What should a book be for summer reading - exciting, witty, light? AiF.ru introduces you to new book releases that are pleasant not only to take with you on vacation, but also to tell your friends about them.
Modern Russian prose
Vacation is a good time to catch up and read what you haven't read. If you agree with this statement, then pay attention to current books by modern Russian authors.
"Aviator" Evgeniy Vodolazkin
Quote from the book: “Nothing is impossible during a person’s life—impossibility comes only with death. And even then it’s not necessary.”
The novel “The Aviator” by the winner of the “Big Book” and “Yasnaya Polyana” awards, Evgeniy Vodolazkin, today ranks first in the ranking of the most popular books in the “fiction” genre. And if you are not yet familiar with the current book of this season or the author who is already called “Russian” Umberto Eco", it's time to start reading The Aviator.
The hero of Vodolazkin’s new novel is a man who one day woke up in a hospital bed and realized that he didn’t remember anything. Now he has to rebuild his own life bit by bit. The strangest thing is that the calendar says 1999, and his memories are limited to St. Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century.
“Vera” Alexander Snegirev
Quote from the book: “Having made a choice, you recognize the path, and every path leads in one direction.”
This winter, Alexander Snegirev received the most prestigious Russian literary award “Russian Booker” for his book “Vera”. His novel is a story about a simple woman named Vera and her unsuccessful search for a real man in modern Russia.
Despite the fact that the choice of the Russian Booker laureate came as a surprise to many, Snegirev’s novel itself was definitely one of the most notable books of 2015. And those who have not yet had time to get acquainted with “Vera,” which reflects Russian reality, should hurry up and form their own opinion about it.
Detectives
If you like solving riddles, the detective genre is what you need. But keep in mind, psychologists say that detective stories, like scientific books, are taken up by those who find it difficult to relax even on vacation and need to maintain the usual level of tension.
"In the Service of Evil" Robert Galbraith
Quote from the book: “If you stop and look closely, beauty can be found almost everywhere, but when each new day is fought, you somehow forget about this free luxury.”
Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith is none other than the author of the cult saga about Harry Potter. JK Rowling. In the Service of Evil is her third book and the final installment in the series about private investigator Cormoran Strike. The “Harry Potter Mom” herself admits that “In the Service of Evil” is the only work that gives her the worst nightmares (while working on the manuscript, Rowling had to re-read a bunch of police reports and stories about serial killers).
The adventures in “Service of Evil” begin with Strike’s assistant Robin receiving a package containing a severed female leg. Now detectives have to unravel the name of the terrible criminal.
"Lontano" Jean-Christophe Grange
Quote from the book: “It’s only in the movies that a billionaire’s wife sleeps with a heroic and underpaid policeman. In real life, she prefers to stay by her pool."
The book of the French journalist and writer Jean-Christophe Grange “Lontano” is one of the most popular on the Russian market today. And the secret is not even in the name of the famous writer and journalist or in his regalia, but in the fact that the author, as usual, came up with a first-class thriller with a complex and exciting intrigue.
This time in the center of the detective story is the family of the French police chief, who are subject to daring attacks. What kind of criminal is operating in France and why the blows fall on the family of policeman number one is not so easy to guess, because Grange is famous for being able to keep readers in suspense until the very last page.
Memoirs and biographies
It has long been proven that reading memoirs and biographies satisfies not only people’s interest in peeping through the keyhole, but also secret narcissism (we all involuntarily look for ideal images of ourselves or our loved ones in great people).
"Jackie Chan. I'm happy" Jackie Chan, Mo Zhu
Quote from the book: “I am an ordinary person who has the courage to do something extraordinary.”
This sincere book will be of interest not only to fans of Chan's talent, but also to everyone who likes works about brave people who are not afraid to make and correct their own mistakes.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Best Stories by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Amy Newmark
Quote from the book: “If you need to cut down a tree with an ax, and you hit it with five strong blows every day, over time even the largest tree will fall to the ground.”
Sales of the most anticipated summer series, “Chicken Soup,” are starting in Russian bookstores. It’s interesting that in 1993 no one wanted to publish this collection of small real life stories, but by 2016 the book, which was rejected by 144 publishing houses, became one of the most successful projects in the history of book publishing.
The collection “Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Best Stories” is called so for a reason - it contains hundreds of poignant stories that can heal emotional wounds and strengthen the spirit. The authors introduce readers to the most unexpected characters, among them a failed actress who finds true happiness after learning that she has cancer; the most beautiful girl in town who falls in love with a hunchback after just two sentences and a 13-year-old girl who sold 45,526 boxes of cookies to make her mother's dream come true.
Romance novels
The fashion for novels in the “Fifty Shades of Gray” format has finally passed, and it’s time to look for new books and discover the names of authors not yet familiar to you.
"After You" Jojo Moyes
Quote from the book: “I doubt that happiness is a thing that can be earned.”
At the end of 2015, a continuation of the global bestseller “Me Before You” was published in Russia, which still remains the best-selling book in the country’s bookstores. Jojo Moyes's new book After You tells what happened to the main character of the saga, Lou Clarke, after the death of her lover.
As Moyes herself admitted, she did not intend to write a sequel, but work on the script for the film adaptation and an endless number of letters asking how Lou’s future life turned out did not allow her to forget the characters of the popular novel.
“Sorry...” Janusz Wisniewski
Quote from the book: “Some things remain in memory and evoke appropriate associations only when they are correctly named.”
One of the most popular writers in modern Poland and the author of one of the most reprinted romance novels, “Loneliness on the Internet,” has written a new poignant story. “Forgive me...” by Janusz Wisniewski is told from the perspective of a man who suddenly discovered his wife’s infidelity. The man cannot forgive the betrayal and becomes obsessed with revenge.
It seems that this fantastic story is just a fiction of the author, but in fact the book is based on real events that occurred in the early 1990s in Krakow: the popular jazz singer Andrzej Zauha and his companion Zuzanna Leśniak were shot dead by a jealous husband. Vishnevsky does not just retell this tragic story, he carefully examines the feelings of the heroes.
(estimates: 31
, average: 4,26
out of 5)
In Russia, literature has its own direction, different from any other. The Russian soul is mysterious and incomprehensible. The genre reflects both Europe and Asia, which is why the best classical Russian works are extraordinary, striking in their soulfulness and vitality.
The main character is the soul. For a person, his position in society, the amount of money is not important, it is important for him to find himself and his place in this life, to find the truth and peace of mind.
The books of Russian literature are united by the features of a writer who has the gift of the great Word, who has completely devoted himself to this art of literature. The best classics saw life not flatly, but multifacetedly. They wrote about life not of random destinies, but of those expressing existence in its most unique manifestations.
Russian classics are so different, with different destinies, but what unites them is that literature is recognized as a school of life, a way of studying and developing Russia.
Russian classical literature was created by the best writers from different parts of Russia. It is very important where the author was born, because this determines his formation as a person, his development, and it also affects his writing skills. Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky were born in Moscow, Chernyshevsky in Saratov, Shchedrin in Tver. Poltava region in Ukraine is the birthplace of Gogol, Podolsk province - Nekrasov, Taganrog - Chekhov.
The three great classics, Tolstoy, Turgenev and Dostoevsky, were completely different people from each other, had different destinies, complex characters and great talents. They made a huge contribution to the development of literature, writing their best works, which still excite the hearts and souls of readers. Everyone should read these books.
Another important difference between the books of Russian classics is that they ridicule the shortcomings of a person and his way of life. Satire and humor are the main features of the works. However, many critics said that this was all slander. And only true connoisseurs saw how the characters are both comical and tragic at the same time. Such books always touch the soul.
Here you can find the best works of classical literature. You can download books of Russian classics for free or read them online, which is very convenient. 
We present to your attention the 100 best books of Russian classics. The full list of books includes the best and most memorable works of Russian writers. This literature is known to everyone and is recognized by critics from all over the world.
Of course, our list of top 100 books is just a small part that brings together the best works of the great classics. It can be continued for a very long time.
A hundred books that everyone should read in order to understand not only how they used to live, what were the values, traditions, priorities in life, what they were striving for, but to find out in general how our world works, how bright and pure the soul can be and how valuable it is for a person, for the development of his personality.
The top 100 list includes the best and most famous works of Russian classics. The plot of many of them is known from school. However, some books are difficult to understand at a young age and require wisdom that is acquired over the years.
Of course, the list is far from complete; it can be continued endlessly. Reading such literature is a pleasure. She doesn’t just teach something, she radically changes lives, helps us understand simple things that we sometimes don’t even notice.
We hope you liked our list of classic books of Russian literature. You may have already read some of it, and some not. A great reason to make your own personal list of books, your top ones that you would like to read.
Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita
A volume of Mikhail Bulgakov standing on a bookshelf testifies to the good taste of the reader. It is no coincidence that what this author wrote survived the death of Soviet literature without loss and today is read as a continuation of the golden fund of Russian classics of the 19th century. Fascinating plots (“fantasy, rooted in everyday life”), vivid images, moral problems raised to a universal scale - all this makes you return to what you read again and again.
Marquez Garcia: One Hundred Years of Solitude
One of the greatest books of the twentieth century. A strange, poetic, whimsical story of the city of Macondo, lost in the jungle - from creation to decline. The story of the Buendia family - a family in which miracles are so everyday that they are not even noticed. The Buendia clan produces saints and sinners, revolutionaries, heroes and traitors, dashing adventurers - and women too beautiful for ordinary life. Extraordinary passions boil within it - and incredible events occur.
George Orwell: 1984. Animal Farm
“1984” A kind of antipode to the second great dystopia of the 20th century - “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. What, in essence, is more terrible: a “consumer society” taken to the point of absurdity, or a “society of ideas” taken to the absolute? According to Orwell, there is and cannot be anything more terrible than total lack of freedom... “Animal Farm” A parable full of humor and sarcasm. Can a humble farm become a symbol of a totalitarian society? Of course yes. But... how will this society be seen by its “citizens” - animals doomed to slaughter.
Herman Melville: Moby Dick, or the White Whale
Herman Melville is a writer and sailor, in whose work and fate the experience of a traveler and the mythopoetic worldview of the artist surprisingly organically melted. Awareness of the magnitude of Melville’s talent did not come immediately, and only a quarter of a century after the writer’s death did the outlines of the enormous contribution that he made to the treasury of world literature become visible. Melville's work - the grandiose "Moby Dick" - became one of the pinnacles of American literature.
Francis Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
“
The Great Gatsby” is the most famous novel by Francis Fitzgerald, which has become a symbol of the “Jazz Age”. America, 1925, the time of Prohibition and gang wars, bright lights and vibrant life. But for Jay Gatsby the embodimentAmerican dreamturned into a real tragedy. And the path to the top, despite fame and wealth, led to total collapse. After all, each of us primarily strives not for material wealth, but for love, true and eternal...
Fyodor Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment
“
Crime and Punishment” is a novel about one crime. A double murder committed by a poor student for money. It is difficult to find a simpler plot, but the intellectual and spiritual shock that the novel produces is indelible. And the question that the main character set himself to decide: “Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right?” - horrifies.Abyssthe writer explores falls in order to rise to the heights of the spirit.
Ray Bradbury: Dandelion Wine
“
Dandelion wine“Ray Bradbury is a classic work that is included in the golden fund of world literature.Enter the bright world of a twelve-year-old boy and live with him one summer, filled with joyful and sad, mysterious and alarming events; summer, when amazing discoveries are made every day, the main thing of which is that you are alive, you breathe, you feel!
Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon
This fantastic story has amazing psychological power and makes you think about universal questions of morality: do we have the right to experiment on each other, what results can this lead to, and what price are we willing to pay to become “the smartest.” What about the lonely?
Alexander Pushkin: Evgeny Onegin
Novel "Evgeny Onegin“
– “encyclopedia of Russian life” – presented in thisbookwith the famous comments by Yu.M. Lotman, allowing the reader to better understand the spirit and morals of the era and the novel, the heroes of which have been loved by readers for the third century. The book is illustrated with drawings by A.S. Pushkin, made by the poet on the handwritten pages of the novel.
Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea. Across the river, in the shade of the trees
The story “The Old Man and the Sea” is one of Hemingway’s most famous and beloved works by readers. It brought the author a Pulitzer Prize and also played an important role in awarding him the title of Nobel laureate. This is a story about “tragic stoicism” and courage, about how, in the face of a ruthless fate and loneliness, a person, even losing, must maintain dignity.
Jonathan Swift: The Travels of Lemuel Gulliver
Gulliver's Travels is Jonathan Swift's most significant work. At first glance, similar to a funny fairy tale, “Gulliver’s Travels” is an allegory, a parable, the author of which is a ruthless and brilliant master of words, ridiculing human and social vices. Masterfully using all shades of the funny, from good-natured humor and gentle irony to angry sarcasm and poisonous ridicule, Swift created one of the greatest satirical books in world literature.
Leo Tolstoy: War and Peace
“War and Peace” by Tolstoy is a book for all times. It seems that it has always existed, the text seems so familiar, as soon as we open the first pages of the novel, many of its episodes are so memorable: the hunt and Christmastide, Natasha Rostova’s first ball, a moonlit night in Otradnoye, Prince Andrei at the battle of Austerlitz... Scenes of “peace” , family life are replaced by pictures that are significant for the course of all world history, but for Tolstoy they are equivalent, connected in a single stream of time.
Margaret Mitchell: Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind is the only novel by Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) for which she, an emancipatory writer and women's rights activist, received a Pulitzer Prize. This is a book about what makes us live and fight - no matter what is happening around us. For more than 70 years we have been reading this novel, for more than 70 years we have been admiring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in the film adaptation - and the story does not become outdated. Most likely, it is eternal.
Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita
“
Lolita” was published in 1955. Having caused a scandal on both sides of the ocean, this book raisedauthorto the top of the literary Olympus and became one of the most famous and, without a doubt, the greatest works of the 20th century. Today, when the polemical passions around “Lolita” have long subsided, we can confidently say that this is a book about great love that has overcome illness, death and time, love open to infinity, “loveat first sight, from the last glance, from the eternal glance.”
Daniel Defoe: The Life and Amazing Adventures of the Sailor Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe's famous novel was published almost 300 years ago. But even now, after many, many decades, the exciting adventures of Robinson Crusoe still captivate readers. The life of a sailor, who by chance finds himself on a desert island, is full of amazing events. And how many difficulties befall him!
Alexandre Dumas: The Three Musketeers
Where can a poor Gascon nobleman go if all he has is courage, a noble heart and ambition? Well of course inParis! And of course, such a brave man belongs among the royal musketeers. However, the honor of being in this privileged regiment must still be earned, and the surest way... is to make powerful enemies and make friends. D'Artagnan brilliantly succeeded in doing both...
Ilf, Petrov: Twelve chairs
The famous feuilleton novel by Ilf and Petrov “Twelve chairs
” was first published in 1928. The story of two swindlers who set out in search of Madame Petukhova’s diamonds brought the authors unprecedented success. But few know that one of the most popular works of RussianliteratureThe twentieth century, which went through hundreds of successful reprints, was distorted by Soviet censorship: not only individual phrases and episodes, but also entire chapters were not allowed to be published.
Ray Bradbury: 451° Fahrenheit
“Fahrenheit 451” is a novel that brought the writer world fame. 451° Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper ignites and burns. Ray Bradbury's philosophical dystopia paints a hopeless picture of the development of post-industrial society; this is the world of the future, in which all written publications are mercilessly destroyed by a special detachment of firefighters, and the possession of books is prosecuted by law, interactive television successfully serves to fool everyone...
Charles Dickens: The Life of David Copperfield as Told by Himself
The novel by the great English writer has won the love and recognition of readers all over the world. Largely autobiographical, this novel tells the story of a boy forced to fight alone against a cruel, bleak world inhabited by evil teachers, selfish factory owners and soulless servants of the law. In this war, David can only be saved by moral strength, purity of heart and talent that can turn a ragamuffin into the greatest writer in England.
Jules Verne: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
One of the most fascinating novels by J. Verne. Scientist biologist Pierre Aronnax and harpooner Ned Land go in search of strange fish spotted by sailors in different parts of the world. The mysterious creature turns out to be a submarine designed by the mysterious Captain Nemo.
Arthur Doyle: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The English writer and journalist Arthur Conan Doyle is the author of historical, adventure, fantasy novels and works on spiritualism, but he entered world literature as the creator of the Greatest Detective of all times - Sherlock Holmes. A noble and fearless fighter against Evil, possessing a sharp mind and extraordinary powers of observation, the detective uses his deductive method to solve the most intricate puzzles, often saving human lives.
The tale of the modern classic Leonid Filatov is the best book for family reading, half of the text of which has already been parsed into aphorisms and anecdotes. Here is the first fully illustrated edition. Characteristic characters, witty mise-en-scène - one of the most striking books of the twentieth century is finally being published in a wonderful design.
Antoine Saint-Exupéry: The Little Prince
A touching, kind and philosophical work by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with original drawings. A book addressed to children will accompany you throughout your life, each time revealing itself in a new way.
Strugatsky, Strugatsky: It's hard to be a god
Perhaps the most famous of the works of the Strugatsky brothers. One of the most famous stories of Russian science fiction. A fascinating, dramatic story of the life, love and adventures of “Don Rumata” from the kingdom of Arkanar on a distant planet - a knight with two swords, under whose name Anton, a resident from the planet Earth of the 22nd century, is hiding.
Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland
We talk about books of different genres that you can read for your soul. These works will definitely not leave you indifferent.
This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age
Have you already turned 18?
Well, when else, if not in winter, should you ask yourself what to read for your soul? When you're tired of TV and social media, it's time to pick up a book. And we will tell you what you can read.
R. Bradbury “Dandelion Wine”. Cold winter evenings make us remember the gentle summer. Fresh air, birdsong, a warm river, golden sunlight - this is exactly the atmosphere this work will immerse you in. Together with the main character - a 12-year-old boy - you will live a carefree summer full of discoveries, sad and joyful events, and pleasant impressions.
T. Pratchett “The Unadorned Cat”. No politics, no drama, just Their Majesties Cats. This book is a small encyclopedia that talks about the life and essence of cats in an easy manner. “Cat Without Embellishment” will allow you to while away the evening in a warm, cozy atmosphere, and maybe you will even learn a lot of interesting things about mustachioed pets.
A. Exupery “The Little Prince”. This is an allegorical fairy tale, which, despite the genre, is dedicated to adults. Together with the wonderful Little Prince, you will go on a journey across the planets and learn to look at familiar things from a different angle.
This is a work of modern literature. This novel tells about the girl Liesel living during the Second World War. It is interesting that the narrative is told from the perspective of Death, and in Zusak’s book this is a male character.
Ken Kesey "Over the Cuckoo's Nest". We tried to include works of different genres in this selection, and it’s up to you to choose which book to read. “Over the Cuckoo's Nest” is a serious work, the characters of which are in a psychiatric clinic. The silence of hospital corridors and boring procedures reigns here, but everything changes with the appearance of Patrick McMurphy. This naughty hooligan turns everything in the clinic upside down, not allowing his fellow sufferers to obediently bow to the outside world.
B. Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago". This book can also be read for the soul, but it is quite sad. The novel shows how historical events (in this case, the Civil War and Revolution) influence the fate of an ordinary person who, by chance, finds himself in their center.
Stephen King "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" This is the story of how the main character, wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, ends up in Shawshank Prison, where corruption and violence are rampant. The book is considered one of the best in King's work.
M. Hansen, D. Canfield, E. Newmark “Chicken Soup for the Soul. 101 best stories". If you have never come across the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series of books, we recommend that you pay attention to it. The series includes several books, each of which is a collection of stories about different people. You will learn about a boy from a simple family who met three presidents, about an actress who became happy thanks to cancer, about a girl who sold more than forty thousand cookies for her mother’s dream. Here are amazing stories of ordinary people in whose lives something incredible happened, and you definitely won’t be able to tear yourself away from them.
It's no secret that women love to read for the soul. Most representatives of the fair half of humanity love to read about love. Romance novels are also designed for a certain circle of readers, but if you want to read better and more interesting works, then you should pay attention to the following books:
- Maya Kucherskaya “Aunt Motya” is a classic novel about love, betrayal and emotions;
- Haruki Murakami's “Norwegian Wood” is a novel about friendship, love and conscience;
- Chingiz Aitmatov “Djamilya” is a novel about love with gorgeous descriptions of steppes and mountains;
- Janusz Wisniewski “Loneliness on the Internet” is a novel about the modern world and the position of one person in it.
- John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Mistress. A lot of good things are written in this novel. The author leads the reader to the fact that conscience is an individual choice of each person.
Maybe we are spending our lives on the wrong things? Or do we value worthless things? The life of the dying Lillian teaches readers the importance of time.
Anne Frank "Refuge" Diary in letters". The book presents the diary of a little girl who kept it in Amsterdam, hiding with her family from the Nazis. This is a tragedy of the twentieth century, which was reflected in the notes of a fifteen-year-old girl.
Vladimir Nabokov "Lolita". This work can be treated with contempt or admiration. There is no third option. A novel that shook up society and became popular on both sides of the ocean.
The reader himself chooses what literature to read, domestic or foreign. You can choose very interesting books from foreign literature. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is admired by readers around the world. This is a love story that stands a level above all other novels in this category.
Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. The novel will take you to England, where the girl fell in love with her cousin. This novel still remains a mystery.
Erich Maria Remarque "Arc de Triomphe". The text of this book is divided into quotations. The love story that develops in Nazi-occupied Paris cannot leave the reader indifferent. Paris, two lovers and doom are the main directions of the book.
Victor Hugo "Notre Dame Cathedral" The novel is also recommended for reading, because this book has withstood centuries and has not lost its popularity. A story about what can stand in the way of love.
Margaret Mitchell "Gone with the Wind" The novel remains a sought-after work decades later. If you are looking for a woman to look up to, then this novel is for you. The main character Scarlett O'Hara deserves to be succeeded by women with diametrically opposed social views. thorn bush". Family saga of an Australian writer. This is a story about the Cleary family, about their sorrows and joys, about ups and downs, but the main feeling that permeates the entire novel is true and pure love.
Françoise Sagan "Hello, sadness". This is a novel about the experiences of a young girl, Cecile. She spent some time in a monastery, and upon returning to her father, she plunges into a bohemian life without rules. Until one day their mother’s friend appears in their lives, an intelligent and beautiful woman with her own moral values.
Mikhail Shishkin "Writer". The book is a correspondence between two lovers. The hero writes from the war, in which he takes part in a campaign against the Chinese. The girl writes from a “civilian” background. Soon the reader understands that the lovers correspond, but do not hear each other, and they live in different times...
Russian classics have a lot of interesting things about love. For example, Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina has been filmed many times. Performances were staged based on its plot. A story about passion, love, which has destructive power, makes the main characters live through the experiences.
"Bartleby and Company" is not quite a work of fiction, but rather something between a full-fledged novel, a diary, an article and a scientific work. This is a kind of study of the so-called “No direction,” writers who voluntarily abandoned their activities. From literature. The reasons are different, the talents are different, but the research of Enrique Vila-Matas is the same.
It is also necessary to note that before reading “Bartleby and Company” it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the original work, the name of the main character of which was borrowed by Vila-Matas - this is the story “Bartleby the Scribe” by Herman Melville, which is quite interesting in itself. It tells about a certain office worker whose life's motive was the word No. Remember how in the movie with Jim Carrey Always say yes. Something similar here, only in reverse.
About the book "Drinking Time" - Philippe Delerme
The novel "The Time Drinker" by Philippe Delerme is stream of consciousness literature. In other words, all events, as well as descriptions and actions in it, are subordinated to the flow of the author’s mental activity: what Philippe Delerme thinks about, he writes. Without thinking about what he writes, he writes further. And on and on. At first glance, everything is simple, but it’s not so.
Reading such literature is incredibly difficult, since it is almost completely devoid of plot. Or it is such that no meaning can be found in it. Suffice it to say that the main character of Philippe Delerme's novel is the man from the bubble from Folon's painting. If this doesn't scare you, half the battle is over.
