At the beginning of The Dead Lake, by Uzbek author Hamid Ismailov, an unnamed traveller encounters Yerzhan, a 27 year-old man seemingly confined to the body of a young boy, playing violin on the platform of a railway station. Fascinated by this odd character, he invites him to join him on his train journey where Yerzhan proceeds to share his account of growing up in a two-family railway “stop” on the steppes of Kazakhstan during the years of the Cold War. The landscape of his homeland, vast and underpopulated, is seen to be the ideal testing ground for the Soviet side of the nuclear arms race. The tremors and explosions that rock the “Zone” become a terrifying feature of daily life for the nearby residents.The resulting radiation will take a much more devastating toll.
Early on Yerzhan finds respite in music. At the age of three, he shows exceptional musical aptitude for playing his granddad’s dombra, graduating quickly to the violin. For years music consumes him. A Hungarian worker at the Mobile Construction Unit is found to tutor the young musical prodigy. He absorbs the music, quickly learning to read and play many classical masterpieces.
“He dreamt these phrases, together with the sounds of the violin in the different-coloured, rounded notes. His dreams had never been so jolly before. The notes walked about like little men. This one was fat and pompous, with a huge pot belly, while these minced along on skinny legs.”
He also finds a personal hero in the handsome Dean Reed, the American born pop and rock singer who became a celebrity behind the Iron Curtain, and imagines himself growing in the image of his mentor and securing the heart of his beloved Aisulu. But when he suddenly stops growing at the age of 12, his intended continues to grow, eventually reaching an unusual height for a woman. His heartache, which he seeks to answer in the songs, magic, and legends of his people becomes an allegory for the very real and tragic legacy that atomic fallout has left on the land and people of this remote part of the world.
This moving novella is part of Peirene Press’ Coming of Age series. Ismailov breathes life into the steppes, from the snow dusted barren slopes, to the ubiquitous worms, lice, and flies. The silence of the landscapes is contrasted with the violence of the test flights and explosions. The musical tones of violin meet traditional folksongs. Andrew Bromfield’s sensitive translation form the Russian is especially effective in maintaining the lyrical quality of the songs that are woven into the tale. The result is a simple, but thought-provoking read.
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2015: It is good to see small, subscription supported presses like Peirene receiving the attention that these nominations bring to the wonderful stories that deserve to reach a wider audience.
roughghosts 
Peirene have had a really good showing on iffp books from every year have made the list I felt this highlighted a problem that is there in the former Soviet hinterland still
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Oh yes, it reads like a folktale but the issue is very much about the present day.
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This was my favourite of last year’s Peirene titles, and I’m very pleased to see it on the IFFP longlist. I agree, it’s a moving and thought-provoking story. I loved the evocative use of language and imagery, the contrast between the bleakness and beauty.
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I have been meaning to read their books for so long (not that length is an excuse!). I am really keen to read more. This was lovely and sad.
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I’m not sure whether Dyane follows you so I emailed her this, I have a feeling she will be interested. Now I’m yo ho hoing off to see if it’s available to me.
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Dyane was the first “like”. I can get electronic editions of their books for just a few dollars, can say for SA though. This is an indie publisher.
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Jaaa the rand is even weaker against the dollar now.
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Against our dollar? That’s some feat, Canada is falling with oil prices.
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All hard currency and a lot of soft too. It’s tragic.
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Drat. It isn’t.
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I really enjoyed this one and hope to see it on the shortlist – a very moving story and an effective translation.
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I agree, a haunting and wonderful tale.
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I’d also be happy to see this on the short list. Peirene really are a wonderful publisher (though, one last time, my favourite last year was The Blue Room).
Dean Reed’s Wikipedia page must be getting some extra traffic these days thanks to this novel!
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Poor Dean Reed. I had never heard of him but what a fascinating story. I love it when a book introduces you to a new personality or piece of history (in this case Soviet bloc pop culture).
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I’ve seen a couple of reviews of this, and it does sound particularly good. It sounds like it has a neat usage of folk-tale atmosphere coupled to very modern issues.
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This my first Peirene Press book though I have been meaning to pick one up for a long time. Being old enough to remember the end of the Cold War era it does offer another important view of life behind the Iron Curtain.
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