Reviews

Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov

trin's review

2.0

[a: Nick Hornby|2929|Nick Hornby|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1422915487p2/2929.jpg] raved about this, but I found it fairly flat and dull. Maybe it was the translation? Or possibly this particular kind of Russian satire is too dry for my tastes? Either way, not my cup of vodka.

tombennett72's review

5.0

Brilliantly dark, seriously funny.

A very readable farce - great fun.

esantonx's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

stinekristin's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

katiet_k's review

dark funny mysterious sad slow-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? Yes

3.5

Honestly found this a little confusing. Interesting POV into the main characters psyche and his relationships

danielb's review

dark 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? No

4.0

couldbestephen's review

4.0

What if the manga/anime Death Note was Russian? And had no supernatural element involved? And there was a penguin? Welcome to post-Soviet Ukraine. It's dark, it's lonely, it's deadly. Viktor is a writer recruited to write Obelisks, or obituaries for people who haven't died yet. It pays well, enough to keep Viktor and his pet penguin comfortable. Nice things can only last so long, however.

The translated prose of this book is amazing. George Bird handles Kurkov's writing skillfully; the book bounces along with short chapters that weave a compelling, tragic story. The relationship between Viktor and Misha the penguin is adorable. The relationship between Misha and every character is adorable. I loved the snapshot style of the short chapters.

I wasn't a fan of the "Russian/Ukrainian Brand of Sexism" when the character of Nina is talked about. I don't know how to explain it other than you can tell a Slavik man wrote this woman. There were some editing mistakes in my edition of the book, not many, but they were present. The ending almost worked for me? But it still left me hanging. It almost felt like Kurkov didn't know what to do with Misha by the end of the novel.

If you're looking to read more Ukrainian Lit, Andrey Kurkov is a great place to start!

edittt566's review

Boring

claire_hell's review against another edition

reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

mistymeadows's review

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25