Hmmmm. Intense brooding. Audible sigh. Hand-wringing. More or less it's me, as I write this article. Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is in fact a very, very difficult case. It is the case that this book one of my typical station bookstore purchases is characterized by an unforeseen result . I liked the cover and I liked the title. A glance at the blurb - ah yes sounds bizarre, and funny and is praised by the newspaper review, but seems to be easy reading. Something one wants in the train.
50 pages later I was angry and confused. The exterior of the book may be categorized as misleading. Fine irony and subtlety I had promised was delivered "a skit presented at the colorful evening of a rural women's association," how Stefan Mesch on literaturkritik.de etched. It seems to me the plot is not bad: Nadia is a university lecturer Majevski late 40s Since the death of her mother lives Nadia's senile father Nikolai, a Ukrainian-born engineer, alone in his house. To the older sister Nadia for various Nickele Vera has no contact.
up, even to the idiosyncratic Nikolai crush in the 50 years younger Ukrainian Valentina steam pile driver and the blond busty girls at any cost wants to marry, to give her a British residence permit. In the face of the enemy close Nadia and Vera a fragile peace: the materialist must tick away, under any circumstances.
The family history of Majevskis is in flashbacks told - that appealed to me really well because sensitively and sympathetically told. Marina Lewycka is now trying but to pack her story as a slapstick and social criticism. In my view, goes wrong, the full pipe. I was expecting a comedy - it would have been fine if it turns out to be full-blooded drama, but this is an indecisive mixture that oscillates between black humor, tragedy and Generation novel. Several reviewers think this is the real achievement of the author, this half-baked Stilmélange bugs me.
Valentina, the Ukrainian material girl annoys me most of all. It is quite true, contradictory a figure and represent diverse, but in the case of Valentina confuses me try. The atmosphere between Nadia and Valentina changes seemingly randomly between contempt and compassion, strength and understanding. The gray is missing.
Disclaimer: It is possible that I did not understand the book. It is possible that I lack the fine sense of nuance and I appreciate the good intention of the author. It is also possible that I misinterpret the seriousness of the book as a dry good behavior. All right.
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