Why read The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin?

Book cover of The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin

Book description

Ivan Chonkin is a simple, bumbling peasant who has been drafted into the Red Army. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, he is sent to an obscure village with one week's ration of canned meat and orders to guard a downed plane. Apparently forgotten by his unit, Chonkin…

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Literary fiction

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

David Bellos

Author

This is the first and probable the only truly comic novel to come out of the old USSR. Set in the army during World War II, it riffs unsparingly on the absurdities of Soviet life and takes digs at human follies of every kind. The most memorable chapter, which brings tears to my eyes just when I think about it, contains a recipe for homebrew vodka made from the commonest of human products. Don’t miss this one! You’ll not look at your garden the same way ever again.

From David's list on funniest stories ever translated into English.