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What Members Thought

Very quick read this one and it’s been a while since I dipped my feet in Russian lit. This novel brought it all back to me and would be a great intro to anyone wanting to find out what this genre’s all about.
The novel is written under a pseudonym. There are still debates about who actually wrote it. But it contains all you want in a Russian novel: brooding self-absorption, moral decay, the hated or absent conscience of the individual, and the gradual plunge into doom and despair. Lovely!
The epon ...more
The novel is written under a pseudonym. There are still debates about who actually wrote it. But it contains all you want in a Russian novel: brooding self-absorption, moral decay, the hated or absent conscience of the individual, and the gradual plunge into doom and despair. Lovely!
The epon ...more

Mar 16, 2012
Deanne
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
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The language was beautiful in parts, but the book as a whole didn't grip me. The title is also mis-leading in that the romance with cocaine doesn't start til 2/3 of the way through the book. Ageyev's description of the downward spiral of the main character is off putting, though drugs have never interested me can think of better things to spend money on, like books.
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I'm not sure how to shelve this. It was a very fast read.
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Aug 28, 2011
Chas
marked it as to-read

Sep 17, 2011
Judith
marked it as to-read

May 02, 2013
Arianna
marked it as to-read

Aug 18, 2025
Kim
marked it as to-read