One of the reasons for the success of Gary Stengart’s satirical style lies in his insistence on ridicule himself. After a few years of publishing his first dazzling novel, “Russian beginner’s guide” (2002), it was mocked in his second novel “Tampering”. The novel was referred to as its writer named Jerry Steinfarbar, and that she bore the name “the hand of the Russian beginner.” Although this is not a hidden joke, people may be admired by artists who have adequate awareness that keep them preceded by their critics.
The new novel, “Vera, or Faith” – Random House, is 243 pages – another alternative to his many ideas. Here, his name is Igor Shamulkin, a writer and editor of a magazine in Manhattan. This character may remind you of David Rumnik – if he was Russian, very depressed, swollen, carries modern bags and smokes a lot of hashish. In fact, it looks like Stengart in his passion for Martini, and being “influential” over the Internet in the world of expensive pens, as is the case with Stengart towards the bright hours.
The best in the Shammekin – at least from the reader’s point of view – it is a spy and a thief of book shelves. Inside the homes of others, he orders his children to monitor the host version of the book “Power Broken” by Robert Caro, to see if the cover has a fracture. Before his own concerts, he pays sums to rearrange his books, so that the books of women and people colored are at the level of view, to refine his image as a person who has qualifications to correct the injustice in the world around him.
It is noteworthy that we are not allowed to approach a lot of Shamlin, perhaps for a good reason. This light, almost interesting novel is one of the most darker Steinggart novels. It depicts us a future version of Dysuli from America. Within the framework of this version, the impossible now becomes inevitable. It is noticeable that the stories of the Distopia have become a ready -made food that every novelist chews.
This story revolves around Vera, the daughter of Shammalkin, who is 10 years old. Vera is characterized by a smart, anxious, and alone personality, striving to maintain the cohesion of her fragmented family. As for one of her closest comrades to her heart, he is my cup, the chess simulator, who was named after her hero, Russian chess champion Gary Kasparov.
She was hung on a wall of her bedroom, a label bearing the image of Kasparov, but only only. (She knew that children were supposed to hang more stickers on their walls that reflect their inner lives, but she liked her indoor life to remain in place). It is worth noting that Vera is a daughter. She refers to her white Protestant mother, who has the Anglo -Saxon roots – and her name is Ann Bradford – in the name of “Mama Ann”. As for her true mother, who she did not meet but she is designed to find her, she belongs to Korea.
The reader will easily notice that the title of this book is inspired by Vladimir Nabokov’s novel “Ada, or the enthusiasm” (1969), which deals with a love story that lasted for life among the cousins of the aristocratic class, then discover that they are brothers. It is noteworthy that Stengart’s novel is in harmony with Nabokov’s novel in several aspects, although the similarities between them remain transient.
In both work, we monitor inappropriate sexual desires, and we seek assumptions of fathers who are not as they seem. Both literary works carry elements of science fiction, and include unexpected communication methods. For her part, Vera wears a butterfly ties, such as one of the characters of the novel “Ada”, and it was not absent from Nabokov that these stones resemble his beloved butterflies. Vera, of course, the name of Nabokov’s wife. There is no doubt that all similarities between the two work will be the concern of a future student student, with the help of artificial intelligence.
Another similar similarity is a passion for Vera in language – just like Ada’s passion. (“I am an emotional figure,” Ada said in Nabokov’s novel.
Vera maintains a notebook in which the words and phrases you want to remember. Many words appear in both narratives between the two scary quotes – those signs that are undermined, such as white veils, the meaning of the word or the phrase. Nabokov saw that the word “reality” should always appear between them.
In the context of his autobiography of John Steinbeck, “Crazy in the World” (2020), William Soder wrote about a Steinbeck’s sons that “the greatest moment of manifestation in his childhood was his awareness that his father was fool.” We note that Vera coexists a similar moment to her father, who turns into a traitor, or so it seems to almost everything in his life. Her nose became accustomed to the smell of his bad lies.
As for children, they are young spies, absorbing and spawning things, until one day they absorb enough to cast you in the bottom. For her part, Vera spies dumping on her father. There are scenes that revolve inside the closed Gardenes Park gates, which may be shown better in a movie than they are in the novel. Soon, Vera is setting out on a wild trip to search for her lost mother. On the borders of some states, women are arrested at checkpoints to verify their menstrual condition. (Men pass quickly in men’s paths only). The novel ends with rapid intervention teams similar to law enforcement teams in the United States. Who are chasing? Is it possible that a self -driving car has been distorted by someone? Here they are men of helicopters and long rifles knocking on your door.
The novel “Vera, or Faith” swings as an indication between the tragedy and the comedy. It is noteworthy that this novel lacks the vitality of the best works of Stengart, and there is no driving emotional energy. In addition, it was the influence of Stengart’s personality himself on paper stronger than the influence of his characters. In more calm novels, these characters appear unpredictable or tangible. In fact, the writer makes a great effort to never look like this great effort. Here, it looks like a weak work point.
However, it remains certain that this Stenghart’s novel is not a waste of time. The truth is that Vera’s growing feeling is almost enough to attract you to drown in this work, but not completely.
* The New York Times Service
