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shelleyanderson4127's review
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
It's 1919, in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. Engineering student Samson Kolechko and his father are attacked in the streets by thieves. Samson has one ear sliced off, and his father is left dead. Violence is everywhere in the city, as Bolsheviks and different Ukrainian factions fight for control.
It was a good opening to the story, which bills itself as the first in a planned trilogy of mysteries. I was looking forward to reading The Silver Bone, given Andrey Kurkov's international reputation and the fact I love both magic realism and mysteries. I also wanted to learn more about Ukraine's tumultuous history.
Perhaps I expected too much. Despite the intriguing opening, and the fact the book was longlisted for this year's International Booker Prize, The Silver Bone failed to deliver. I read with increasing boredom as two Red Army soldiers billeted themselves in Samson's apartment; as Samson himself becomes a police investigator almost by accident and stumbles across the murder of a German tailor; and as he falls in love with an independent-minded statistician named Nadezhda. I just could not warm to Samson's lackluster, if conscientious, personality. The tone of the book resembled a somewhat predictable cozy mystery, and the plot was implausible. The best character was the cosmopolitan city of Kiev (now Kyiv) itself.
Next time I will read a history book.
It was a good opening to the story, which bills itself as the first in a planned trilogy of mysteries. I was looking forward to reading The Silver Bone, given Andrey Kurkov's international reputation and the fact I love both magic realism and mysteries. I also wanted to learn more about Ukraine's tumultuous history.
Perhaps I expected too much. Despite the intriguing opening, and the fact the book was longlisted for this year's International Booker Prize, The Silver Bone failed to deliver. I read with increasing boredom as two Red Army soldiers billeted themselves in Samson's apartment; as Samson himself becomes a police investigator almost by accident and stumbles across the murder of a German tailor; and as he falls in love with an independent-minded statistician named Nadezhda. I just could not warm to Samson's lackluster, if conscientious, personality. The tone of the book resembled a somewhat predictable cozy mystery, and the plot was implausible. The best character was the cosmopolitan city of Kiev (now Kyiv) itself.
Next time I will read a history book.
richardgeo's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
anusha_reads's review
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
BOOK 11: THE SILVER BONE, ANDREY KURKOV, TR. BORIS DRALYUK, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024
The Silver Bone is a historical mystery, set in 1919 Kyiv, featuring power shifts, crimes, violence, and people living in fear. Samson, who loses an ear and his father early in the story, becomes a detective and tackles his first case involving the titular silver bone.
This is a rather unusual book on the long list.
In The Nose (Nikolai Gogol), the nose runs away. In contrast, Samson's severed ear possesses magical hearing abilities, allowing him to listen to sounds from afar and nearby.
It’s an easy read, and since it's a mystery, I won’t reveal much. I enjoyed it, and the translation was masterfully done.
Some Quotes from the book:
“WE ARE GIVEN EARS NOT SIMPLY TO HEAR BUT, ABOVE ALL, TO LISTEN.”
“THE ONLY WAY TO BE HEROIC, TO SAVE SOMEONE, IS TO ACT WITHOUT THINKING AHEAD. IF YOU’RE USED TO THINKING AND CAN’T HELP BUT THINK AHEAD, IT WON’T WORK.”
“ILLITERATE PEOPLE AREN’T NECESSARILY STUPID. ONE CAN LEARN TO READ AND WRITE, BUT INTELLIGENT THINKING IS ANOTHER MATTER.”
“IT’S A SHAME TO LEAD A SENSELESS EXISTENCE WHEN THE SENSE OF YOUR EXISTENCE CAN BRING SOME GOOD TO THE WORLD.”
The Silver Bone is a historical mystery, set in 1919 Kyiv, featuring power shifts, crimes, violence, and people living in fear. Samson, who loses an ear and his father early in the story, becomes a detective and tackles his first case involving the titular silver bone.
This is a rather unusual book on the long list.
In The Nose (Nikolai Gogol), the nose runs away. In contrast, Samson's severed ear possesses magical hearing abilities, allowing him to listen to sounds from afar and nearby.
It’s an easy read, and since it's a mystery, I won’t reveal much. I enjoyed it, and the translation was masterfully done.
Some Quotes from the book:
“WE ARE GIVEN EARS NOT SIMPLY TO HEAR BUT, ABOVE ALL, TO LISTEN.”
“THE ONLY WAY TO BE HEROIC, TO SAVE SOMEONE, IS TO ACT WITHOUT THINKING AHEAD. IF YOU’RE USED TO THINKING AND CAN’T HELP BUT THINK AHEAD, IT WON’T WORK.”
“ILLITERATE PEOPLE AREN’T NECESSARILY STUPID. ONE CAN LEARN TO READ AND WRITE, BUT INTELLIGENT THINKING IS ANOTHER MATTER.”
“IT’S A SHAME TO LEAD A SENSELESS EXISTENCE WHEN THE SENSE OF YOUR EXISTENCE CAN BRING SOME GOOD TO THE WORLD.”
diziet's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I really wanted to like this book. The historical setting is new to me. Ukraine/Kyiv - the Russian Civil War - occupation by Bolsheviks/Red Army/Chinese People's Liberation Army. Narration is good.
In the beginning the historical setting, details and characters are interesting. But then it just looses steam. Characters stop developing and getting new layers. Historical context is not provided. Mystery is boring and does not really make any sense…and since it is a crime/mystery novel this bit is important.
I would have liked book more if focus had been held on the historical novel angle and telling story about how people survived during civil war and a radically different political rule. The relationship between Russians and Ukrainians - and occupying soldiers, the poor, middle- professional and upper classes.
At the end of the book there is a 'Select Chronology of Ukrainian History 1917-21'. Would have been much better as a short historical essay. Nobody cares about a list of years.
In the beginning the historical setting, details and characters are interesting. But then it just looses steam. Characters stop developing and getting new layers. Historical context is not provided. Mystery is boring and does not really make any sense…and since it is a crime/mystery novel this bit is important.
I would have liked book more if focus had been held on the historical novel angle and telling story about how people survived during civil war and a radically different political rule. The relationship between Russians and Ukrainians - and occupying soldiers, the poor, middle- professional and upper classes.
At the end of the book there is a 'Select Chronology of Ukrainian History 1917-21'. Would have been much better as a short historical essay. Nobody cares about a list of years.
sandylc's review
4.0
Excellent for atmosphere while the mystery aspect was weak. I recommend it for the story of a young man finding his way through deadly chaos. Atrocities abound, but with a surprisingly light touch.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
pdonovan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
cmba2024's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
srcanedo's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thebobsphere's review against another edition
4.0
As it stands, an Andrey Kurkov novel is the equivalent of comfort food: you know you’re going to meet likeable characters, that there will be a balance of funny bits and tragic ones and general feel good vibe. Yet, the three Kurkov novels I’ve read a different in their own way bar the setting.
The Silver Bone is the first part of a planned trilogy of police procedural mysteries set during the 1919 Soviet occupation of UK. As of typing, the second volume is already out in Ukrainian and Kurkov is working on the third. A little bit of a tangent but I felt that info was needed as I do like that fact that Kurkov is taking genre fiction and giving it a new dressing.
The main protagonist is Samson Kolechko, an engineer by profession. After seeing his father being killed by soldiers and then having his ear sliced off, he feels that his career has gone to a standstill.
Things get worse when two soldiers decide to live with him and he discovers sacks of stolen goods. Once he goes to the police to report, he is offered a job and he sets off investigating a series of murders which connects the soldiers, a tailor and a large bone covered in silver.
The crime is secondary as the importance is on Ukraine under Soviet rule; houses were repossessed, soldier lived with people, theft was rife, businesses went down, people could not hold a profession. Yet despite the bleak landscape Kurkov still manages to inject his trademark humor. tragically when Boris Dralyuk finished translating The Silver Bone, Putin invaded the Ukraine, thus making the book oddly prescient.
One cannot help liking the characters in the novel. There were many times I smiled, humor is one of the better ways to get a message across and it works here. Probably what makes me enjoy Kurkov’s writing is that he always sees a glimmer of light in everything, no matter how tragic and in these times, it does help.