Homo Zapiens [Hardcover]

Andrew Bromfield (Author), Victor Pelevin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2002

Chronicling the garish excesses of post-Soviet 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. The collapse of the Soviet Union has opened up a vast market ripe for exploitation. Everybody wants a piece of the action. But how do you sell things to a generation that grew up with just one brand of cola? Enter Tartarsky, the hero of Homo Zapiens, a lowly shop assistant who is hired as a copywriter and discovers a hidden talent for devising home-grown alternatives to Western ads. Tartarsky is propelled into a world of gangsters, spin doctors, and drug dealers, fueled by cocaine and hallucinogenic mushrooms. But as his fortunes soar, reality loosens its grip and old certainties crumble. Who is the boss-man or his television set? When advertisers talk about "twisting reality," do they mean it quite literally? And exactly what does go on at the Institute of Apiculture?

This is a stunning and ingenious work of imagination, humor, and poignance, a satire that cuts both ways, East and West. It confirms Pelevin as the true heir of Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Bulgakov, a powerful voice of Russian absurdism.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

elevin, the bard of the post-Soviet era, returns here with another absurdist novel detailing the crazed Russian collision with capitalism. This isn't new ground for him; as in his previous books (Buddha's Little Finger; Omon Ra; and others), Pelevin delights in creating dizzying sometimes just confusing narratives evoking the peculiar realities of first the Soviet Union and now Russia. This time, the subject is Tatarsky, a former literature student peddling cigarettes from a tiny Moscow kiosk. A chance encounter leads to Tatarsky's employment as a copywriter for promotional videos for nouveau riche gangsters. (One key skill described is how to get paid before the client is murdered.) Soon he's spending all his time creating Russian funhouse-mirror versions of American ads and reading vapid American texts extolling the virtues of "comparative positioning." Tatarsky becomes so absorbed by the ad world that even bathroom graffiti strikes him as advertising copy ("Traced on the tiles in a red felt-tip pen were the jolly, rounded letters of a brief slogan: `Trapped? Masturbate!'"). As his reputation as a "creative" grows, he's drawn into ever-shadier enterprises in which the appearance of success is much more important than success itself. Pelevin depicts Russia as an overstuffed value meal of brand names and quick scams (every car is a Mercedes, every vodka a Smirnoff). No Chekhovian introspection here, nor much plot; perhaps there's no time for such things in the new Russia. Bromfield's translation ably captures the book's energetic tone, though his Briticisms ("tosser," "advert") may strike some American readers as out of place. (Feb. 18)Forecast: Wildly creative but somewhat undisciplined, Pelevin's work has yet to find its center, but he has such talent that a masterpiece at some point in the future isn't out of the question. If that possibility isn't enough to attract readers, perhaps the book's jacket art featuring a teddy bear and a knock-off Barbie in a compromising position will help.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

One of the best things to have come out of Russia after the crash of the Soviet empire, Pelevin was included on The New Yorker's list of best European writers under 35, and his Buddha's Little Finger was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. (It was also an LJ Best Book last year.) His new book features an ordinary fellow who makes it big in post-Soviet Russia because he has a special talent: he can write ads.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (February 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067003066X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670030668
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Watch your wow-impulse., April 22, 2003

By 

GK (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homo Zapiens (Hardcover)

I am writing this mainly in defence of the translator. I totally disagree with a previous review that blamed Andrew Bromfield for spoiling the book with his "dull, dispassionate British English". Being a native Russian speaker, I have read this novel both in Russian and now in English. I attest that Bromfield does a fabulous job of conveying the message in a crisp and lucid way. The translation is not perfect in that it does not render all subtle allusions, of which are many, equally well, but let's be fair and don't ask for the impossible. As for the qualities of the novel itself, it's not as balanced as Buddha's Little Finger (aka Clay Machine-Gun) but it has quite a few masterfully done images of the post-Soviet reality. And the wow-impulse idea is just brilliant. My advice to a Western reader: do not be tricked by the capricious plot and weird characters; yet do not look for a deeper meaning and hidden references in every sentence. The bitter absurdity of today's Russia is a stage from which Pelevin makes some major statements, which are put forth forcefully and bluntly.

PS: this book is sometimes sold as Babylon.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zen way of Pepsi Generation, February 15, 2002

By 

"andreiy" (Moscow Russian Federation) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homo Zapiens (Hardcover)

This novel (it's Russian title is "Generation "P" where "P" stays for Pepsi) became a cult book in Russia not only among intellectuals. It excellently depicts the general atmosphere of confusion, unreality and at the same time ironic sarcasm that was so typical for Russians in the middle of 90's. The transformation of Russia from despotic `socialism' to anarchic `capitalism' can be compared to culture shock known to anyone who lived in a foreign country long enough. First, you are euphoric about that new country, its people and customs, then a month later you start to hate it, then comes the time of confusion and after a year or so you learn how to live with it.

The protagonist of the novel Tatarsky acts a typical young Moscovite using every opportunity to find some firm ground in the confusing world of free economy. He becomes a successful copywriter who compensates his total lack of knowledge in advertising by artful citations from Trout's book "Positioning: a battle for your mind" and inventive `localization' of American commercials. Some time later he moves into the sphere of high politics only to discover that all Russian politicians are nothing but virtual digital images run on TV by his own scripts under strict supervision by American government. Who's behind this conspiracy? Who runs the show? Why people believe it all? No spoilers here but the final answer is both unexpected and "Buddhistic" as all of Pelevin's novels and stories.

It would be a mistake to think that this novel is about confusion in post-perestroka Russia. Pelevin satire aims mostly at American values and way of life and mind manipulation brought by mass media, advertising and globalization. This novel is about transition between a real and tangible world to the virtual reality of brands, politics and Hollywood standards. When you're suddenly trapped in this transition you can either accept it or find solution in zen philosophy. My favorite one is a zen way of watching TV - first you watch it with picture off but sound on, then with picture on but sound off, and only real zen masters watch TV with both picture and sound off.

A note for those who read other Pelevin's book - this is probably his first `real' novel. Pelevin is a master of short stories and his previous novels were usually a collection of stories sewn by a loose plot. "Homo Zapiens" is different.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Generation "P", April 1, 2002

By 

Anna Zaigraeva "djannie" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Homo Zapiens (Hardcover)

this was the original title, i have no idea why they changed it.

this book is a side-splitting, hair-raising, bone-chilling, toe-curling adventure. you don't have to know Soviet/post-Soviet history, but it helps.

Pelevin is one of the most gifted young Russian authors out there. he usually gets compared to Phillip K. Dick and Gogol, but i'd rather compare him to Tom Stoppard. the reason being that Pelevin has an incredible ear for what's funny, thought-provoking, and chilling at the same time. his erudition works in his favor: the book is full of word-play and contains layers upon layers of meaning, but never sounds overly cryptic or academic...