The Suitcase

By Sergei Dovlatov

Book Overview

Sergei Dovlatov's subtle, dark-edged humor and wry observations are in full force in The Suitcase 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.

Imbued with a comic nostalgia overlaid with Dovlatov's characteristically dry wit, The Suitcase is an intensely human, delightfully ironic novel from "the finest Soviet satirist to appear in English since Vladimir Voinovich."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582437335
• ISBN13: 9781582437330
• Release Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

The Suitcase

The product is perfect, it is almost as new!The shipping was fast, it took even less than expected!!! A plus :)

Laugh til you cry

Sergei Dovlatov is one of my top 3 writers. When you read one of his books, you feel as though you as conversing with Sergei. The text flows freely and easily. Dovlatov has the uncanny ability to capture life in the former Soviet Union, displaying not only it's absurdness, but the humor in that absurdness. This book is a series of short stories. Each chapter is based an item in the suitcase he brought when he came to the US. The book is funny, as is all of his work, well written and poignant. I have read this book many times and on each occassion, I laugh and shake my head with amazement. It is truly a shame that Dovlatov died so young (49).