A philosophical mystery novel populated with artists, criminals, and
drug addicts, Lines of Fate is one of the most extraordinary novels to
emerge from the last years of the Soviet Union. Written at the height of
Gorbachev's power in 1985 but not published in Russian until 1992, the
novel is a profound meditation on Russia's past and present, and a
subtle examination of the crippling effects of Soviet power on the
nation and on the Russian psyche.
The story follows the young researcher Anton Lizavin's efforts to piece
together a biography of the provincial writer Simeon Milashevich from
the bits of candy wrappers Milashevich wrote on during the early period
in Soviet history, when paper was scarce. As Lizavin becomes immersed in
Milashevich's life (and presumed death), the two begin a metaphysical
conversation across time, and the book becomes a kind of postmodern
detective story, painting a broad, fascinating picture of Russian
society throughout the century.
Widely hailed in Europe as a new classic of modern Russian fiction,
Lines of Fate is an exploration of the Russian soul in the grand
tradition of Pasternak and Gogol.
