ABSURDISTAN is a novel filled with, you guessed it (or at least i sure hope you did), satire. Shteyngart uses satire to ridicule the recent and current political situation in the middle east. Shteyngart is quite disapproving of the U.N. involvement, and persuades the reader to feel the same way by using Misha as a kind of feel-sorry-for-me appealer and by showing the plain rediculousness of the situation, which is crystal clear when the point of view is from the affected area itself. The imagery in the novel is substantial as well. Food and the memories (and fantasies) which it brings to Misha are all vivedly described, showing the author's talent of "show, don't tell."
I can personally account for his remarkable descriptions, as i believe most of the readers of this somewhat "dirty" book, due to lasting disturbing images brought on by reading the text of these pages.
yeah.
and i quote: "[something about looking at a green/blue colored bag between his legs] the infection set in the next day."
aaaah quit.
but not really, cuz its a sweet book.
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Ha.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful title, though I think I had to look at it for more than a sec to figure out the word SATIRE was staring right at me. It's amazing how much we only read the first & last letters of a word... or how tired I am of blogging for the night.
and about the infection scene, I can't forget how after only that much info, I was plagued by the image of Misha's thighs. Though I have no idea why it got to me the way it did, the fact that he's 300 lbs really set in right about there. Once again, ew.
Good point about how Shteyngart uses satire to poke fun at recent events. The satire really makes for a more enjoyable read because it is easy to relate to the status of Absurdistan. And I agree with Anna, great title.
ReplyDeleteThe book would really be nothing without satire. Shteyngart uses Misha's naivety, and has him see everything through a stereotypical lens, so Shteyngart can make the point he wants to through satire.
ReplyDeleteI agree, satire is used to criticize past events in the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteNice Fuad reference. I think that Shteyngart is really using the satire well. At first this looks like a bad pulp-novel, but on closer inspection, there a lot of witty things in it.
ReplyDeleteLike family guy.