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leslie obrien
, November 22, 2013
(view all comments by leslie obrien)
This is the second book by Vadim Babenko that I’ve read and I’m hooked. His storytelling is engaging and his characters, jaded Muscovites who are growing increasingly indifferent to the old regime as they embrace the modern world, are as interesting as they are peculiar. Admittedly, were I to own his books in hardback (instead of epub), I could, in a pinch, use them to shore up the side of a building. However, don’t let the seemingly overwhelming size of his novels detract you, “A Simple Soul” is an interesting story but like his others, it is not a quick read. This story is slow moving. The characters are introduced unhurriedly and their many quirks are drawn out and intertwined in a seemingly endless portrayal of humanity in all its ugliness and beauty. It is as engaging as it is tragic. And as tragic as it is hopeful. Definitely worth reading.
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