Name: Death And The Penguin
ISBN: 9781446483367

Andrey Kurkov

Viktor is an aspiring writer with only Misha, his pet penguin, for company. Although he would prefer to write short stories, he earns a living composing obituaries for a newspaper. He longs to see his work published, yet the subjects of his obituaries continue to cling to life. But when he opens the newspaper to see his work in print for the first time, his pride swiftly turns to terror. He and Misha have been drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.

Death And The Penguin

Andreĭ Kurkov

Victor is depressed: his lover has dumped him, his short stories are too short, and the light has gone off in his dingy apartment. His only companion is Misha, the penguin he rescued from Kiev's Zoo, when it couldn't feed the animals anymore. Misha is the silent witness to Victor's despair, and joins in his celebration—fish and vodka—when Victor's luck seems to turn: he is commissioned to write obituaries. The weird thing is that the editor wants him to select subjects who are still alive, the movers and the shakers of the new, post-Communist society.

Death and the Penguin

Archiell

The plot is so simple yet Kurkov was able to depict it in a page-turning way through absurdism and well constructed characters. Kurkov painted Viktor’s isolation of living in the city so perfectly and highlighted it in a variety of creative ways; the mirroring of Misha and Viktor and their inability to actually converse, the ‘ideal’ family unit that is constructed throughout the story being devoid of passion, and the secretive nature of Viktor’s work. Incredibly enjoyable reading. 

Nicholas Laurie

Probably my favourite read of 2022. 

The plot is so simple yet Kurkov was able to depict it in a page-turning way through absurdism and well constructed characters. Kurkov painted Viktor’s isolation of living in the city so perfectly and highlighted it in a variety of creative ways; the mirroring of Misha and Viktor and their inability to actually converse, the ‘ideal’ family unit that is constructed throughout the story being devoid of passion, and the secretive nature of Viktor’s work. Incredibly enjoyable reading. 

Death And The Penguin

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