The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street | A Russian Adventure | Pieter Waterdrinker
An autobiographical novel written the prolific Dutch author and former Russia correspondent for De Telegraaf, Pieter Waterdrinker.
Chronicling life from his early twenties, Waterdrinker blends the personal with present day reality of life in a turbulent and ever-changing post 1990s Russia. After successfully smuggling 7,000 Dutch bibles into Leningrad, doors opened and he found work as a travel guide for rich and culturally greedy Europeans, eager to take full advantage of (and be exploited by) the varied opportunities available for all in the increasingly open and economically savvy motherland under Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin.
With so much of our gaze today focused on Putin’s Russia, this insight into the staggering level of economic cooperation between private Dutch and Russian individuals is illuminating. Hugely entertaining anecdotes help us better understand the enormity of the task in untangling this web of intrigue post the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If you are interested in the mundane insignificancies of Russian life, or desire a historical commentary on the Russian revolutions at the beginning of the twentieth century with life under Lenin and Stalin, or are just interested in the exploits of a Dutch expat living abroad, then read on!
Spoiler alert! This book has nothing to do with the Russian composer of Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and so much more – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Instead, Tchaikovsky Street is a very famous street in Moscow, with a very rich past.
Further reading if you are in a Russian phase
A Short History of Russia | Mark Galeotti
Stalingrad | Antony Beever
The Motion of the Body Through Space | Lionel Shriver
Bought on a whim, The Motion of the Body Through Space is an unexpected and joyful read. A much lighter read than Shriver’s earlier novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, it probably has more in common with The Mandibles (which I love) or Big Brother (which I also love) with it’s strong emphasis on relatable characters and compelling narrative.
As we follow the lives of aging couple, Remington and his wife Serenata, Shriver explores the themes of love, loneliness, loss and how to grow old gracefully, all through the guise of MettleMan triathlon competitions which Remington believes to be the answer to all that is worthy in his life. Characters find themselves driven to extreme lengths in a quest to prove their worth and to make-up for past failures while constantly needing to prove one’s relevance. All issues at the fore of today’s increasingly narcissistic and individualistic society.
This sounds heavy, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although a little slow to start, this is a quick read and one which I happily devoured late at night when really I should have been asleep.
Read more from Clare
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – most definitely an author for our time
An exploration of war by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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