Twelve Stories of Russia: A Novel, I guess

What is the book about? Twelve Stories of Russia: A Novel, I guess is about an American who moves to Moscow in 1991--just before the fall of the Iron Curtain--to teach Russians the difference between the and a. In his quest he is witness to an unsuccessful coup, an even-less-successful rebellion, rampant inflation, unprecedented social, economic and political change, Mafia infighting, and a host of other phenomena that characterize this period. But, alas, the book pays almost no attention to any of this. In Russia such cataclysms are a given, and the narrator, in his discussions with Russian friends, is forced to address much more pressing issues of cross-cultural relations: "Why is it," a friend asks, "that you Americans smile so much?"

What is the structure of the novel? The book is four hundred forty-eight pages with a total word count of one hundred thirty-seven thousand words.. It is divided into twelve chapters called "books," which represent semi-independent stories, each with its own style. The chapters are connected both chronologically and by unifying themes: the main character's quest for the "eleven Russian words that are not just words"; his futile attempt to love vodka; his long-distance relationship with the aunt he has abandoned in his search for "danger."

What does the title mean? The name, though seemingly simple, has several levels. First, the inherent contradiction between the novel and its stories reflects the unusual form that has been chosen for narration; it is neither a novel in the traditional sense, nor simply a collection of short stories. Rather, it is a synthesis of both forms, offering the full narrative advantages of each. Second, Twelve Stories of Russia is an allusion to the Russian writers Ilf and Petrov who co-authored two extremely popular books in Russian: Dvenatsat' Stulev (The Twelve Chairs) and Odnoetazhnaya Amerika (One-Storied America)--the former is a tale of a wild hunt for hidden treasure, the latter an observant but slightly politicized travel memoir detailing the authors' trek through 1930's America. The themes in these two books provide a convenient starting point for Twelve Stories, which, in some ways, is a reflection of them both. Third, in a very literal sense stories represent floors of a building, the cheap pre-fab boxes built to combat the housing shortage in Moscow. Thus, in the context of the novel these buildings become a self-effacing allegory for the novel itself; at one point a character commenting on the drab unremarkable buildings says, "...Yeah, these twelve-story buildings are all the same!" In other words, if you've read one superficial travel memoir, you've read them all. Finally, the phrase I guess--given almost as an afterthought--emphasizes what are the most important elements of the text: playfulness, spontaneity, and a healthy dose of pretentiousness.

Who is the audience? Any foreigner who has been to Russia and can compare the book with his own experiences. Russians who know English and are interested in seeing a fresh, thoughtful perspective on their culture. Intelligent readers who enjoy reading for its own sake.