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A review by bags_and_bookz
Nikolai Nikolaevich and Camouflage: Two Novels by Yuz Aleshkovsky
2.0
Thank you Netgalley and Columbia University Press for this ARC in return for my honest review.
I have no idea how to start. I am not entirely sure what I’ve just read. Fellow reviewers are talking about a strong linguistic profile that I cannot support as a Russian. It seems vulgar and overdone. I understand that Aleshkovsky was aiming for a simple Russian proletariat, in Nikolai Nikolaevich story, an ex-con, pickpocket, who does not know any better. His language is very characteristic along with drinking habits and money thirst. As a character Nikolai Nikolaevich is well written, I can even see that type of person who is looking to do less and earn more. Plot-wise the story fell short for me. Continued description of masturbation and sperm did not fascinate me a bit. His sudden love towards Vlada astonished me as quite unnecessary. I haven’t seen any science fiction in it as well, only some science and fiction.
The uselessness of the experiments and the amount of money thrown into them may signify the desire of the Soviet government to overachieve and always be first in any inventions, especially considering space development. Soviet literature is boring as all the work went through strict censorship, and Aleshkovsky would never ever pass it as his work did not show the Soviet Union as a dreamland with successful workers and happy citizens. The goal is completely different; Aleshkovky was trying to draw the reality of the pretended state, his own perception of USSR. I support his view and goal to show USSR as it was – cruel towards its’ citizen, propaganda driven – but I can’t see any value in this particular story.
I liked The Camouflage more as it gave me a bit more sense. The drunken stories of Milashkin that could have been his illusions in a hospital are quite interesting. However, Aleshkovsky’s obsession with gay rape lest me dumfounded.
I felt like Aleshkovsky threw everything that was prohibited or frowned upon in USSR and tried to be satiric. Personally, I didn’t find it satiric, only gross.
I have no idea how to start. I am not entirely sure what I’ve just read. Fellow reviewers are talking about a strong linguistic profile that I cannot support as a Russian. It seems vulgar and overdone. I understand that Aleshkovsky was aiming for a simple Russian proletariat, in Nikolai Nikolaevich story, an ex-con, pickpocket, who does not know any better. His language is very characteristic along with drinking habits and money thirst. As a character Nikolai Nikolaevich is well written, I can even see that type of person who is looking to do less and earn more. Plot-wise the story fell short for me. Continued description of masturbation and sperm did not fascinate me a bit. His sudden love towards Vlada astonished me as quite unnecessary. I haven’t seen any science fiction in it as well, only some science and fiction.
The uselessness of the experiments and the amount of money thrown into them may signify the desire of the Soviet government to overachieve and always be first in any inventions, especially considering space development. Soviet literature is boring as all the work went through strict censorship, and Aleshkovsky would never ever pass it as his work did not show the Soviet Union as a dreamland with successful workers and happy citizens. The goal is completely different; Aleshkovky was trying to draw the reality of the pretended state, his own perception of USSR. I support his view and goal to show USSR as it was – cruel towards its’ citizen, propaganda driven – but I can’t see any value in this particular story.
I liked The Camouflage more as it gave me a bit more sense. The drunken stories of Milashkin that could have been his illusions in a hospital are quite interesting. However, Aleshkovsky’s obsession with gay rape lest me dumfounded.
I felt like Aleshkovsky threw everything that was prohibited or frowned upon in USSR and tried to be satiric. Personally, I didn’t find it satiric, only gross.