BookTalk introduces readers to a carefully chosen, provocative selection of novels for reading and informal discussion, considering the author’s writing techniques and the character’s personal journeys. Readings include translations of books from other countries and cultures in the search for fictions that illuminate the lives and understanding of those from all across the globe.
This class focuses on The Funeral Party (1997) by Ludmila Ulitskaya, English translation in 1999 by Cathy Porter. Shortlisted for the Russian Booker Prize, this is the first Ulitskaya novel to be published in English. Set in 1991 New York City, Russian émigrés stop by to pay their final respects to Alik, a charismatic artist, slowly dying of a paralytic disease. Their personal histories are revealed through detailed flashbacks that portray experiences of alienation and stoic fatalism. Both funny and sad, this complex character study unfolds at Alik’s deathbed as his friends, caregivers, and former lovers reminisce about their lives in Russia while the Soviet coup attempt unfolds before them on the news.
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