This book series has become one of my favorites and for me it is surprising that it is not much more popular.
It has been a while since I wanted to stop doing anything else to continue reading a book as much as I did not want the book to end. Obviously these books need to be read in order, so if you enjoyed the first book, you will definitely not make a mistake by picking this one up. Penguin Lost is a worthy sequel to Death and the Penguin. Unfortunately, that also means that the humor wasn’t as good as in Death and the Penguin, even though I’ve learned to appreciate the subtle way in which Kurkov makes fun of just about everything he can (and some things he really shouldn’t). Although I obviously can’t compare it to the original, my unusual familiarity with Slavic languages in general allowed me to recognize how well the spirit (in lack of a better word) was captured, mostly through high formality level and a somewhat odd sentence structure.Īlthough Kurkov’s harsh critique of society in general and especially misplaced values remains unchanged, I felt that it lost some of its edge. Having successfully escaped from the Mafia, Viktor embarks on a journey to locate his faithful friend Misha the penguin, feeling horribly guilty for abandoning him in the first place.Īs was the case with the first book, I felt that the translation was done exceptionally well.
In this unexpectedly good sequel, Victor and Misha are separated with very little hope of finding each other ever again. In his article for The Telegraph, Tim Martin called Death and the Penguin “a sort of warped cross between Dostoyevsky and Happy Feet” and I have no choice but to: a) die from laughter and b) wholeheartedly agree.
Just like Death and the Penguin, Penguin Lost is utterly absurd.
0 kommentar(er)
