{"title":"Andrey Kurkov","description":"\u003cp\u003eAndrey Kurkov’s novels seamlessly blend elements of \u003cem\u003ecrime, thriller\u003c\/em\u003e, and reflective \u003cem\u003egeneral fiction\u003c\/em\u003e, often set against rich backdrops of Eastern European life. His storytelling invites readers into worlds where the surreal and the mundane intersect, weaving intrigue with poetic insight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the haunting symbolism of \u003cem\u003eDeath and the Penguin\u003c\/em\u003e to the vivid cultural nuances of titles like \u003cem\u003eJimi Hendrix Live in Lviv\u003c\/em\u003e, Kurkov’s work explores the complexities of human nature and society with wit and compassion, making his books compelling reads for lovers of both literary depth and suspense.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"diary-of-an-invasion","title":"Diary of an Invasion","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eDiary of an Invasion\u003c\/i\u003e by Andrey Kurkov follows the harrowing yet hopeful journey of Ukraine as it faces the aggressive incursion of Russian forces. The narrative begins with the escalating tensions and uncertainty that permeate the air as Russian troops amass along the borders of Ukraine. Kurkov captures the transformation of an ordinary life into extraordinary circumstances, detailing the profound impact of war on individual and collective existence.\n\n\u003cb\u003e‘Uplifting and utterly defiant’\u003c\/b\u003e — Matt Nixson, \u003ci\u003eDaily Express\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e‘Immediate and important ... This is an insider’s account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary’\u003c\/b\u003e — Helen Davies, \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e‘At first we did not understand what war was. You can't understand it until you see it and hear it.’\u003c\/b\u003e\n\nAs the invasion becomes a devastating reality, Kurkov seamlessly intertwines political and historical commentary with a personal journal that paints a vivid picture of the life and resilience in Ukraine. While delving into the deep-seated historical and linguistic ties between Russia and Ukraine, Kurkov debunks the misinformation perpetuated by Putin's regime. He highlights how Ukraine, contrary to external claims, remains a unique, democratic, liberal, and diverse nation determined to resist occupation.\n\nKurkov’s narrative is enriched with his characteristic satirical flair, demonstrating a people's defiance against obliteration. Amidst the ruins, bread is baked and shared, showcasing community solidarity. Stories of resilience abound: an amputee being carried onto an evacuating train, grandmothers escaping occupied territories with their roosters, and parents welcoming new life even in besieged cities. \n\nThe author also brings to light the challenges faced by Ukrainian communities, including the strain on communal initiatives like toloka—community work for the common good—and the hesitance of some European countries to fulfil their promises of aid. Despite this, Kurkov illustrates an unyielding hope that pervades the daily lives of Ukrainians. Farmers continue to cultivate fields laden with unexploded ordnance, and communities go to great lengths to care for displaced people, all while anxiously awaiting the moment it is safe to return home.\n\n\u003ci\u003eDiary of an Invasion\u003c\/i\u003e is a poignant testament to the enduring spirit of Ukraine and its people, who remain united in their fight against erasure. Kurkov’s personal narrative is intertwined with those of countless others, all waiting for the day they can rebuild and reclaim their lives. This compelling account is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the real-life impacts of geopolitical conflicts on ordinary individuals and the inscrutable strength that sustains them.\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45711438151916,"sku":"9781800699090","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781800699090.jpg?v=1725975428"},{"product_id":"death-and-the-penguin-by-andrey-kurkov-9781784879075","title":"Death and the Penguin","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDeath and the Penguin\u003c\/em\u003e is a blackly comic, bittersweet satirical novel about Ukraine, a writer, and a pet penguin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll that stands between one man and murder by the mafia is a penguin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eViktor is an aspiring writer with only Misha, his pet penguin, for company. Although Viktor would prefer to write short stories, he earns a living composing obituaries for a newspaper. He longs to see his work published, yet the subjects of his obituaries continue to cling to life. But when he opens the newspaper to see his work in print for the first time, his pride swiftly turns to terror. He and Misha have been drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A tragicomic masterpiece'\u003c\/em\u003e - Daily Telegraph\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A black comedy of rare distinction and the penguin is an invention of genius'\u003c\/em\u003e - Spectator\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a foreword by the author.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45972119421164,"sku":"9781784879075","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781784879075.jpg?v=1733698433"},{"product_id":"jimi-hendrix-live-in-lviv-by-andrey-kurkov-9781529427837","title":"Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Both a pleasure and a testament to life in Ukraine, before\" \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Ukraine's greatest living novelist\" \u003cem\u003eNew European\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A Ukrainian Murakami\" \u003cem\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA love letter to the beautiful city of Lviv, by the author of \u003cem\u003eDeath and the Penguin\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGrey Bees\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStrange things are afoot in the cosmopolitan city of Lviv, western Ukraine. Seagulls are circling and the air smells salty, though Lviv is a long way from the sea...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA ragtag group gathers around a mysterious grave in Lychakiv Cemetery - among them an ex-KGB officer and an ageing hippy he used to spy on. Before long, Captain Ryabtsev and Alik Olisevych are teaming up to discover the source of the \"anomalies\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, Taras - who makes a living driving kidney-stone patients over cobblestones in his ancient Opel Vectra - is courting Darka, who works nights at a bureau de change despite being allergic to money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe young lovers don't know it, but their fate depends on two lonely old men, relics of another era, who will stop at nothing to save their city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShot through with Kurkov's unique brand of black humour and vodka-fuelled magic realism, \u003cem\u003eJimi Hendrix Live in Lviv\u003c\/em\u003e is an affectionate portrait of one of the world's most intriguing cities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the Russian by Reuben Woolley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46712062116076,"sku":"9781529427837","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14700093482732.jpg?v=1754272346"},{"product_id":"the-silver-bone-by-andrey-kurkov-9781529426519","title":"The Silver Bone","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Summer 2024 pick in the \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine's greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre\" \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"A very intriguing and atmospheric novel by a highly accomplished writer . . . A fascinating read in the light of contemporary events\" \u003cb\u003eAlexander McCall Smith, Bestselling Author of \u003ci\u003eThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKyiv, 1919. The Soviets control the city, but White armies menace them from the West. No man trusts his neighbour and any spark of resistance may ignite into open rebellion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Samson Kolechko's father is murdered, his last act is to save his son from a falling Cossack sabre. Deprived of his right ear instead of his head, Samson is left an orphan, with only his father's collection of abacuses for company.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUntil, that is, his flat is requisitioned by two Red Army soldiers, whose secret plans Samson is somehow able to overhear with uncanny clarity. Eager to thwart them, he stumbles into a world of murder and intrigue that will either be the making of him - or finish what the Cossack started.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInflected with Kurkov's signature humour and magical realism, \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Bone\u003c\/i\u003e takes inspiration from the real-life archives of crime enforcement agencies in Kyiv, crafting a propulsive narrative that bursts to life with rich historical detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTranslated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46843157381356,"sku":"9781529426519","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14686913482732.jpg?v=1758789182"},{"product_id":"the-stolen-heart-by-andrey-kurkov-9781529431063","title":"The Stolen Heart","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSamson Kolechko has been assigned a most perplexing case - though it is mostly perplexing because it's hard to understand why selling the meat of one's own pig constitutes a crime.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\nBut apparently, it does, and at the insistence of the Chekist secret police officer assigned to \"reinforce\" the Lybid police station, Samson does his diligent - if diffident - best.\n\nYet no sooner has he got started than his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. And when you factor in a mysterious thief in the police station itself, a deadly tram accident that may have been pre-meditated, and the potential reappearance of the culprit in the case of the silver bone, it's no wonder the \"meat case\" takes a back seat.\n\nBut it is in the pursuit of that petty-fogging, seemingly mundane matter that Samson's fate lies - and Nadezhda's too, for the two are inextricably entwined.\n\n\u003cb\u003eTranslated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eReviews for \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Bone\u003c\/i\u003e - Longlisted for the International Booker Prize\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\"Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine's greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre\" \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e\"Wildly enjoyable . . . A glorious aural portrait of a city in dangerous flux . . . I finished \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Bone\u003c\/i\u003e wishing to read more\" \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072849527020,"sku":"9781529431063","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14732353482732.jpg?v=1765132452"},{"product_id":"the-lost-soldiers-by-andrey-kurkov-9781529447705","title":"The Lost Soldiers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh from the case of the stolen heart, one that shattered his belief in the regime he works for, Samson Kolechko is confronted with a mystery that borders on the impossible. How could a squad of Red Army soldiers have disappeared from the Galician bathhouse, leaving only their boots and their uniforms as evidence they ever existed?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFaced with such a fantastical conundrum, Samson resorts to a fantastical investigation method: stitching his operative severed ear into a bathhouse worker's jacket, he is able to eavesdrop on his every move. But he discovers far more than he bargained for, uncovering human remains in the stoves and the presence of a sinister religious cult in the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith his quick-witted new wife Nadezhda at his side, Samson must not only solve the case but navigate the political turmoil that still grips Kyiv as civil war looms and trust between neighbours and comrades is eroded day by day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this third volume, Andrey Kurkov, Ukraine's greatest living novelist, and a true master of absurd storytelling, vividly depicts a city filled with political turbulence and eccentric characters - and draws playful parallels with the present day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47105264419052,"sku":"9781529447705","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529447705.jpg?v=1765786840"},{"product_id":"the-stolen-heart-by-andrey-kurkov-9781529426540","title":"The Stolen Heart","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSamson Kolechko has been assigned a most perplexing case - though it is mostly perplexing because it's hard to understand why selling the meat of one's own pig constitutes a crime.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut apparently it does, and at the insistence of the Chekist secret police officer assigned to \"reinforce\" the Lybid police station, Samson does his diligent - if diffident - best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet no sooner has he got started than his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. And when you factor in a mysterious thief in the police station itself, a deadly tram accident that may have been premeditated, and the potential reappearance of the culprit in the case of the silver bone, it's no wonder the \"meat case\" takes a back seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut it is in the pursuit of that petty-fogging, seemingly mundane matter that Samson's fate lies - and Nadezhda's too, for the two are inextricably entwined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the Russian by Boris Drayluk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews for \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Bone\u003c\/i\u003e - Longlisted for the International Booker Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine's greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre\" \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Wildly enjoyable . . . A glorious aural portrait of a city in dangerous flux . . . I finished \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Bone\u003c\/i\u003e wishing to read more\" \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47773184065772,"sku":"9781529426540","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529426540-the-stolen-heart.jpg?v=1782185019"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/andrey-kurkov.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}