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Andrei Makine
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The Archipelago of Another Life: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Andreï Makine (Author), Geoffrey Strachan (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 85 ratings
See all formats and editions
"This novel about hunting an escapee from Stalinist gulag reads like a Siberian Heart of Darkness." —​Julian Barnes

On the far eastern borders of the Soviet Union, in the sunset of Stalin’s reign, soldiers are training for a war that could end all wars, for in the atomic age man has sown the seeds of his own destruction.

Among them is Pavel Gartsev, a reservist. Orphaned, scarred by the last great war and unlucky in love, he is an instant victim for the apparatchiks and ambitious careerists who thrive within the Red Army’s ranks.

Assigned to a search party composed of regulars and reservists, charged with the recapture of an escaped prisoner from a nearby gulag, Gartsev finds himself one of an unlikely quintet of cynics, sadists, and heroes, embarked on a challenging manhunt through the Siberian taiga.

But the fugitive, capable, cunning, and evidently at home in the depths of these vast forests, proves no easy prey. As the pursuit goes on, and the pursuers are struck by a shattering discovery, Gartsev confronts both the worst within himself and the tantalizing prospect of another, totally different life.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    202 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Arcade
  5. Publication date
    October 5, 2021
  6. File size
    859 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The Archipelago of Another Life is quintessential Makine, exposing the brute machinery of Soviet totalitarianism in a captivating tale of suffering, resistance and transcendence. It is at once fabular and finely realist, earthy and quasi-religious, narratively elliptical and a pleasingly straightforward tale of adventure. Set in the author’s native Siberia, it is, if not quite a wild goose chase, then certainly a wild taiga one."—Toby Lichtig, The Wall Street Journal
"This novel about hunting an escapee from Stalinist gulag reads like a Siberian Heart of Darkness."—Julian Barnes
 
"Makine has justifiably been compared to Tolstoy but here I think the better reference is Joseph Conrad."—THE SPECTATOR
 
"A powerful story of metaphysical adventure."—Marianne Payot, L'Express

"A thrilling manhunt through the taiga."—Claire Devarieux, Libération

"As good as Stendhal or Tolstoy . . . I would rather read him than anyone else now writing."—Allan Massie, Literary Review

"One of the significant novelists of our age."—Stephanie Merritt, Observer

"Makine packs great steppes-full of history into compact, bejewelled boxes of prose."—Boyd Tonkin, Independent

"Makine's wonderful economy of image and phrase convey far more than one could think possible about the Russian soul."—Anthony Beevor, Daily Telegraph

About the Author

Andreï Makine is an internationally best-selling author. He is the winner of the Goncourt Prize and the Medicis Prize, the two highest literary awards in France, for his novel Dreams of My Russian Summers, which was also a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. Makine was born in Siberia in 1957 and raised in the Soviet Union. Granted asylum in France in 1987, Makine was personally given French citizenship by President Jacques Chirac. He now lives in Paris. Arcade Publishing has published ten of Makine’s acclaimed novels in English.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08VKSV21B
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arcade (October 5, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 5, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 859 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 85 ratings

About the author

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Andrei Makine

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
85 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Susan Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Manhunt through the Siberian wilderness
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
This short, tautly plotted novel follows a small squad of Russian soldiers as they hunt down an escapee from a gulag through the Siberian wilderness. For the 20-something narrator, this trek becomes a journey of self discovery, offering him a glimpse of life beyond the iron grip of the Stalinist regime.
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Paul T. Scheller
4.0 out of 5 stars Cat and mouse in the taiga
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2021
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Well written and clever tale about human nature within a fascist regime. The strong stay strong while the weak trade in deceit and vengefulness. Story is engaging and suspenseful.
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gerald LEVINE Levine
5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2021
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A master storyteller who loves his land. A remarkable adventure and a story of enduring love and commitment. I couldn’t put the book down.
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BikeMeister
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2022
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I loved this. The imagery was just gorgeous, the story was riveting, and the turn of phrase was truly magnificent.
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Top reviews from other countries

Michael James
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the greatest novels I have ever read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is simply a truly great novel. It engages with really important issues about what sort of beings we are and what we should be. It is truly vividly readable, and as the astounding but believable story emerges, so the characters, good and evil, admirable and contemptible develop too. The severity and beauty of the landscape, and of living in it are painted in unforgettable terms, even for me with some experience. Read it and you will never be unaffected, or forget it
One person found this helpful
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ursula tolleson
1.0 out of 5 stars Superbe,
Reviewed in France on August 18, 2019
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The Archipelago of another Life
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Bella
5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable, superb
Reviewed in Australia on October 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a very beautiful book. Though the word ‘profound’ is overused, in this case it is true.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An uplifting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book was unknown to me other that it had won the Prix Goncourt. I bought and read it to broaden the scope of my reading and.......wow.
It is a dark and yet uplifting read. The protagonist's travels across Siberia is a very bleak narrative but there is an uplifting undercurrent and ending to the story from which I came away feeling in a better place.
I get the feeling that the translation is expertly crafted.
One person found this helpful
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