Book Review
Apr. 23rd, 2012 12:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Last Hiccup
by Christopher Meades
This novel was pretty unusual, and while I did enjoy reading it, I'm not quite sure what to make of. It opens in 1929 in Russia, when eight year old Vladimir gets a case of the hiccups that never goes away. Despite and extended stay at the Moscow Hospital, eventual concern for his sanity, fears that he is a dangerous sociopath, and a 12 year stay at a remote Mongolian monastery, Vladimir's hiccups remain. At the age of 20, he finally leaves Mongolia and travels across a Russia in the grip of WWII to return to Moscow and then his home village.
Vladimir's journey involves encounters with a lot of interesting and often odd people. I was particularly fascinated with Sergei and Alexander, the rival doctors who treat Vladimir, and their longstanding rivalry. There's a lot of dark humor, and poignancy along the way. Also, the ending is wonderfully written and one of the best moments of the novel.
Ultimately, while I lied what was there, I wanted more from this book. I would have liked more details about Vladimir's time at the monastery (Meades essentially glosses over it), more of Vladimir's inner life, and more about his relationship with his doctors and the treatments they attempt.
ETA: I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
by Christopher Meades
This novel was pretty unusual, and while I did enjoy reading it, I'm not quite sure what to make of. It opens in 1929 in Russia, when eight year old Vladimir gets a case of the hiccups that never goes away. Despite and extended stay at the Moscow Hospital, eventual concern for his sanity, fears that he is a dangerous sociopath, and a 12 year stay at a remote Mongolian monastery, Vladimir's hiccups remain. At the age of 20, he finally leaves Mongolia and travels across a Russia in the grip of WWII to return to Moscow and then his home village.
Vladimir's journey involves encounters with a lot of interesting and often odd people. I was particularly fascinated with Sergei and Alexander, the rival doctors who treat Vladimir, and their longstanding rivalry. There's a lot of dark humor, and poignancy along the way. Also, the ending is wonderfully written and one of the best moments of the novel.
Ultimately, while I lied what was there, I wanted more from this book. I would have liked more details about Vladimir's time at the monastery (Meades essentially glosses over it), more of Vladimir's inner life, and more about his relationship with his doctors and the treatments they attempt.
ETA: I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
