A Land the Size of Binoculars (Writings From An Unbound Europe) - Softcover

Klekh, Igor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0810119439 ISBN 13: 9780810119437

Publisher: Northwestern University Press, 2004

Synopsis

Igor Klekh emerges as a writer from the crossroads of Europe—Western Ukraine—influenced by the great Russian literary tradition as well as the languages and dialects of both East-Central Europe and his native country. A Land the Size of Binoculars collects his breakthrough 1993 novella Kallimakh's Wake, five short pieces, and two more recent novellas.

Throughout, Klekh studies landscapes as intimate as the terrain between fathers and sons and as broad as the wild, mysterious Carpathian Mountains. His work has been compared to that of Borges, Eco, and the magical realists, and celebrated for its synthesis of numerous literary traditions, its use of esoteric knowledge, and its breathtaking prose.
 

About this title

From the Back Cover

Igor Klekh writes from the crossroads of Europe: Ukraine, influenced by the Russian literature tradition of the east and the languages and dialects of both Central Europe and his native country. As one of the brightest lights to come out of the post-perestroika literary scene, Klekh's work has been welcomed as a synthesis of the two traditions, and celebrated as some of the most breathtakingly original prose of recent years. The publication of his novella "Kallimakh's Wake (included in this collection) in 1993, and his work since, has drawn comparisons to Borges-for the blurring of boundaries between forms and styles; to Gogol's work in both Russian and Ukrainian language; to Eco's use of esoteric knowledge; and to the stylistic innovations reminiscent of Latin American magical realists. A Land the Size of Binoculars collects the five short pieces and novella that comprise his "Galician Motifs," and two more recent novellas. Throughout Klekh passes over landscapes as intimate as the terrain between fathers and sons and as broad as the Carpathian Mountains.

About the Author

Igor Klekh was born in Ukraine and began his career in Lviv (Lvov). He was nominated for the Russian Booker Prize in 1995. He lives in Moscow.

Michael M. Naydan is a professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Penn State University.

Slava I. Yastremski is an associate professor of Russian and the director of the Russian program at Buckness University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Northwestern University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0810119439
• ISBN 13: 9780810119437
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272