What if corporeal death of our bodies is really not that big of a deal? What if we are truly more than the sum of our parts? A brilliantly solid piece of writing that will have readers pondering the meaning of life long after the last page is read.
“Each book is a separate universe, a cosmos with its own metrics. The only thing that makes sense in my life is nourishing these universes in my mind for years, and when they’re mature enough, converting them into written narratives, fixing their inner logic, setting the laws of their physics.” – Vadim Babenko
In this character-driven novel that delves deeply into the psyches of six flawed individuals seeking life’s meaning in post-Soviet Moscow, the most enigmatic character is Russia itself. "A Simple Soul" transcends genres and time as its characters move across the vast lands of Russia and its ever-changing socio-economic landscape. Prepare to be transported.
Babenko has created a fascinating story, peopled with unbelievable characters in whom we believe nonetheless. He introduces emotions where we would not expect to find them, and keeps us rapidly turning the pages to learn the fate of his protagonist, a genius in cybernetics named Bogdan Bogdanov, who creates a gift for the world named Semmant.