{"product_id":"the-suitcase-9781582437330","title":"The Suitcase","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the exiled Russian author of \u003ci\u003eThe Zone\u003c\/i\u003e--\"His tales open a small window on to daily life in the former Soviet Union\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Sergei Dovlatov's subtle, dark-edged humor and wry observations are in full force in \u003ci\u003eThe Suitcase\u003c\/i\u003e as he examines eight objects--the items he brought with him in his luggage upon his emigration from the U.S.S.R. These seemingly undistinguished possessions, stuffed into a worn-out suitcase, take on a riotously funny life of their own as Dovlatov inventories the circumstances under which he acquired them, occasioning a brilliant series of interconnected tales: A poplin shirt evokes the bittersweet story of a courtship and marriage, while a pair of boots (of the kind only the Nomenklatura can afford) calls up the hilarious conclusion to an official banquet. Some driving gloves--remnants of Dovlatov's short-lived acting career--share space with neon-green crepe socks, reminders of a failed black-market scam. And in curious juxtaposition, the belt from a prison guard's uniform lies next to a stained jacket that once belonged to Fernand L ger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Imbued with a comic nostalgia overlaid with Dovlatov's characteristically dry wit, \u003ci\u003eThe Suitcase\u003c\/i\u003e is an intensely human, delightfully ironic novel from \"the finest Soviet satirist to appear in English since Vladimir Voinovich,\" according to \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \"Readers will soar through the first two-thirds of this novel, then . . . stave off finishing it. The final chapters will be hoarded and cherished, doled out one at a time as a reward after a bad day.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \"His laconic, humane irony illuminated life in the Soviet Union like a sudden burst of laughter during a police interrogation.\" --The Baltimore Sun\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Counterpoint LLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781582437330\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 136\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.35lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.10h x 5.40w x 0.40d","brand":"Sergei Dovlatov","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36660563280028,"sku":"9781582437330","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_37418b8d-421f-4bce-9351-511f77292d9b.jpg?v=1603897006","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-suitcase-9781582437330","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}