяно и на ръба на разума. Който е гледал Сибирският бръснар – знае какво е това руснак от началото на миналия век да обича, и да слага в малкото си джобче по измерение на страстите всичките префърцунени франчоля и препотени италианци, дето се броят за господари на любовните работи. Ами, не са.
Трогателно, и някак неудобно воайорско на моменти идва да четем за сърцето на Фандорин, където ледовете отстъпват на тропическата буря на закъснелите страсти по руски, които дори азиатското образование в сдържано страдание не могат да облекчат. Една екзотична пиеса служи вместо обяснение в любов, но за по-малко новата прима на руския театър няма и да обърне внимание на белокосия, но все пак ужасно младолик чаровник, отлично познаващ неща като болка, нещастие и самота, но имащ толкова малко представа от споделеност, нужда от другия и мечта за утрешния днес с някого освен със себе си. А всъщност единственият му проблем е, че не може да повярва във възможността да бъде истински щастлив, ех. Кървавата криминална история здраво хваща в обятията си мелодраматичния романс, и обърква, и успокоява, и развълнува по онзи начин, който могат да предизвикат наистина големите любовни истории. Не съм сигурна дали такъв Фандорин ми харесва, но да го отдадем на есента в живота му, където всеки слънчев лъч струва повече от дните горчиво изпепеляване на младото лято. Пък и му е позволена малка почивка преди отново да подеме войната срещу световната несправедливост. Така де, дори и Бонд си почива понякога.
March 18, 2017
That's 5/5 stars simply because it is what it is.
I have a strange way of reading Akunin. I've read the first book (still think it was a masterpiece), then watched movie based on the second book (which I absolutely adore), then skipped to book 6 and TV-series based upon it; then lost myself in "The Diamond Chariot", which is book Nr.10 and is simply flawless; and now the book 12. And the book 13 on the way. What can I say, even if the order is totally off, I enjoyed every installment and am determined to get to all the other books in the series.
I've read this one in basically two reading days. The language was perfect - and it was a pleasant feel to be finally read something written by Russian author (I've been reading too much in English lately). The language here this historical taste, guiding you further into the settings of the times long past. I loved how in consumed you, making believe that you indeed are living in different era.
The plot itself - well, even the smartest of people are not always as smart. Still, I loved the theater. It is that magical place where literature and art collide, and the inner life of actors and their roles so perfectly mixed together. Simply wonderful. As I read more of stage performances and plays, I found myself wanting to read some Russian classics, just to get a little more into that noble feeling.
Sometime in second part of the book I felt it dragging a bit, though the main culmination made up for that. This was not something I expected, and that is amazing.
I have a strange way of reading Akunin. I've read the first book (still think it was a masterpiece), then watched movie based on the second book (which I absolutely adore), then skipped to book 6 and TV-series based upon it; then lost myself in "The Diamond Chariot", which is book Nr.10 and is simply flawless; and now the book 12. And the book 13 on the way. What can I say, even if the order is totally off, I enjoyed every installment and am determined to get to all the other books in the series.
I've read this one in basically two reading days. The language was perfect - and it was a pleasant feel to be finally read something written by Russian author (I've been reading too much in English lately). The language here this historical taste, guiding you further into the settings of the times long past. I loved how in consumed you, making believe that you indeed are living in different era.
The plot itself - well, even the smartest of people are not always as smart. Still, I loved the theater. It is that magical place where literature and art collide, and the inner life of actors and their roles so perfectly mixed together. Simply wonderful. As I read more of stage performances and plays, I found myself wanting to read some Russian classics, just to get a little more into that noble feeling.
Sometime in second part of the book I felt it dragging a bit, though the main culmination made up for that. This was not something I expected, and that is amazing.
July 24, 2011
1. Memorable 5
2. Social Relevance 1
3. Informative 2
4. Originality 5
5. Thought Provoking 5
6. Expressiveness 5
7. Entertaining 5
8. Visualization 5
9. Sparks Emotion 5
10. Life Changing (Pivotal, crucial, determining, defining, momentous, fateful, consequential, climacteric, transformational) 1
5, 1, 2, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 1 ====> 39/10 = 3.9
http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/51...
"The Whole World is a Theatre" is standing aside among other works - because Akunin put a huge esthetic effort into it to show the spirit of the theater beyond the stage.
It has something in common with both Bulgakov's "Theatralnyi Roman" and Somerset Maugham's "Theatre" (well, it is expected of course).
Very exquisite (but somewhat artificial) - worth reading just for the spirit of the "pure" art in it.
To some degree Akunin bests both Bulgakov (too satirical) and (as far as Akunin's short novel could compare with the full size) Maugham's piece (too prosaic).
The "Two comets in the starless night sky" add-on play (written by the Akunin on behalf of Fandorin) is the brilliant piece of the art of its own !
Shtern - this character is a reference to Meyerhold, Zaharov style ...
Similar to already noted by Ilf and Petrov in 12c stul'ev - showing modern *treat* of Zhenit'ba
I forgot to praise the wonderful illustrations, which represent the organic part of this book!
2. Social Relevance 1
3. Informative 2
4. Originality 5
5. Thought Provoking 5
6. Expressiveness 5
7. Entertaining 5
8. Visualization 5
9. Sparks Emotion 5
10. Life Changing (Pivotal, crucial, determining, defining, momentous, fateful, consequential, climacteric, transformational) 1
5, 1, 2, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 1 ====> 39/10 = 3.9
http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/51...
"The Whole World is a Theatre" is standing aside among other works - because Akunin put a huge esthetic effort into it to show the spirit of the theater beyond the stage.
It has something in common with both Bulgakov's "Theatralnyi Roman" and Somerset Maugham's "Theatre" (well, it is expected of course).
Very exquisite (but somewhat artificial) - worth reading just for the spirit of the "pure" art in it.
To some degree Akunin bests both Bulgakov (too satirical) and (as far as Akunin's short novel could compare with the full size) Maugham's piece (too prosaic).
The "Two comets in the starless night sky" add-on play (written by the Akunin on behalf of Fandorin) is the brilliant piece of the art of its own !
Shtern - this character is a reference to Meyerhold, Zaharov style ...
Similar to already noted by Ilf and Petrov in 12c stul'ev - showing modern *treat* of Zhenit'ba
I forgot to praise the wonderful illustrations, which represent the organic part of this book!
February 4, 2022
I had not come across this series before so thought I would give it a try. Translated from Russian the story is set in early twentieth century Russia (pre-Revolution) with the main character, Fandorin, being a man in his early fifties who has trained himself to be able to do many things and is a sort of consulting detective.
There is a mystery in a theatre involving threats against the leading actress then a series of murders. Fandorin investigates, falls in love with the leading actress and even writes a play for the theatre company. It's a quirky story with some humour but I was not quite sure what to make of it as the solution was more Ellery Queen than Sherlock Holmes. The play which Fandorin wrote is included as an appendix to the novel!
I may well read another book in this series if I see one.
There is a mystery in a theatre involving threats against the leading actress then a series of murders. Fandorin investigates, falls in love with the leading actress and even writes a play for the theatre company. It's a quirky story with some humour but I was not quite sure what to make of it as the solution was more Ellery Queen than Sherlock Holmes. The play which Fandorin wrote is included as an appendix to the novel!
I may well read another book in this series if I see one.
April 30, 2021
Fandorin is plagued by the weakness of love here; Akunin plagued by the weakness of prose and mystery.
Definitely the least attractive book in the whole series of Fandorin adventures. I wouldn't say that our protagonist's throwback to the impulses of his earlier times in love disappointed me. After all, be it 55 or 22 years old, we can never fully catch hold of our emotions. However, two things were a letdown:
a) the big one -- after 30 years with him by his side, Fandorin being able to antagonize Masa so easily. A very unnatural rift, completely out of character for him.
b) the smaller one -- the mystery was just subpar compared to the other twists and turns we can find in the Fandorin universe.
3/5 and moving on to the next one. Hopefully it'll be better.
Definitely the least attractive book in the whole series of Fandorin adventures. I wouldn't say that our protagonist's throwback to the impulses of his earlier times in love disappointed me. After all, be it 55 or 22 years old, we can never fully catch hold of our emotions. However, two things were a letdown:
a) the big one -- after 30 years with him by his side, Fandorin being able to antagonize Masa so easily. A very unnatural rift, completely out of character for him.
b) the smaller one -- the mystery was just subpar compared to the other twists and turns we can find in the Fandorin universe.
3/5 and moving on to the next one. Hopefully it'll be better.
September 27, 2016
It's too bad how foreign language translations did not work for this one. All non-Russian readers seem to say that they couldn't differentiate between the characters. If one reads in Russian, it's impossible not to: every character's stage name means something obvious, and you just can't help seeing every one of them with your mind's eye. (Masa's stage alias "Gazonov", for one, is hilarious - but the hilariousness is entirely untranslatable even if there are footnotes and whatnot.)
Also, the book is written in a beautiful Russian language. (Akunin's writing style is always--well--good, but this work seems to have received some special treatment. New editor, perhaps?)
Also, the book is written in a beautiful Russian language. (Akunin's writing style is always--well--good, but this work seems to have received some special treatment. New editor, perhaps?)
February 8, 2017
Давно я не читала ��ро Фандорина интересных историй. Пусть он и дурак здесь, но, чёрт возьми, театр - великолепная декорация для таинственных преступлений и угроз.
February 17, 2018
I am indebted to a Sydney author called Assaph Mehr at Goodreads, for some crucial information about the antecedents of All the World’s a Stage by Boris Akunin. In his review of this book, and of the whole series so far, Assaph explains that
So this explains why a crime novel is shortlisted for the new EBRD Literature Prize for Translation!
A Russian reviewer called Anna Stargazer also had this to say:
Well, forewarned is forearmed, and so I Googled quite a few of the names in order to try and appreciate what Anna calls the novel’s hilariousness. Google Translate told me that Gazanov means ‘lawn’ or ‘grass’ – and ‘grass’ in English can mean a police informer, which is what the sleuth’s offsider Masa is supposed to be when he infiltrates the cast, though whether this euphemism works the same way in Russian I do not know, and Anna Stargazer doesn’t say. But this approach did make reading the book more laborious, not something every reader is going to want to bother with, and I gave up on it in due course. (And got by just fine, as far as differentiating the characters was concerned).
Nevertheless, a little research did reveal some interesting aspects of Akunin’s style. He obviously researches the era of his novels carefully, and readers who know their Russian history and literature will enjoy his allusions. This paragraph is an example. The sleuth, Erast Petrovich Fandorin, is in Moscow, and there has been a murder in a theatre, and he is intrigued, hoping to be asked to help solve the case:
I started off discovering that Pushkin’s Tale of Tsar Saltan involves three sisters, one of whom gets to be a tsarina and the other two get to be jealous. So they chuck the tsarina and her baby into the sea but they are rescued by an enchanted swan. The baby Gvidon grows up and with the help of the enchanted swan [ah-ha!] changes into a mosquito, flies back to the palace and stings his aunt in the eye.
The other point to note is that this crime takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia because there is a Tsar present in the audience – and the narrator points out that it’s odd that the murderer wasn’t after him. That’s odd because Russia was full of revolutionary fervour at the time and it was not all that long ago that there had been multiple assassination attempts on the life of Alexander II. And that is why the theatre was subject to the security procedures put in place by the Okhrana – the much feared secret police force in Tsarist Russia.
Based on actual events in 1911, the murder victim is Pyotr Stolypin. Wikipedia tells me that the pro-monarchy Stolypin was a statesman who tried to stave off revolutionary fervour through major reforms including agrarian reform. The Tsar put a stop to the judicial enquiry into the assassination and a Leftist revolutionary called Bogrov was too promptly hanged, giving rise to rumours that those who were against Stolypin’s reforms were behind the assassination.
Readers who know all this (or like me, discover it thanks to Google) will not be surprised when Fandorin doesn’t get to investigate Stolypin’s murder, but becomes involved in a classic melodrama-mystery instead.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/02/17/a...
Each novel is written as a different type of mystery. Akunin set out to rectify the low-brow reputation of the mystery genre in post-USSR Russia by writing worthy literature and exploring the wide gamut of sub-genres. Each novel is therefore excellently written as a different type of detective case. While there is continuity in the protagonist’s life between the novels, each is very different in themes and tones.
So this explains why a crime novel is shortlisted for the new EBRD Literature Prize for Translation!
A Russian reviewer called Anna Stargazer also had this to say:
It’s too bad how foreign language translations did not work for this one. All non-Russian readers seem to say that they couldn’t differentiate between the characters. If one reads in Russian, it’s impossible not to: every character’s stage name means something obvious, and you just can’t help seeing every one of them with your mind’s eye. (Masa’s stage alias “Gazonov*”, for one, is hilarious – but the hilariousness is entirely untranslatable even if there are footnotes and whatnot.)
Also, the book is written in a beautiful Russian language. (Akunin’s writing style is always–well–good, but this work seems to have received some special treatment. New editor, perhaps?)
Well, forewarned is forearmed, and so I Googled quite a few of the names in order to try and appreciate what Anna calls the novel’s hilariousness. Google Translate told me that Gazanov means ‘lawn’ or ‘grass’ – and ‘grass’ in English can mean a police informer, which is what the sleuth’s offsider Masa is supposed to be when he infiltrates the cast, though whether this euphemism works the same way in Russian I do not know, and Anna Stargazer doesn’t say. But this approach did make reading the book more laborious, not something every reader is going to want to bother with, and I gave up on it in due course. (And got by just fine, as far as differentiating the characters was concerned).
Nevertheless, a little research did reveal some interesting aspects of Akunin’s style. He obviously researches the era of his novels carefully, and readers who know their Russian history and literature will enjoy his allusions. This paragraph is an example. The sleuth, Erast Petrovich Fandorin, is in Moscow, and there has been a murder in a theatre, and he is intrigued, hoping to be asked to help solve the case:
Many aspects of this event appeared phantasmagorical. Firstly, the bloody drama had unfolded not just anywhere, but in a theatre, before the eyes of a large audience. Secondly, the show had been an extremely jolly one – an adaptation of Pushkin’s Tale of Tsar Saltan. Thirdly, the audience had included a real tsar, not of the fairytale kind, whom the killer had left untouched. Fourthly, the theatre had been so well guarded that no one could possibly have infiltrated it, not even Pushkin’s hero Gvidon when he transformed himself into a mosquito. Viewers had only been admitted on the basis of individual passes issued by the Department for the Defence of Public Security – the Okhrana. Fifthly, and most fantastically of all, the terrorist had actually been in possession of such a pass, and not a counterfeit, but the genuine article. Sixthly, the killer had not only managed to enter the theatre, but also to carry in a firearm … (Kindle Locations 125-132).
I started off discovering that Pushkin’s Tale of Tsar Saltan involves three sisters, one of whom gets to be a tsarina and the other two get to be jealous. So they chuck the tsarina and her baby into the sea but they are rescued by an enchanted swan. The baby Gvidon grows up and with the help of the enchanted swan [ah-ha!] changes into a mosquito, flies back to the palace and stings his aunt in the eye.
The other point to note is that this crime takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia because there is a Tsar present in the audience – and the narrator points out that it’s odd that the murderer wasn’t after him. That’s odd because Russia was full of revolutionary fervour at the time and it was not all that long ago that there had been multiple assassination attempts on the life of Alexander II. And that is why the theatre was subject to the security procedures put in place by the Okhrana – the much feared secret police force in Tsarist Russia.
Based on actual events in 1911, the murder victim is Pyotr Stolypin. Wikipedia tells me that the pro-monarchy Stolypin was a statesman who tried to stave off revolutionary fervour through major reforms including agrarian reform. The Tsar put a stop to the judicial enquiry into the assassination and a Leftist revolutionary called Bogrov was too promptly hanged, giving rise to rumours that those who were against Stolypin’s reforms were behind the assassination.
Readers who know all this (or like me, discover it thanks to Google) will not be surprised when Fandorin doesn’t get to investigate Stolypin’s murder, but becomes involved in a classic melodrama-mystery instead.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/02/17/a...
July 8, 2018
My first disappointment in the Erast Fandorin series. Complete lack of editing on the hyper-detailed theatre scenes. Absurd interactions between Fandorin and Masa.
January 24, 2023
This was disappointing. I get what they were trying to achieve here but it went on for way to long and the ending was really unsatisfactory. Not one their best.
February 26, 2018
Эта книга, да и вообще половина книг этой серии – какая-то образцовая жвачка для массового потребления. С одной стороны – вот в этой книге нет ничего такого, за что мне полюбились первые романы в серии. Нет того прекрасного языка со стилизацией под дореволюционные книги. Зачем париться, если верные читатели итак уже есть? Они на волне интереса к главному герою проглотят любой стиль. Впрочем, главного героя здесь тоже нет. Теперь вместо него типичный «персонаж-функция» полностью подвластный воле автора. Подумал автор о том, что его герой какой-то старый? Выводим его философию на новый уровень и типа он там «прокачался» - начал изучать новые науки и тренироваться в чем-то новом. Обзавелся собственной субмариной и чуть ли не бэтмобилем. И пускай, в книге ничего из этого не пригодиться, поэтому, зачем об этом говорить, кроме «посмотрите, как мой герой окрутел» и нагона страниц – непонятно.
А потом вдруг автор решил, что его герой слишком уж стал крут для расследований? Особенно после тех громких дел – расследование похищения драгоценностей короны, поимка Джека-Потрошителя. И чтобы он расследовал какое-то дело в каком-то театре? Хмм.. а давайте-ка введем для него новый уровень сложности. Пусть он раскроет преступление под чарами любви.
И благодаря такому повороту желания автора Э.Ф. известный ранее как «бог из кустов с роялями» начинает косячить на каждом более-менее важном аспекте расследования. И это при том, что главный подозреваемый находится на виду. Да, читатель в моем лице уже давно решил присмотреться к одному из участников, но надеялся, что это очередной маневр, который отвлекает нас от истинного преступника. А Фандорин тупит до самого конца. При этом, умудряется с легкостью переключать свои состояния. «Ах, я влюблен!». «Ах, она дура и я не влюблен!». «Но нет! Я все-таки влюблен!». «Хотя подождите, это меня позорит!». «Стоп! Я опять влюблен!». Не умудренный сединами гений сыска, супермен 19 века, уничтожитель зла и победитель криминальных гениев, а какая-то девочка в розовом платьице лет этак 14-15. Нравственным метаниям героя посвящается где-то треть книги. Скучно, да.
И при этом, все равно продолжаешь читать, потому что надеешься, что автор все это делает с ехидной усмешкой из разряда – ну, вот сейчас вы поймете, что все это было балаганом. Вот сейчас я вам покажу, что все, что вы думаете о том, что будет дальше – это всего лишь туман, который я напустил. Думаете, что убийца - вот этот человек? Ха-ха-ха! Вы думаете, что здесь нужен хэппи-энд? Ха-ха-ха!! Но, увы и ах, все оказывается именно так, как мы и думаем. И убийца – шофер, и хэппи-энд и силы зла развеиваются при одном появлении Фандорина. И еще раз, для тех, кто пропустил – тут хэппи-энд! Серьезно. В каком еще из романов у Фандорина есть хэппи-энд, да еще и с любовью? Не считая, конечно, первых книг подцикла.
Кстати, о них, тут представьте себе всплывает один из давних спутников Эраста. Ну и, если честно – так себе всплывает. В каком-то очень странном амплуа. Если честно, я не ожидал для этого героя такого развития. Он казался мне более умудренным опытом, особенно после того, через что ему удалось пройти.
Короче говоря, читается легко, быстро, с желанием узнать, что там будет дальше. Но вот после прочтения остается разочарование и какое-то отупение ощущается. Да, я понимаю, что эксперимент по созданию театрального детектива. И что там все должно быть на таком надрыве, на таком прям пафосе и через край. Но тут слишком уж через край. Настолько, что просто страшно становится. Из героя делают какую-то игрушку в руках желаний режиссера. В смысле автора. И это очень и очень грустно.
А потом вдруг автор решил, что его герой слишком уж стал крут для расследований? Особенно после тех громких дел – расследование похищения драгоценностей короны, поимка Джека-Потрошителя. И чтобы он расследовал какое-то дело в каком-то театре? Хмм.. а давайте-ка введем для него новый уровень сложности. Пусть он раскроет преступление под чарами любви.
И благодаря такому повороту желания автора Э.Ф. известный ранее как «бог из кустов с роялями» начинает косячить на каждом более-менее важном аспекте расследования. И это при том, что главный подозреваемый находится на виду. Да, читатель в моем лице уже давно решил присмотреться к одному из участников, но надеялся, что это очередной маневр, который отвлекает нас от истинного преступника. А Фандорин тупит до самого конца. При этом, умудряется с легкостью переключать свои состояния. «Ах, я влюблен!». «Ах, она дура и я не влюблен!». «Но нет! Я все-таки влюблен!». «Хотя подождите, это меня позорит!». «Стоп! Я опять влюблен!». Не умудренный сединами гений сыска, супермен 19 века, уничтожитель зла и победитель криминальных гениев, а какая-то девочка в розовом платьице лет этак 14-15. Нравственным метаниям героя посвящается где-то треть книги. Скучно, да.
И при этом, все равно продолжаешь читать, потому что надеешься, что автор все это делает с ехидной усмешкой из разряда – ну, вот сейчас вы поймете, что все это было балаганом. Вот сейчас я вам покажу, что все, что вы думаете о том, что будет дальше – это всего лишь туман, который я напустил. Думаете, что убийца - вот этот человек? Ха-ха-ха! Вы думаете, что здесь нужен хэппи-энд? Ха-ха-ха!! Но, увы и ах, все оказывается именно так, как мы и думаем. И убийца – шофер, и хэппи-энд и силы зла развеиваются при одном появлении Фандорина. И еще раз, для тех, кто пропустил – тут хэппи-энд! Серьезно. В каком еще из романов у Фандорина есть хэппи-энд, да еще и с любовью? Не считая, конечно, первых книг подцикла.
Кстати, о них, тут представьте себе всплывает один из давних спутников Эраста. Ну и, если честно – так себе всплывает. В каком-то очень странном амплуа. Если честно, я не ожидал для этого героя такого развития. Он казался мне более умудренным опытом, особенно после того, через что ему удалось пройти.
Короче говоря, читается легко, быстро, с желанием узнать, что там будет дальше. Но вот после прочтения остается разочарование и какое-то отупение ощущается. Да, я понимаю, что эксперимент по созданию театрального детектива. И что там все должно быть на таком надрыве, на таком прям пафосе и через край. Но тут слишком уж через край. Настолько, что просто страшно становится. Из героя делают какую-то игрушку в руках желаний режиссера. В смысле автора. И это очень и очень грустно.
May 31, 2024
Ну вот Фандорин начал стареть, именно с этой мысли начинает свой роман Акунин и именно это приходит на ум при первом чтении нового романа. Но стареть русский сыщик начал красиво, в прочем, как и многое что он делал в своей жизни, просто не человек, а идеальная машина. Начало можно рассматривать как своеобразный пинок для людей, страдающих кризисом среднего возраста. Автор через Фандорина показывает, что можно стареть красиво, заниматься кучей разных вещей, ставить себе годовые цели и стремится к саморазвитию – изучать языки, заниматься спортом, да хоть научится жонглировать, что угодно только двигаться вперед и не сидеть на месте.
А еще Э.П. влюбился, представьте себе стареющий ловелас, разменявший 5-й десяток снова в строй и опять его избранницей, становится Лиза, ох уж эти параллели со старым-молодым Фандорином, Карамзиным и т.д., такая себе карма-судьба в действии.
Русский сыщик расследует дело, связанное с покушением на актрису, и попутно пытается очаровать сие милое создание, все мы знаем, что это у него получится. Дело происходит в 1911, недавно был убит премьер-министр Столыпин и Фандорин надеялся расследовать его убийство, но пришлось заниматься театром, кстати по просьбе другой ��звестной особы – вдовы Антона Чехова – Ольги Книппер.
Сюжет в большинстве случаев вращается вокруг рефлексий Э.П. Последний то и дело сетует о неразделенной любви, хотя будь он в действительности таким волевым и сильным человеком каким его представляет автор, то легко справился с этой проблемой. А так ничего более-менее остросюжетного, стоящего долгое время не происходит, кроме конечно убийств, с которыми гениальный сыщик что-то не может ни как разобраться.
Меня довольно давно интересует такой вопрос, если автор наделил героя такой чертой как постоянное везение, сам герой ее прекрасно знает, то почему же он никогда ей не пользуется для поимки преступников? Вот в самом деле, только и нужно что написать на бумажках всех подозреваемых, встряхнуть, перемешать и вытащить наугад, вуаля! Счастливая судьба подкинет везунчику имя истинного виновного, а уже имея такой козырь можно и распутать мотивы и улики найти. Но вот что-то наш герой до такой возможности не додумался.
Главная составная часть данной истории о приключениях Фандорина, как мне показалось состоит в том, чтобы показать, что наш герой вполне себе человек, а не идеальная машина. Причем в начале нам описывают «гармоничного человека» который практически совершенен во всем, человека, который своим умом и своей железной волей создал себя сам, слепил из себя идеал. Затем же по прихоти Амура Э.П. влюбляется, причем на это косвенным образом влияют другие факторы, подталкиваемые судьбой. Вообще отношения у главного героя с судьбой очень странные, удача ему благоволит в любом виде, а вот фатум или как это назвать наоборот, порой жестоко наказывает, все дамы сердца плохо заканчивали после знакомства с ним. Не мудрено что Фандорин решил зачерстветь и больше не подаваться коварному чувству.
Из интересных деталей, во-первых, в сюжете появляется известный персонаж Сенька Скорик знакомый по роману «Любовник Смерти», появляется эпизодически и эффектно, вполне театрально. Читатель узнает, что судьба у бывшего мошенника сложилась довольно хорошо и сейчас некогда оборванец является успешным кинопромышленником. Во-вторых, главного злодея не так уж и просто вычислить. В-третьих, довольно хорошо описана закулисная кухня театральной жизни. Но не смотря на все это не самый лучший роман о Фандорине.
А еще Э.П. влюбился, представьте себе стареющий ловелас, разменявший 5-й десяток снова в строй и опять его избранницей, становится Лиза, ох уж эти параллели со старым-молодым Фандорином, Карамзиным и т.д., такая себе карма-судьба в действии.
Русский сыщик расследует дело, связанное с покушением на актрису, и попутно пытается очаровать сие милое создание, все мы знаем, что это у него получится. Дело происходит в 1911, недавно был убит премьер-министр Столыпин и Фандорин надеялся расследовать его убийство, но пришлось заниматься театром, кстати по просьбе другой ��звестной особы – вдовы Антона Чехова – Ольги Книппер.
Сюжет в большинстве случаев вращается вокруг рефлексий Э.П. Последний то и дело сетует о неразделенной любви, хотя будь он в действительности таким волевым и сильным человеком каким его представляет автор, то легко справился с этой проблемой. А так ничего более-менее остросюжетного, стоящего долгое время не происходит, кроме конечно убийств, с которыми гениальный сыщик что-то не может ни как разобраться.
Меня довольно давно интересует такой вопрос, если автор наделил героя такой чертой как постоянное везение, сам герой ее прекрасно знает, то почему же он никогда ей не пользуется для поимки преступников? Вот в самом деле, только и нужно что написать на бумажках всех подозреваемых, встряхнуть, перемешать и вытащить наугад, вуаля! Счастливая судьба подкинет везунчику имя истинного виновного, а уже имея такой козырь можно и распутать мотивы и улики найти. Но вот что-то наш герой до такой возможности не додумался.
Главная составная часть данной истории о приключениях Фандорина, как мне показалось состоит в том, чтобы показать, что наш герой вполне себе человек, а не идеальная машина. Причем в начале нам описывают «гармоничного человека» который практически совершенен во всем, человека, который своим умом и своей железной волей создал себя сам, слепил из себя идеал. Затем же по прихоти Амура Э.П. влюбляется, причем на это косвенным образом влияют другие факторы, подталкиваемые судьбой. Вообще отношения у главного героя с судьбой очень странные, удача ему благоволит в любом виде, а вот фатум или как это назвать наоборот, порой жестоко наказывает, все дамы сердца плохо заканчивали после знакомства с ним. Не мудрено что Фандорин решил зачерстветь и больше не подаваться коварному чувству.
Из интересных деталей, во-первых, в сюжете появляется известный персонаж Сенька Скорик знакомый по роману «Любовник Смерти», появляется эпизодически и эффектно, вполне театрально. Читатель узнает, что судьба у бывшего мошенника сложилась довольно хорошо и сейчас некогда оборванец является успешным кинопромышленником. Во-вторых, главного злодея не так уж и просто вычислить. В-третьих, довольно хорошо описана закулисная кухня театральной жизни. Но не смотря на все это не самый лучший роман о Фандорине.
May 30, 2025
Как Фандорин любовью страдал
Только из уважения к покойному писателю Чехову Фандорин соглашается на просьбу его вдовы: посетить недавно открывшийся театр и выяснить, какая опасность угрожает ведущей актрисе.
«Весь мир театр» — это, по сути, «Любовница смерти 2.0». Здесь снова присутствует невыносимо эгоцентричная героиня — Элиза, страдающая на каждой странице. Но теперь к ней добавляется и сам Фандорин, которому уже 55 лет, но ведёт он себя как влюблённый подросток. Он обижается, когда предмет его воздыхания не тем тоном говорит ему «здравствуйте», спорит с Массой и теряет рассудительность. Ради кого? Ради женщины, в которой нет ни капли очарования. Акунин не наделил её ни одной положительной чертой — она одержима только театром.
Любовная драма развивается на уровне сцены из российского сериала:
— Она любит тебя.
— Нет, она любит тебя.
— Она не может любить меня.
— Говорит, что любит меня, но думает, что любит тебя.
— Да люблю я тебя!
От полного провала книгу спасает только детективная линия. Здесь есть и загадочные смерти, и таинственный обратный отсчёт до некоего «дня Бенефиса», и противостояние с криминальным синдикатом. Моменты, когда Фандорин забывает об Элизе и полностью погружается в следствие, — действительно прекрасный. Вот за что мы любим этот цикл, вот ради чего мы следим за жизнью Эраста Фандорина. Жаль только, что их меньше, чем хотелось бы.
Наверное, самая слабая книга во всём цикле.
Оценка: 2,5 из 5.
Только из уважения к покойному писателю Чехову Фандорин соглашается на просьбу его вдовы: посетить недавно открывшийся театр и выяснить, какая опасность угрожает ведущей актрисе.
«Весь мир театр» — это, по сути, «Любовница смерти 2.0». Здесь снова присутствует невыносимо эгоцентричная героиня — Элиза, страдающая на каждой странице. Но теперь к ней добавляется и сам Фандорин, которому уже 55 лет, но ведёт он себя как влюблённый подросток. Он обижается, когда предмет его воздыхания не тем тоном говорит ему «здравствуйте», спорит с Массой и теряет рассудительность. Ради кого? Ради женщины, в которой нет ни капли очарования. Акунин не наделил её ни одной положительной чертой — она одержима только театром.
Любовная драма развивается на уровне сцены из российского сериала:
— Она любит тебя.
— Нет, она любит тебя.
— Она не может любить меня.
— Говорит, что любит меня, но думает, что любит тебя.
— Да люблю я тебя!
От полного провала книгу спасает только детективная линия. Здесь есть и загадочные смерти, и таинственный обратный отсчёт до некоего «дня Бенефиса», и противостояние с криминальным синдикатом. Моменты, когда Фандорин забывает об Элизе и полностью погружается в следствие, — действительно прекрасный. Вот за что мы любим этот цикл, вот ради чего мы следим за жизнью Эраста Фандорина. Жаль только, что их меньше, чем хотелось бы.
Наверное, самая слабая книга во всём цикле.
Оценка: 2,5 из 5.
November 2, 2017
All The World's A Stage, eleventh book in Boris Akunin's Tsarist-Russian mysteries featuring the sleuth Erast Fandorin, proves a winning addition to its predecessors... the book is well-written (Akunin's a marvelous writer), it is clever, funny, and certainly provides an interesting look-see into the dramatic lives of stage actors, who sometimes don't know themselves if the life they lead is "real" or still acting.
Murders and suspects and red-herrings abound, while our erstwhile hero and his trusty-companion "Masa," both now middle-aged, emit wizened insights and demonstrate increased perspicacity, more than ever before, as they work quietly and purposefully through their theories until the culprit is revealed and the case resolved.
Best about this book, perhaps, is the typically imperturbable Fandorin's falling hard in love with the theater's femme-fatale, Madame Eliza Altairsky-Lointaine, because of whom all male intimates meet a horrific end. The author's insight into this strange, undeniable, and all-too sudden force of nature called love is, at turns, funny, sad, and accurate, and I am happy to know Fandorin is softening, just a bit, at least, as he ages.
In more ways than one, Boris Akunin hits his mark in this newest adventure.
Murders and suspects and red-herrings abound, while our erstwhile hero and his trusty-companion "Masa," both now middle-aged, emit wizened insights and demonstrate increased perspicacity, more than ever before, as they work quietly and purposefully through their theories until the culprit is revealed and the case resolved.
Best about this book, perhaps, is the typically imperturbable Fandorin's falling hard in love with the theater's femme-fatale, Madame Eliza Altairsky-Lointaine, because of whom all male intimates meet a horrific end. The author's insight into this strange, undeniable, and all-too sudden force of nature called love is, at turns, funny, sad, and accurate, and I am happy to know Fandorin is softening, just a bit, at least, as he ages.
In more ways than one, Boris Akunin hits his mark in this newest adventure.
December 26, 2019
Ponad piec lat temu czytalem dwie ksiazki Akunina. Postanowilem powrocic do jego ksiazek, ale tym razem postanowilem siegnac po audiobook w wykonaniu Krzysztofa Gosztyly.
Czytajac ta ksiazke mozna przeniesc sie w czasie do Moskwy roku 1911. Pod tym wzgledem bardzo wysoko cenie tworzcosc Aknina. Z dosc wielka pieczolowitoscia odzwierciedla on klimat czasu w ktorym toczy sie akcja ksiazki.
Troche dziwne jest to, ze Erast Pietrowicz Fandorin to superbohater. Troche maloprawdopodobne jest jego wszechstronne uzdolnienie.
Dodatkowa informacja, odnosnie tej ksiazki, ktora mi bardzo imponuje to to, ze Akunin zaplanowal 16 tomow z cyklu o Fandorinie. Dlaczego akurat 16? Podobno Akunin studiujac istniejaca literature nalazeca do gatunku powiesci kryminalnej doszukal sie 16 typow powiesci kryminalnej. Kazda opowiesc o Erascie Piotrowiczu ma byc napisana wedlug innego wzorca, wedlug innego schematu. "Swiat jest teatrem" to "teatralna zagadka". (ang. theatrical mystery)
Czytajac ta ksiazke mozna przeniesc sie w czasie do Moskwy roku 1911. Pod tym wzgledem bardzo wysoko cenie tworzcosc Aknina. Z dosc wielka pieczolowitoscia odzwierciedla on klimat czasu w ktorym toczy sie akcja ksiazki.
Troche dziwne jest to, ze Erast Pietrowicz Fandorin to superbohater. Troche maloprawdopodobne jest jego wszechstronne uzdolnienie.
Dodatkowa informacja, odnosnie tej ksiazki, ktora mi bardzo imponuje to to, ze Akunin zaplanowal 16 tomow z cyklu o Fandorinie. Dlaczego akurat 16? Podobno Akunin studiujac istniejaca literature nalazeca do gatunku powiesci kryminalnej doszukal sie 16 typow powiesci kryminalnej. Kazda opowiesc o Erascie Piotrowiczu ma byc napisana wedlug innego wzorca, wedlug innego schematu. "Swiat jest teatrem" to "teatralna zagadka". (ang. theatrical mystery)
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