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Search - Absurdistan
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Absurdistan Author: |
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Book Information
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Book Description:
“Absurdistan is not just a hilarious novel, but a record of a particular peak in the history of human folly. No one is more capable of dealing with the transition from the hell of socialism to the hell of capitalism in Eastern Europe than Shteyngart, the great-great grandson of one Nikolai Gogol and the funniest foreigner alive.”
-Aleksandar Hemon
From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook comes the uproarious and poignant story of one very fat man and one very small country
Meet Misha Vainberg, aka Snack Daddy, a 325-pound disaster of a human being, son of the 1,238th-richest man in Russia, proud holder of a degree in multicultural studies from Accidental College, USA (don't even ask), and patriot of no country save the great City of New York. Poor Misha just wants to live in the South Bronx with his hot Latina girlfriend, but after his gangster father murders an Oklahoma businessman in Russia, all hopes of a U.S. visa are lost.
Salvation lies in the tiny, oil-rich nation of Absurdistan, where a crooked consular officer will sell Misha a Belgian passport. But after a civil war breaks out between two competing ethnic groups and a local warlord installs hapless Misha as minister of multicultural affairs, our hero soon finds himself covered in oil, fighting for his life, falling in love, and trying to figure out if a normal life is still possible in the twenty-first century.
With the enormous success of The Russian Debutante's Handbook, Gary Shteyngart established himself as a central figure in today's literary world—“one of the most talented and entertaining writers of his generation,” according to The New York Observer. In Absurdistan, he delivers an even funnier and wiser literary performance. Misha Vainberg is a hero for the new century, a glimmer of humanity in a world of dashed hopes.
-Aleksandar Hemon
From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook comes the uproarious and poignant story of one very fat man and one very small country
Meet Misha Vainberg, aka Snack Daddy, a 325-pound disaster of a human being, son of the 1,238th-richest man in Russia, proud holder of a degree in multicultural studies from Accidental College, USA (don't even ask), and patriot of no country save the great City of New York. Poor Misha just wants to live in the South Bronx with his hot Latina girlfriend, but after his gangster father murders an Oklahoma businessman in Russia, all hopes of a U.S. visa are lost.
Salvation lies in the tiny, oil-rich nation of Absurdistan, where a crooked consular officer will sell Misha a Belgian passport. But after a civil war breaks out between two competing ethnic groups and a local warlord installs hapless Misha as minister of multicultural affairs, our hero soon finds himself covered in oil, fighting for his life, falling in love, and trying to figure out if a normal life is still possible in the twenty-first century.
With the enormous success of The Russian Debutante's Handbook, Gary Shteyngart established himself as a central figure in today's literary world—“one of the most talented and entertaining writers of his generation,” according to The New York Observer. In Absurdistan, he delivers an even funnier and wiser literary performance. Misha Vainberg is a hero for the new century, a glimmer of humanity in a world of dashed hopes.
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Top Member Book Reviews
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
It's likely this book is not going to be to your taste unless you enjoy word play, satire that ranges from wry to slapstick, and absurdity. It's a literary book of sorts, and if you read only popular stuff (Dan Brown et al), you probably won't like it much. I'm not usually big on literary books myself, but I love complicated word play, cultural allusions, and political satire of all kinds, so I adored this book. Shteyngart's first book (Russian Debutante) isn't nearly as good as Absurdistan. A five star selection. The man has talent, even if he isn't everyone's shot of vodka.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Absurdistan is an apt title for Gary Shteyngart's second novel--a deeply satirical work populated by absurd characters in unlikely situations. It takes several chapters to get over the wtf factor upon meeting the morbidly obese Jewish antihero Misha Vainberg, an alumus of Accidental College and Big Apple living, now trapped in his native St. Petersburg because INS officials deny him a return visa after his father, the 1,238th richest oligarch in Russia, killed a businessman from Oklahoma. Longing for the West, Misha leaves St. Petersburg after his father's murder in search of a EU passport by way of a corrupt diplomat in the fictional oil-rich Caspian nation of Absurdistan. Once there, Misha becomes embroiled in the civil war between the ethnic Swani and Sevos...
This book grows on you...like a barnacle. Misha's characterization is well done, as he grapples with his dead parents and stepping into his father’s shoes. If you are familiar with the Russian Jewish psyche and New York City, you might enjoy this satirical portrayal. However, Shteybgart is over-the-top with his aggressive self-conscious "I'm writing to be funny" and cue-the-audience's attention to issues modus operandi. It isn't so much social commentary rather than demanding points for bringing up the right references. In the end, I learned to like Misha--"a sophisticate and a melancholic"--after following his narration through so much absurdity, but Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen’s Union ranks higher on my list of alternate reality geopolitical fare.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I usually finish books, this man's writing style is boring and drawn out. I can't imagine the appeal. I tried to read the most recent story Russian Debutante's another yawner. Keep only for insomnia.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Uneven, but a quality read nonetheless. The first half is a lot more fun and funny, and reminded me of the wacky absurdness which made me laugh out loud in Everything Is Illuminated. The second half definitely drags on, with a somewhat dull storyline. However, there is a small scene toward the end where the book's protagonist, Misha, is having a discussion with an undercover Mossad agent, and suddenly the writing really came to life. Too bad more of the book didn't have that kind of snap, crackle & pop. While he needs a more heavy-handed editor, Shteyngart undeniably has talent and a finely tuned ear for dialogue.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book received raves from all the major reviewers and was considered one of the 10 best by the New York Times. I think you have to have the wry mindset required by satire to get 100 per cent out of this book and some readers haven't enjoyed it. But if a good witty biting bash at the absurd is what you're looking for, try reading this. It just keeps coming at ya'.
Aria K. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book had some hilarious and great satirical moments. Loved the Russians calling Haliburton, "Golly Burton". Biting reminder of how big US corporations are in bed with mobsters and how it's effecting democracy worldwide. I enjoyed it a lot, however I think readers would have to be familiar with post Soviet culture in order to understand the humor.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Took a chapter or two to get into this book, but then found it to be a fascinating and entertaining.
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Please Rate these Book Reviews
J H. (I never figured out where the funny was in this book. It was kind of like a car wreck. I just couldn't stop looking at it wondering when it was supposed to get better.
Crazy book, Misha, a fat Russian wants to return to the United States but is unable to because his father, a Russian mafia member killed an American. Misha decides he will go to Absurdistan to become a citizen of that country so that he can then get into the United States. Misha gets caught up in a civil war between the Svani and Sevo, who are fighting over some absurd and ridiculous reasons. This book is a satire that pokes fun at the ridiculous reasons people go to war. It pokes fun at the way America views and does things, big oil, politics, and corrupt governments. This book is often foul, sometimes witty and very boring.
Was really looking forward to reading this one, but I just couldnt get into it.
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