{"product_id":"9781582438832","title":"The Suitcase: A Novel","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the exiled Russian author of \u003ci\u003eThe Zone\u003c\/i\u003e—“His tales open a small window on to daily life in the former Soviet Union” (\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Sergei Dovlatov’s subtle, dark-edged humor and wry observations are in full force in \u003ci\u003eThe Suitcase \u003c\/i\u003eas he examines eight objects—the items he brought with him in his luggage upon his emigration from the U.S.S.R. These seemingly undistinguished possessions, stuffed into a worn-out suitcase, take on a riotously funny life of their own as Dovlatov inventories the circumstances under which he acquired them, occasioning a brilliant series of interconnected tales: A poplin shirt evokes the bittersweet story of a courtship and marriage, while a pair of boots (of the kind only the Nomenklatura can afford) calls up the hilarious conclusion to an official banquet. Some driving gloves—remnants of Dovlatov’s short-lived acting career—share space with neon-green crepe socks, reminders of a failed black-market scam. And in curious juxtaposition, the belt from a prison guard’s uniform lies next to a stained jacket that once belonged to Fernand Léger.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Imbued with a comic nostalgia overlaid with Dovlatov’s characteristically dry wit, \u003ci\u003eThe Suitcase \u003c\/i\u003eis an intensely human, delightfully ironic novel from “the finest Soviet satirist to appear in English since Vladimir Voinovich,” according to the \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Readers will soar through the first two-thirds of this novel, then . . . stave off finishing it. The final chapters will be hoarded and cherished, doled out one at a time as a reward after a bad day.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “His laconic, humane irony illuminated life in the Soviet Union like a sudden burst of laughter during a police interrogation.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Baltimore Sun\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Catapult","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47137899446512,"sku":"9781582438832","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781582438832_p0.jpg?v=1763803774","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781582438832","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}