Just Finished Reading: Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov (FP: 1996) [228pp] 

Post-Soviet Kiev, Ukraine. Viktor Zolotaryov always wanted to be an author, but earning a living especially now wasn’t exactly easy. But he was determined to try and spent his days dropping off short stories to local newspapers in the capital. He was both pleased, if somewhat surprised, to receive a call back from an editor who liked his style. The pleasure soon turned to confusion once Viktor learned about the job offer. His task was to write obituaries for the still living. Initially reluctant to undertake this rather bizarre assignment he relented once he discovered his rather generous salary offer. Anyway, he had another mouth to feed apart from his own. He’d picked up Misha, an Emperor penguin, from the local zoo after they advertised for those willing to take on looking after some of their collection due to lack of resources. Suffering from depression and a heart condition it was the least Viktor could do to feed Misha as well and as often as he could. When an obituary was published some weeks later Viktor was both pleased and saddened that this was his first time in print. When another followed weeks later Viktor began to worry. But when his editor started to direct who he should write about and how swiftly their deaths followed the worry began to morph into something darker. Was Viktor involved in something much bigger than simply extoling the virtues of the dead? Dare he even ask the question? Or would HIS name appear in a future copy of the newspaper... 

I picked this book up some months ago because it looked ‘quirky’. It was most certainly that! Pitched as a ‘dark comedy’ I found the first half of the book frankly hilarious – probably because of the level of absurdity that none of the characters seemed to notice or comment on. One thing that made me chuckle throughout – amongst many things – was the fact that a member of the local mafia shared the penguin's name and was referred throughout as ‘Misha - non penguin’. I’m smiling now just thinking about it. I found the second half less funny mostly, I think, because I had become used to the absurdity and had simply accepted the bizarre goings on as ‘normal’. This did not, in the least, reduce my enjoyment though. This remains one of the highlights of the year (so far) and I intend to read far more from this author (or at least as much has been translated into English). The atmosphere of post-Soviet Ukraine was very palpable, and it was fascinating just to ‘be there’ in the aftermath of the soviet collapse. The many characters throughout were excellent from Viktor, the gangster Misha non-penguin, his young daughter Sophie, Sergey the local policeman and, of course, the brilliant if silent Misha (the penguin).  

This was certainly a strange read – not least of which because of the cultural divide. But one of the many things I liked about it was the ability of the author to get the reader to identify with people that, if handled badly, could feel rather strange and ‘other’. At the end of the final page not only did it feel like you got to know the characters and like them (even most of the ‘baddies’) but you missed them once you’d finished. Definitely recommended for a ‘different’ and often very funny reading experience. More to come! 

Translated from the Russian by George Bird.