Tap cover to enlarge

Death and the Penguin

Published
Jun 2011
Main Genre
Mystery Mystery
Rating
Pages
240

About This Book

"No summary can do justice to the strange appeal of this unusual, short book, which is at once a crime novel, a comic novel and a serious political satire on contemporary Ukraine." —Anne Applebaum, The Wall Street Journal


With the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly-free Ukraine is a shell-shocked land . . .

In poverty-and-violence-wracked Kyiv, unemployed writer Viktor Zolotaryov leads a down-and-out life with his only friend, Misha, a penguin that he rescued when the local zoo started getting rid of animals it couldn't feed. Even more nerve-wracking for Victor: a local mobster has taken a shine to Misha and wants to borrow him for events.

But Viktor thinks he's finally caught a break when he lands a well-paying job at the Kyiv newspaper writing "living obituaries" of local dignitaries—articles to be filed for use when the time comes.

The only thing is, the time always seems to come as soon as Viktor finishes writing the article. Slowly understanding that his own life may be in jeopardy, Viktor also realizes that the only thing that might be keeping him alive is his penguin.

Genres & Themes

Subgenres

Buy This Book

Formats & Editions

Browse the different covers, formats, and publication history for this title.

Paperback

Paperback edition cover
Trade Paperback
Nov 2001 HarperCollins (UK) ISBN 1860468357
Buy
Paperback edition cover
Trade Paperback
Feb 2002 Random House (UK) ISBN 1860469450
Buy
Paperback edition cover
Trade Paperback
Jun 2011 Melville House Publishing ISBN 1935554557
Buy

eBook

eBook edition cover
eBook
Jun 2011 Melville House Publishing ISBN 1612190766
Buy
eBook edition cover
eBook
Jun 2011 Melville International Crime ISBN B004ZZN0SU
Buy
eBook edition cover
eBook
Jun 2011 Vintage ISBN 1446483363
Buy

Audio

Audio edition cover
Audible
Apr 2024 -- Not Selected ISBN B0CS6XB2NP
Buy