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Pu-239 and Other Russian Fantasies: A Novella and Stories

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Pu-239 and Other Russian Fantasies: A Novella and Stories [Paperback]

Ken Kalfus (Author)

3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews) |

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Product Details

Paperback
Publisher: Milkweed Editions; Uncorrected Proof edition (1999)
ISBN-10: 1571310290
ISBN-13: 978-1571310293
ASIN: B000SEP6YI

Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

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

Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An AbsoluteGem, June 20, 1999

A Fan (Two Steps From The Blues, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PU-239 and Other Russian Fantasies: A Novella and Stories (Hardcover)

Whoever sent Ken Kalfus' wife to work in Moscow has done a great service to readers. Placed in such a strange environment, Kalfus has crafted a collection of short stories (and a novella)focusing on individuals who find their own dreams and desires at odds with the system, any system. The result is a rich and satisfying book of great skill, honesty and insight.

In the title story, a scientist contaminated by exposure to radioactivity enters the black market to provide security to his family. In "Orbit," a very human Yuri Gargarin spends an eventful night before his first spaceflight. The novella, "Peredelkino" explores the tension between creativity, love and politics. In each of these stories, and the others, the characters are finely drawn, the narration is deft and the impact made without contrivance or manipulation of the reader.

Kalfus' first book, "Thirst," was a wonderfully diverse collection of stories. "Pu-239" follows up, and even surpasses the promise of that book. "Pu-239" is a treasure.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling collection of short stories, May 14, 2001

Scott M. Craig (Overland Park, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pu-239 And Other Russian Fantasies (Paperback)

Kalfus' second collection of stories has a lot to commend it. The title story "PU-239" is the best of the book. Like all short story collections, some are very successful and some are complete misses. In general, I like the way he draws out characters and he is excellent at describing the movements that define a person. In some of the stories, I felt that he only had a cursory, historical knowledge of places and events and that made the story seems a little shallow. Overall, this is a worthwhile book to own and enjoy.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finalist for the 1999 PEN/Faulkner award., April 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: PU-239 and Other Russian Fantasies: A Novella and Stories (Hardcover)

This book reminds you that a good short story can fill you up as much as the best novel because it tantalizes and teases you with its economy.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas heat up the screen in this stellar sequel to "Romancing the Stone." Danny DeVito provides plenty of comic relief. As good as the first!

Published on December 20, 2008 by Yosuta

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty, haunting, I miss these characters already....
These are dark gritty stories of Russia's past, from pre-WWII to mid coldwar. They evoke a sense of familiarity of what we conventionally think of as an oppressive Soviet state,... Read more

Published on December 14, 2007 by MotoGPTech

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful...
I ran across this book entirely by accident. While scanning the shelf for yet another author, the title caught my eye, and being a Russian language undergraduate and traveler; I... Read more

Published on November 22, 2003

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent collection of stories
Pu-239 consists of a collection of six short stories followed by a novella. The short stories cover a broad range of topics and cross the vast geographic expanse (Moscow,... Read more

Published on January 10, 2002 by Leonard Fleisig

2.0 out of 5 stars The Fantasies Are Not Only Russian
This is the second collection of short stories written by Mr. Kalfus, and additionally includes a novella as the final installment. Read more

Published on March 20, 2001 by taking a rest

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Don't expect this collection of short stories to be anywhere as good as the author's first work Thirst. Read more

Published on September 21, 2000 by Tyler

1.0 out of 5 stars ostarozhno!
this is the most absurd collection of short stories i have ever encountered, and i don't mean in the danill kharms sort of way. Read more

Published on July 21, 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, enjoyable read
I found this to be a great collection of short stories, and I think those who are interested in life in the Soviet Union/Russia of the 20th Century will also find it to be a... Read more

Published on June 23, 2000 by Buckeye

5.0 out of 5 stars Call it "Inside the Russian Mind."
There's an old Russian story about a serf who's granted a wish by a genie. "Kill my neighbour's cow" is the wish. This book expands on that thought process. Read more

Published on February 28, 2000 by Patrick Carroll

2.0 out of 5 stars Does my review count if I couldn't finish the book?
Having read (and loved) "Thirst" let me say that I do think Kalfus is a fine writer, a brave guy (for going to godforsaken Russia) and an all-around Smart Guy if not a... Read more

Published on January 22, 2000 by kevarama

› See all 13 customer reviews...

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Someone committed a simple error that, according to the plant's blueprints, should have been impossible, and a valve was left open, a pipe ruptured, a technician was trapped in a crawlspace, and a small fire destroyed several workstations. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Chief Designer, Marina Burchatkina, Comrade Stalin, Aleksandra Semyonovna, Pushkin Square, Red Army, Soviet Union, Uncle Fedya, Kisly Klyuch, Aunt Olya, Central Committee, Far East, The Northern Lights, Aunt Lyuda, Paterson Hop, Ploshchad Revolutsii, Sasha Nasedkin, Sergei Pavlovich, Vasily Yegorevich, Viktor Panteleyev, Boris Sorokin, Comrade Brezhnev, Isaac Babel, Misha Vishnevsky, Red Square

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 26 books:

A Keeper of Sheep by William Carpenter in Back Matter
The Crow Eaters: A Novel by Bapsi Sidhwa in Back Matter
Hunting Down Home by Jean McNeil in Back Matter
Seasons of Sun and Rain by Marjorie Dorner in Back Matter
The Empress of One by Sullivan in Back Matter

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7 books cite this book:

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