krasnopolsky

Just learned about this fine sample of alternative history. Confidentially to Russian readers :-) - seems a worthy successor of "The Island of Crimea" (and if the latter novel is translated into English, I would highly recommend it to everyone). Will be back with more legible comments as soon as I read the Chabon novel (probably, sometime by the end of June). Added June 10, after finishing the book: Not bad overall, obvious discrepancies between the Sitka realities and its inhabitants (forming the Policemen Union) are quite amusing at first, and as soon as this impression wears off, the murder investigation line of the novel kicks in. The "global problems" of a Jewish Settlement in Alaska are not as thoroughly examined and exploited as one would expect based on the very first chapters. However, development of personal stories serve as a quite adequate substitute. A good book to read and an interesting detective story, but do not expect the earth-shattering geopolitical changes on the final pages of the novel.

2023-07-07 01:01