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humdrum_ts's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I can't say this was the most interesting book. Not much happened, the characters stayed largely the same, and I personally never experienced any particular cathartic moment. It's simply a very difficult book to dislike! Kurkov was apparently invited by the mayor of Lviv to come and write a novel about the city, and the end result feels like a pleasant visit, the conceits of a novel there only to extend the reader's stay. He writes with such playfulness and warmth for Lviv and the people he encountered there that I couldn't help but be won over. A cursory search indicates that this is considered of Kurkov's lesser novels: if that's the case I'm very much looking forward to reading more.
bigd1711's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
gabija's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
couldbestephen's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel!
Andrey Kurkov delivers a modern Ukrainian classic in this exploration of life in post Soviet Lviv, Ukraine. This novel is more about exploring the character of Ukrainians instead of following a plot and may not be a good introduction to Kurkov's body of work. I rated this 3 stars.
This story follows an eclectic cast of characters, such as the Jimi Hendrix loving "hippie," a man who collects urinary stones, and an actress, as they live their lives in and around Lviv, Ukraine. This is really an "extended slice of life" kind of book; low to no stakes, is character driven, and focuses on how all these characters live their lives and occasionally intersect with each other.
I adore Kurkov's translated prose; across the different translators, his direct voice and small bits of fantasy realism make the stories sing. Post Soviet Ukraine is dirty and strange and filled with characters who are occasionally off-putting and weird. But there's magic in reality. Reading this book renewed my pride in my home country. Kurkov's interpretation of Ukraine embraces the country in its entirety, his books are a love letter to this little country still figuring itself out.
The book's slow plot was a little off putting, I won't lie. As much as I enjoy a good character book, comparing JHLiL to his other character driven books that have a stronger plot (like Death and the Penguin or The Silver Bone) makes this one come across as a little "stuffy." Again, I still enjoyed it, it just didn't "hit" the same way his other works have. If you're a fan of slice of life slow burners, this book will be right up your alley.
I don't know if this is a book I would necessarily recommend to a general audience, but for those looking to read more Ukrainian lit, Kurkov cannot be missed and this book is an excellent exploration of the "character" of Ukrainians.
Andrey Kurkov delivers a modern Ukrainian classic in this exploration of life in post Soviet Lviv, Ukraine. This novel is more about exploring the character of Ukrainians instead of following a plot and may not be a good introduction to Kurkov's body of work. I rated this 3 stars.
This story follows an eclectic cast of characters, such as the Jimi Hendrix loving "hippie," a man who collects urinary stones, and an actress, as they live their lives in and around Lviv, Ukraine. This is really an "extended slice of life" kind of book; low to no stakes, is character driven, and focuses on how all these characters live their lives and occasionally intersect with each other.
I adore Kurkov's translated prose; across the different translators, his direct voice and small bits of fantasy realism make the stories sing. Post Soviet Ukraine is dirty and strange and filled with characters who are occasionally off-putting and weird. But there's magic in reality. Reading this book renewed my pride in my home country. Kurkov's interpretation of Ukraine embraces the country in its entirety, his books are a love letter to this little country still figuring itself out.
The book's slow plot was a little off putting, I won't lie. As much as I enjoy a good character book, comparing JHLiL to his other character driven books that have a stronger plot (like Death and the Penguin or The Silver Bone) makes this one come across as a little "stuffy." Again, I still enjoyed it, it just didn't "hit" the same way his other works have. If you're a fan of slice of life slow burners, this book will be right up your alley.
I don't know if this is a book I would necessarily recommend to a general audience, but for those looking to read more Ukrainian lit, Kurkov cannot be missed and this book is an excellent exploration of the "character" of Ukrainians.
dukegregory's review against another edition
2.0
The first 150 pages were cute and mediocre, but this really comes to do absolutely nothing. There is genuinely little to no plot holding this together.
maxt98's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
srm's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Only Kurkov could write this bizarre, charming, thoughtful book about a handful of oddball Lviv residents--an actress who volunteers with the poor, an ex-KGB agent and dove enthusiast, a recovering alcoholic hairdresser, aging hippie, money changer who's literally allergic to money, and most memorably a man who drives people over potholed, cobblestone roads to help them pass their kidney stones. This Kurkov-esque cast is troubled by something inexplicable happening in the city that somehow revolves around seagull attacks and the scent of the sea. Hard to describe, but utterly delightful.
thebobsphere's review against another edition
4.0
The last time I read Andrey Kurkov was back in 2002 and I didn’t really get on well with it. As I approach books with zero expectations, I was wondering how I would react to reading Kurkov again after a 20 year gap.
The inclusion of Jimi Hendrix is a bit of a McGuffin: two hippies are at his grave, when an ex KGB officer approaches them and tell the story about how Hendrix’s hand was shipped to the Ukraine.
From there we are introduced to a small cast of characters, each one with a set of eccentricities: Taras , who manages to get people to eject kidney stones by driving over bumpy roads, who is also in love with Darka, who has an allergic reaction to money and must wear gloves. There’s Taras’ neighbour Yezhi, who cuts hair for a living, his close friend, the actress Oksana, Alik who has been under surveillance of the dove loving Captain Ryabtsev even after the fall of communism.
Other than the superficial connections, what unites these people together is the fact that they are all trying to survive in a changing Ukraine. By survive, I don’t mean that these characters are suffering. It is just that they have experienced many changes and are taking it in their stride.
There is also a subplot about strange environmental problems such as vicious seagulls and renegade starfish which give the book a bit of a cli fi edge (take care of the environment or these crazy things may happen) and goes into some weird tangents involving paranormal investigators but other than a distraction this plot adds to the novel’s general feel.
Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv is a warm, charming book. It does focus on Ukraine during the communist era but it’s done in a gentle way, more like a reminder of how things used to be and now commercialism as started to dominate. There’s a feel good factor which may be maudlin in an amateur’s hands but Kurkov manages to pull it off.
The inclusion of Jimi Hendrix is a bit of a McGuffin: two hippies are at his grave, when an ex KGB officer approaches them and tell the story about how Hendrix’s hand was shipped to the Ukraine.
From there we are introduced to a small cast of characters, each one with a set of eccentricities: Taras , who manages to get people to eject kidney stones by driving over bumpy roads, who is also in love with Darka, who has an allergic reaction to money and must wear gloves. There’s Taras’ neighbour Yezhi, who cuts hair for a living, his close friend, the actress Oksana, Alik who has been under surveillance of the dove loving Captain Ryabtsev even after the fall of communism.
Other than the superficial connections, what unites these people together is the fact that they are all trying to survive in a changing Ukraine. By survive, I don’t mean that these characters are suffering. It is just that they have experienced many changes and are taking it in their stride.
There is also a subplot about strange environmental problems such as vicious seagulls and renegade starfish which give the book a bit of a cli fi edge (take care of the environment or these crazy things may happen) and goes into some weird tangents involving paranormal investigators but other than a distraction this plot adds to the novel’s general feel.
Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv is a warm, charming book. It does focus on Ukraine during the communist era but it’s done in a gentle way, more like a reminder of how things used to be and now commercialism as started to dominate. There’s a feel good factor which may be maudlin in an amateur’s hands but Kurkov manages to pull it off.