Viktor is a lonely man, approaching the age of 40 steadily he has little in the way of a life. His work is rather mundane, where his heart truly desires to be is in writing a ovel, perhaps one about life in general, but a novel over the derivative paperwork he deals with.
His only solace is his companion, and close friend Misha. Misha, like all good pets, stands by his master’s side, never talking back and always being around to talk to, listening intently but never understanding. Misha, naturally, just happens to be a penguin that Viktor rescued from the closing Zoo one day.
It’s apparent that Misha’s lifetstyle is not the equivalent of a typical penguin – after all how many penguins live in a flat off the ground floor? Or if you were to be more accurate, how many penguins do you know of that live in a flat at all? Misha’s life is only about to become more troublesome, and with that the life of Viktor.
Viktor is proposed with a job from an unknown. The job is rather simple: write obituaries that flatter the dead, rather than berate them – regardless of their history. Viktor finds this agreeable and is paid a modest sum for his work. Soon, however, writing obituaries are the least of his worries as strange happenings begin to take place. first is the introduction of Misha-no-penguin; a man from the company who deals with Viktor and the company as a go between. Misja-non-penguin himself has his own problems and dumps his daughter on Viktor, with the implication that he is now to look after her.
It’s the subtle build up of the torment that is to come, the chaos that slowly builds around the life of viktor and Misha and the unpredictable ending that is to come that keeps you reading
Now with unwanted daughter in the form of Sonya, Viktor befreinds Sergey, who he comes to know as his enemy-freind – someone who can’t quite trust, but one he believes could not betray him. Viktor soon becomes embroiled in a larger conspiracy, one which endangers his own life, and frames him for a very tragic consequence to come.
At the heart of all his woes is his old friend, Misha the penguin who simply waddles along obediantly wherever his master is. Misha himself becomes involved with the Mafia, and soon it turns out that the Mafia also wish to involve Viktor. The troubles escalate and soon Viktor and, in a more real sense, Misha are fighting for their lives, in addition to protecting Sonya and Viktor’s own girlfriend, Nina, daughter of Sergey.
Andrey Kurkov’s Death and the Penguin is part man’s best friend is a penguin, part mafia conspiracy, and part satire set against a Soveit background which in itself brings in many stereotypes and realities that take place in the country. it’s certinaly a dark book, with the underlying theme of death brought up quite often – the pre-dertimnation of death with writing obituaries in advance of those that are to depart is just one example of this, and lands Viktor in all sorts of trouble that his bored little mind can’t quite fathom.
Viktor is very much an everyday joe, and hardly what you would call a hero. If anything, Misha seems to be the hero, albeit one sat in the background. It is Misha that bonds the make-believe family together, and provides solace and distraction from the horrid reality of the Mafia and the State Security chasing after Viktor to end his life. Yet poor Misha is in trouble himself, and soon Viktor is forced to reconcile on the causes of his distress and how to resolve these matters in the short time he has left.
The job is rather simple: write obituaries that flatter the dead, rather than berate them – regardless of their history
Death and the Pengiun is pure dead pan with little in the way of laugh out loud gags. It’s the subtle build up of the torment that is to come, the chaos that slowly builds around the life of viktor and Misha and the unpredictable ending that is to come that keeps you reading.
There is nothing wholly spectacular, indeed you would be forgiven for thinking that this is written with the sense of an everyday occurance, with no single events of great magnitude to speak of. It’s all the small events that create one big one that is refreshing. A man going about his business, who suddenly finds his business is no longer requires him, and where his penguin ends up earning more money in one afternoon than he does in a month.
A thoroughly memorable read that is both fresh, entertaining and different. The author’s joy to poke fun at his home land, and to give an interesting life to ordinary characters is more than welcome. It is perhaps the ideal blend of thriller and comedy, with a malicious darkness treated with a light hearted writing style that makes Death and the Penguin quite a distinctive tale.
Verdict: An enjoyably dark, comic thriller that takes a lighter look at the impending death of its character