Your Ad Could Go Here: Stories
by Oksana Zabuzhko
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"Oksana Zabuzhko, Ukraine's leading public intellectual, is called upon to make sense of the unthinkable reality of our times. In this breathtaking short story collection, she turns the concept of truth over in her hands like a beautifully crafted pair of gloves. From the triumph of the Orange Revolution, which marked the start of the twenty-first century, to domestic victories in matchmaking, sibling rivalry, and even tennis, Zabuzhko manages to shock the reader by juxtaposing things as show more they are--inarguable, visible to the naked eye--with how things could be, weaving myth and fairy tale into pivotal moments just as we weave a satisfying narrative arc into our own personal mythologies. At once intimate and worldly, these stories resonate with Zabuzhko's irreverent and prescient voice, echoing long after reading"--Back cover. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
oksana zabuzhko is my favorite writer of all time
Your ad could go here is a somewhat confusing collection of short stories by the Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabushko (1960). Confusing, because there seems to be little more that binds these stories than that they were written by Zabushko and translated into English. This collection really cries out for an introduction from the compiler, with some explanation and background information. But all I can say about it now, based on the dates of the translations (which are mentioned, as opposed to the publication dates of the original stories) is that the oldest story dates from before 1998 and the newest from before 2020.
To be honest, there are a few more things that the stories have in common. For example, all stories have a woman as the main show more character, are set (predominantly) in Ukraine and they have a slightly ironic undertone. The female protagonists are certainly not spared. So much for the similarities. Yet there are also big differences. For example in writing style, which is sometimes very literary and sometimes quite accessible. Or in genre: a fairytale, a story that becomes more and more surreal, a hyper-realistic politically oriented story. To name just a few examples. And while some of the stories are set in medieval Ukraine, others are situated in Soviet times or in the present.
In short, one could say it is quite a varied collection of stories. As far as I'm concerned, that also applies to how I rate them There were stories that I reluctantly dragged through, and stories that I found almost unreadable, so difficult. While there were also stories that I would give 5 stars without a doubt. That makes it almost impossible to rate the collection as a whole. My rating doesn't do justice to some stories, but is too much credit for others. Still, I would - cautiously - recommend the collection to anyone who wants to learn more about life in Ukraine, especially from a woman's point of view. After all, there is not that much translated work by Ukrainian female writers, and Zabushko is a keen observer of human nature. show less
To be honest, there are a few more things that the stories have in common. For example, all stories have a woman as the main show more character, are set (predominantly) in Ukraine and they have a slightly ironic undertone. The female protagonists are certainly not spared. So much for the similarities. Yet there are also big differences. For example in writing style, which is sometimes very literary and sometimes quite accessible. Or in genre: a fairytale, a story that becomes more and more surreal, a hyper-realistic politically oriented story. To name just a few examples. And while some of the stories are set in medieval Ukraine, others are situated in Soviet times or in the present.
In short, one could say it is quite a varied collection of stories. As far as I'm concerned, that also applies to how I rate them There were stories that I reluctantly dragged through, and stories that I found almost unreadable, so difficult. While there were also stories that I would give 5 stars without a doubt. That makes it almost impossible to rate the collection as a whole. My rating doesn't do justice to some stories, but is too much credit for others. Still, I would - cautiously - recommend the collection to anyone who wants to learn more about life in Ukraine, especially from a woman's point of view. After all, there is not that much translated work by Ukrainian female writers, and Zabushko is a keen observer of human nature. show less
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ThingScore 100
In this story collection, Zabuzhko unspools the inner worlds of women during war, revolution and the Soviet era. In the first story, 'Oh Sister, My Sister', the KGB raids the home of Natalia and her daughter, Darka, which leads to Natalia deciding to abort her second child to protect Darka ("she would not be able to shield the both of you"). Later, Darka hears a voice calling to her, sees show more visions of a "fair-haired head of fluffy curls lit up by sunshine", and lies to her classmates that she has a little sister. show less
added by Cynfelyn
Lists
A Ukraine Reading List
121 works; 90 members
Ukrainian Culture
17 works; 2 members
Author Information
24+ Works 476 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Ukraine
- Original language
- Ukranian
Classifications
- Genres
- General Fiction, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 891.7 — Literature & rhetoric Literatures of other languages East Indo-European and Celtic literatures Russian and East Slavic languages
- LCC
- G2020 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Atlases By region or country Eastern Hemisphere. Eurasia, Africa, etc. Europe
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 41
- Popularity
- 717,759
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.75)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 1
