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24th out of 41 books
—
42 voters
Omon Ra
Victor Pelevin's novel Omon Ra has been widely praised for its poetry and its wickedness, a novel in line with the great works of Gogol and Bulgakov: "full of the ridiculous and the sublime," says The Observer [London]. Omon is chosen to be trained in the Soviet space program the fulfillment of his lifelong dream. However, he enrolls only to encounter the terrifying absurd...more
Paperback, 154 pages
Published
February 17th 1998
by New Directions
(first published 1993)
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Apr 17, 2013
Mariel
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
wore the same hoodie every day like mum-ra
Recommended to Mariel by:
omon is an anagram of the moon
Sometimes I remembered my childhood, sometimes I used to imagine what the rapid approach of the final moment before eternity would feel like. And sometimes I tried to finish off really old thoughts that resurfaced into consciousness. For instance, I thought about the question "Who am I?"
In ancient times it was myths before science.
A head wrapped in foil, built into a model aircraft. The aircraft built to contain the plasticine figure. There's no door. A hatch drawn on the outside, and on the in...more
In ancient times it was myths before science.
A head wrapped in foil, built into a model aircraft. The aircraft built to contain the plasticine figure. There's no door. A hatch drawn on the outside, and on the in...more
Omon Ra is a fun, poignant, and ultimately powerful satire of the Soviet state, and on a deeper level, a meditation on human longing and the will to be free. Omon's absurd journey from dreaming child to Soviet Cosmonaut will first delight you, then break your heart. Pelevin writes with a beautiful spare style, which allows him to pack a lot of story into this small book. With an economy of words he brings to life the nightmarish world of Soviet "efficiency" and national hubris; a world of willfu...more
In between the time I purchased Victor Pelevin's Omon Ra and the time I started reading it, I skimmed an article somewhere that claimed Pelevin was inspired by and indebted to Mikhail Bulgakov. This was not good news. The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov is one of my most hated novels of all time. If I can't easily articulate what it is I hate about it so passionately, I feel that if anyone were to ask me, 'What kinds of novels don't you like to read?' I could point to a ready-to-hand copy of Th...more
21 likes · like · see review
Dear god, what a weird book. A friend recommended this when I mentioned that I was re-reading Sergei Lukyanenko's "Watches" series in anticipation of the new one, "New Watch". Actually, to be more accurate, he recommended the author; he didn't recommend this particular book. That's the only reason I'm planning on giving Pelevin another chance. For a brief summary, here you go: Boy dreams of going to the moon, so he joins a Soviet aviation academy (view spoiler)...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I loved this little book – and it really is a little book, at just 160 pages long. But Victor Pelevin has managed to cram so much thought and brain-food into it that it at least feels like a whole story (a bit like War of The Worlds etc)
Omon is born in Russia in 1962 and early on in his life, he decides he wants to be a cosmonaut. This becomes his dream, and he can’t believe his luck when it appears that his life path is indeed going to send him speeding into outer space.
However, things are not...more
Omon is born in Russia in 1962 and early on in his life, he decides he wants to be a cosmonaut. This becomes his dream, and he can’t believe his luck when it appears that his life path is indeed going to send him speeding into outer space.
However, things are not...more
One of the most creative and surprising books on this list, "Omon Ra" is the first person narrative of a young man who undergoes bizarre training to become a hero cosmonaut in the Soviet space program. From the outset, the astounding "technology" supposedly capable of producing space flight is set in a context of incredible shabbiness and sinisterness. Soon we learn that Soviet space flight is all accomplished by means of self-sacrificing heroes who, for example, unscrew one rocket stage from an...more
Omon Ra is a short, melancholic story of disillusionment set in Soviet Russia. The protagonist and title character, Omon, starts as a stargazing boy who dreams of becoming a cosmonaut. The book follows him through his childhood and early career as he comes into closer contact with the deception and heartlessness which underlies the Soviet regime and poisons his ambitions.
Omon’s family life is almost nonexistent; he has a drunken father and an indifferent aunt. His one friend, Mitiok, also dreams...more
Omon’s family life is almost nonexistent; he has a drunken father and an indifferent aunt. His one friend, Mitiok, also dreams...more
Shit is Victor Pelevin cool.
Nearly every passage of his I read, I think "this is exactly how i'd like to write . . . if i did write". It's creepy, smart, twisted, creepy, sci-fi-y, creepy, dark, creepy and to the point. I love that Pelevin decides what message he wants to relay to his reader, thinks of how to project it in a fun, creative way, adds a healthy does of "dark", and then just says it. As a writer of novellas, he doesn't pad or fluff his works and says what he needs to say in a way a...more
Nearly every passage of his I read, I think "this is exactly how i'd like to write . . . if i did write". It's creepy, smart, twisted, creepy, sci-fi-y, creepy, dark, creepy and to the point. I love that Pelevin decides what message he wants to relay to his reader, thinks of how to project it in a fun, creative way, adds a healthy does of "dark", and then just says it. As a writer of novellas, he doesn't pad or fluff his works and says what he needs to say in a way a...more
Prevelika očekivanja. Ali ipak, roman prvenac. Peljevin me je nekako razočarao ovde, P5 je bila odlična zbirka priča, koje su daleeko iznad ovog romana. Ima taj duh, ali previše je razmazano, priča je nekako tupa i ne preterano zanimljiva, likovi istovetni i sivi. Ima taj satirični duh ali mislim da ovakve književne kritike Sovjetskog režima kroz mračan humor su previše česte i prežvakane teme.
Sam kraj je 'meh', nabijena filmska akcija koja bi valjda trebala da predstavlja uzbuđenje/rasplet ali...more
Sam kraj je 'meh', nabijena filmska akcija koja bi valjda trebala da predstavlja uzbuđenje/rasplet ali...more
Read this book for my Russian Lit. class . . . a very, very dark comedy which satirizes the Russian obsession (at the time the book was written) with cosmonauts and the journey to the moon, completely tearing apart many of the myths attached to the Russian end of the space race. To be honest, although I found it extremely interesting and fairly disturbing, I still don't completely understand it! (Even though I have read the entire book, I still don't know how it ends . . .)
Definitely an interest...more
Definitely an interest...more
Short, enjoyable read. Worth the time for the small bit where Omon enters the flight academy and for the secondary characters training alongside him in the cosmonaut program. The rest I could take or leave. Although the story, which centers obliquely on the Soviet cosmonaut program, is compelling and well written, the theme of a necessary absurdity in totalitarian governments seems well trod. It might take a second examination to find any ideas not readily found in Kafka. Instead, I prefer to mo...more
What an absurd yet hard to put down little book! I'm left with mixed feelings, I was most impressed by scenes like the bear hunt and the detaching of the rocket modules, I recognized and appreciated the spoofing (and not only spoofing) of totalitarian regimes and their propaganda, but I'm somehow left with the feeling something was lost in translation and I didn't catch the book's full meaning. Nonetheless, a book I'm glad to have read and an author I'll keep an eye out for. Fun fact: I've read...more
Nobody weaves a tale better than Pelevin. Full of unexpected twists and turns he never disappoints. I found the first half of the book a little on the slow side but the middle to end more than made up for it. As good as it is in english as a modern satirical look at the Soviet Space Program I can just imagine how much better it is in russian. Personally I'm not in love with the translation - at times I found it a bit clunky and I think when dealing with Pelevin less is not more so I don't agree...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Summary: A quick and enjoyable trip into soviet heroism with disappointingly little payoff.
I'll start by saying that I generally find first-person narration frustrating to read, and this novel is no exception. Our narrator is young, inexperienced, and lives his life in the confines of the Soviet space program, which even he doesn't find interesting. He also fails to add detail to most situations he describes, we never really get to know the characters as well as I'd like (and I admittedly began...more
I'll start by saying that I generally find first-person narration frustrating to read, and this novel is no exception. Our narrator is young, inexperienced, and lives his life in the confines of the Soviet space program, which even he doesn't find interesting. He also fails to add detail to most situations he describes, we never really get to know the characters as well as I'd like (and I admittedly began...more
This book is the key to understand Pelevin.
We're talking about a talented author who fills his novels with a thousand elements coming from Russian popular culture, literature, poetry, politics, history and much more. His pen often dances on the narrow line between geniality and presumption.
At a first glance Omon Ra could seem a tale about the Russian space programme. Then it becomes clear that Pelevin has no intention to show historical accuracy. His aim is above all to satirize with an astonish...more
We're talking about a talented author who fills his novels with a thousand elements coming from Russian popular culture, literature, poetry, politics, history and much more. His pen often dances on the narrow line between geniality and presumption.
At a first glance Omon Ra could seem a tale about the Russian space programme. Then it becomes clear that Pelevin has no intention to show historical accuracy. His aim is above all to satirize with an astonish...more
Short, witty, and satiric, Omon Ra follows the (rather brief) life of Omon, a Cosmonaut. Upon joining the space program, Omon learns the horrifying truth: Although most Soviet space missions are purported to be automated, they are in fact piloted by Cosmonauts who essentially undertake suicide missions in order to tout the 'space victories' of the Soviet Union. It might not sound very funny, but it is, especially Omon's journey in his ramshackle 'automated moonwalker.'
Oh how I love Russian sci-fi, so much more meaning than western variations usually have. Reminded me strongly of Bulgakov, which is always good. Dreamlike, surreal, absurd and darkly funny but always poignant and moving in that classic Russian way. The ending was excellent, and I spent the whole next day turning over the symbolism woven into the story and drawing out meanings. Checked out the full lyrics to Pink Floyd's 'Echoes' too, which really added to the book.
Slatko ali malo isuviše kratko. Da je roman (možda je bolje reći duža priča) bio malo opširniji i da je poente koje je želeo da prenese ponovio više puta možda bi i dojam bio jači, pogotovo jer je ovo prvo Peljevinovo delo koje sam pročitao i tek se upoznajem sa njegovim idejama i metodama. Ipak, uživao sam u raspršivanju dečačkih snova i iluzija, kao i ideološkoj dekonstrukciji i relativizaciji pojma 'istina', malo više nego u okultističkim referencama po kojima je ovaj pisac takođe poznat.
A very weird, absurdist book that fits perfectly at home in the genre of science fiction. The layers of deception were clever and provoked lots of pondering. There was a pervading tinge of magical realism in the description that left me wondering what, exactly, had happened during a lot of key plot points (for example, what the heck were the leg surgeries about??). Overall a short, fast, thought-provoking read.
This must be one of the poorest literary efforts I have ever come across. A mundane satirical plot about the farcical elements of the Sovjet space program (and its role in propaganda and party politics). Not even remotely funny. Short and still stuffed with irrelevant plot twists, characters and observations. I am at a loss how so many people can like this book.
1 like · like · see review
Sep 17, 2007
David Rim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of dr. strangelove, vonnegut readers
I read this book on the strength of a recommendation following google's announcement of a prize for putting something (anything) dubiously useful on the moon. Despite what some might say is a dated satire of a now defunct regime, Pelevin's Omon Ra is still enjoyable. The regime may be defunct, but the desires of governments to delude their own in the name of loftier goals is not. The writing in this translation is not what I've been told is simply amazing in the native tongue, but Omon Ra still...more
Darkly absurd, the irresistible journey of a young cosmonaut's one way trip to the moon. A Kafkaesque trajectory through the academy, flight training and atmosphere. At times it is hilarious, others tragic. It will leave you thinking long after about a single man embroiled in patriotism,the machine of government, and destiny.
Clever, dark satire of Soviet space program, and by extension Soviet society in general. Timely at the time. Now interesting for historical reasons, more than for literary ones, though I suppose some might still find it of interest as an anti-totalitarian critique. Bromfield's translation is quite good.
Apr 08, 2012
Lisa Hayden Espenschade
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
space program devotees
Recommended to Lisa by:
Natasha
Shelves:
read-in-russian
2.5 stars.
This short novel about a young cosmonaut who joins the space program because he wants to go to the moon satirizes the Soviet space program. It's rather funny in spots--space food is that utilitarian favorite, canned meat, and Pink Floyd comes in--and less outlandish than the other Pelevin novels I've read but I doubt I'll ever be a Pelevin fan.
(There's more on my blog, here.)
This short novel about a young cosmonaut who joins the space program because he wants to go to the moon satirizes the Soviet space program. It's rather funny in spots--space food is that utilitarian favorite, canned meat, and Pink Floyd comes in--and less outlandish than the other Pelevin novels I've read but I doubt I'll ever be a Pelevin fan.
(There's more on my blog, here.)
Immensely enjoyable, entertaining, yet dark ficticious first person account of a moon landing project done Soviet Style - forceful recruitment of human guinea pigs on a shoestring budget, which will see them risk their lives for an illusive notion of good old Soviet heroism.
A novella about a Soviet youth who joins the moon flight program. Omon ends up in a cruel and ridiculous world where truth and lies are reversed. He is expected to give his life for the state without complaint, something he is willing to do until fate intervenes.
Cool book!
Cool book!
It was a hard book to read. I don't consider the guy a genius that everyone is making him out to be, more likely, he is just a very disturbed individual. This book is a great example of how seriously disturbed he is.
A reasonably short piece, but it has a lot to interest the reader. The humour is very dark, but in places is very funny. The episode with Kissinger hunting the men dressed in bear-suits is particularly memorable. There are also many thoughtful passages in the novel, and it deserves re-reading.
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aka Виктор Олегович Пелевин (Rus)
"Victor Olegovich Pelevin is a Russian fiction writer. His books usually carry the outward conventions of the science fiction genre, but are used to construct involved, multi-layered postmodernist texts, fusing together elements of pop culture and esoteric philosophies. Some critics relate his prose to the New Sincerity and New Realism literary movements." (Wikipe...more
More about Victor Pelevin...
"Victor Olegovich Pelevin is a Russian fiction writer. His books usually carry the outward conventions of the science fiction genre, but are used to construct involved, multi-layered postmodernist texts, fusing together elements of pop culture and esoteric philosophies. Some critics relate his prose to the New Sincerity and New Realism literary movements." (Wikipe...more
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“Ты пойми, милый, что в этом и суть подвига, что его всегда совершает не готовый к нему человек, потому что подвиг - это такая вещь, к которой подготовиться невозможно. То есть можно, например, наловчиться быстро подбегать к амбразуре, можно привыкнуть ловко прыгать на нее грудью, этому всему мы учим, но вот самому духовному акту подвига научиться нельзя, его можно только совершить.”
—
2 people liked it
“С четвертого курса занятия начинаются на тренажерах - знаешь, что это такое?
- Нет.
- В общем, все как в самолете, сидишь в кабине, ручка у тебя, педали, только смотришь на экран телевизора. Так эти двое на занятии, вместо того, чтоб иммельман отрабатывать, пошли, сука, на запад на предельно малой. И не отвечают по радио. Их потом вытаскивают и спрашивают - вы чего, орлы? На что рассчитывали, а? Молчат. Один, правда, ответил потом. Хотел, говорит, ощутить, говорит. Хоть на минуту...”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
- Нет.
- В общем, все как в самолете, сидишь в кабине, ручка у тебя, педали, только смотришь на экран телевизора. Так эти двое на занятии, вместо того, чтоб иммельман отрабатывать, пошли, сука, на запад на предельно малой. И не отвечают по радио. Их потом вытаскивают и спрашивают - вы чего, орлы? На что рассчитывали, а? Молчат. Один, правда, ответил потом. Хотел, говорит, ощутить, говорит. Хоть на минуту...”
updated Apr 15, 2013 10:08am
Apr 15, 2013 11:49am