P세대

by Victor Pelevin, 빅토르 펠레빈

포스트소비에트 문학을 대표하는 작가이자 러시아 최고의 인기 작가 빅토르 펠레빈의 장편소설. 현재 러시아의 가장 유력한 노벨문학상 후보 중 하나로 꼽히는 펠레빈의 대표작으로, 그를 추종하는 열혈 독자들을 만들어내며 출간 첫 주 만에 20만 부가 팔린 베스트셀러이다. 'P세대'는 1991년 소련 해체를 전후해 태어난 신러시아인을 가리키는 용어로, 펠레빈이 작품의 제목으로 삼으며 널리 쓰이게 되었다.

갑작스러운 국가 붕괴를 겪은 후 공산주의 유토피아에 대한 믿음이 하루아침에 무너지고, 자본주의 사회에서 새로운 정체성을 찾아야 하는 한 카피라이터의 이야기가 러시아 문학의 전통 위에 신화와 환상, 종교와 철학적 사유의 씨실로 촘촘히 직조된다. 이 작품으로 펠레빈은 리하르트 쇤펠트 독일 문학상을 받았으며, 2011년 빅토르 긴즈부르크 감독에 의해 영화화되었다.

길거리 간이매점에서 담배를 팔며 살아가던 어느 날, 타타르스키는 우연히 만난 대학 동기의 소개로 광고업계에 발을 디디게 된다. 소련의 이데올로기 시인을 꿈꾸던 그가, 자본주의의 시인이라 할 수 있는 광고 카피라이터가 되어 서양에서 들여온 제품을 러시아 소비자들에게 선전하는 일을 맡게 된 것이다. 소련 시절에는 자본주의의 폐해라고 주장하던 소비지상주의였지만, 서구의 무차별적인 상품 공격과 그 광고들은 어느새 러시아인들의 의식 속에 서구의 풍족한 삶을 동경하게 만든다.

작가 펠레빈은 작품 속에서 강신술로 불려나온 '체 게바라'의 영혼과, 마약을 하며 환각 상태에서 만나게 되는 신화 속 동물 '시루프'의 입을 빌려 이 주제에 대해 이야기한다. 러시아의 경제 몰락, 정치 부재, 소비지상주의를 부추기는 광고의 혹사, 마약 중독 등 당시 러시아 현실의 구체적인 현상이 심도 있게 다뤄지고 있다.

Genres: Fiction, Russia, Contemporary, Russian Literature, Novels, Magical Realism, Fantasy

424 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Victor Olegovich Pelevin is a Russian fiction writer. His books usually carry the outward conventions of the science fiction genre, but are used to construct involved, multi-layered postmodernist texts, fusing together elements of pop culture and esoteric philosophies. Some critics relate his prose to the New Sincerity and New Realism literary movements.

RU: Виктор Пелевин

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

acid, witty and engulfing. a critique of modernity, consumerism and capitalism.

memorable concepts and ideas: oranus as a description of the global economy, television as an altered state of consciousness and instrument of control, money as an instrument of moral and ethical evaluation, advertising as a technique of control and propaganda, virtualization of reality.

[Aleksandar Šegrt · Rating 4 out of 5]

mislim da sam jedino uliksa duže žvakao. ideja fenomenalna, realizacija malo tanja, ali čitanje peljevina je uvek dobar mazohizam.

[Ivan Bogdanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generation П беше първия роман на Пелевин, който прочетох, след поредицата разкази, преди почти 20 години в аматьорския превод на Иван Попов. Тогава бях като треснат. Вчера я прехвърлих сигурно за 10 път - очарованието е останало.
За тази книга могат да се кажат много неща и е абсолютно задължителна за всички от рекламния бранш. Нещата са казани пряко и силно, не загатнати какво "99" на Бегбеде. За изминалите години са се сменили някои технически средства, но основните похвати си остават същите. Особено тези за забаламосване на клиенти.
"Татарски пак погледна плаката с трите палми и англоезичното обещание за вечни метаморфози и попита:
— Като какъв?
— Като криейтър.
— Сиреч творец ли? — попита Татарски. — Ако го преведем де.
Ханин се усмихна мило и каза:
— Ебал съм ги творците, хич не са ми изтрябвали. Криейтър, Вава, криейтър."

"— И на рекламодателите им харесва?
— Нашите рекламодатели са такива, че човек трябва да им обяснява какво им харесва и какво — не. Освен това как мислиш, защо ни дават поръчки за реклама, а?
Татарски вдигна рамене.
— Кажи де, кажи — подкани го Ханин.
— Ами за да си продадат стоката.
— В Щатите е това — да си продадат стоката.
— Ами тогава просто за да са на ниво.
— Това беше допреди три години — каза Ханин поучително. — Сега е различно. Сега клиентът иска да покаже на босовете, които внимателно наблюдават какво става на екрана и в живота, че може ей така да хване един милион долара и да ги хвърли на боклука. И затова колкото по-лоша е рекламата, толкова по-добре за него. Зрителят първо си мисли, че възложителят и изпълнителите са абсолютни кретени, но… — Ханин вдигна пръст и погледна Татарски в очите, — но в следващия момент му светва колко пари струва всичко това. И изводът му за възложителя е следният — той може да е абсолютен кретен, обаче бизнесът му върви, и то така, че може да пусне в ефира какъвто си иска боклук и колкото пъти си иска. А по-хубава реклама от тази — здраве му кажи. На такъв човек му дават кредити отвсякъде без никакви проблеми"

Освен това в книгата има много философия - за Руската идея, за руската душа и едно добро описание на орално-аналния метод (не става дума за секс). Може в един момент философията да ви дойде малко повече (Все пак това е Пелевин, той е повече философ, отколкото писател), но книгата я препоръчвам с две ръце!

[Dato Samniashvili · Rating 5 out of 5]

წიგნი ყველაზე აქტუალური ისევ ჩვენთვის - პოსტსაბჭო რეალობისთვისაა. სიუჟეტი ბნელ 90-იანებში ვითარდება და კარგად ასახვს ევოლუციას, რომელმაც დღევანდელი პოსტსაბჭო ჰიფსტერები და კრეატივშიკები წარმოშვა.

წიგნი საბჭოეთიდან ველურ კაპიტალიზმზე გარდამავალ ეპოქაზეა, იმაზე თუ როგორ დაიწვეთეს პირველად მჟავა & ჩაღეჭეს მეჯიქ მაშრუმები აბსურდში გახვეულმა ახალგაზრდებმა და კრეატივის ილუზიას გაუჩნდათ.

"ყველა აზრი, რომელიც ამ წიგნის კითხვის დროს შეიძლება მოუვიდეს კაცს თავში, საავტორო უფლების ობიექტს წარმოადგეს".

[Polina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generation П.

Пелевин как всегда наводит на размышления. Невеселые притом. Ведь, сука, действительно так и живем - отождествляем себя только с деньгами. Орально-анальная жизнь. И ведь самое страшное: вроде как выше других в своих мыслях и побуждениях, в целях и смысле, а прочитаешь и задумаешься. Так ли уж и выше. Это как Татарский: я же не плохой сам по себе, просто дорогу найти не могу. А в итоге - говно.

Я отказываюсь так жить. Встает вопрос : как найти компромисс между необходимостью денег и превращением в орально-анальную амебу?

Пелевину спасибо.

[արմին]

гибрид "американских богов" и "99 франков"

[Olya Neshcheretnaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Лихие 90-е, наркотики, бандиты, малиновый пиджак, авторитет - это все фон, на котором разворачивается канва произведения. Главные герой работает в рекламном агентстве и сочиняет рекламные слоганы к продуктам. Продукты продвигаются на только созданом рынке страны. Все это так топорно и искуственно. Герой всасывает из пальца вдохновение. А когда его нет на помощь приходят наркотики. Ведь начальство не дремлет, а за начальством стоят люди. Могут и убить. Такие лихие 90-е...
Все это в совокупности вызывается непоминание, замешательство и отторжение.

[Jakoba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pelevin is must read for everyone, who is interested:
1. How do people live in Russia after USSR collapsed
2. Whats wrong with us in capitalistic societies

U r right, that from the first sight, they don`t look similar.
Without spoiling, the thing i got- our minds are full of garbage we need to clean.
And yep, enjoy... it definitely gonna broad ur imagination.

[Katrin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, I don't understand why so many people like him.

[Nijat Shiraliyev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although outlining some of the then-actual conspiracies regarding the advertisement, the book becomes very messy and does not have a clear scenario which a reader can follow.

[Dana Yassin (Sarysheva)]

Generation “P” by Victor Pelevin

“Once upon a time in Russia there really was a carefree, youthful generation that smiled in joy at the summer, the sea and the sun, and chose Pepsi…in fact Generation “P” and children of the Soviet seventies chose Pepsi in precisely the same way as their parents chose Brezhnev". [1] This is how the Generation “P” of Victor Pelevin is introduced in his famous postmodernist novel. Published in 1999, “Generation “P”” also known as “Homo Zapiens” immediately caught the attention of the public and literary figures around the world. The work gained many praises along with international literary awards and has sold 3,5 million copies since its publication [2]. If you are about to read this book, you might have several questions that are building up in your mind. What is this book about? How this work became “iconic”? Should you leave this book to later or read this book now? Are all the praises around the book justified? If you want to find out the answers to these questions, follow along with this text.

The protagonist of the story, Babylen Tatarsky, is a young intelligent man whose youth came across the 1990s of post-Soviet Russia. Starting his career as a copywriter he finds out “the truth” of the media through the chain of different events, development of his career path and change of the employers, including some mystical experiences. It is not hard to understand that the protagonist is the representative of the Generation “P”, a person who was born in the 70s, and “soaked in” cultural and political changes of the 90s. An interesting fact about the background of Tatarsky is that he had the same path as the author of the book, Victor Pelevin [3]. Both of them were once engineer students who later changed their areas of studies and majored in literature. Moreover, Pelevin is interested in religious studies and has a deep knowledge of eastern mythologies, mystics, that he creatively uses in the book (goddess Ishtar and her 3 riddles). Mentioning the interest of Pelevin in mythologies, we can see how he uses his knowledge to play with symbols, signs, and how he includes a large spectrum of semiotics in this book. The first example of Pelevin’s “game with symbolism” is Tatarsky’s name, Babylen, which serves as a sign of Tatarsky’s connection with the mythology created in the novel. Babylen reveals his main role as a husband of Ishtar. The second example of the usage of symbols are the other characters in the novel who also serve to be the representatives of Generation “P”, and are the symbols of so-called “likhie 90-ye” also known as the difficult period of the 90s in post-Soviet Russia. The third example could be the mushrooms that Tatarsky consumes. Mushroom might be the hidden link to the televised hoax “Lenin was a mushroom”, that broadcasted in the 90s and concluded that Lenin used to consume mushrooms [4]. The last example of semiotics in the novel is the name of the book. The letter “P” can be interpreted in different ways such as, “Generation of Pelevin”, “Generation Pepsi” or “Generation Pizdec”, which in Russian is a swear word and means that something is going to an end. The usage of semiotics and symbols mentioned above are crucial to the novel since the ambiguity in the name of the book, characters that represent “likhie 90-ye” and their roles in the book are one of the factors that make the novel postmodern.

Continuing with the theme of “likhie 90-ye”, we get to witness the development of Tatarsky’s character as he goes forward in his career during the “uncertain” 90s. Tatarsky’s movements up the ladder of his media profession show the author’s true intentions. He reveals the reason behind the work of mass media and its structure. The author introduces us to the consumer society, capitalistic society or the Generation “P”, where people of Oranus (space where television and advertisements control people’s mindsets) are being controlled by impulses and are blind to see how they give permission to television and higher authorities (politicians and oligarchs) to rule their lives. Pelevin’s usage of the drug theme in the novel, through which Tatarsky finds answers to his questions, can also be an interpretation of the role of drugs and the rise of the banditry in the 1990s. It is very interesting how the usage of drugs or so-called mushrooms, mythology in the novel, and philosophical ideas the author gives to readers are well combined in the story. Everything seems to be in place and has a link or connotation to one another. Moreover, the author’s language and intertextuality of the work can be another reason why people get amazed by the novel. The author’s ability to link Enkidu, Ishtar, Che Guevara with his imaginary myths or “truth”, swear words that are wittily used right where needed make the novel very interesting and fun. Therefore, the mix of different genres, intertextuality, where one theme is linked with the other, usage of slang words, the mentions of the modern literature and its connection to the story are another reasons that make the novel postmodern.

At the end of the story where Tatarsky becomes a significant figure of the media, the reader gets answers to different questions regarding the link between Tatarsky and the myth of Ishtar or the creation of advertisements. Despite that, the author leaves us a little puzzled. We still question whether Tatarsky was a hero, whether he gained or whether he lost in this game of mass media, black PR and consumer society. However, these questions we have, I believe, make the work outstanding and unique. Not only we know more about the atmosphere of the 1990s, but we also get to know more about how the media works and how television or the structural rise of capitalistic society influences our lives and minds, including philosophical ideas and phycological notions to which the author introduces us. This novel brings up different theories starting from new “Russian ideology” to what is known nowadays as “conspiracy theory”. The world of “Generation “P”” is huge and I believe that everyone who reads the story will find out something. Something interesting, something new, something mind-blowing.

Reference list:
[1]-https://www.overdrive.com/media/30389...
[2] [3] -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generat...
[4]-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin_w...

[Dilnaz Ismanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

In search of the “Russian Idea”.

“We don’t have no national i-den-ti-ty… There’s got to be some nice, simple Russian idea, so’s we can lay it out clear and simple… And we’ve got to know for ourselves where we come from”.
Victor Pelevin, Homo Zapiens

Talking about contemporary Russian literature and culture it’s impossible to overlook the problem of the “Russian Idea”, so painfully acute for a modern Russian society. Analyzing Pelevin’s Generation П, published in 1999, we can see from its name that Russian letter “П” stands for both “Pepsi” and “pizdets”, a Russian swear word. By mentioning Pepsi Pelevin doesn’t actually imply the fizzy drink itself but Russia’s forcibly sudden transition to capitalism and along with it, commercials, monetarism and consumerism that flooded into post-Soviet Russia from the Western capitalist world. By saying “pizdets” the author demonstrates how lost and doomed the generation of the 1990s was, that generation whose youth years were in time free from censorship and Soviet ideology yet gripped by economic devastation and high crime rate. We can see from this witty wordplay that all that remains of the Russian national idea is its doomed fate and obsessive consumerism.

Sharp mind and talent have led Vavilen Tatarsky from the job at a small stand to the position of creator in television, the most powerful sphere that not just ruled the destiny of the nation but literally shaped its reality and fed this artificially made parody of reality to people. One day Tatarsky was given an unusual order to come up with the national concept of “Russian Idea”. What’s even more troubling for Tatarsky is that this advertising concept should be deeply spiritual and inspiring. It’s not a material product or a service that can be purchased and consumed in comparison with the brands that Tatarsky had an experience to work with. The most important element of the “Russian Idea” is the actual Russian spirit that couldn’t be invented or designed just due to talent and advertising skills. As we well know, the ultimate purpose of any commercial is not necessarily to make consumers fully believe in the actual concept and essence of the product, but to make potential customers buy this product. However, it’s hard to develop an idea that simply does not exist and it’s even harder to make it attractive in the eyes of other people, especially foreigners.

In the attempts to design a concept for the “Russian Idea” Tatarsky struggles and even tries to summon the spirits to help him. One of the particularly frequent flyers of Tatarsky’s séances is Che Guevara, the world’s symbol of change, revolution, Russia’s communist past and possible bright future. Che Guevara’s response represents the Russians within the realities of a modern consumerist society which is not always driven by “oral and anal wow factors” but also by the endeavors to find an ultimate panacea from all life misfortunes and to be happy. By that the author means that behind the primitive desire of profit and showing off there is a simple need for human happiness which has not been satisfied for such a long time. To put it in other words, being in a constant state of destitution the only thing that was on people’s minds was survival and the ways to earn a living. Those who managed to make a good living were trying to fill the hole in their hearts and compensate their poor years by spending money on anything advertised on television. Another spirit summoned by Tatarsky in the hope of comprehending the “Russian Idea” belongs to Fyodor Dostoevsky, a classic of the Russian literature. It seems like Dostoevsky would be the most familiar with a concept of the “Russian Idea” and Russian soul but séance with him didn’t bring fruitful results. This failed attempt is definitely not accidental, because by that we can see how complex and unfathomable the Russian Idea appears to be.

So it is still unclear: what constitutes the “Russian Idea”? Unfortunately, we do not come to the well-articulated answer and the question remains open. But why do Russians need the national idea in the first place? This concept is usually associated with the tool of patriotism and national pride propaganda. Actually, the answer to this question might be the ressentiment which is so painfully familiar for the Russian people. It implies the form of hostility towards the government that is blamed for causing the feeling of frustration. This aggression resulted from feelings of despair and powerlessness manifests in an escape from ugly and distorted reality. In the attempts to create a more pleasing reality nationalism and obsession with the national idea becomes a very tempting option. The “Russian Idea” seems so crucial because it is believed to solve any existing problem and prove Russia’s worth to the whole world. The concept of the “Russian Idea” in this novel eventually equates with its uncertainty meaning that the absence of the “Russian Idea” in its classical soild form becomes the “Russian Idea” itself. The national idea of Russia is lost and humiliated people, pursuit of material wealth mistaken for happiness, obsessive consumerism, escape from reality and finally, the desperate need for the national idea. The “Russian Idea” is not a certain image or symbol, it is everything about Russia itself.

[Ihor Pryshlyak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тепер купуватиму колу

[Sava Karakashev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Настоящего не существует

[7on · Rating 2 out of 5]

Пелевин входит в тройку моих любимых авторов, вместе с Хайнлайном и Ремарком. Так уж вышло, что определённые его произведения были прочитаны в уникальные периоды формирования моей идентичности и произвели очень большое впечатление.

заползла депрессия. Ее можно было убрать двумя методами – выпить граммов сто водки или срочно что-нибудь купить, потратив долларов пятьдесят (некоторое время назад Татарский с удивлением понял, что эти два действия вызывают сходное состояние легкой эйфории, длящейся час-полтора

Это была вторая попытка прочтения. Первая была лет 15-20 назад и тогда целиком не осилил. Бросил. Сейчас довёл дело до конца, но вспомнил, что мне не понравилось ) А именно, что никакого сюжета по сути в книге и нет, и всё что описывается это коктель из наркотических трипов профессионального маркетолога, мифология шумеров всё это в сеттинге России 90-х.

В конце концов, все в этом мире – вопрос интерпретации

Критика потребления, высмеивание всего и вся, как-будто Пелевин уже тогда разочаровался во всём, всем этим наполнен роман с горкой. Только за этим весельем, цирком с клоунами и яркими выступлениями мне не хватило цельности, сюжета и фактурных персонажей. Впрочем эта вечная "проблема" / фишка Виктора Олеговича. 6 из 10

всегда рекламируются не вещи, а простое человеческое счастье

[Carlota · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Variantes: interior de un jet privado, un ático en Manhattan, un chalet en la Costa Azul. En lugar de la Biblia el mismísimo Salvador acercándose a la cámara en medio de un halo de luz. Eslogan:
¡UN SEÑOR DE PRIMERA, PARA UN MUNDO DE PRIMERA!
(...)
El interior de un coche. El rostro hosco del presidente y la ventanilla detrás. Fuera, en la calle, ancianas pobres, golfillos, soldados heridos, etc. En la parte superior del poster, escrito con grandes letras, la frase: <<¿Cuanto más bajo podemos caer?>> En letras muy pequeñas, debajo de todo del poster: <>.
(...)
Abrió la taquilla y sacó dos extrañas falsas, una hecha de plumas y la otra de una especie de piel de animal. La tendió está a Tatarski y se puso la otra por encima de sus calzoncillos rojos Calvin Klein y al instante adquirió el aspecto de un avestruz gordo."

[Tata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Обожаю Пелевина 😍!!! А его "Generation "П" не люблю. Возможно, потому что сама не отношусь к этому поколению, и не могу прочувствовать то время 😞.
***
И только конец повести загоняет в глубины подсознания. То прекрасное чувство, когда точка - не завершение, а начало. Когда переосмысливаешь все произведение.
Ощущение, что вот оно: то, что я всегда знала, но не могла сформулировать. Будто Виктор Олегович протягивает мне ящерицу тайного знания, а я по глупости беру ее за хвост и упускаю. И остаётся на подкорке мозга понимание истины, которую так и не удается сформулировать.

[Zhassulan Yerzhanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you may have noticed, today is the 7th of September 2020, which is nearly 30 years from 1991. The latter date might mean something to you or might simply be another year in the school, university or just life, or what is more likely, this was even far earlier than you were born. Now, while living in one of the post-soviet countries, which are all currently “walking towards a brighter future” in one way or another, I notice how the quality of life is increasing little by little, but I have no idea of what the life was for my parents or grandparents when they sipped the air of democracy and liberalism for the first time at the beginning of ’90s. Some people in ‘90s might have seen chaos, disorder and hardship surrounding them. Other people viewed this as a whole lot of opportunities for themselves. Nevertheless, what is more interesting and, actually, is true as a matter of fact, is the reality that ‘90s became a point in the timeline which changed people, society, state, which started mimicking the West. In that sense, it would be interesting to analyse what it was actually to live in “the ‘90s” and what was the society at that period of time. Maybe this would help to discover why modern society happens to be as it is, shining, but pretentious or etc.
Now, having this idea in mind, one might start questioning the older generation. However, this might not open the whole picture of the question you, people might be biased or nostalgic about this, but it is for you to decide. In this case, despite the existing prejudice towards contemporary Russian or any post-soviet literature, it would be useful to analyze the literature of that time, as literature is always reflecting the time and society in which it was mastered.
The best way to do this is to start reading works of Victor Pelevin or especially “Generation P” published in 1999. From all of the perspectives, he is a reliable figure, who was actually living through the ‘90s and became one of the leading authors of a new generation of Russian writers. “Generation P” is a work of post-modernism. You experience a feeling of viewing a humoristic series, each of it being full of author’s fantasy and grotesque, but at the same time realistic pictures. Pelevin does this through the image of Vavilen Tatarsky and his adventures as a “creator” of advertisements.
Please, pay attention to what I will say in the following paragraphs! Otherwise, without this sort of “preparation” most likely you will feel incomprehension, shock and disgust from this novel. Pelevin is, without any doubt, the writer with a creative and unique style. If I would have been asked to describe it after completing my reading, I would surely tell that style is what makes it as it is, as well as, plenty of themes raised in this novel, such as eastern mythology, history, sex, narcotics and slippery advertisers. Additionally, before starting reading it would be useful to learn a little bit about post-modernism in literature. In “Generation P” there is a lot of intertextualities, as Pelevin includes scripts of advertisements within the narration in every chapter. This seemingly disordered narration allows you to see the mix of styles of writing. The narration about Tatarsky and his thoughts are full of historicisms and terms like, “zikkurat”, “vavilonskoe stolpotpotvorenie”, a poem of al-Ghazzawi which might be immediately followed by Russian vulgarisms and slang like “lėvė” etc[1].
I would honestly admit that not many people might be really interested in literary theory mentioned above, but for sure there would be those who are interested in psychology and philosophy. For them, Pelevin prepared a lot of symbols and even simulacra. Simulacra, as a term discussed by Jean Baudrillard, gives a lot of mental pabulum for understanding the hyperreality in which we are now living. So does Pelevin, when he proves that the image of a politician in the TV is nothing but simulacra or being explicit 3-D image [2]. Pelevin gives this deep hidden meaning with the sole purpose of making the reader generate ideas about the nature of society or power in post-soviet Russia. It may sound terrific, but the author also discusses the notions of God and personal identity for example.
I was surprised when I have realized to what extent do television and media have a great portion of influence on us, and it for sure had a lot more to do with the people in ‘90s, who were really fans of TV. Moreover, it seemed as if I am reading ravings of the drug addict, but then I started to think more about concepts of human identity, society, state, religion, even advertisement and this was enhanced by every chapter I have read.
“Generation P” is a great example of post-modernism as Pelevin there talks a lot about ideology, uses critical approach presented in a seemingly frivolous manner, and raises the question of ideology and mass culture, which are directed by elites [3]. The novel is a key to the understanding of how people became left without ideology or idea which united their minds, how they became equal due to the social and economic catastrophe which is widely expressed in the plot and even the language of the narrator.

[Alex Railean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some interesting moments.

My favourite element: the thought-processes of the protagonist when he was generating his slogans. That involves world-play, puns and an understanding of Soviet and !Soviet cultures - good stuff!


Still, I have to admit that the primary reason for reading this book was "să pot răspunde la întrebări CUC" (-;

[Lilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generation "P". Дежавю. 99 франків)?
Похмуро-іронічно-гротескно. "Начіпляє" скепсис і зневіру. І легку відразу до продавців будь-якого роду). Ну й спонукає подумати про мету і сенс.
Стиль письма досить цікавий. Жанр - на жаль, не моє.

Чорний PR - кращий PR. В даному випадку особливо)

[Петър Стойков · Rating 2 out of 5]

Копирайтър в руските мутренски години, който ъпдейтва слоганите и идеите на световните марки така, че да имат смисъл на руския пазар. Звучи много по-интересно, отколкото в действителност успява да бъде.

[Doroti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Много силно и много руско!

[Veselin Nikolov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Нежната руска душевност.

В началото ми беше смешно, после ми стана досадно и към края се наложи да прескачам големи пасажи. Вероятно е добра литература, но не точно мой тип.

[Bezaubernd · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Von einem bestimmten Grad der Verzweiflung an muß man niemanden mehr fragen, was zu tun und zu lassen ist."

[Stas Yermakov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Имеет право на существование. Но это точно не книга для рекомендации, скорее для опыта.

[Roma Morkunaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sužavėjo. Daugybė sveiko sarkazmo, labai įtraukiantis siužetas ir puikus stilius.

/Dažnai nutinka - išeini vasaros rytą į gatvę, matai priešais save milžinišką, nuostabų, kažkur skubantį pasaulį, kupiną neaiškių pažadų ir trykštančios iš dangaus laimės, ir staiga sielą perveria supresuotas į sekundės dalį, akimirksnį trunkantis jausmas, kad štai plyti prieš tave gyvenimas ir gali eiti juo pirmyn neatsisukdamas, pastatyti ant kortos patį save ir išlošti, ir praskrieti baltu kateriu jo jūromis, ir pralėkti baltu mersedesu jo keliais. Ir patys savaime spaudžiasi kumščiai, ir kruta skruostikaulių gumbai, ir duodi sau žodį, kad dar išplėši dantimis daug daug pinigų iš tos priešiškos tuštumos, ir nušluosi nuo savo kelio, bet ką, jei reikės, ir niekas nedrįs pavadinti tavęs amerikonišku žodžiu loser./
-iš knygos

[sama · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Агитпроп бессмертен. Меняются только слова."

Учитывая время первой публикации (1999 год), можно сказать, что это живая хроника 90-х годов (алиса включи монеточка 90-е...). Я не знаю биографию автора, но скорее всего роман довольно-таки автобиографичный. Слишком реалистично герой проживает каждый день и пинки жизни.
Что понравилось?
1) Рассуждения о национальной идее;
2) Пропаганда как постоянный фон нашего существования;
3) Честность

Что не понравилось?
1) Опять честность. Ничего посыпанного сахаром здесь не будет. Даже если читать через розовые линзы.
1) Цинизм (чем-то напомнило мне "Пропавшего без вести (Америка)" Франца Кафки. Очень жестоко и беспощадно.

[Elizaveta · Rating 2 out of 5]

My expectations were higher than the book turned out. Lots of drugs, lots of alcohol, lots of symbols which are hard to understand now - quite far away from the times the book was written in. Maybe it was a significant book within a historical context back then, but now - I just can’t relate at all.
The final part of the book is also confusing - did this scene really happen to the main character or was it his hallucination after using drugs? Maybe the book was designed to feel this way, but it's not for my taste.

[Julie Kononova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Не читала ничего подобного.
По началу кажется, что это бросаловка именами, сплошной абсурдный психоделический трип, но по факту это многослойный пирог, в котором есть очень живой дух эпохи, тенденции нашего общества и даже тонкий философский подтекст. Не все очевидно, и не все на поверхности, очень многое стало намного яснее после прочтения разборов и анализа книги. Фундаментальная работа, я считаю

[Charly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una interesante mirada a la Rusia en pleno proceso de descomposición y trance capitalista. Un lenguaje veloz, a ratos vuela y cuesta mantener la atención.
No deja de ser interesante la evolución de la historia que parte en la simple transformación de un filósofo en un publicista que sin darse cuenta "asciende" en la virtud del Capitalismo bajo la mirada atenta de una mano invisible.