Chevengur

''Platonov is an extraordinary writer, perhaps the most brilliant Russian writer of the twentieth century'' New York Review of Books The Soviet Don Quixote, Chevengur is now seen by many Russian writers as Russia''s greatest novel of the last century. This is the first English version to convey its subtlety and depth. Zakhar Pavlovich comes from a world of traditional crafts to work as a train mechanic, motivated by his belief in the transformative power of industry. His adopted son, Sasha Dvanov, embraces revolution, which will transform everything: the words we speak and the lives we live, souls and bodies, the soil underfoot and the sun overhead. Seeking communism, Dvanov joins up with Stepan Kopionkin, a warrior for the cause whose steed is the fearsome cart horse Strength of the Proletariat. Together they cross the steppe, meeting counter-revolutionaries, desperados and visionaries of all kinds. At last they reach the