Synopses & Reviews
"Never before has Russian literature produced such an honest and complete picture of today's Caucasus."Kommersant Weekend (Russia)
"The Mountain and the Wall is a major event in contemporary Russian literature."Ulrich M. Schmid, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Germany)
This remarkable debut novel by a unique young Russian voice portrays the influence of political intolerance and religious violence in the lives of people forced to choose between evils.
The Mountain and the Wall focuses on Shamil, a young local reporter in Makhachkala, and his reactions, or lack thereof, to rumors that the Russian government is building a wall to cut off the Muslim provinces of the Caucasus from the rest of Russia. As unrest spreads and the tension builds, Shamil's life is turned upside down, and he can no longer afford to ignore the violence surrounding him.
With a fine sense for mounting catastrophe, Alisa Ganieva tells the story of the decline of a society torn apart by its inherent extremes.
Review
"Religious extremism and the ever shifting politics of the former Soviet Union form the pulsing backdrop of this smart and daring debut novel. Though it is the first book set in the region of Dagestan to published in English and the events depicted are foreign to the American experience, at its heart, Ganievas compelling story is a universal one of a young man trying to make sense of this crazy world, while making money, sustaining friendships, protecting his family, and falling in love."
Josh Cook, Porter Square Books"The land, seen in its beauty and the depths of the past, is the beating heart of Ganievas novel. Troubles may not be overcome, but they might be survived, and that love and the resiliency of a community ever malleable is the path to it. The Mountain and the Wall asks us to love and understand Dagestan, and the ask is compelling." P.T. Smith, Full-Stop
"Chapters filled with a babbling stream of consciousness form an ethnographic tour de force, and cover a wealth of rich local history, mixed in with traditional customs and their intersection with modern life of the 31 ethnic groups of Dagestan." Robert Chenciner, Open Democracy
"I have to be honest and admit straight away that Id never even heard of Dagestan until I read this book, so I come to write this review more tentatively than I might usually. In a way, though, thats quite appropriate; because it seems to me that Ganievas novel is very much concerned with hearsay and the limits of knowledge." David Hebblethwaite's Book Blog
"A superb book . . . An excellent story about the rise of Islam, the fate of the republics in post-Soviet Russia and the traditions of a people little known in the West." The Modern Novel
Synopsis
The literary debut of a promising young Russian author from an unknown country, a tale of politics and religion colliding
Synopsis
"Ganieva's writing has a kind of magic." -- Lauren Smart, Dallas Observer
"Never before has Russian literature produced such an honest and complete picture of today's Caucasus."-- Kommersant Weekend (Russia)
**One of the Dallas Observer's "10 Books To Read This Fall"
****World Literature Today Editor's Pick**
This remarkable debut novel by a unique young Russian voice portrays the influence of political intolerance and religious violence in the lives of people forced to choose between evils.
The Mountain and the Wall focuses on Shamil, a young local reporter in Makhachkala, and his reactions, or lack thereof, to rumors that the Russian government is building a wall to cut off the Muslim provinces of the Caucasus from the rest of Russia. As unrest spreads and the tension builds, Shamil's life is turned upside down, and he can no longer afford to ignore the violence surrounding him.
With a fine sense for mounting catastrophe, Alisa Ganieva tells the story of the decline of a society torn apart by its inherent extremes.
Synopsis
Ganieva's writing has a kind of magic. --Lauren Smart, Dallas Observer
Never before has Russian literature produced such an honest and complete picture of today's Caucasus. --Kommersant Weekend (Russia)
One of the Dallas Observer's 10 Best Books To Read This Fall
World Literature Today Editor's Pick
This remarkable debut novel by a unique young Russian voice portrays the influence of political intolerance and religious violence in the lives of people forced to choose between evils. The Mountain and the Wall focuses on Shamil, a young local reporter in Makhachkala, and his reactions, or lack thereof, to rumors that the Russian government is building a wall to cut off the Muslim provinces of the Caucasus from the rest of Russia. As unrest spreads and the tension builds, Shamil's life is turned upside down, and he can no longer afford to ignore the violence surrounding him.
With a fine sense for mounting catastrophe, Alisa Ganieva tells the story of the decline of a society torn apart by its inherent extremes.
About the Author
Alisa Ganieva, born in 1985, grew up in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, and currently lives in Moscow. Her literary debut, the novella
Salaam, Dalgat!, published under a male pseudonym, provoked contradictory reactions in Russia: astonishment, especially among young Russians, at this unknown part of their country; and anger among radical Islamists at this negative portrayal of their homeland by one of their own.
Salaam, Dalgat! won the prestigious Debut Prize in 2009, and Ganieva revealed her true identity only at the award ceremony. Ganieva works as a journalist and literary critic.
The Mountain and the Wall is her first novel, shortlisted for all three of Russia's major literary awards, and has already been translated into several languages.
Dr. Carol Apollonio is Professor of the Practice of Russian at Duke University. Her most recent translation is German Sadulaev's The Maya Pill (Dalkey Archive, 2014). In addition to being an accomplished translator, Dr. Apollonio is also a scholar specializing in the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Chekhov and on problems of translation. She is the author of the monograph Dostoevsky's Secrets (2009), and she has edited volumes and numerous articles on nineteenth century Russian literature. She was awarded the Russian Ministry of Cultures Chekhov Medal in 2010, and she currently serves as President of the North American Dostoevsky Society.