Brisbane
Brisbane
by Eugene Vodolazkin
Translated from the Russian by Marian Schwartz
Plough Press, 2022
In this richly layered novel from the winner of two of Russia’s biggest literary prizes, a celebrated guitarist robbed of his talent by Parkinson’s disease seeks other paths to immortality.
PRAISE FOR THE TRANSLATION
“Admiring the novel, critics call it the most musical book of Russian literature. The magic of Vodolazkin’s talent takes place in the level of ideas and plot… and in the level of words and sounds. Vodolazkin plays with both Russian and Ukrainian languages that were not lost in translation.” — Alexandra Guzeva, Russia Beyond
“Marian Schwartz, the dean of contemporary American translators of Russian literature, digs gleefully into Vodolazkin’s prose; her translation feels particularly rich in the section of the novel where Gleb’s adventures with a self-made millionaire and aspiring pop singer nicknamed Bergamot take a turn towards slapstick. Schwartz clearly relishes the translation challenge presented by a newspaper that publishes its headlines in palindromes (“Nod off, Obese Boffo Don”), and she’s at her best translating the tricky linguistic “fillers” (“on the contrary,” “as a matter of fact”) that glue ordinary sentences together.” — Katherine E. Young, On the Seawall
“Brisbane is, in a few words, a damn good novel. Beautifully translated from the Russian by Marian Schwartz, I enjoyed it immensely, and will probably seek out more books by Vodolazkin. My very highest recommendation.” —Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, Booklover
REVIEWS
Gary Saul Morson, “Living Outside of Time,” New York Review of Books, January 19, 2023
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