Red Papers is a fragmented narrative fiction that brings together the correspondence of three Russian con men-Igor, Misha, and their charismatic spiritual leader, Yuri. Acting as a censor of these private letters, Hazanov presents a diary-style fiction that captures the raw, unmasked voices of those navigating the turbulent transition from the Soviet Union to the Alpine greenhouse of Switzerland.
The Search for Truth in the "Umbilical Cord of Time"
This character-driven literary fiction explores the "umbilical cord of time," where letters serve as genuine historical documents that "never lie, despite their authors' efforts". As a literary fiction memoir, the book delves into:
- Memory-driven fiction: Reconstructing a past that is more precious with time, like good paintings and wine.
- Childhood memory fiction: Drawing inspiration from the author's own childhood bedcover improvised by [his] grandmother, a patchwork of history and imagination.
- Philosophical literary fiction: Engaging in provocative discourse on morality, survival, and the absurdities of the human condition across Russia and Europe.
A Russia-Switzerland Memoir Like No Other
Follow Igor as he explores the quirky world of Absurdistan during the late Soviet era, with its empty shops and the hopeful spiritual food of a growing democracy. Experience the hilarious and heartbreaking complexities of European literary fiction as Yuri provides instructions on how to "put down roots in Switzerland" without a permit-dealing with everything from the "mountain of fifty-two suitcases" to the cultural shocks of Western life.
"Readers without a sense of humour to abstain".
Whether you are seeking a Russian memoir fiction that unmasks the soul of a prince in a burglar's clothes or an epistolary novel that "stumbles upon a truth," Red Papers is a journey through exile, identity, and the "excessive" beauty of life
