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A Matter of Death and Life
 
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A Matter of Death and Life (Hardcover)

by Andrey Kurkov (Author), G. Bird (Translator)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.00
Price: £7.00 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

A Matter of Death and Life + Penguin Lost + The Case of the General's Thumb
Price For All Three: £19.38

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 128 pages
  • Publisher: The Harvill Press (3 Mar 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1843431041
  • ISBN-13: 978-1843431046
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.4 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 124,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Christopher Tayler, Sunday Telegraph
'A tragi-farcical yet meditative novella'

(Omer Ali, Time Out)
'This little book is truly very funny'


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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Matter of Death and Life
53% buy the item featured on this page:
A Matter of Death and Life 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£7.00
Death and the Penguin (Panther)
25% buy
Death and the Penguin (Panther) 4.6 out of 5 stars (36)
£5.59
Penguin Lost
10% buy
Penguin Lost 3.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£6.39
The Heart of a Dog (Vintage Classics)
6% buy
The Heart of a Dog (Vintage Classics) 4.8 out of 5 stars (10)
£4.79
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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars back on form, 9 Feb 2007
By J. Wild (on the outskirts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Matter of Death and Life (Paperback)
After the slightly contrived, overly coincidental dissappointment that was Penguin Lost, Kurkov returns to form with his twisted view on the everyday, as ever the humour is served rich and dark as the central character having hired someone to kill him tries to undo the events that he has already set in motion. This is a short book and the unrelenting pace does at times seem to thunder through situations without really accounting for or exploring them. Kurkov seems more intent on the outcome, it is the idea he is exploring and so the chapters run like adrenalin as if the reader were the character in this precarious situation. Other characters a drawn in greys and have a seedy repressed quality that adds to the story and setting. If You liked Death and the Penguin this is written in a similar vein and retains that mix of melancholy and wit. A Matter of Death and Life delivers a sharp burst of humour and pathos that will leave you with a darkening glow inside.
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8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!, 22 Aug 2005
By Misha The Penguin (Newcastle upon Tyne) - See all my reviews
  
I am becoming a big fan of Andrey Kurkov and this book did not let me down. it is shorter than his previous novels but Kurkov still is able to develop the characters. At times it appeared a little predictable but the way Kurkov describes the city and everything within is brilliant. I would not buy this as an introduction to his work - get Death and the Penguin as that is a brilliant book - however this is well up to his usual style.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Short, dark and funny., 20 April 2008
By Jeremy Williams (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Matter of Death and Life (Paperback)
Although I discovered Kurkov's writing a while ago, I have so far resisted the urge to read everything at once. Instead, I've been rationing his novels, much like one of his characters might eke out a wad of ill-gotten dollars stashed under the mattress. This is the third, and it doesn't disappoint.

A Matter of Death and Life is shorter than Kurkov's other works. Almost a short story in fact, and it has a plot to match - man wishes to die, but decides assassination is more glamorous than suicide, and hires a hitman to take him out. You can probably guess what happens after that.

The book packs in Kurkov's trademark black humour around this simple and engaging idea. His characters are their usual listless selves, with their rounds of cafes and bars, their unintentional involvement in murky underworld dealings. You can read it in an evening, and it'd time well spent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars So tradgic that you must laugh
I read most of Kurkovs novels, but I like this one best. It trully shows the mental situation in most post-sovjet countries. Also it is very funny.
Published 10 months ago by Ivanna Rosendal

4.0 out of 5 stars quick light read
not a bad little book at all.

perhaps a bit predicatable, but lighthearted when dealing with something a bit dark. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2006 by Omri S. Suleiman

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