Scrisorar

War keeps Saşa and Volodia apart in this novel by Mihail Şişkin. They share their lives through letters, though time moves differently for each. This love story explores grief, memory, and how death gives life meaning.

Volodia helps put down the Boxer Rebellion. His time at war teaches him to value survival over victory. Saşa finds joy in holding her father's hand as he dies. News of Volodia's death does not stop his letters from arriving. Saşa accepts them without fear or surprise. Her years pass fast, while his time seems to stand still. Both long to meet again.

Small memories hold more weight than the present. Saşa's watch stays fixed at ten minutes to two. The lovers gather apples and throw the rotten ones at each other. Grasshoppers cling to her skirt in the dry grass. A teacher wipes his glasses with his tie. These scenes link love and loss to the thought that reading can restore past lives.

Şişkin builds on Russian literary tradition rather than breaking with it. His models include Chekhov, Bunin, Nabokov, and Saşa Sokolov. Born in Moscow in 1961, he studied at its State Pedagogical University. He spent three years at a youth magazine. He then taught German and English for five years. His literary debut came in Znamia in 1993. He moved to Switzerland in 1995, working as an interpreter and teacher. He also writes for Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

His awards include all three major Russian literary prizes. Scrisorar won the Bolşaia kniga in 2011. His international honours span Zürich, France, Italy, and Germany. Three of his novels have reached the stage. Marina Brusnikina directed Scrisorar at Moscow's Chekhov Art Theatre. This edition belongs to the Byblos series.