The Year of the Comet

Sergei Lebedev, Antonina W. Bouis

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English

NEW VESSEL PRESS
01 May 2017

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

A stunning novel about growing up in Russia on the brink of collapse, from the preeminent storyteller of his generation

From the critically acclaimed author of Oblivion comes Year of the Comet, a story of a Russian boyhood and coming of age as the Soviet Union is on the brink of collapse. An idyllic childhood takes a sinister turn. Rumors of a serial killer haunt the neighborhood, families pack up and leave town without a word of warning, and the country begins to unravel. Policemen stand by as protesters overtake the streets, knowing that the once awe-inspiring symbols of power they wear on their helmets have become devoid of meaning. Lebedev depicts a vast empire coming apart at the seams, transforming a very public moment into something tender and personal, and writes with stunning beauty and shattering insight about childhood and the growing consciousness of a boy in the world.

Sergei Lebedev was born in Moscow in 1981 and worked for seven years on geological expeditions in Russia and Central Asia. Lebedev is a poet, essayist and journalist. Oblivion, his first novel, was published in 2016 by New Vessel Press, to great acclaim.

""You read and reread Lebedev's lyrical, cutting prose with equal amounts of awe and enjoyment. This gorgeously written, unsettling novel-a rare work about the fall of the Soviet Union as told through the eyes of a child-leaves us with a fresh understanding of that towering moment in recent history.""-Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

By: Sergei Lebedev
Translated by: Antonina W. Bouis
Imprint: NEW VESSEL PRESS
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 133mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 257g
ISBN: 9781939931412
ISBN 10: 193993141X
Pages: 275
Publication Date: 01 May 2017
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sergei Lebedev was born in Moscow in 1981 and worked for seven years on geological expeditions in northern Russia and Central Asia. Lebedev is a poet, essayist and journalist. Oblivion, his first novel, has been translated into many languages, and was published in English by New Vessel Press. Antonina W. Bouis is one of the leading translators of Russian literature working today. She has translated over 80 works from authors such as Evgeny Yevtushenko, Mikhail Bulgakov, Andrei Sakharov, Sergei Dovlatov and Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Bouis, previously executive director of the Soros Foundation in the former USSR, now lives in New York City.

Reviews for The Year of the Comet

"""Examines the psychological trauma Stalinism continues to unleash--even on those who never lived during his reign ... Antonina W. Bouis has translated the best of Soviet and post-Soviet writings ... and the ease with which she renders Mr. Lebedev's prose creates the illusion that both his novels were originally written in English.""--The Wall Street Journal ""You read and reread Lebedev's lyrical, cutting prose with equal amounts of awe and enjoyment. This gorgeously written, unsettling novel--a rare work about the fall of the Soviet Union as told through the eyes of a child--leaves us with a fresh understanding of that towering moment in recent history.""--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) ""The work of an extremely talented writer whose prose is spare and exact and has an authenticity that marks him as the real thing.""--The Arts Fuse ""Absorbing ... A seamlessly written child's-eye view that conveys an adult understanding of history's burdens.""--Library Journal (Starred Review) ""A remarkable bildungsroman ... a smart, convincing novel.""--Publishers Weekly ""Sergei Lebedev, now a confirmed new Russian literary star, masterfully proceeds with his work.""--Le Figaro litteraire --Praise for Sergei Lebedev's previous novel Oblivion-- ""A clear poetic sensibility built to stand against the forces of erasure.""--The Wall Street Journal Beautifully written, haunting and unputdownable. A masterpiece novel.""--Edward Lucas, senior editor, The Economist"