Together, Lame Fate and Ugly Swans illuminate some of the Strugatskys' favorite themes-the (im)possibility of political progress, the role of the individual in society, the nature of honor and courage, and the enduring value of art-in consummately entertaining fashion. Possessing supernatural talents, including the ability to control the weather, the clammies terrify the town's adult population but enthrall its teenagers, including Banev's daughter Irma. Ugly Swans chronicles the travails of disgraced literary celebrity Victor Banev, who returns to his provincial hometown to find it haunted by the mysterious clammies-black-masked men residing in a former leper colony. Should he present something establishment-approved but middling, or risk sharing his unpublished masterpiece, which has languished in his desk drawer for years? Sorokin's masterwork is Ugly Swans, previously published in English as a standalone work but presented here in an authoritative new translation. When the Soviet Writers' Union asks him to submit a writing sample to a newfangled machine that can supposedly evaluate the "objective value" of any literary work, he faces a dilemma. Never before translated into English, Lame Fate is the first-person account of middle-aged author Felix Sorokin. Teacher Examination and Desk Copy Request
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |