Moscow: Raduga Publishers, 1983. English Language Edition. Illustrated. Translated from the Russian by Alex Miller. Vil Lipatov (1927ó1979) was born in the Siberian city of Chita. His first story was published in Novosibirsk, and he went on to write a great deal about the severe beauty of Siberia and about the people who live there. Lipatovís works, which include prose, plays and film-scripts, are very popular and have frequently been the subject of vigorous controversy in the press. Vil Lipatovís work shows a flair for the unexpected, originality of viewpoint, and a willingness to experiment. His characters build their own lives, and do so with determination, like true Russians. We meet various peopleóa labourer, an engineer, a lumberman, a criminal investigator, all strong-willed and conscious of their mission in life. One of Lipatovís favourite subjects is responsibility to oneself and others. Lipatov usually highlights two individuals among the crowd: the one with ideals trying to make life better for others, and his antagonist. In form, The Stoletov Dossier is a traditional detective story. Captain Prokhorov of the militia comes to a remote Siberian village to inquire into the circumstances attending the mysterious death of Zhenya Stoletov, a young tractor driver. As he pieces together events in the life of Zhenya and his associates, Prokhorov begins to realise that he is ìon to an important conflict of our times". Lipatov raises a number of urgent economic, social and moral problems. But this is also a novel about young people and about love. The language is vivid, sometimes elaborate, and the plot holds the readerís attention to the very end.
Product details
|
