A FLAME OUT AT SEA

Dmitry Novikov, trans. Christopher Culver (Glagoslav)

A Flame Out At Sea is full of neat character descriptions, and Novikov has an eye for effective metaphor. The impacts of communism, Stalin, and Russia’s various 20th-century internal conflicts on these regions and their folk are elucidated thoughtfully, and with characteristically dour Russian wit. Notwithstanding occasional typographical or grammatical errors – at parts where the nuances and idiosyncrasies of English might not be present in the original language – the book is a great way to get to know the character of the Russian Northerners, but the author’s true priorities as a writer are laid out relatively early on: “There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the shore of the White Sea… Here is the main freedom of Russia, trampled by the promise of freedom.” 

Price: £16.99. Info www.glagoslav.com (JM)