Absurdistan: A Novel

Reviews (See all 484) Write a reviewfor this

It's a hit!

I just wrote a "super review" that was obliterated, as I find so many things are, while in this mind-bending Facebook place...
Gary Shteyngart is q... (show more)

I just wrote a "super review" that was obliterated, as I find so many things are, while in this mind-bending Facebook place...
Gary Shteyngart is quite simply brilliant. I absolutely loved his first novel, "The Russian Debutante's Handbook," and found "Absurdistan" to be a black comedy of a different breed. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I would hesitate to recommend it to, say, my parents, as I wholeheartedly recommended his first novel. There is a great deal of talk of our protagonist "Misha's" obscene obesity, as well as his butchered "khui" from a nasty circumcision at 18, when the novel takes place. Being trapped in the fictional "Absurdistan" appears, indeed, to be a hellish experience, no matter how many hundred dollar bills you have the privilege of throwing around, and denial runs deep, in these over-the-top young wealthy Russians, from whose money was undoubtedly obtained through less than licit means. It's quite a commentary on the current state of Russia and the lines drawn between the haves and have nots. Personally, I found it enlightening in its comic absurdity, and I enjoyed the "literary"(?) gifts our writer has to bestow.
I look forward to his next novel, hoping for something more along the lines of his first novel but find his wit and knowledge to be extraordinary. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

No, it's a flop!

This novel was absurd. And I didn't like it.

This novel is about a big fat Russian Jew, whose lifelong goal in his life is to immigrate to the Uni... (show more)

This novel was absurd. And I didn't like it.

This novel is about a big fat Russian Jew, whose lifelong goal in his life is to immigrate to the United States. He used to live in the United States, since he lived in New York City as a student. He is the son of a very rich businessman, so he has plenty of money to burn. However, his father killed a businessman in Oklahoma, so because of that, he has problems in getting another visa from the United States.

So, what does he do? While in St. Petersburg, he whines and whines and complains about how the US Consulate always denies his visa application. He has various weird friends, and he drinks with them. He has an American girlfriend, who adores him primarily because of his money, not because of his body, since hey, he is fat, and his khui got mutilated due to a botched circumcision operation.

Suddenly, one of his friends gave him a bizarre idea. One of his friends suggested to him that he should become a Belgian citizen, and by virtue of his Belgian citizenship, he can enter the United States freely. However, in order to get Belgian citizenship, one should go to a certain obscure country: Absurdistan. This is a country located somewhere in the Caucasus, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Why there? Because in the Belgian Embassy in Absurdistan, there is a corrupt Belgian diplomat that would sell Belgian citizenship after paying a rather large sum. Now since this guy has the money, then sure, why not?

They go to Absurdistan, and sure enough, he gets his Belgian citizenship, but the problem now is exiting the country. Soon after getting his Belgian citizenship, civil war erupts. Chaos reigns. He cannot get out, and sooner than later, he gets involved in the local politics. The second half of the book is actually devoted to the ups and downs of the adventures that he gets himself into while in Absurdistan.

Now, is this novel funny? Yes. Is this novel absurd? Yes. Is this novel literature? Most probably not. The thing is, every chapter has its own set of funny stuff that makes me laugh while reading it. However, I am not sure how this can be categorized as literature. I know that this is a satirical novel, but unlike other satirical novels, I don't see the main idea behind it. I don't see a bigger picture. Really, this novel felt like the novel equivalent of a bad movie, perhaps one of the worst movies of all time, such as Freddy Got Fingered. Really, I had hopes in the beginning that the bad novel that this is would turn out better later (that's why I still finished this novel even though I thought that this was a bad one in the beginning), but it didn't. This book gets one star out of a possible five. I returned it to the library, and I am so looking forward to get a new book. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook-gebruiker

More Reviews

• 
  

  Set in the mythical post-soviet (probably Caucasian) country of "Absurdistan" this novel tells the story of a privelidged Russian raised under the protection of his mafia father, who is himself about as non-gangsta as possible. It's well written and generally interesting. In fact, I would mostly recommend it except for one thing: where the hell is "Absurdistan?"

  Shteyngart spends ample time describing the country and it's capital, and each adjective rings with a sort o... (show more)

  Set in the mythical post-soviet (probably Caucasian) country of "Absurdistan" this novel tells the story of a privelidged Russian raised under the protection of his mafia father, who is himself about as non-gangsta as possible. It's well written and generally interesting. In fact, I would mostly recommend it except for one thing: where the hell is "Absurdistan?"

  Shteyngart spends ample time describing the country and it's capital, and each adjective rings with a sort of accuracy-via-minutae. But it's all false. Not fiction - false. While there is no country called "Absurdistan" - obviously- the country Shteyngart creates is actually an amalgam of various countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and even Mongolia. He mentions the local tea customs and foods unique to SE Europe, then the religious activities of Georgia, then Yurts - unique to the nomads of Asia - and all of this he attributes to the history and context of the "Absurdistanis".

  I'm not upset that he appropriated, but it does bother me that we're expected to believe any one place can naturally host so many disconnected cultures. It would be like writing a novel that takes place in the city of Varis, where people eat tacos underneath the Fiefel tower and sing Auld Lang Signe on the 4th of July while the country-folk dance a jitterbug around their teepees. This is all perfectly believable - if every westerner in the world is completely interchangable.

  They aren't, and the same is true of the amazingly diverse quiltwork of the former soviet republics.

  Shteyngart has written a clever, interesting book, but he's done it with the same disregard for regional context as so many other Imperial russian authors. Just like Tolstoy and his Noble Savage Murid, Shamil, this book is a good read if you're willing to accept that anything you learn from it will only reinforce Russian stereotypes of superiority. (show less)

   

   

  by Ryan Weber on Aug 26, 2009 at 03:31PM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• 
  

  I can't say I loved this book, but Gary Shteyngart is an amazingly gifted writer with an impressive command of the English language and a mind for the sharpest of comedy rarely encountered in literature. There are moments of pure satirical comedic genius. The main character is the anti-hero of anti-heros, a disgusting, fat, pathetic, wealthy, spoiled Russian who eventually becomes vaguely likable in a perverse sort of way. This book is reminiscent of a contemporary "Confederacy of Dun... (show more)

  I can't say I loved this book, but Gary Shteyngart is an amazingly gifted writer with an impressive command of the English language and a mind for the sharpest of comedy rarely encountered in literature. There are moments of pure satirical comedic genius. The main character is the anti-hero of anti-heros, a disgusting, fat, pathetic, wealthy, spoiled Russian who eventually becomes vaguely likable in a perverse sort of way. This book is reminiscent of a contemporary "Confederacy of Dunces" (an all time favorite of mine), but with a much harder edge and not remotely as satisfying. I have traveled in post-Communist and Central Asian countries, and definitely could appreciate the bitingly accurate snapshot of countries in such a conflicted transition. This could have been a truly great book, however the story itself and characters themselves just did not resonate with me well enough to rate this book more highly. If you enjoy satire and dark comedy, add it to your reading list... otherwise pass. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-gebruiker on Mar 09, 2009 at 02:53AM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• See all reviews
  Write a review