Interlinking stories set in Russia from the Stalinist purges to the Second Chechen War and beyond illuminate the human desire for connection with one another even in times that challenge our basic humanity. Marra repeats his feat of being a great Humanist novelist of contemporary Russia. ( )

If you have read Anthony Marra's first book, The Constellation of Vital Phenomena, you will already know that this follow up work will live up to its many superlative accolades. These nine vignettes are ingeniously woven into one extended story connected by people, geography, and art. Once again the setting is Russia and Chechnya during the Soviet purges and the wars waged (both political and personal) in the region. The author creates scenarios and people that are palpable, and his attention to the smallest details is uncanny. Art plays a central role in connecting characters over time. A pastoral painting, a snapshot of people on a beach, a mix tape all act as symbols of familial fidelity and betrayal , love realized and unrequited, promises kept and broken, hearts and bodies broken and mended. This is a work of a seasoned and finely honed writer coming from someone young and new to the craft. The Audible edition is voiced by a number of native narrators whose accents and pronunciation add much to the experience. ( )

Other people will enjoy this book more than I did. 🤷🏻‍♂️ The writing was too self conscious to have much emotional impact on me. ( )

Wow.. ( )

Unique, beautifully rendered, intellectually challenging . . .this book seems destined to be a classic. Marra uses a short story form, but for me, the book is a novel. The stories are definitely interwoven together, and as a reader, you have to work to find the links and understand the larger picture. I wish I had noted each character as I went and the linkages as I unearthed them. It reminded me of doing a crossword puzzle . . .with one word providing a clue to the next.

It's hard to provide a plot summary, but the short stories follow multiple generations of one family, a pair of brothers and one of the brother's lovers - - but the stories are not linear and the linkages are not immediately obvious, but rather are revealed. Some of the stories are very powerful and others served more as the glue that held the book together. The language was exquisite throughout.

All that being said, I enjoyed Marr's first book, [b:A Constellation of Vital Phenomena|18428067|A Constellation of Vital Phenomena|Anthony Marra|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408313066s/18428067.jpg|19926928] more - - yet I think the structure of [b:The Tsar of Love and Techno|23995336|The Tsar of Love and Techno|Anthony Marra|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428086934s/23995336.jpg|43596056] shows a more mature author. The writing revisits Russia and the Chechen War, but this sophomore effort is more original, more thought provoking and the writing so crisp. It is clear that every sentence is carefully considered.

Unfortunately, my overall feeling at the end of the book was one of awe as opposed to one of love. It's a book I'd thrust into the hands of aspiring writers, but not necessarily one I would share with all readers.

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