The Slynx : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Riddley Walker's dystopia clumped with Gogol's satire
Review: Having thoroughly enjoyed much of this novel, I wish I could give it a higher rating. It's the ending that deflates what could've ended with a bang: not literally but dramatically. Tolstaya loves her creation, and the grim blend of satire and realism in the post-apocalyptic shadows she presents often proves moving in its narrator's attempts to make linguistic and philosophical sense out of the beauties and the harshness he (at first uncomprehendingly) witnesses.

Parts of this book, especially in its first half, offer scenes of memorable poverty and ingenious social commentary. Maybe for Western readers the poetic remnants from past Russian voices resonate less, and there's details (as in the layout of the hamlet) that those of us unfamiliar with Moscow don't really "matter" the way they might to a Russian reader. Still, the fall and rise of the narrator keeps you page-turning. Especially relevant are passages keyed towards booklovers and the pages we hoard and guard against the unlettered mobs: these musings are among the best in the novel and well worth attention.
Though I doubt any of us could match the appetite of the narrator's bookishness THAT much; but, read it for yourself.

The novel's pace in its latter third (cf. Riddley Walker's plot) seems too predictable given the variety Tolstaya's invented so far. I cannot figure out why she could not sustain a more satisfying climax and denouement. Again, distance from the original text and context may be partly to blame; I may not recognize all the symbolic figures or allegorical allusions that a native reader might find more illuminating.

Granting this discrepancy, I emphasize that the build-up doesn't lead to an equally inventive conclusion. So much wit and poignancy and insight pours into this novel, but it overflows into a storyline that spills out and diffuses its gathered potency into dribbles and splats.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre Russian Dystopian Novel
Review: I'll surely grant that Tatyana Tolstoya is a fine writer and excellent stylist. However, I did not find her dystopic view of a Russian future all that compelling. Margaret Atwood has covered much of the same terrain in several novels, most notably her splendid "The Handmaid's Tale" with a gripping plot and memorable characters. Unfortunately I found none of Tolstaya's characters of interest, with the possible exception of Benedikt. Anyone interested in reading great dystopian novels should turn to Orwell and Atwood first, before reading this slender tome.

Rating:
Summary: A literary recipie to be savored
Review: Take three parts Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, two parts Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz, one part Eco's The Name of the Rose, add a pinch of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (for that oh so subtle sci-fi flavor), mix vigorously, serve while sitting next to a nice warm fire cause it's gonna be a long night of pure enjoyment.