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Kidnapped

The Story of Crimes
By Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.62 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 45 ratings, 8 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Kidnapped by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is a gripping tale centred around a girl's experiences of survival in a monstrous world. As she faces a series of bizarre and often sinister situations, the story explores themes of resilience, the human spirit, and the unpredictable nature of life. This narrative weaves a surreal yet profound atmosphere, offering a unique perspective on the trials the protagonist endures.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are captivated by tales of resilience and the strength of the human spirit. Set in a blend of magical realism and stark reality, it delves into the challenges of the human condition with compelling characters and unexpected twists. Perfect for readers who appreciate profound storytelling with a touch of the surreal.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, Russia's greatest living absurdist and surrealistic writer and New York Times bestseller: traditional family drama meets burlesque social satire, enveloped in a Bollywood soap-opera plot.

Set in the 1980s and '90s, Kidnapped focuses on the life of Alina, a promising language student who must drop her academic career because of an unplanned pregnancy. Alina decides to give up her baby for adoption after birth and is set to leave the hospital alone. In the hospital, she meets another girl, Masha, who is happily looking forward to childbirth and speaks of her life plans with her husband in a republic in South Asia.

When Masha dies in childbirth, Alina impulsively exchanges the babies' name bracelets in an attempt to send her newborn son away from the dull reality of Soviet life. But then the unthinkable happens: Masha's husband asks Alina to falsify her identity and come with him into the foreign service. Full of twists and turns, Kidnapped results in a drama worthy of a daytime soap opera: medical deceit, identity scams, and falsified death abound.

Despite it all, Alina survives against all odds in unthinkable circumstances, sure above all that she will learn to be a good mother.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Kidnapped by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is praised for its wit and talent, showcasing a unique blend of humour and psychological depth. Reviewers highlight the novel's epic scope, where all characters are treated with equal significance, reflecting Petrushevskaya's characteristic portrayal of strong maternal figures. The book is noted for its engaging narrative that balances absurdity with deep empathy, suggesting the author's profound connection to her characters.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781646052042

Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 June 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Deep Vellum Publishing

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Translated by Marian Schwartz
  • Translated by Marian Schwartz
  • Translated by Marian Schwartz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 268

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

About the Author

Ludmilla Petrushevskaya was born in 1938 in Moscow, where she still lives. She is the author of more than fifteen collections of prose, including the New York Times-bestseller There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby: Scary Fairy Tales (2009), which won a World Fantasy Award and was one of New York Magazine's Ten Best Books of the Year and one of NPR's Five Best Works of Foreign Fiction, and There Once Lived a Girl Who Seduced Her Sister's Husband and He Hanged Himself: Love Stories (2013). A singular force in modern Russian fiction, she is also a playwright whose work has been staged by leading theater companies all over the world. In 2002 she received Russia's most prestigious prize, the Triumph, for lifetime achievement.

Marian Schwartz is a prizewinning translator of Russian literature. She is the principal translator of the works of Nina Berberova, Mikhail Bulgakov, Ivan Goncharov, and others.

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