Rate this book

A Replacement Life (2014)

by Boris Fishman(Favorite Author)

3.57 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0062287877 (ISBN13: 9780062287878)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Harper

review 1: Great book with some very thought provoking themes about the grey line between truth and fiction when faced with moral dilemma. I thought there could have been some better character development of Arianna and Vera as juxtaposed love interests. I also enjoyed background info on the people Slava helped and felt like it was often cut off too quickly. I found some parts a quick flow and very engaging while others slower and tangential. Overall an enjoyable read.
review 2: Soviet immigrant fiction (is that even a category?)appeals to me. I have read Alina Bronsky, David Bezmozgis, Karolina Waclawiak, Anya Ulinich and Gary Shteyngart and have enjoyed them to varying degrees (Bronsky and Bezmozgis by far the most). Boris Fishman is a wonderful addition to this group.... more His ability to turn a humorous phrase and evoke a cringeworthy visual is up there with the best of them. A Replacement Life is a fun and thoughtful addition to this conglomeration. It is a novel about the dichotomies in life and deciding how much you want to fit in. Slava is trying desperately to leave his immigrant past in the past and creating a writer's life for himself in Manhattan. The moral and personal dilemmas in which Fishman immerses him are both poignant and hysterical. Yvgeny Gelman is one of my favorite characters of the last couple of years. Neither his age, infirmity nor lack of knowledge limit his ability to "work the system" to his advantage (even at a high cost to his family) with no sense of moral ambiguity. less

Download links for: A Replacement Life

Advertising