Death and the Penguin
“Death and the Penguin” by Andrey Kurkov, published by Melville House on June 7, 2011, is a reprint edition comprising 240 pages in English. This book presents a unique blend of crime, comedy, and political satire set against the backdrop of post-Soviet Ukraine. The story follows Viktor Zolotaryov, an unemployed writer navigating life in a tumultuous Kyiv, where he finds companionship in Misha, a penguin he rescued from a struggling zoo. As Viktor takes on a peculiar job writing “living obituaries” for local dignitaries, he discovers that the deadlines for these articles often coincide with the subjects’ untimely demises.
Readers will find a narrative that intertwines elements of mystery and humor, exploring themes of survival and the absurdities of life in a society marked by poverty and violence. The relationship between Viktor and Misha adds a layer of dark humor to the unfolding events, particularly as Viktor grapples with the dangers posed by a local mobster interested in his penguin. This edition invites readers to delve into a world where the line between life and death blurs, and the absurd becomes a means of navigating a precarious existence.
Official synopsis Publisher
“No summary can do justice to the strange appeal of this unusual, short book, which is at once a crime novel, a comic novel and a serious political satire on contemporary Ukraine.” —Anne Applebaum, The Wall Street Journal
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly-free Ukraine is a shell-shocked land . . .
In poverty-and-violence-wracked Kyiv, unemployed writer Viktor Zolotaryov leads a down-and-out life with his only friend, Misha, a penguin that he rescued when the local zoo started getting rid of animals it couldn’t feed. Even more nerve-wracking for Victor: a local mobster has taken a shine to Misha and wants to borrow him for events.
But Viktor thinks he’s finally caught a break when he lands a well-paying job at the Kyiv newspaper writing “living obituaries” of local dignitaries—articles to be filed for use when the time comes.
The only thing is, the time always seems to come as soon as Viktor finishes writing the article. Slowly understanding that his own life may be in jeopardy, Viktor also realizes that the only thing that might be keeping him alive is his penguin.
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