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A review by shelvedbycass
The Tsar of Love and Techno: Stories by Anthony Marra
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
This book is unlike anything I’ve read before! I don’t even know how my words can even begin to do it justice.
I guess I’ll start with the structure. Alexei’s mixtape for Kolya is an integral aspect of this book’s plot and I think it’s absolutely genius of Anthony Marra to organize the book’s chapters like a mixtape. As a total music geek, I appreciated this structure and how it added a brilliant transitional element to these “short stories.”
The book is a series of a short stories but they all tie in together so beautifully. They can certainly be considered stand alone but they become so closely interwoven, it reads as a wonderful narrative that spans decades of history.
What I find most fascinating about history is how historians largely have to rely on assumptions oftentimes and must draw connections between different narratives in order to find a story. Events and moments are easy, it’s the STORY from start to finish that’s difficult. Marra perfectly captures this elusive story by connecting so many characters and moments of history. He truly does the work of a historian and it’s utterly fascinating.
Roman Markin was a particularly interesting character and I found myself dwelling on his story the most (it read as a Russian Twilight Zone in my opinion). Marra opens with Roman Markin who works as a censor. I’m now dying to scrounge up every last history book about censors because the art is spectacularly mysterious.
This book has so much hurt. It’s funny at times, profoundly moving at others, but also so painful. I can’t even say that I’ve picked up on all of the nuances that make this book so marvelous, I’m already aching for a re-read so that I can grasp a deeper connection.
This is a must read!!!
I guess I’ll start with the structure. Alexei’s mixtape for Kolya is an integral aspect of this book’s plot and I think it’s absolutely genius of Anthony Marra to organize the book’s chapters like a mixtape. As a total music geek, I appreciated this structure and how it added a brilliant transitional element to these “short stories.”
The book is a series of a short stories but they all tie in together so beautifully. They can certainly be considered stand alone but they become so closely interwoven, it reads as a wonderful narrative that spans decades of history.
What I find most fascinating about history is how historians largely have to rely on assumptions oftentimes and must draw connections between different narratives in order to find a story. Events and moments are easy, it’s the STORY from start to finish that’s difficult. Marra perfectly captures this elusive story by connecting so many characters and moments of history. He truly does the work of a historian and it’s utterly fascinating.
Roman Markin was a particularly interesting character and I found myself dwelling on his story the most (it read as a Russian Twilight Zone in my opinion). Marra opens with Roman Markin who works as a censor. I’m now dying to scrounge up every last history book about censors because the art is spectacularly mysterious.
This book has so much hurt. It’s funny at times, profoundly moving at others, but also so painful. I can’t even say that I’ve picked up on all of the nuances that make this book so marvelous, I’m already aching for a re-read so that I can grasp a deeper connection.
This is a must read!!!