My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Sister Pelagia and the Red Cockerel: A Novel (Sister Pelagia Mysteries #3)
The ship carrying the devout to Jerusalem has run into rough waters. Onboard is Manuila, controversial leader of the “Foundlings,” a sect that worships him as the Messiah. But soon the polarizing leader is no longer a passenger or a prophet but a corpse, beaten to death by someone almost supernaturally strong. But not everything is as it seems, and someone else sailing has...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
August 11th 2009
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2003)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
303)
Akunin's previous Pelagia novels have seemed a little Miss Marple, but in this he gets much more politically contentious and contemporary, and there are considerably more corpses than in either of the previous titles. Like all detective novels this is at heart conservative (the solution of the 'crime' means that order and stability are restored) except in this case we are not entirely sure what the result is: the conspirators remain concealed, Pelagia seems to have disappeared, central character...more
This book reminds me somewhat of a mayonnaise gone slightly wrong. It has all the required ingredients, many of which are of the highest quality, but their proportions, the way in which they have been added and the sequence of their incorporation and direction of 'stir' are not the best and the result lacks smoothness and satisfaction. If I were to rate this book on the basis of its last 2-3 chapters I would give it 5*****. They are striking in their intensity, imagination, profundity and audaci...more
view all 6 comments
Bibliophile
rated it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Boris Akunin (the pseudonym of Georgian writer Grigory Chkhartishvili) has written 11 detective novels, taking place in the 19th century, which feature Russian secret agent and detective Erast Fandourin. Five of these novels have appeared in English. The present book is the third volume in a more recent series that takes place in the waning years of the Russian Empire—around 1910—and that feature an inquisitive and adventurous nun, Sister Pelagia, as the hero.
Having missed the firs...more
Having missed the firs...more
Whoa. A very strange Pelagia, but I liked it. Odd synchronicity as well, as we just saw the R. Crumb illustration of the Book of Genesis at the Hammer.
I'm still mulling over the ending, which I see as a departure from the previous Pelagia books. A nod to wonder and faith as opposed to rationalism.
SORT OF SPOILER: This seemed like the most gruesome of the Pelagias - much higher death count than most - and I was struck by how few of these murders Pelagia actually knew abou...more
I'm still mulling over the ending, which I see as a departure from the previous Pelagia books. A nod to wonder and faith as opposed to rationalism.
SORT OF SPOILER: This seemed like the most gruesome of the Pelagias - much higher death count than most - and I was struck by how few of these murders Pelagia actually knew abou...more
I don't know if I'd necessarily have someone start with Pelagia or recommend this series to friends. I think you'd have to be crazy not to like the Erast Fandorin books, but Pelagia is...different.
One of the recurring troubles for Pelagia in this book made me think of a parallel to myself as well. The first impression she gives off to people is a rather ungainly, overly curious, red-headed unnattractive nun, but then a few days in her company and they're madly in love.
So...more
One of the recurring troubles for Pelagia in this book made me think of a parallel to myself as well. The first impression she gives off to people is a rather ungainly, overly curious, red-headed unnattractive nun, but then a few days in her company and they're madly in love.
So...more
Catherine Woodman
added it
The book is VERY Russian, which I would see as a plus, but the allegorical qualities morph into a full blown hallucinatory armageddon at the end, which seemd over the top, even for a Russina, especially in the genre of murder mystery--which is really not what this book is--like there is no murder that the book is centered on finding a solution to--which seems like the minimum criteria for a murder mystery. The writing is very Russian and nice to read in that respect. Nun gets lost in cave is t...more
Deb Oestreicher
added it
A stunning close to Akunin's Sister Pelagia trilogy, in which Akunin continues his shameless borrowing from Russian masterpieces like Anna Karenina and The Grand Inquisitor (and likely other places I'm not learned enough to catch) and transforms his mainly realistic historical detective series into something frankly fantastic (or at least mystical). The only drawback is that this is definitely the last of Sister Pelagia... I still anticipate further translations Akunin's Fandorin novels, thou...more
PELAGIA & THE RED ROOSTER is the third book (and I believe the last) in this series by Russian author Grigory Chkhartishvili aka Boris Akunin. Readers may be more aware of the six Erast Fandorin novels, which I understand have sold over 18 million copies in Russia alone.
This is the first of the Pelagia novels I've read, having had the pleasure of a few of the Fandorin novels before, and I was reminded again of the absolute feeling of 19th and, in this case, 20th Century Russian se...more
This is the first of the Pelagia novels I've read, having had the pleasure of a few of the Fandorin novels before, and I was reminded again of the absolute feeling of 19th and, in this case, 20th Century Russian se...more
In my opinion, this is the best of the Pelagia series by Akunin. In general, I like this series less than Akunun's other projects, but it is decent. This book is completely ridiculous, with a plot like something out of the Da Vinci Code.
SPOILER ALERT: Christ has traveled in time to late 19th Russia via a magical cave. Now he is a prophet, wandering the world, seeking to return to Jerusalem and be crucified as intended.
SPOILER ALERT: Christ has traveled in time to late 19th Russia via a magical cave. Now he is a prophet, wandering the world, seeking to return to Jerusalem and be crucified as intended.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I usually love the Sister Pelagia books, but this one really was bizarre. The mystery was not fully explained, and it seemed as though Sister Pelagia had totally abandoned her faith at the end of the book. To spend so much time in the long hunt for explanations, the ending was rather disappointing. This book was also much more gruesome than any of the previous books.
The book has blown me away, really swept me off my feet.
It was bold of the writer to explore the subject the way he did, but I think he did it wonderfully.
I see this book as his answer to The Da Vinci Code, and, though I like 'Code', I think I love 'The Red Rooster'.
It was bold of the writer to explore the subject the way he did, but I think he did it wonderfully.
I see this book as his answer to The Da Vinci Code, and, though I like 'Code', I think I love 'The Red Rooster'.
Pelagia gets herself into trouble again when she becomes a witness to a murder of a mystic on a riverboat of pilgrims to the Holy Land. As usual, she works out the solution well before others because of her curiosity and intelligent mind. Another enjoyable novel in this series
This was probably my least favorite from Boris - he was all over the place.
Religious mysteries seem to be in vogue, but this was just stupid. I've never heard of "special caves" or their relationship to red roosters before, maybe it's a russian thing or completely from the author's imagination, but that plot point was so out-there it ruined the story for me. The strange town and castle with the psychotic russian nobleman were hardly believable, but the super-assassin and the graphic details of his kills were stomach-churning and ultimately unresolved. This...more
very interestng, beautifull places
Convoluted
By far the best, and the most disturbing, of the Sister Pelagia mysteries. Please, please tell me there will be more in this series.
This time sister Pelagia transforms into a pilgrim who goes by a steamboat from Russia to Jerusalem to solve another case connected with early Zionist commune and a murder of Manuila, the charismatic leader of people, who coverted from Orthodox catholicism to Judaism.
Another Akunin page turner. Not as tightly constructed as I would like, but a story worth reading.
A story that grew on me. A bit more cosmopolitan and controversial in subject than the other stories og Pelagia. I like it.
Moves very slowly, which is unlike his other Pelagia or Fandorin novels. So far good for putting me to sleep.
Good, but can't compare to the Black Monk.
Have rooster, will travel.
Of the three in the series, this is the best, and really something to look forward to.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Real name - Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili, born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1956. Since 1958 he lives in Moscow. Writer and translator from Japanease. Author of crime stories set in tsarist Russia. In 1998 he made his debut with novel Azazel (to English readers known as The Winter Queen), where he created Erast Pietrovich Fandorin.
B. Akunin refers to Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and...more
More about Boris Akunin...
B. Akunin refers to Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
