It seems that Dmitry Bykov is subject to everything: from poetry to journalism, from the imposing talkativeness of a TV presenter to the dry laconism of a biographer. The only genre in which Bykov decides to be himself, fully and organically displaying all his countless talents, is fiction. His new novel «Decommissioned», a mixture of lyrics with a pamphlet, touches dozens of different strings in the reader’s soul, evoking a real staccato of feelings.
It seems that Dmitry Bykov is subject to everything: from poetry to journalism, from the imposing talkativeness of a TV presenter to the dry laconism of a biographer. Bykov’s ability to be different strikes the imagination, sometimes making one doubt the very possibility of the existence of a person with so many masks and voices. The only genre in which Bykov decides to be himself, fully and organically displaying all his countless talents, is fiction. His new novel «Decommissioned», a mixture of lyrics with a pamphlet, touches dozens of different strings in the reader’s soul, evoking a real staccato of feelings. Young screenwriter Sergei Sviridov discovers that, along with two hundred other people, he was included in a mysterious list. On what basis it was compiled and what awaits its participants, whether it is a list for execution or for rewarding — no one can explain. However, very soon, troubles (loss of work, refusal to issue a passport, etc.) become constant companions of Sergei and his comrades in misfortune. Betrayal and heroism, hysteria and sober calculation, desperation and curiosity — Bykov’s heroes illustrate all variants of human reactions to unusual circumstances. Trying on the role of the “written off” and trying to predict their own actions in an absurd, but at the same time frighteningly realistic situation, the reader gets a rare chance to look into the depths of his own soul and, as if under a magnifying glass, consider the innermost motives of his behavior.
ProzaiK, 352 p.