The Year Of The Comet

(Paperback)

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Description

A story of a Russian boyhood and coming of age as the Soviet Union is on the brink of collapse. An idyllic childhood takes a sinister turn. Rumours of a serial killer haunt the neighbourhood, families pack up and leave town without a word of warning, and the country begins to unravel. Policemen stand by as protesters overtake the streets, knowing that the once awe-inspiring symbols of power they wear on their helmets have become devoid of meaning.

Reviews

"Examines the psychological trauma Stalinism continues to unleash--even on those who never lived during his reign ... Antonina W. Bouis has translated the best of Soviet and post-Soviet writings ... and the ease with which she renders Mr. Lebedev's prose creates the illusion that both his novels were originally written in English."--The Wall Street Journal "You read and reread Lebedev's lyrical, cutting prose with equal amounts of awe and enjoyment. This gorgeously written, unsettling novel--a rare work about the fall of the Soviet Union as told through the eyes of a child--leaves us with a fresh understanding of that towering moment in recent history."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "The work of an extremely talented writer whose prose is spare and exact and has an authenticity that marks him as the real thing."--The Arts Fuse "Absorbing ... A seamlessly written child's-eye view that conveys an adult understanding of history's burdens."--Library Journal (Starred Review) "A remarkable bildungsroman ... a smart, convincing novel."--Publishers Weekly "Sergei Lebedev, now a confirmed new Russian literary star, masterfully proceeds with his work."--Le Figaro litteraire --Praise for Sergei Lebedev's previous novel Oblivion-- "A clear poetic sensibility built to stand against the forces of erasure."--The Wall Street Journal Beautifully written, haunting and unputdownable. A masterpiece novel."--Edward Lucas, senior editor, The Economist

Author Bio

Sergei Lebedev was born in Moscow in 1981 and worked for seven years on geological expeditions in northern Russia and Central Asia. Lebedev is a poet, essayist and journalist. Oblivion, his first novel, has been translated into many languages, and was published in English by New Vessel Press. Antonina W. Bouis is one of the leading translators of Russian literature working today. She has translated over 80 works from authors such as Evgeny Yevtushenko, Mikhail Bulgakov, Andrei Sakharov, Sergei Dovlatov and Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Bouis, previously executive director of the Soros Foundation in the former USSR, now lives in New York City.