by
Vladimir SOROKIN
the photo is from google
Probably my first book written by a contemporary Russian writer. And I am deeply impressed.
I've discovered the author through a book written by Mihail Vakulovski - "Bidiblioteca", and probably the onliest translator from Russian to Romanian of Sorokin's books. And I've said to myself, I'll start over with Sorokin's first novel - "Norma".
I've taken profit on the existent website, we we can find his books in original. The website was last updated in 2012. So, anyone can easely have access to all those Sorokin's works.
Before reading Norma, I was sure that I'll plan dor my 2021 #bookchallenge a couple of Sorokin's books, but no. I am more than happy having discovered this author, but his writing is a kind of very grotesc realism of the USSR period, and quite a horror writing of those times, especially the actions taking place into a farm, where instead of animals, they were keeping humans, about 90 humans, in extremely unhuman conditions. It is very difficult to digest, metaphorically. I still need days and weeks to go through what I've read in Norma, and remained in my mind...
Norma - the title of the book comes from the very strong quintessence of the USSR style of life and politics, and economis (if we can call it so) etc etc, that had to have a normality, and all the people from USSR had to guide themselves by that normality, and respect it.
Normal child, normal life, normal food, normal song, normal shoes, normal book, normal birth, normal weather, normal morning etc etc etc....
The first part of the book is presenting this normality metaphoroically in the shape of a shit square that all the party members had to eat it regularly.
Also, there is very present the punishment for nothing. The punishment in public, by the public. That very present complex of inferiority that were making plenty of the people to attack by telling "Don't teach me!" - don't teach me how to live! don't teach me how to do this and that! don't teach me what to say! and so on and so forth... "I know better! Stop teaching me!"
The book is written in a raw language, with uncensored words, pritty much all of it. I assume the author wanted to show the exact way of communication of most of the people in USSR. Psichologically there is a lot talk about people's behaviour in USSR, but I'll leave it for another time, because this topic is very complex.
There is a lot to talk about this book, but I'll rather leave you to discover by yourselves the author and the book and come back with a comment to my post about your impressions.
Belle lecture, dear friends!
Edinburgh,
20/02/2021
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