Title: The Penguin's Melancholy

Author: Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine)
Translator: Mu Zhuoyun
Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press
Edition: September 2019
Format: 32mo, Paperback
ISBN: 9787559819567
Price: 46.00 CNY

A story about a man living alone who saves a penguin—or perhaps is saved by the penguin. A modern classic in Russian literature, praised by The New York Times as "a gripping masterpiece of black humor!" "Even the most hard-hearted readers will be moved by the relationship between Viktor and his unusual pet."

Healing, absurd, and filled with a drifting sense of dignity, this novel was inspired by a Soviet joke. It is the debut work of a former KGB employee and has been hailed as the year's best black humor novel.

They have nothing, yet they support each other: Misha, a penguin dismissed from the zoo due to economic crisis, and Viktor, a novelist who makes a living by writing obituaries for living celebrities. Together, they live, drink on frozen rivers, and even attend funerals to earn money. No matter how absurd the circumstances, people still strive to live.

Everyone will fall in love with Misha the penguin. He dislikes frozen fish, gets rented out to attend funerals in his tuxedo, but knows Viktor loves him—and he loves Viktor too.

Every child dreams of a companion of their own, even when they grow up. When Viktor named the penguin Misha, he knew they would spend the cold Ukrainian winter together.

The zoo could no longer afford to keep its penguins, so it opened them up for public adoption. On adoption day, Viktor took Misha the penguin home. Misha not only had congenital heart disease but also suffered from melancholy.

Viktor dreamed of becoming a writer but could never finish a proper work. To support himself and Misha, he took on a strange job: writing obituaries for politicians and business magnates for a newspaper. The pay was good, but the catch was that the obituaries had to be written while the subjects were still alive. Though Viktor couldn't become a true writer, at least this job could buy more fish for Misha. Moreover, more and more wealthy people began renting Misha to attend funerals. When a friend entrusted him with Sonya, a freckled, red-haired little girl, Viktor's life seemed to warm up and improve.

Gradually, Viktor realized the job was far from simple—it was dangerous. As the obituaries, seemingly predicting deaths, were published one after another, his brief happiness turned into confusion and panic. Viktor found himself becoming the subject of an obituary. Where is the killer? Who is the mastermind? As the shadow of death looms closer, Viktor must make compromises and sacrifices to protect Misha and Sonya.

Andrey Kurkov was born in 1961 in St. Petersburg and moved to Kyiv during his childhood. He began writing at the age of six and has a passion for collecting cacti. While studying at Kyiv University, he majored in foreign languages, wrote in Russian, and became fluent in eleven languages, including English and Japanese. He has worked as a journalist, editor, prison guard, and later a cinematographer, writing countless screenplays. His first novel won the Russian Booker Prize, and his works have been translated into 37 languages and published in 65 countries and regions. He currently resides in Kyiv.

Mu Zhuoyun is a professional translator. Her translations include A House for Mr. Biswas, Merle's Door, The Mystic Masseur, In the Woods, The Truffle Hunter, The Riddle of Love, The Age of Experiments, I Am David, and Blue-Eyed Chrysanthemum.

"The alienation of that era is breathtaking... In a moral desert, Kurkov has found a sanctuary for his black humor." — The New York Times

"His depictions of children and the penguin are particularly outstanding. This is a charming work, enjoyable to read, and well worth it." — London Review of Books

"Even the most hard-hearted readers will be moved by the relationship between Viktor and his unusual pet." — The New York Times

"Kurkov may not have the vibrant absurdity of Bulgakov or Kharms, but he has succeeded in writing an unforgettable novel, creating a lingering sense of panic and strangeness." — The Times Literary Supplement