Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov

Andrey Kurkov’s Death and the Penguin is a very Russian satire, set in the city of Kiev.

Viktor is a writer. But economic necessity means he writes obituaries for a newspaper, and not short stories. But writing about death in advance of it happening is a tricky business - involving the Russian mafia, lots of killing and plenty of vodka.

Viktor neither comes across as a hero nor a villain. But he does share his life with a penguin that’ll make you smile.

Check out Kurkov’s other translated work: Penguin Lost, The Case of the General’s Thumb and A Matter of Death and Life.