The Year of the Comet
Published on 2. October 2019
245 pages
978-1-939931-42-9 (ISBN)
Description
A coming of age novel set in a crumbling Soviet Union by the acclaimed author of
Oblivion
-"t
he best of Russia
'
s younger generation of writers
"
(
The New York Review of Books
).
As the Soviet Union edges toward collapse, a young boy's idyllic childhood takes a sinister turn. Rumors of a serial killer haunt the neighborhood, 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.
In The Year of the Comet, the acclaimed Russian poet and novelist Sergei Lebedev depicts a vast empire coming apart at the seams, transforming a very public moment into something delicate and personal. With stunning beauty and shattering insight, Lebedev writes about the tenderness of childhood, the legacy of Stalinism, and the growing consciousness of a boy in the world.
" A clear poetic sensibility built to stand against the forces of erasure." - The Wall Street Journal
"This gorgeously written, unsettling novel... leaves us with a fresh understanding of that towering moment in recent history" - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
As the Soviet Union edges toward collapse, a young boy's idyllic childhood takes a sinister turn. Rumors of a serial killer haunt the neighborhood, 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.
In The Year of the Comet, the acclaimed Russian poet and novelist Sergei Lebedev depicts a vast empire coming apart at the seams, transforming a very public moment into something delicate and personal. With stunning beauty and shattering insight, Lebedev writes about the tenderness of childhood, the legacy of Stalinism, and the growing consciousness of a boy in the world.
" A clear poetic sensibility built to stand against the forces of erasure." - The Wall Street Journal
"This gorgeously written, unsettling novel... leaves us with a fresh understanding of that towering moment in recent history" - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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Person
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.
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.
Content
- Intro
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Part One
- Part Two
- Part Three
- Part Four
