Viktor is an aspiring writer with only Misha, his pet penguin, for company. Although he would prefer to write short stories, he earns a living composing obituaries for a newspaper. He longs to see his work published, yet the subjects of his obituaries continue to cling to life. But when he opens the newspaper to see his work in print for the first time, his pride swiftly turns to terror. He and Misha have been drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.
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The publication of Death and the Penguin, Andrey Kurkov's debut novel, heralds a unique new voice in post-soviet satire. Set in the Ukraine in the years immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this dark, deadpan tale chronicles the journalistic career of Victor, who shares a flat with Misha, his depressed Penguin, rescued from the under-funded zoo in Kiev. Victor is asked to write obelisks, obituaries, for a prominent city paper about notable figures in the community, and quickly transforms himself from struggling writer to wealthy journalist. It soon becomes apparent that there is a more sinister motive at play, and Victor finds himself descending in a Kafkaesque realm of suspicion and unease.
This strange, thoughtful and gentle novel will leave the reader satisfied and perplexed at its conclusion. Kurkov seems to question whether Victor or the Penguin is lonelier and more out of place in his environment. The Death in the title is ever present, though not in an oppressive way, but this also makes one want to question Victor's belief that a long hard life is better than a quick death. Many comparisons will undoubtedly be made between Kurkov's novel and the writing of other authors from the former Soviet republics to make it to print in the United Kingdom. Certainly it's fair to say that this belongs to the tradition of Russian satire made well known in this country by writers such as Mikhail Bulgakov and Venedikt Yarofeev. It is also interesting to read this alongside the works of contemporaries such as Evgenev Popov and Viktor Pelevin. However, where Pelevin drifts off into the fantastical and esoteric, Kurkov keeps it deadpan and very real. It is important to remember that many of the strange events that occur in this book are grounded in fact: amals really were given away by Kiev zoo--truth is often stranger than fiction. --Iain Robinson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A tragicomic masterpiece" (Daily Telegraph )
"The deadpan tone works perfectly and it will be a hard-hearted reader who is not touched by Viktor's relationship with his unusual pet" (The Times )
"A black comedy of rare dinstinction and the penguin is an invention of genius" (Spectator )
"A chilling black comedy" (Guardian )
"A striking portrait of post-Soviet isolation... In this bleak moral landscape Kurkov manages to find ample refuge for his dark humour" (New York Times )
"The deadpan tone works perfectly and it will be a hard-hearted reader who is not touched by Viktor's relationship with his unusual pet" (The Times )
"A black comedy of rare dinstinction and the penguin is an invention of genius" (Spectator )
"A chilling black comedy" (Guardian )
"A striking portrait of post-Soviet isolation... In this bleak moral landscape Kurkov manages to find ample refuge for his dark humour" (New York Times )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Rivercassini
Format:Paperback
Kurkov's understated humour and perfect, deadpan style makes this quirky little story, full of quirky characters, a gem. Death and the Penguin is the nectar of booklovers and Misha, a penguin rescued from a struggling zoo, is one of the most animated, engaging and touching characters in contemporary fiction. But there's more to Kurkov's writing than a sideways laugh at human foibles. Death of Penguin shows many pictures of loneliness and human isolation. Viktor is an aspiring writer but lacks the energy to follow his dreams and, by settling for bread today and giving up on the idea of jam tomorrow, finds himself drawn into a mafiaesque world of crime and assassination in the chill starkness of post-Soviet Kiev. Misha comes to live with him when the local zoo can no longer afford to feed him. Both are lonely, Viktor isolated from human society and Misha alone amid it. Yet it is Misha who seems able to make strong relationships - first with Sonia, a little girl who comes to live with Viktor when her father is swept away into oblivion by his life of crime, and then with the reader: who cannot fail to adore the quiet, reliable, predictable animal, or to delight in his pleasure in fish and cold bathes, or sorrow over his inability to adjust to life in a climate so much warmer than his native land?
Here too is a stark, if one-sided, portrayal of life in the former Soviet state of Ukraine. And it's not a nice life. It's cold, it's hard and seemingly pointless. Deprived of the structure of the state, each seems to struggle to embrace with vigour the concept of democratic freedom. What Death of a Penguin amounts to is a strong indictment of a political reform which has left a population, bereft of communist community, without any societal fabric at all: without hope, without security and unable to realise the promise of liberty. This book is very funny. It's very sad. And it's very, very good.
Here too is a stark, if one-sided, portrayal of life in the former Soviet state of Ukraine. And it's not a nice life. It's cold, it's hard and seemingly pointless. Deprived of the structure of the state, each seems to struggle to embrace with vigour the concept of democratic freedom. What Death of a Penguin amounts to is a strong indictment of a political reform which has left a population, bereft of communist community, without any societal fabric at all: without hope, without security and unable to realise the promise of liberty. This book is very funny. It's very sad. And it's very, very good.
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Kurkov's tale of a freelance writer hired to write a stock of obituaries for a Kiev newspaper is easily one of the most rewarding books I have ever bought. The plot and style of this work offer a piece that is unpretentious and accessible yet, at the same time, very deep and ingeniously funny.
Viktor, working under a lonely naivety and distracted by the care of his penguin 'Misha' (rescued from a cash strapped zoo), becomes unknowingly embroiled in the dark politics of Ukrainian politics and feuding Mafia gangs, whilst he searches for the cure to his lonely existence.
Getting a job as a writer hired to write obituaries of the most notorious characters in Kiev, he soon grows suspicious when the subjects of his premature tributes begin to conveniently die. We never see anything of the bloody feuds behind the scenes but are fed enough snippets via Viktor's own misguided speculation to begin to piece together the dark underlying truth.
The ending was perfectly executed, without being too obvious and yet remaining true to the plot and tone of the rest of the book. The whole novel left me feeling deeply satisfied, I cannot recommend this novel enough.
I have just read this book along with Joseph Conrad's 'The Secret Agent' and Christian Cook's 'Broken Eggshells' and can wholeheartedly recommend these three as a complimentary set. Conrad's as a historical backdrop to the genre and 'Broken Eggshells' as a nice, but subtly different, contemporary cousin to Kurkov's own work.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
While it doesn't quite reach the heights of Bulgakovs "Master and Margarita", this book is the best black comedy I have read in years. If you enjoy authors like Bulgakov, Voinovich or Zamyatin then grab a copy of "Death and the Penguin", as it really is a worth it. The main characters are described in a cursory way, but they are still very believable - the sparseness of the writing leaving space for your own imagination to flesh them out. The plot is undeniably Kafkaesque, but the whole novel is imbued with a warmth that I found lacking in "The Castle" or "The Trial".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quirky and captivating
finished reading it and then read it again straight away. a quirky book but an insight into modern day Ukraine, keeps you thinking.
Published 5 days ago by Liz Proctor
5.0 out of 5 stars
I know no other book like it.
I was given this book. Its vision of the new Russia is extraordinary, funny and affectionate, bleak and fatalistic by turns; the duo of the writer and the penguin and the events... Read more
Published 9 days ago by Friar Tick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Original amusement.
A fascinating and highly amusing take on the workings of a Soviet national press organisation. You will enjoy this a lot and it is certainly a more interesting book to speak to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. J. R. T. Rogers
3.0 out of 5 stars
Death of the Soul
The first word of the title of this book is the clue to what it's about. Death. The death of communism, the death of hope, the death of the soul, the death of love. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Roger Risborough
4.0 out of 5 stars
Different and unique story
I heard a review of the book on radio 4 and it sounded interesting. Looking it up, I saw there was also a second book (Penguin lost). Read more
Published 2 months ago by G J NEWMAN
5.0 out of 5 stars
A little gem
A very easy read. Nicely translated, with some interesting turns of phrase. Wry humour.
Avoid reading spoilers, as the ending is very good. Read more
Avoid reading spoilers, as the ending is very good. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Childs enthusiast
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good read
Heard about this book on a radio book club and it was a really good read. The book itself was in good condition considering it's price.
Published 2 months ago by Mrs Sheila M Koszary
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Kurkov
Spare economic style shining with wit and dry ironic dark humour. Will appeal to beautiful losers and penguinologists alike. Recommended.
Published 4 months ago by E. Ashdown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious and dark
I really like the post soviet Ukrainian setting here and that adds a lot of humour to the story in my opinion. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Adam
3.0 out of 5 stars
enjoyed but not bowled over
Death and the Penguin is a black tragic-comedy. It is written in short, simple sentences and told through a series of short scenes in a deadpan style. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Rob Kitchin
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