Sandro of Chegem

Sandro iz Chegema (Russian: Сандро из Чегема), known in English as Sandro of Chegem, is a picaresque novel (or a parody thereof) by Abkhaz author Fazil Iskander, written in Russian and first published in the west in 1979-1981.[1]

Publication and translation

According to Susan Jacoby, the novel was published in Russian in the early 1970s, but 90% of the text had fallen victim to Soviet censorship. An English translation (by Susan Brownsberger) was published in the United States in 1983 by Vintage.[2] That translation is based on a publication of the novel by Ardis, published in 1979.[3]

Content and structure

The chapters of the novel can stand separately, but form a "unified whole", according to Susan Jacoby.[2] Iskander, in the foreword to the novel, said he started it as a "comic piece, a gentle parody of the picaresque novel". He also noted that "the book you are reading is in fact only part of the epic Sandro. Further episodes of the novel will be published in the future."[4] A second volume on Sandro was published as Novye glavy in 1979/1981 by Ardis, and translated also by Susan Brownsberger and published in 1984 by Vintage.[5]

Legacy and importance

The novel is frequently compared to the work of Mark Twain.[2][6] According to the Moscow Times, "The strong regional flavor of the novel and its picaresque nature highlight Iskander's unique capacity for human observation".[6]


References
  • Iskander, Fazil (1983). Sandro of Chegem. Translated by Brownsberger, Susan. Vintage Books. ISBN 0394715160.
  • Iskander, Fazil (1984). The Gospel According to Sandro of Chegem. Translated by Brownsberger, Susan. Vintage Books. ISBN 0394723775.
  1. Kudrjavtseva, Tatjana. "Fazil' Iskander: cultural bilingualism and the writings in Russian of the non-Russian intelligentsia". Slavica Lundensia. 22 (2205): 287–300.
  2. Jacoby, Susan (15 May 1983). "An Abkhazian Mark Twain". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  3. Iskander, Sandro of Chegem, copyright page.
  4. Iskander, Sandro of Chegem, "Foreword", vii-viii.
  5. Iskander, The Gospel According to Chegem, copyright page.
  6. "Fazil Iskander: A Colorful, Lyrical and Deeply Funny Writer". The Moscow Times. 1 August 2016.
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