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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
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.
grayfox14's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
cwurst's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
araumi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
1st 25-30% was great. But became slow afterwards. Ending was also not good. Had some humor in places. Too much unnecessary alcohol consumption in the whole book by every character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
kleonard's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this novel is like being on a mad teacups kind of ride, spinning across a city figuring out its place and future and grappling with a tumultuous past, spinning through the lives and minds and habits and desires of characters who are all stuck to ride themselves, spinning through ideas and half-formed plots and the fabulousness of the Eastern European grotesque and absurdist traditions of the region's literature. If you ever read Andrea Lee's Russian Journal or The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek or Bulgakov or Kundera or the more recent Voices of Freedom: Contemporary Writing From Ukraine, edted by Kateryna Kazimirova & Daryna Anastasieva, I think you'll enjoy Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv.
humito's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
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
2.0
andrewbentley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This remarkable novel mixes magical realism, love letters to Ukraine, and lots of vodka in an era right before the current war and occupation. A must-read for those committed to understanding Ukrainian resilience.
annrhub's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0