内容简介
Inthenearfuture,AmericaiscrushedbyafinancialcrisisandourpatientChinesecreditorsmayjustbereadytoforecloseonthewholemess.ThenLennyAbramov,sonofanRussianimmigrantjanitorandardentfanof“printed,boundmediaartifacts”(akabooks),meetsEunicePark,animpossiblycuteKoreanAmericanwomanwithamajorinImagesandaminorinAssertiveness.Couldfallinginloveredeemaplanetfallingapart?
作者简介
InthehilariouslyskewedworldofGaryShteyngart,realityandabsurditytrotgleefullyhand-in-hand.Hisdebutnovel,TheRussianDebutante'sHandbook,findsaJewish/Sovietne'er-do-wellonamanicsearchforfortuneandfameagainstthebackdropsofNewYorkCityandthefictionalEuropeancityofPrava.Absurdistan,Shteyngart'ssophomoreeffort,upsthelevelofwackiness.Theobese,gluttonousMishaVainbergdevoursWesternpopculture,lustsafterasultryLatinafromtheSouthBronx,andstumblesintothepositionofMinisterofMulticulturalAffairsinthevolatile,oil-richnationofAbsurdistan.WhileShteyngart'swickedlywhimsicalproseandsearingsatirehavebeenalmostuniversallypraised,heseeshisworknotasgoofyflightsoffancybutasaratheraccuratevisionofthecontemporaryglobalsociety."Thisisarealitybook,"ShteyngartdeclaredtoTheAustinist,"andtherealityisthatwearebecomingAbsurdistanwitheachpassingday.Look,youhaveagovernmentthatspiesonitsowncitizens,isbasicallyanoilkleptocracy,thegovernmentservestheoilinterest,justthewayitdoesinRussia."Shteyngart'skeeninsightsintoworldpolitics,particularlythecurrentclimateofAmerica,arewhatelevatehisnovelsabovemerefarce.BorninLeningrad,Russia,duringtheColdWar,butlivingthemajorityofhislifeinNewYork,thenovelisthasexperiencedlifeinthetwocontrastingnationsthatmostinfluencehiswork.Alongtheway,heearnedadegreeinpoliticsfromOberlinCollegeinOhio.Shteyngartisalsoadevotedtraveler,andastintinPraguesparkedhisfirstbook."Ispenttoomuchtimeinallthesedifferentplaces,"heexplained."[W]henIwasincollege,IreallywantedtogobacktoRussiaandmyMom,whowaspayingmybillsatthetimesaid,Overmydeadbody,they'lleatyoualivethere.Lookatyou.You'realittleJew,they'llkillya.'AndIsaidUh,alright.'SoIwenttoPraguewithmygirlfriendatthetimeandthatbecameTheRussianDebutante's.
