I would say an overhyped book. I think it was released too soon to be a satirical pandemic book. The premise was good just was thoroughly bored throughout. Found it way too long. It was like a bad rollercoaster ride with only a few peaks. Did enjoy the descriptions of the characters. By the end of the story, everyone had changed. Well, most. Some have jumped straight in, while others were strangely left on the table. It was hard to relate to any of the characters, with their rich white people's problems and their confusing (but not interesting) love lives. A lot of self-absorbed characters.
Some passages were spot on in their satire. The observations about Russian immigrants were particularly interesting to me, but the more I read the novel, the less I liked it.
This is the first novel I've read by Gary Shteyngart and, after, Our Country Friends, I'm sorry to say I'm not compelled to read another of his books.
Some passages were spot on in their satire. The observations about Russian immigrants were particularly interesting to me, but the more I read the novel, the less I liked it.
This is the first novel I've read by Gary Shteyngart and, after, Our Country Friends, I'm sorry to say I'm not compelled to read another of his books.