Logically the word homo zapiens should mean a person pressing up and down buttons on a remote controller. So writes victor pelevin as part of his authors disclaimer to this bestselling novel marketed under three different titles in english. Chronicling the garish excesses of postsoviet russia, victor pelevins novels have won him cult status at home and critical acclaim in the international press. See all books authored by victor pelevin, including the life of insects, and the sacred book of the werewolf, and more on. In his new novel, homo zapiens, pelevin weaves together a deliciously comic vision of vanity, greed, and advertisingmoscow style. However, in spite of this pelevin always somehow managed to land on his feet, while his friends had occasional problems with lawenforcement agencies. A graduate of the prestigious maxim gorky literature institute, pelevin won russias first little booker prize in 1991 for his first book, a. From consumption to objectification in viktor pelevins akiko. Pelevin, victor and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The story deals with themes of postsoviet russia, consumerism, recreational drug use, and mesopotamian mythology. A rising star in the russian literary firmament see the yellow arrow, below, pelevin, winner of the 1993 russian booker prize for short stories, has written a parody of life under communism refracte. The blue lantern, a collection of short stories that won the russian little booker prize. They recall he has always enjoined creating conflicts and has been arrested by the police more than once. When tatarsky, a frustrated poet, takes a job as an advertising copywriter, he finds he has a talent for putting distinctively russian twists on. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Homo zapiens by victor pelevin, andrew bromfield kirkus. I am a huge fan of russian authors like bulgakov, dostoevsky and co, and he definitely plays around with these classic victor pelevin is like a pop culturesavvy and russian murakami, or like. His comic inventiveness and mindbending talent prompted time magazine to proclaim him a psychedelic nabokov for the cyberage. To ask other readers questions about homo zapiens, please sign up. Homo zapiens by victor pelevin overdrive rakuten overdrive.
Victor pelevin has been a leading literary voice in postsoviet russia, exposing the disorder of his beloved country with biting wit and black humor. But even in 1990, when i was writing omon ra, nobody in moscow expected that the collapse would ever happen. Victor olegovich pelevin is a russian fiction writer, the author of novels omon ra, chapayev and void, and generation p. Victor pelevin, author, andrew bromfield, translator, viktor pelevin, author, trans. Viktor pelevin primary author only author division. The collapse of the soviet union has opened up a huge consumer market, but how do you sell things to. His father oleg was a military officer, who taught at the bauman moscow state technical university. Babylon by victor pelevin 9780571205561 boomerang books. Victor pelevin books list of books by author victor pelevin.
He is a laureate of multiple literary awards including the russian little booker prize and the russian national bestseller. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Burroughs 091608 wise children angela carter 100108 gravitys rainbow thomas pynchon 110108 satan burger carlton. The authors opinions do not necessarily coincide with his point of view. Pelevin, the bard of the postsoviet era, returns here with another absurdist novel detailing the crazed russian collision with capitalism. A werewolf problem in central russia, the second of pelevin s russian booker prizewinning short story. Collection of victor pelevin s works online, in russian. Pelevin spent his summer vacations on a moscow army base and later recalled that it was like a big playground full of soldiers. However, im having problems finding any material on him on the western part of the internet. His novel buddhas little finger was shortlisted for the international impac dublin literary award. The short stories of victor pelevin are as individual, realitywarping and endlessly inventive as his novels, moving effortlessly between different genres and moods, bursting with absurd wit and existential satire. This haunting tragicomedy was nominated for the 1993 russian booker prize which pelevin won for a collection of short stories.
His books are multilayered postmodernist texts fusing elements of pop culture and esoteric philosophies while carrying conventions of the science fiction genre. Pelevin has a lot of fun with tatarskys rapid rise through the industry, the sources of his best often ribald ideas which are triggered by hallucinogeninspired conversations with a firebreathing dragon and the ghost of che guevara, whos now a buddhistand also in sketching industry colleagues like the wagnerloving malyuta and the pseudonymous sasha bio, a henpecked married pornographer. Omon ra kindle edition by pelevin, victor, bromfield. Mar 17, 2009 a bestseller in russia, homo zapiens displays the biting absurdist satire that has gained victor pelevin superstar status among todays russian youth, disapproval from the conservative moscow literary world, and critical acclaim worldwide. He is a laureate of multiple literary awards including the russian little booker prize. I dont remember the exact dates, but i do remember that i finished. Victor pelevin actually, i dont think we can use the term was dissolving. Homo zapiens this is another of pelevin s inyourface postmodernist satires, this time focussing on or, at least, starting with the advertising and public relations industry before moving on to russian politics as a whole.
Victor pelevins novel omon ra has been widely praised for its poetry and its wickedness, a novel in line with the great works of gogol and bulgakov. Hello rrussia ive read a few of victor pelevin s books amon ra. The world of advertising gets a richly comic comeuppance in this latest 1999 novel by the hip absurdist buddhas little finger, 2000, etc. Protagonist babylen tatarsky is a nondescript shop assistant who fails in technical school, and as a poet, before finding work as an adman entrusted with creating slogans and campaigns aimed at selling western products like pepsicola to russian. While booker applies his definition to the fiction of the. In the blue lantern he brings together sexchange prostitutes, melancholy animals and a cabinful of young boys obsessed by death. His books include the novels oman ra and the life of insects, the novella the yellow arrow, and the story collections a werewolf problem in central russia and the blue lantern, which won the russian little booker prize in 1993. Homo zapiens is the wordplay of homo sapiens, which simply means a human being, and zapping, the word that describes the moment when tv viewer switches from one channel to another to skip the commercials. Homo zapiens using a ouija board tatarsky summons the spirit of che guevara to ask him about advertising.
His novel buddhas little finger was shortlisted for. A new novelfantasy from the booker prize winning novelist who the new yorker named one of the best european writers under 35, displays the biting absurdist satire that has gained victor pelevin superstar status among todays russian literary world and critical acclaim worldwide. Russian literary prizes, including russian booker short story. Chronicling the garish excesses of postsoviet russia, victor pelevin s novels have won him cult status at home and critical acclaim in the international press. In his new novel, homo zapiens, pelevin weaves together a deliciously comic vision of vanity, greed, and advertising moscow style. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading omon ra. Victor pelevin, the guru of the russian reading public, turned 50 on november 22nd, which offers us a chance to ruminate on his creative influence. Homo zapiens by victor pelevin in last weeks book, the year of the hare by arto paasilinna, the protagonist ends up crossing the border from finland to russia. Buy homo zapiens by victor pelevin from amazons fiction books store. Author victor pelevins complete list of books and series in order, with the latest releases. Russian novelist victor pelevin is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most brilliant young writers at work today. O ne of the central themes of viktor pelevins works is the connection between. Generation p aka babylon, homo zapiens generation 1999. Victor pelevin is the author of a werewolf problem in central russia and other stories, the life of insects, omon ra, the yellow arrow, and the blue lantern, a collection of short stories that won the russian little booker prize.
A bestseller in russia, homo zapiens displays the biting absurdist satire that has gained victor pelevin superstar status among todays russian youth. I can say in principle that that man is a very talented person. The collapse of the soviet union has opened up a vast market ripe for exploitation. Viktor pelevin was born in moscow, where he was brought up in a soviet nomenklatura family. The blue lantern victor pelevin haftad 9780571200184. The list of titles read or scheduled to date at the experimental fiction group. Description babylon by victor pelevin as a poet, tatarsky is a failure. With a werewolf problem in central russia, the second of pelevin s russian booker prizewinning short story collections, he continues his sputniklike rise. Also set in russia, the novels main character, tatarsky, has been caught up. Dec 31, 2002 victor pelevin is the author of a werewolf problem in central russia and other stories, the life of insects, omon ra, the yellow arrow, and the blue lantern, a collection of short stories that won the russian little booker prize. His books usually carry the outward conventions of the science fiction genre, but are used to construct involved, multilayered postmodernist texts. A werewolf problem in central russia, the second of pelevins russian booker prizewinning short story.
He was named by the new yorker as one of the best european. Victor pelevin was born in 1962 in moscow, where he lives today. Generation p is the third novel by russian author victor pelevin. Pelevin followed up buddhas little finger with the novel homo zapiens. There are no philosophical problems, there is only a suite of interconnected. Viktor pelevin russiapedia literature prominent russians. So writes victor pelevin as part of his authors disclaimer to this bestselling novel. He is a laureate of multiple literary awards including the russian little booker prize 1993 and the russian national. Others praised the author for his ability to take a complex story structure and make it accessible and fresh. With the advancement of gorbachevs reforms in the mid1980s, russian writers.
Homo zapiens by victor pelevin a cynical russian copywriter channels advertising advice from the ghost of che guevara in this savage satire of the postsoviet corporate underworld. Enrolling as a cadet at the zaraisk flying school, it is not long before he is chosen to be the sole pilot of a mission to the dark side of the moon. His father oleg was a military officer but not a party member. This article examines viktor pelevins generation 17, one of the most. Homo zapiens victor pelevin is the author of a werewolf problem in central russia and other stories, the life of insects, omon ra, the yellow arrow, and the blue lantern, a collection of short. Homo zapiens by victor pelevin abebooks passion for books. Victor pelevin s unforgettable first novel, omon ra, is the story of a young man who always dreamt of becoming the ultimate russian hero, a cosmonaut in the mould of yuri gagarin. Homo zapiens by pelevin, victor and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. An inventive comedy as black as outer space itself. How victor pelevin creates myths for the new russia. Buddhas little finger kindle edition by pelevin, victor. A bestseller in russia, homo zapiens displays the biting absurdist satire that has gained victor pelevin superstar status among todays russian youth, disapproval from the conservative moscow literary world, and critical acclaim worldwide.
Buy homo zapiens book online at low prices in india homo. With a werewolf problem in central russia, the second of pelevins russian booker prizewinning short story collections, he continues his sputniklike rise. On the whole there are very many talented people in russia. A few years ago, which one can describe fairly as russias answer to slate, asked its readers to identify the countrys most influential intellectual. Victor pelevin is the only young russian novelist to have made an impression in the west village voice. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read homo zapiens. Titles previously read at xfx a celebration of reading.
Pelevins acquaintances sometimes dont speak well of him and his character. A richly textured novel of vanity, greed, and advertising revisits the collapse of the soviet union, which is now primed and ready for exploitation, as tartarsky, a copywriter who has a knack for concocting homegrown alternatives to western ads, is plunged into a realm of. Buy homo zapiens book online at best prices in india on. News about victor pelevin, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times.
Chris genoa 081608 omon ra victor pelevin 090108 naked lunch william s. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or. Also set in russia, the novels main character, tatarsky, has been caught up in the countrys dramatic shift to capitalism. Omon ra kindle edition by pelevin, victor, bromfield, andrew. Viktor pelevin is currently considered a single author. That somehow proves that the next move in my literary journey is legit. Published in 1999, it tells the story of babylen tatarsky, a moscow creative and advertising copywriter. The collapse of the soviet union has opened up a huge consumer market, but how do you sell things to a generation that grew up with just one type of cola. Victor pelevin, the iconoclastic and wildly interesting contemporary russian novelist who the new yorker named one of the best european writers under 35, upends any conventional notions of what mythology must be with his unique take on the myth of theseus and the minotaur. A vigorous satire on the soviet space program is combined with a thoughtful dramatization of the mixed human impulses to explore, conquer, and transcend in this memorable short novel by the author of the yellow arrow see below.