In this captivating, fabulously bizarre debut collection by prize-winning German writer Ingo Schulze, thirty-three macabre, often comical short pieces revolve around moments of odd bliss -- moments seized by characters who have found ways to conquer the bleakness of everyday life in the chaotic world of post-Communist Russia. 

Peopled by Mafia gunmen, young prostitute on the make, bewildered foreign businessman, and even a trio of hungry devils, the stories are by turns tragic and bleakly funny. From a sly retelling of St. Nicholas featuring a rich American named Nick ti a lavish gourmet feast in which the young female cook ends up as the main dish, these stories are above all playful and even surreal -- and many of them are masterful tributes to Russian writers, from Gogol to Nabokov.

Condition: Pre-loved book. Minor yellowing of pages and cover.

Format: Paperback
Year published: 2001
Pages: 303
Sub-genre: Short stories.
Imprint: Vintage