Contents
Whatever your friend or relative is fond of, among the new publications there will always be one that will be especially important for him and that you want to give him for the New Year. These books will be a great surprise for those who…
… torn into the past
“The Future of Nostalgia” Svetlana Boym
Nostalgia can be both a disease and a creative impulse, “both a medicine and a poison,” concludes a professor at Harvard University. And the main way not to get poisoned by it is to understand that our dreams of a “Paradise Lost” cannot and should not become a reality. The study, sometimes personal, reveals this feeling with ease unexpected for the scientific style using the example of Berlin cafes, Jurassic Park and the fate of Russian emigrants.
Translation from English. Alexander Strugach. UFO, 680 p.
… overwhelmed by passion
“Bitter Orange” by Claire Fuller
This is a thriller that captivates with a tense game: the scattered fragments of the story of the main character Francis are put together in a mosaic, and the reader puts it together like a puzzle. Francis goes to study an ancient bridge to a remote estate, where he meets a charming pair of scientists – Peter and Kara. The three of them begin to be friends, and very soon it seems to Frances that she has fallen in love with Peter. Nothing special? Yes, if each of the heroes had not kept a secret in the past, which could turn into a tragedy in the present.
Translation from English. Alexey Kapanadze. Sinbad, 416 p.
… Likes openness
“Becoming. My Story Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama’s autobiography is candid, lyrical and full of precise details in the best traditions of the American novel. The ex-First Lady of the United States does not hide either joint visits to a psychotherapist with her husband Barack, or coldness with roommates in college. Michelle does not try to seem close to the people or, conversely, special. She knows for sure that you can’t gain trust without being sincere, and she tries to be herself. And it seems that it was she who taught her husband this.
Translation from English. Yana Myshkina. Bombora, 480 p.
… Not indifferent to what is happening
“Middle Edda” Dmitry Zakharov
The works of the anonymous street artist Chiropractic are literally deadly for the powers that be. Officials rush in search of the “hooligan”, and the chase sucks PR man Dmitry Borisov into the intricacies of political squabbles. Behind-the-scenes intrigues cause rage. But the novel also shows something worthwhile in modernity. Love, the desire for justice is what strives to slip behind the blinders of information and political noise.
AST, Edited by Elena Shubina, 352 p.
… Appreciates the beautiful
On Beauty Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh
What is it all about? How true is the phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”? In search of an answer, two famous designers follow a non-trivial path. They appeal to Instagram and mythology, suggest choosing the most elegant currency and criticize the ideal of “efficiency”. It turns out that the common denominator of beauty is indeed similar for most of us. We just often forget about it. Even if you are not ready to share the opinion of the authors on some points, you will certainly be captivated by the design of the book itself. And especially – a luxuriously illustrated archive of clear examples of beauty.
Translation from English. Yulia Zmeeva. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 280 p.
… going through hardships
“Horizon on Fire” Pierre Lemaitre
A novel by a Goncourt laureate can be a motivator for resilience. The heiress of a wealthy firm, Madeleine Pericourt, retires after her father’s funeral and an accident with her son. Envious family is right there. The fortune is lost, but Madeleine retains her sanity. The story of the breakup of a family against the backdrop of pre-war France is reminiscent of the novels of Balzac, but captivates with dynamics and sharpness.
Translation from French. Valentina Chepiga. Alphabet-Atticus, 480 p.