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From the New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena—dazzling, poignant, and lyrical interwoven stories about family, sacrifice, the legacy of war, and the redemptive power of art. This stunning, exquisitely written collection introduces a cast of remarkable characters whose lives intersect in ways both life-affirming and heartbreaking. A 1930s Soviet censor painstakingly corrects offending photographs, deep underneath Leningrad, bewitched by the image of a disgraced prima ballerina. A chorus of women recount their stories and those of their grandmothers, former gulag prisoners who settled their Siberian mining town. Two pairs of brothers share a fierce, protective love. Young men across the former USSR face violence at home and in the military. And great sacrifices are made in the name of an oil landscape unremarkable except for the almost incomprehensibly peaceful past it depicts. In stunning prose, with rich character portraits and a sense of history reverberating into the present, The Tsar of Love and Techno is a captivating work from one of our greatest new talents. The leopard -- Granddaughters -- The Grozny Tourist Bureau -- A prisoner of the Caucasus -- The tsar of love and techno -- Wolf of White Forest -- Palace of the people -- A temporary exhibition -- The end
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I didn't know much about this book going in to it. This is the first book I've read by Anthony Marra, so I started this book with no idea as to where it was going to go. I was, however, under the impression that it was YA. It's not, which was kind of a shock for me, but it didn't bother me in the end. I also didn't realize that it was supposed to be read as a series of short stories (just goes to show how well I read the synopsis, which is, not very well at all). I assumed it was a novel and just dove right in. I was a little confused for a while, but eventually realized what was happening.
This story was so complex and masterfully done. It's common for a book to have a main character that brings everything else together, but to have the common denominator be an inanimate object is kind of mind blowing. I honestly didn't see how Marra would pull all of the stories together, but he did, and it was so amazing every time I realized exactly how the next story connected with all of the previous ones.
I will admit, I had a hard time staying interested in this book because it is very dark and depressing throughout. However, considering the time periods that this book spans (from the heyday of Communism in Russia to the Cold War and the later rise of democracy) it's no wonder that the tone of the book isn't the happiest. As far as I can tell, it portrays the stark reality of life in Russia very well, and that's really all you can ask.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was well written, but I needed more light among the dark parts. I would recommend that this book shouldn't be given to younger teenagers, as there are some themes that I feel need a certain level of maturity to understand, such as murder and drug use. But I also think that it is a good book that, if approached the right way, could be used as a teaching tool, both from a social aspect and a historical view point.
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