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(Th)ings and (Th)oughts
From a rising star of Russian literature, a collection of short stories that straddles the line between delight and horror.
Twisting the art of the fairytale into something entirely her own, Alla Gorbunova’s Ings and Oughts is an endlessly inventive collection thematically-linked short prose. Divided by subject—romance, philosophy, fate—the stories in this collection turn a magical lens to bitter realities.
Twisting the art of the fairytale into something entirely her own, Alla Gorbunova’s Ings and Oughts is an endlessly inventive collection thematically-linked short prose. Divided by subject—romance, philosophy, fate—the stories in this collection turn a magical lens to bitter realities.
200 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
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355 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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February 12, 2026Lydia Davis & Leonora Carrington fashion homunculi from one another's hearts, breathe a strange, magical life into them, and then send them off into the dark wilderness to gather folktales from the folktale tree; all the while, Chekov & Kafka—in the form of enormous, wry-faced bears—are observing from a nearby mountain
November 3, 2025
I think this one is for the real short story lovers. They are each only around 3 pages long. How do you even come up with that many ideas!
This collection is very much steeped in fairytale and folklore and from the first page I was sucked in. There is an entire section just dedicated to one guy and his misadventures. That’s fun!
Look some of these hit better than others but overall I really enjoyed. I will always have a soft spot for a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously and this certainly doesn’t.
*read via Edelweiss
This collection is very much steeped in fairytale and folklore and from the first page I was sucked in. There is an entire section just dedicated to one guy and his misadventures. That’s fun!
Look some of these hit better than others but overall I really enjoyed. I will always have a soft spot for a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously and this certainly doesn’t.
*read via Edelweiss
January 13, 2026
absolutely unrateable but i think there is pure unadulterated genius in this
February 4, 2026
Surreal, beautifully written, what the hell is going on, et cetera, et cetera. Despite its absurdity and my feelings of perpetual confusion, I feel like I'll find myself returning to this work again and again.
February 20, 2026
i'm just a huge sucker for poetic surreal flash fiction. the comparison to kharms doesn't do it justice because it's definitely more than that (meant with no disrespect to kharms whatsoever though, "today i wrote nothing" is one of my favorites). often hilarious, often moving, and always beautiful. i don't think i enjoyed this as much as her novel "it's the end of the world, my love" but i gave this five stars so i think that says more about how much i loved that book than this one. i'm really looking forward to reading more from gorbuvna in the future.
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November 27, 2025I loved it!
December 26, 2025
This collection of stories sounded so interesting, but I was left quite disappointed. They’re all 1-5 pages long which leaves a lot unsaid. Short stories are obviously supposed to leave things unsaid, but these stories feel without true themes or morals at times. Some might say they’re surreal or absurd, but I thinks that’s a false appellation to me. It felt like the author had a lot of ideas they wanted to get down.
I am willing to say that a few stories were very good, especially toward the end. I felt like I was watching the author grow as the collection developed. But nonetheless, I was sadly disappointed by this collection.
I am willing to say that a few stories were very good, especially toward the end. I felt like I was watching the author grow as the collection developed. But nonetheless, I was sadly disappointed by this collection.
November 22, 2025
About a 3:4 star rating, rounded down.
The benefit of ultra short fiction is that one can, in theory, say a lot with a little by what is left unsaid. Many of these short pieces do this well. Very imaginative and a fun way of sending fairy tale style prose into (often but not always) darker and more modern territory.
The weakness of ultra short prose seems to be the same as its strength: far too many of these stories suggest a lot but leave unsaid what might have been better said. Many of these pieces just fall flat, jump to quickly to shocking conclusions to be enjoyed, suggest profundity without earning it.
My rating is more of a picture of proportional enjoyment rather than a blanket rating of the whole piece. Several of these stories were 5 star stories. Many were 4 or 3. But too many were 1 or 2 star stories.
It’s a quick read, and probably the good stories are worth the venture through the duller ones.
I would recommend.
The benefit of ultra short fiction is that one can, in theory, say a lot with a little by what is left unsaid. Many of these short pieces do this well. Very imaginative and a fun way of sending fairy tale style prose into (often but not always) darker and more modern territory.
The weakness of ultra short prose seems to be the same as its strength: far too many of these stories suggest a lot but leave unsaid what might have been better said. Many of these pieces just fall flat, jump to quickly to shocking conclusions to be enjoyed, suggest profundity without earning it.
My rating is more of a picture of proportional enjoyment rather than a blanket rating of the whole piece. Several of these stories were 5 star stories. Many were 4 or 3. But too many were 1 or 2 star stories.
It’s a quick read, and probably the good stories are worth the venture through the duller ones.
I would recommend.
December 17, 2025
Steeped in a morbid yet jocular sensibility, Alla Gorbunova’s “(Th)ings and (Th)oughts” blends the bleak realities of everyday existence with amusing absurdities. Raised amid the remnants of the Soviet Union, Gorbunova’s award-winning poetry and inventive prose signal a new wave in contemporary Russian literature. However, her latest work, translated by Elina Alter, comprises mostly middling stories that remain conceptually stunted despite their potential.
The five-part collection opens with the whimsical story “Psychoanalysis in Hell,” narrated by a psychoanalyst who outlines her strategy for helping bewildered new inhabitants process their eternal, fiery predicament. She offers prudent advice to her stupefied patients, centered on acceptance and self-love:
“You can't stop being in Hell just because you want to. Don't expect sincere repentance to bring immediate deliverance. Do not resort to bargaining or legal reasoning. Stop gathering evidence to prove that you deserve something better than Hell. Humbly and meekly come to terms with whatever happens.”
This is followed by an equally comical story, “Biomass,” about a woman who has fallen in love with a man who quite literally possesses no soul. Unfortunately for readers, the remainder of this curated selection meanders through half-baked ideas and dull sketches.
Gorbunova’s jaded surrealism evokes a range of emotions—and occasionally entertains—but ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression. Each premise seems poised to take a profound leap or strike at the heart of a philosophical question, yet instead retreats or stalls in place. Stories like “Incidental Pleasures” flirt with a Pascalian notion of humanity’s diversion-seeking loop, while “Eternal Separation” brushes lightly against the anxiety-inducing fear of eternal nothingness after death; however, both narratives lack the boldness to move beyond the surface.
Despite the general lack of direction and originality that would warrant comparisons to Kharms or Bulgakov, a handful of diamonds in the rough reveal the Russian poet’s potential. Her prose displays a dazzling imagination—full of bizarre characters, jarring actions, and promising, humorous setups. In addition, later stories, such as “ἐκπύρωσις” and “Ghost Train,” impress with sentimental language and rich symbolism.
Alla Gorbunova’s short stories leave much to be desired, yet they showcase her elaborate creativity and lyrical prowess. I sense that her ceiling is higher than what this collection achieves, making her a promising talent worth watching.
The five-part collection opens with the whimsical story “Psychoanalysis in Hell,” narrated by a psychoanalyst who outlines her strategy for helping bewildered new inhabitants process their eternal, fiery predicament. She offers prudent advice to her stupefied patients, centered on acceptance and self-love:
“You can't stop being in Hell just because you want to. Don't expect sincere repentance to bring immediate deliverance. Do not resort to bargaining or legal reasoning. Stop gathering evidence to prove that you deserve something better than Hell. Humbly and meekly come to terms with whatever happens.”
This is followed by an equally comical story, “Biomass,” about a woman who has fallen in love with a man who quite literally possesses no soul. Unfortunately for readers, the remainder of this curated selection meanders through half-baked ideas and dull sketches.
Gorbunova’s jaded surrealism evokes a range of emotions—and occasionally entertains—but ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression. Each premise seems poised to take a profound leap or strike at the heart of a philosophical question, yet instead retreats or stalls in place. Stories like “Incidental Pleasures” flirt with a Pascalian notion of humanity’s diversion-seeking loop, while “Eternal Separation” brushes lightly against the anxiety-inducing fear of eternal nothingness after death; however, both narratives lack the boldness to move beyond the surface.
Despite the general lack of direction and originality that would warrant comparisons to Kharms or Bulgakov, a handful of diamonds in the rough reveal the Russian poet’s potential. Her prose displays a dazzling imagination—full of bizarre characters, jarring actions, and promising, humorous setups. In addition, later stories, such as “ἐκπύρωσις” and “Ghost Train,” impress with sentimental language and rich symbolism.
Alla Gorbunova’s short stories leave much to be desired, yet they showcase her elaborate creativity and lyrical prowess. I sense that her ceiling is higher than what this collection achieves, making her a promising talent worth watching.
February 27, 2026
Read for Novels. Response:
I tremendously enjoyed almost the whole thing. It is mostly a wondrous collection of parables. They are short, and though reading one short piece after another gets slightly grating, almost all of them, with their strangeness and yet their familiarity, make an impact.
Most all of the stories mix morals with mirth. They are funny, witty, foreign, fantastical.
The first and second sections held most of my favorites. I’m not quite sure what to make of her splitting the two sections, as if there is something separate about them, or whether it even matters. But they are all enjoyable. My favorites: Terentiy’s Guilt, Incidental Pleasures, Petrovich and Petrovsky, The Insect Priest, The Tricycle and the Rubber Dildo, On That Day He Learned, [Th]oughts, Every Bear Has Its Day.
The third section, The Trials of Ivan Petrovich, held less enjoyment for me. I appreciated that it was a larger story, a somewhat continuous string of pages. It was the novel’s way of, after previously forcing us to reset every few pages, giving us a break. I enjoyed the zaniness. Otherwise I found the section less fulfilling than its predecessors.
The fourth section felt like almost a dud. The novel does what it had been threatening to do and turns all biblical, and it feels way too abstract. But the final section picks up with more short stories that land, almost more profoundly than before.
I tremendously enjoyed almost the whole thing. It is mostly a wondrous collection of parables. They are short, and though reading one short piece after another gets slightly grating, almost all of them, with their strangeness and yet their familiarity, make an impact.
Most all of the stories mix morals with mirth. They are funny, witty, foreign, fantastical.
The first and second sections held most of my favorites. I’m not quite sure what to make of her splitting the two sections, as if there is something separate about them, or whether it even matters. But they are all enjoyable. My favorites: Terentiy’s Guilt, Incidental Pleasures, Petrovich and Petrovsky, The Insect Priest, The Tricycle and the Rubber Dildo, On That Day He Learned, [Th]oughts, Every Bear Has Its Day.
The third section, The Trials of Ivan Petrovich, held less enjoyment for me. I appreciated that it was a larger story, a somewhat continuous string of pages. It was the novel’s way of, after previously forcing us to reset every few pages, giving us a break. I enjoyed the zaniness. Otherwise I found the section less fulfilling than its predecessors.
The fourth section felt like almost a dud. The novel does what it had been threatening to do and turns all biblical, and it feels way too abstract. But the final section picks up with more short stories that land, almost more profoundly than before.
January 29, 2026
I'm not sure where to begin reviewing a collection of 57 Russian short stories, some as short as one paragraph or one page. Part 3 is a series of vignettes about the same guy ('The Trials of Ivan Petrovich') but the rest are unrelated. I was impressed by the range. They felt like stories being told over a dinner table to raucous laughter. Everyone from every class, gender, and age gets made fun of.
Many of them read like parables, morality stories, or fairytales, but with a big twist or a heaping of darkness. Definitely not for children. I would say they can be described as contemporary dark fairytales featuring fast food diners and personal devices. A few of them used the idea of the doppelgänger/double/twin to place the protagonist in an existential crisis, and I found those especially fun to read.
Many of them read like parables, morality stories, or fairytales, but with a big twist or a heaping of darkness. Definitely not for children. I would say they can be described as contemporary dark fairytales featuring fast food diners and personal devices. A few of them used the idea of the doppelgänger/double/twin to place the protagonist in an existential crisis, and I found those especially fun to read.
March 11, 2026
at once whimsical, ghastly, and decidedly Russian, (th)oughts and (th)ings is a collection of short stories by up-and-coming Alla Gorbunova. landscapes, upon searching, came up appearing exactly as described- a window to a world that i can no longer travel to due to the Russian War, at least for the time being. some stories were merely a few pages long, and did not seem to convey enough to make them whole. morality was often kept vague, or perhaps completely absent which added to the uniqueness and shock factor of this collection of oddities. i did wish some stories had been developed more completely.
December 14, 2025
Not my thing, reminiscent of Baron Munchausen (sp?) or perhaps the Taiga Syndrome.
I finished it watching the NBA Cup. Spurs against the Thunder. My wife told me not to help with the dishes. I don’t understand it but I feel like it helps her anxiety. Her mom acted frustrated if my wife didn’t help when she was a kid, now it causes distress when I do it.
Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Daniel’s birthday.
I finished it watching the NBA Cup. Spurs against the Thunder. My wife told me not to help with the dishes. I don’t understand it but I feel like it helps her anxiety. Her mom acted frustrated if my wife didn’t help when she was a kid, now it causes distress when I do it.
Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Daniel’s birthday.
Did not finish
February 2, 2026maybe this is just not the time for me to read this book. maybe this book is just too advanced for me. maybe this book is just weird? whatever the circumstances, i think i'm going to dnf this book. it's so lyrical and poetic to the point where i don't understand anything going on anymore. i know some of this is meant to be a little stream of conscious-y, but this is almost like i'm being plunged into the author's subconscious and asked to swim back up towards the surface.
bye bye.
bye bye.
December 26, 2025
Loooooooved this! Utter whimsy. Flash fiction for those with demands on their time, or a habit of inattentiveness.
January 30, 2026
Funny, absurd, beautiful, enlightening. I hope everyone reads this collection of strange little stories.
February 18, 2026
Beautiful! Absurd in a way that was still meaningful. Dismantles expectations to make existential points that do not come off even mildly heavy handed.
February 22, 2026
The icy distance of the prose in the more speculative fiction portions somehow works wonders in the folklore portions. All in all, a lovely little mixed bag of treats.
January 22, 2026
How do you write this? I can’t wait to read this again and again. I got it from the library and have to buy it, that’s how serious this is.
November 17, 2025
Translated Russian Flash Fiction
Review #1:
i (l)iked this (b)ook
Review #2:
Q -- Why does Alla Gorbunova make her stories so short?
A -- Because she was rushin
Review #1:
i (l)iked this (b)ook
Review #2:
Q -- Why does Alla Gorbunova make her stories so short?
A -- Because she was rushin
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews