The Silver Bone
Longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2024
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
"Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine's greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre" New York Times
"A very intriguing and atmospheric novel by a highly accomplished writer . . . A fascinating read in the light of contemporary events" Alexander McCall Smith, Bestselling Author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Kyiv, 1919. The Soviets control the city, but White armies menace them from the West. No man trusts his neighbour and any spark of resistance may ignite into open rebellion.
When Samson Kolechko's father is murdered, his last act is to save his son from a falling Cossack sabre. Deprived of his right ear instead of his head, Samson is left an orphan, with only his father's collection of abacuses for company.
Until, that is, his flat is requisitioned by two Red Army soldiers, whose secret plans Samson is somehow able to overhear with uncanny clarity. Eager to thwart them, he stumbles into a world of murder and intrigue that will either be the making of him - or finish what the Cossack started.
Inflected with Kurkov's signature humour and magical realism, The Silver Bone takes inspiration from the real life archives of crime enforcement agencies in Kyiv, crafting a propulsive narrative that bursts to life with rich historical detail.
Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A Kyiv torn to pieces by WWI provides the backdrop for this fascinating series launch from Ukrainian novelist and screenwriter Kurkov (Grey Bees). The action begins with teenage Samson Kolechko seeing his father cut down in the street by Soviet Cossacks, followed by a saber slice to Samson's head that severs his right ear. Alone and stunned, he takes shelter in his family's apartment, only to find two Red Army soldiers quartered there. He files a report about the soldiers' misdeeds, including the unwelcome removal of Samson's father's furniture. The eloquence of the report's language impresses the local police investigator, who offers Samson a job "combat crime and restor order," which he accepts. Bolstering Samson even further is a budding romance with strong-minded yet tender statistician Nadezhda. After a tailor friend and a soldier are both murdered, Samson leads an investigation into the crimes, discovering evidence including an incredibly large suit and a silver bone as long as a femur at the scenes. Kurkov eschews conventional mystery plotting—the eponymous bone isn't discovered until two-thirds of the way through the novel—but the finely drawn characters and harrowing descriptions of daily life in 1919 Kyiv leave a far more lasting impression than clever genre tricks ever could. With its earthy prose and stunning attention to detail, this stands apart.
