Customer Reviews

The New Sweet Style

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up this book wth great antipication. I arrived at the bookstore and was thrilled to see a new Aksyonov novel in the just-released fiction section. After reading the jacket-cover I left with great anticipation. Perhaps my great anticaption fueld my ultimate disappointment. The first third of the book was compelling and well-written. I devoured the this part in rapid fashion. Unforunately, I became mired in and not a little confused by the author's flights of fancy, spinning off from the text in all directions, a frolic of its own. Others may find the diversions delightful. I found it increasingly difficult to focus as I worked through the book. It also occured to me that I was "working" through the book in an effort to finish it rather than devouring each page. There were delights to be found in the latter two-thirds of the novel. In my opinion, those sporadic delights do not overcome the rather esoteric complexities of major portions of the work. As always, others may be delighted by the tone and content of the novel.

One would think that more attention would be paid to a writer with Vassily Aksyonov's history. Author of an anthem for his generation ("Ticket to the Stars"), he rankled his government so much with his phantasmagoric subsequent works ("The Burn," "The Island of Crimea") that he was compelled to emigrate. On US shores, he expanded his repertoire to include more straightforward fiction and created historical novels of the Stalinist era ("Generations of Winter," "The Winter's Hero"). In our post-Soviet age, however, the sex appeal of credentials like these has faded. Perhaps that was part of the inspiration for his latest novel, "The New Sweet Style." In it, Alexander Korbach, a leading figure of the Moscow cultural scene who models himself after Dante Aligheri, finds himself forced out of his country and underwhelmed by America's disinterested reception. While Korbach is occasionally bemused by his new surroundings, he's amost always amused; Aksyonov is similarly open-armed. His prose delights in idioms and puns of the sort that madden translators, and the novel ranges from reportorial descriptions of parking lots in Venice, California to lyrical speculations on cosmology, placing itself squarely in the class of loose, baggy monsters. Assisted by considerable authorial interruption, Korbach lurches from a seedy Inferno in 1980s California toward a unique Paradiso, a ridiculously sublime millennial reunion in Israel with the mummified remains of his earliest ancestor. It's impossible to discredit the work for its lack of cohesiveness, though, given its good-natured refusal to meet that expectation: "We do take leaps, even into the past, within our chapters--modernism is a contagious disease, ladies and gentlemen!" One of these leaps finds Korbach returning to the USSR to lead a revolution. Aksyonov somehow manages to equate totalitarianism with traditional realism, so that when we root for the hero to face down a tank, we're simultaneously rooting for the success of Aksyonov's sweet, idiosyncratic style.

The author Vassily wasn't forced out for un-pure blood, he forced out of Russia after too many clashes with the government. After reading about him the only thing I found him guilty of was having a talent and using it to make a difference. I think we all know that any establishment, government or not, does not want their faults or wrong-doings pointed out... even if it is in the best interest of others. For those of us who have fought the good fight, it was most likely a small establishment or department we dealt with, but with Vassily it was a entire country -- I admire him. In my opinion, Russia's loss is our gain. Vassily is a talented, skilled writer.

The novel THE NEW SWEET STYLE starts when Alexander Korbach reaches America on August 10, 1982, it's his 43rd birthday. Alexander Korbach isn't his real name and he isn't really Jewish. As a child he was known as Sasha Izhmailov. He was born and raised in Russia with his parents, a mother that loved him and a father who didn't. He also has a younger brother and sister. He tells us of a family secret that came out when he noticed his grandmother would come bearing gifts for him only when his father left, and how she seemed to behave as if she had some sort of ownership over him. Now in America Alexander tries to make a life for himself as and singer and playwright. He meets and woman named Nora and finds himself in a relationship with her and New York City.

THE NEW SWEET STYLE is a mature novel, in the sense that Vassily has his hero landing in New York, so we can expect the usual mature predicaments with the hero and those he comes in contact with. I found the presentation of the book different in that the narrator doesn't just talk to the the reader, he also directs him and points things out. Be ready for a factual, interesting, lengthy read.

Кíèгà íàпоìèíàеò по ñвоèì ìàñшòàáàì è àвòорñкоé ñвоáоäе «Ñòо леò оäèíочеñòвà» Гàáрèэля Гàрñèà Ìàркеñà. Роìàí проíèзàí ìоùíыìè è, пороé, проòèворечèвыìè вèáрàöèяìè. Чèòàòелü ñ оñоáо чóвñòвèòелüíыìè чàкрàìè рèñкóеò попàñòü в ñоñòояíèе перìàíеíòíого äóховíого оргàзìà. Первые ñòрàíèöы роìàíà, веñüìà íàпоìèíàюùèе äèññèäеíòñкóю лèòерàòóрó коíöà воñüìèäеñяòых, проñòо рàñòворяюòñя è зàáывàюòñя в íеверояòíоì, почòè фàíòàñòèчеñкоì ñюжеòе, пропèòàííоì кàк ñìолоé эìоöèяìè, эроòèкоé, кàкоé-òо áезóñловíоé è «íепрàвèлüíоé» вероé в Áогà. Глàвíыé героé роìàíà, áàрä, поэò è режèññер ìàлеíüкого íеóгоäíого режèìó ñовеòñкого òеàòрà «Шóòы», ñшèòыé èз лоñкóòков порòреòов Выñоöкого, Вèзáорà, Коíчàловñкого (еñлè íе ошèáàюñü) è, очевèäíо, ñàìого Àкñеíовà, выíóжäеííо окàзывàеòñя в èììèгрàöèè в ÑШÀ. Àлекñàíäр Корáàх оáлàäàеò вñеìè оñоáеííоñòяìè òàлàíòлèвого, íо ñовеòñкого (ñлово èñполüзовàíо кàк опреäелеíèе) человекà, ñ его ñòрàхàìè è люáовяìè, ìíèòелüíоñòüю è гоòовíоñòüю полíоñòüю оòäàòüñя Ìóзе, áыòовыì àлкоголèзìоì è оòголоñкàìè àрèñòокрàòèчеñкèх ìàíер. Ñоáñòвеííо, полèòèчеñкè-áыòовàя чàñòü ñюжеòà зàкàíчèвàеòñя, когäà Ñàшà ñлóчàéíо (ñлóчàéíо?) зíàкоìèòñя ñо ñвоèì äàлüíèì роäñòвеííèкоì - àìерèкàíñкèì ìèллèàрäероì Ñòеíлè Корáàхоì, ìàíèàкàлüíо óвлечеííыì èзóчеíèеì геíеàлогèчеñкого äеревà рàзáроñàííого по ìèрó ñеìеéñòвà Корáàхов. К коíöó кíèгè äèññèäеíòñòво, полèòèкà, влàñòü, áыò, äеíüгè, «коììóíèзìы», «кàпèòàлèзìы», прочèе «èзìы» кàжóòñя ìàлеíüкèìè вреäíыìè íàñекоìыìè, коòорые, хоòü è óчàñòвóюò в ñюжеòе - íàñòолüко рàзäрàжàюò ñвоеé ìелочíоé áеññìыñлеííоñòüю, чòо рèñкóюò áыòü óáèòыìè по ìàлеéшеé прèхоòè àвòорà. Чèòàòелü оñòàеòñя íàеäèíе ñ люáовüю (кàк вñегäà ó эòого пèñàòеля - плàòоíèчеñкè-порíогрàфèчеñкоé, еñлè ñèе возìожíо), «áогоì-по-àкñеíовñкè», оùóùеíèеì оòñóòñòвèя вреìеíè кàк оäíого èз èзìереíèé è легкèì ñòрàхоì переä ñвоèì рàñòворяюùèìñя в проñòрàíñòве «я». Эòà кíèгà - шеäевр, проòèворечèвыé è íеèäеàлüíыé, è èìеííо эòèì поäкóпàюùèé. Возрàñò Àкñеíовà выäàеò òолüко íеäоñòèжèìыé äля ìолоäого человекà óровеíü ìàñòерñòвà, в ñóùíоñòè же - òекñò, кàк è ñàì пèñàòелü - íеверояòíо ìолоäы. Highly recommended.