The Man Who Couldn't Die

The Tale of an Authentic Human Being

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Literary
Cover of the book The Man Who Couldn't Die by Olga Slavnikova, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Olga Slavnikova ISBN: 9780231546416
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: January 29, 2019
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Olga Slavnikova
ISBN: 9780231546416
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: January 29, 2019
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

In the chaos of early-1990s Russia, the wife and stepdaughter of a paralyzed veteran conceal the Soviet Union’s collapse from him in order to keep him—and his pension—alive until it turns out the tough old man has other plans. Olga Slavnikova’s The Man Who Couldn’t Die tells the story of how two women try to prolong a life—and the means and meaning of their own lives—by creating a world that doesn’t change, a Soviet Union that never crumbled.

After her stepfather’s stroke, Marina hangs Brezhnev’s portrait on the wall, edits the Pravda articles read to him, and uses her media connections to cobble together entire newscasts of events that never happened. Meanwhile, her mother, Nina Alexandrovna, can barely navigate the bewildering new world outside, especially in comparison to the blunt reality of her uncommunicative husband. As Marina is caught up in a local election campaign that gets out of hand, Nina discovers that her husband is conspiring as well—to kill himself and put an end to the charade. Masterfully translated by Marian Schwartz, The Man Who Couldn’t Die is a darkly playful vision of the lost Soviet past and the madness of the post-Soviet world that uses Russia’s modern history as a backdrop for an inquiry into larger metaphysical questions.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the chaos of early-1990s Russia, the wife and stepdaughter of a paralyzed veteran conceal the Soviet Union’s collapse from him in order to keep him—and his pension—alive until it turns out the tough old man has other plans. Olga Slavnikova’s The Man Who Couldn’t Die tells the story of how two women try to prolong a life—and the means and meaning of their own lives—by creating a world that doesn’t change, a Soviet Union that never crumbled.

After her stepfather’s stroke, Marina hangs Brezhnev’s portrait on the wall, edits the Pravda articles read to him, and uses her media connections to cobble together entire newscasts of events that never happened. Meanwhile, her mother, Nina Alexandrovna, can barely navigate the bewildering new world outside, especially in comparison to the blunt reality of her uncommunicative husband. As Marina is caught up in a local election campaign that gets out of hand, Nina discovers that her husband is conspiring as well—to kill himself and put an end to the charade. Masterfully translated by Marian Schwartz, The Man Who Couldn’t Die is a darkly playful vision of the lost Soviet past and the madness of the post-Soviet world that uses Russia’s modern history as a backdrop for an inquiry into larger metaphysical questions.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Immigration Policy in the Age of Punishment by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Political Categories by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Food of Sinful Demons by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book The Columbia History of Post-World War II America by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Under Siege by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Nature's Pharmacopeia by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Writing the Mughal World by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Hatred and Forgiveness by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Violent Peace by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Health Care as a Right of Citizenship by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Up from Invisibility by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Rites of Return by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Bonded Labor by Olga Slavnikova
Cover of the book Evolutionary Perspectives on Pregnancy by Olga Slavnikova
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy