Friday, October 10, 2008
Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart.
This book was written in 2006 and published in paperback in 2008. What a great book this is, it was an absolute joy to read. It is satire, very dry indeed. It is told in the first person and in the style of a stand-up comedian. This is the story of Misha Vainberg, a.k.a Snack Daddy, the son of the 1,238th richest man in Russia. Misha is a Russian Jew and this story is set in the United States, Russia and Absurdistan. He pokes fun at all cultures and Gary is extremely witty. I vote this book a hit, it is written in a very easy going style and the reader will smile their way all the way through. Even the graphic parts are funny. This book is also good to raise people's awareness of diversity as it pokes such good fun at all cultures.
There is a very funny introduction that various characters use whenever they meet Misha for the first time. This speech starts on Page 114 and is repeated many times...
"The Jewish people have a long and peaceful history in our land. They are our brothers, and whoever is their enemy is our enemy also. When you are in Absurdsvani, my mother will be your mother, my wife your sister, and you will always find water in my well to drink."
On a serious note what the reader will take away from this book, is that you can find love in ALL cultures because there are no real differences between people of different ethic origins to your own.
I will be very happy to buy another of Gary's books when they are published.
This book was written in 2006 and published in paperback in 2008. What a great book this is, it was an absolute joy to read. It is satire, very dry indeed. It is told in the first person and in the style of a stand-up comedian. This is the story of Misha Vainberg, a.k.a Snack Daddy, the son of the 1,238th richest man in Russia. Misha is a Russian Jew and this story is set in the United States, Russia and Absurdistan. He pokes fun at all cultures and Gary is extremely witty. I vote this book a hit, it is written in a very easy going style and the reader will smile their way all the way through. Even the graphic parts are funny. This book is also good to raise people's awareness of diversity as it pokes such good fun at all cultures.
There is a very funny introduction that various characters use whenever they meet Misha for the first time. This speech starts on Page 114 and is repeated many times...
"The Jewish people have a long and peaceful history in our land. They are our brothers, and whoever is their enemy is our enemy also. When you are in Absurdsvani, my mother will be your mother, my wife your sister, and you will always find water in my well to drink."
On a serious note what the reader will take away from this book, is that you can find love in ALL cultures because there are no real differences between people of different ethic origins to your own.
I will be very happy to buy another of Gary's books when they are published.
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