Absurdistan

by Gary Shteyngart

Characters

Misha Vainberg

Boris Vainberg

Timofey

Lyuba

Captain Belugin

Oleg the Moose

Rouenna

Alyosha-Bob

Jerry Shteynfarb

Josh Weiner

Dr. Levine

Lefèvre (Belgian diplomat)

Sakha the Democrat

Larry Zartarian

Nana Nanabrogovna

Mr. Nanabrogovna

Bubi (Nanabrogov’s son)

Parka Mook (Sevo playwright)

Volodya (Nanbrogov associate with anti-Semitic views)

Faik (Nanabrogov’s servant)

Jimbo-Dror (Mossad agent)

Discussion questions

  1. The prologue claims that the book is about love. Do you agree?
  1. Does the emphasis on the physical attributes of the main character add to or detract from the story? Why do you think the author made the main character an absurdly fat one?
  1. Is the protagonist a likeable character? What are his virtues and vices? What are his goals?
  1. What is your opinion of Alyosha-Bob? Misha describes him in glowing terms; do you think he has an accurate picture of his friend?
  1. What do you think of the education Misha got at Accidental College? What did it emphasize, and did it prepare him for the world?
  1. Misha and Alyosha-Bob embrace African American culture in many ways. Do you think their appreciation is sincere? What aspects of African American culture appeal to them?
  1. Describe the relationship between Misha and Rouenna. Is it a real love relationship, or are they using each other?
  1. Is the book funny? Are there certain topics that should be “off-limits” as fodder for comedy?
  1. The tone of the book careens from over-the-top satire to grim reality. Does Shteyngart manage these transitions well? What did you think of this literary technique?
  1. Discuss Misha’s attitude towards women, as well as that of other characters in the book. How much of an exaggeration is this portrayal of women’s status?
  1. Do the numerous sex scenes detract from or add to the book?
  1. While Absurdisvani / Absurdistan is a fictional country, the political situation described does not seem too far from reality for many countries. What conclusions do you draw from Shteyngart’s portrayal of tribal infighting and Western neocolonialism?
  1. How do the various players in Absurdistan view the conflict there? Why was the war started? How do those who orchestrate it justify their decision? Does it achieve its stated goals? Why or why not?
  1. Given the amount of deception in the book, is anything actually what it appears to be?
  1. What do you think of the landscape imagery?
  1. Although we do not meet Boris Vainberg, Misha’s father, he is an almost ubiquitous presence throughout the story. Discuss the relationship between father and son. Why does Boris send Misha to the U.S. to study, and why does he want him to return to and remain in Russia? Is there any similarity between this parent-child relationship and that of Nana and Mr. Nanabrogov?
  1. What is the influence of religion on the characters in the book? Misha describes himself as a secular Jew and is disrespectful of practicing Jews. What does his attitude reflect about his character? How do the Svani and Sevo (both Christian denominations) relate with each other, and with those of other religions?
  1. Do you think Misha made it back to the Bronx and Rouenna?
  1. Do any scenes or characters in the book remind you of other literature of movies you have read and seen?
  1. What are some of the stereotypes portrayed in the book? What did the author gain by using so many?
  1. Are there any likable characters in the book? Do you care what happens to them?

About the author

Gary Shteyngart was born in Leningrad, USSR (now St. Petersburg, Russia) in 1972. He comes from a Jewish family that emigrated to the United States in 1979 and was brought up with no television and no spoken English in the home. He is a graduate of Stuyvesent High School in New York and earned a degree in politics at Oberlin College in Ohio (the basis for Accidental College) and a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Hunter College in New York. He now lives on the Lower East Side and teaches writing at Columbia and Princeton.

His debut novel was The Russian Debutante’s Handbook in 2003, and his third novel (after Absurdistan, 2006), Super Sad True Love Story, is scheduled for publication in August 2010.