Sin
Description
Zakhar Prilepin's novel-in-stories, Sin, has become a literary phenomenon in Russia, where it was published in 2007. It has been hailed as the epitome of the spirit of the opening decade of the 21st century, and was called "the book of the decade" by the prestigious Super Natsbest Award jury. Now available for the first time in English, it not only embodies the reality of post-perestroika Russia, but also shows that even in this reality, just like in any other, it is possible to maintain a positive attitude while remaining human.
Zakharka is young, strong, in love with love and with life's random, telling moments. In the episodes of his life, presented here in non-chronological order, we see him as a little boy, a lovelorn teenager, a hard-drinking grave-digger, a nightclub bouncer, a father, and a soldier in Chechnya.
He even writes poetry, and his stylistically varied verses are presented in the penultimate chapter of the book. Loving life, he looks boldly, and even with curiosity, into the face of death - taking pictures of the deceased at a funeral, staring with agitation at the entrails of a just-disembowelled pig, chronicling the death of a childhood friend - and values the freedom of not fearing his own end.
It is family that ultimately defines happiness for Zakharka; but it is also family that makes him realize, on the desolate Chechen border, that his love for them has deprived him of this freedom.
Sin offers a fascinating glimpse into the recent Russian past, as well as its present, with its unemployment, poverty, violence, and local wars - social problems that may be found in many corners of the world.
Zakhar Prilepin presents these realities through the eyes of Zakharka, taking us along on the life-affirming journey of his unforgettable protagonist.
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Persons
As a product of post-communist Russia, Prilepin's works cover such topics as chronic unemployment, the Chechen war, cruelty and rooted violence. However, his actual and up-to-date novels feature such so-called "eternal" themes as happiness, friendship, love, sin, death. Thus, Prilepin's book "Sin" explores the reality of our cruel times from the perspective of real values and the possibility of happiness.
Sentimental and impetuous in his literary works, honest and intolerant in his political statements, Zakhar Prilepin is one of the most welcome guests at prestigious TV talk shows, but prefers living in a Russian province on a lonely lakeside, devoting his time to literature and bringing up his four children.
Prilepin's combination of lucid prose and social consciousness has made him one of the most popular and acclaimed writers in Russia today and drawn comparisons with the Russian classics. Deeply committed to his writing, Prilepin continues to create works topping the bestseller lists and acquiring him the most prestigious awards. Prilepin's books have been translated into numerous foreign languages; regrettably, English-speaking readers have as yet had to acquaint themselves with his great novels.
