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Death and the Penguin (Panther)
 
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Death and the Penguin (Panther) (Paperback)

by Andrey Kurkov (Author), George Bird (Translator)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Price For All Three: £17.37

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Product details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: The Harvill Press; New edition edition (27 Feb 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1860469450
  • ISBN-13: 978-1860469459
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 44,953 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #13 in  Books > Fiction > Short Stories > World > Russian
    #18 in  Books > Fiction > World > Russian
    #43 in  Books > Fiction > Short Stories > Thrillers

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
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
"Pathos and humour shine through to make this a black comedy of rare distinction, and the penguin is an invention of genius" John de Falbe, Spectator; "A minor tragi-comic masterpiece" Martin Booth, 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" Anthea Lawson, The Times; "A brilliant satirical take on life in modern-day Kiev. Watch out, though, as Kurkov's writing style is highly addictive" Punch

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Death and the Penguin (Panther)
80% buy the item featured on this page:
Death and the Penguin (Panther) 4.6 out of 5 stars (36)
£5.59
The Master and Margarita (Penguin Classics)
9% buy
The Master and Margarita (Penguin Classics) 4.5 out of 5 stars (81)
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The Heart of a Dog (Vintage Classics)
5% buy
The Heart of a Dog (Vintage Classics) 4.8 out of 5 stars (10)
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A Matter of Death and Life
3% buy
A Matter of Death and Life 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews
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 (24)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Original concept, subtle and quirky satire at its best, 14 May 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Death and the Penguin (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.

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a dark yet warm comedy set in a bleak ukranian landscape, 9 April 2002
By D. Proctor "dproc2001" (Kendal) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This book is set in modern day ukraine and is an unusual blend of warmth and darkness, of comedy and forboding. The central character is a man who earns a living writing obituaries for people who have not yet died. Unfortunately for them it is not long after their obituaries are written that they 'pop off,' one by one, much to the central character's dismay. There are a number of other characters who come and live with the hero, not least among them a penguin and a young girl who both give to the story some warmth and a lightness of touch. I enjoyed this book for many reasons. I liked the hero and his growing 'family.' I also found I was gripped by the tension it sustains until the last page, and I did like the ending. It was a bit like a warmer, more likeable Franz Kafka novel. There is the same scenario of an individual fighting against a dark conspiracy that he does not quite understand. But there is more hope in this work. I really look forward to reading more from this author
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, deadpan and very good, 3 Dec 2006
By Rivercassini "Rivercassini" (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This book is exactly what it says on the cover - 'deadpan'.
Whilst it gave an uncomfortable, but accurate, depiction of life in Kiev, Ukraine, it was not an amusing or... Read more
Published 1 month ago by MaryAnne

5.0 out of 5 stars Very funny
A wonderful satire, that captures the best of Russian literary tradition. Beautifully translated, with wonderfully succinct descriptions that capture the essence of the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by L. P. C. Steinert

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor
Tries too hard to be funny and doesn't succeed. Good plot and characters but badly written.
Published 8 months ago by David Kelly

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll want your own pet penguin ...
This is a genuinely original book. The plot is extremely well crafted, and Kirov masterfully controls the way in which the reader is drawn into the increasingly dire position of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by giveitsomestick

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
This book must be a masterpiece in its own time. The feelings of Misha and the family can only hold you and put you in tears. Pure tenderness Jeremy Clarke
Published 18 months ago by J. J. Clarke

5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, fantastic and a darn good read!
Funny, tragic and brilliant are the only words I can think of to describe this story. The story itself is unique and captivating, and Misha is an adorable penguin in all his... Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2007 by S. Dawson

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Executed and Entertaining
Recommended by my girlfriend, this book was always on my `to do' list, and I'm so glad that I have finally gotten around to reading it. Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2006 by Matthew Thorbes

5.0 out of 5 stars a memorable clash of the surreal and the ordinary
A general sees a soldier standing by the side of the road with a penguin. `What are you doing?' he demands. `Take that penguin to the zoo. Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2006 by Jeremy Williams

5.0 out of 5 stars P-p-p-pick up a penguin
I really enjoyed this book. Written in a matter-of-fact style (in translation) about very bizarre events, it was a very refreshing read. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2006 by Green Pixie

5.0 out of 5 stars A quirky piece of genius
I bought this book simply because I love penguins. What I found however was a fantastic, and very quirky comedy. Read more
Published on 22 May 2006 by Tuesdays Wind Up Bird

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