A sprawling, freewheeling journey through its protagonist Ivan's mind, memory, and community ... A moving, sympathetic portrait of a man and a community struggling through historical trauma, managing the aftershocks of seismic change as best they can. It's worth noting that Murray's translation is smooth, often elegant, but broken up by too many footnotes and by her decision to render Ivan's mother's speech in a rough approximation of dialect that verges on caricature. Still, these flaws aren't enough to stop the book's momentum, and sinking into Ivan's world is both painful and a pleasure.
Lutsyshyna’s approach offers much more than a contemporary’s closeup view of the seismic shuddering of Ukrainian social and political institutions. Rather, she illustrates the weight that institutions everywhere have on us, creating a universal dimension to the story that makes ample space for every reader ... Alongside the large-scale sociopolitical tensions that sculpt the narrative, Lutsyshyna also captures in fine detail the tensions within and among the characters.
