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Usually ships in 1 business days | | | The premise of Lewycka's debut novel is classic Viagra comedy: a middle-aged professor's aging and widowed father announces he intends to marry a blonde, big-breasted 30-something woman he has met at the local Ukrainian Social Club in the English town where he lives, north of London. It is clear to Nadezhda and her sister, Vera, that the femme fatale Valentina is only after Western luxuriesâcertainly not genuine love of any kind. Smitten with the ambitious hussy, their father forges ahead to help Valentina settle in England, spending what little pension he has buying her cars and household appliances and even financing her cosmetic surgery. In the meantime, Nadezhda, a socialist, and Vera, a proud capitalist, confront the longstanding ill will between them as they try to save their father from his folly. Predictable and sometimes repetitive hilarity ensues. But then Lewycka's comic narrative changes tone. Nadezhda, who has never known much about her parents' history, pieces it together with her sister and learns that there is more to her cartoonish father than she once believed. "I had thought this story was going to be a knockabout farce, but now I see it is developing into a knockabout tragedy," Nadezhda says at one point, and though she is referring to Valentina, she might also be describing this unusual and poignant novel.
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| | Product Details | | Author: | Marina Lewycka | | Paperback: | 304 pages | | Publisher: | Penguin (Non-Classics) | | Publication Date: | March 28, 2006 | | ISBN: | 0143036742 | | Package Length: | 8.0 inches | | Package Width: | 5.0 inches | | Package Height: | 0.6 inches | | Package Weight: | 0.6 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 86 reviews |
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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Waste of time Jul 26, 2008
I recently picked this book up used at my local library for $1. The cover burst advertised that it was nominated for a Man Booker Prize, and the back cover copy boasted that it was an international bestseller that was shortlisted for the Orange Prize.
My thoughts on that after reading the book: WTF?
The quick synopsis of the plot is this: Gold-digging Ukrainian immigrant hussy latches on to an elderly Ukrainian widower in England, marries him, and tries to take his money and his house. His two adult daughters (Vera and Nadezhda) try to prevent it from happening. And that's pretty much it. There is an attempt at incorporating many zany characters along the way, and we learn about Vera and Nadezhda's strained relationship, and their relationship with their kooky father. Oh, and every single character is disgusting and hate-able. I almost found myself rooting for the hussy.
Man, this book needed an editor, or at least one more (ruthless) revision. But it was nominated for the Booker, so what the hell do I know? What I do know, though, is this manuscript as is would never have made it out alive if presented to my writer's group.
For instance, the author doesn't seem to have much confidence in her own writing. Written in the first person of the Nadezhda character, the narrative is constantly interrupted by the character's explanation of things in parenthesis. Even during dialogue! And it is a constant interruption. More than a handful of times I just wanted to scream out, "Let the f-ing characters talk! Stop interrupting!"
The other no-no that the author does is to somehow allow her lead first-person narrator to know what someone else is thinking. This is after the old man's young wife is treating him particularly bad:
Maybe he would beat her if he could, but he cannot. For the first time he realises how helpless he is. His heart fills with despair.
Oh really? How do you know this, Nadezhda? My writer's group would have taken me to task if I had presented them with this.
As a writer, you are influenced by many authors and countless books. Sometimes you'll read something so good (think John Irving in his prime) that it inspires you, and shows you just how transcending the written word can be. Then you have a novel like this--which also influences you as a writer. By showing you what not to do.
I need to read some Owen Meany now to cleanse myself. I feel so dirty. But what do I know? This thing was a best-selling, award-nominated novel.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Generational and cultural mis-cues Jul 25, 2008
_A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian_ was recommended to me on the premise that an octagenarian Ukrainian immigrant marries a much younger, glamourous Ukrainian woman; hilarity ensues. Is it a love match, or is the younger woman merely a gold-digger seeking citizenship and the "good life" in the West? How the geriatric widower and his two well-meaning middle-aged daughters see the relationship tells much about their pasts: the time and circumstances in which they grew up and where they are at that particular moment in their lives.
A good deal of the story plodded along - as a previous reviewer noted, it would have made a much better short story than a book - I became increasingly frustrated as the story developed, although this may have been intentional, Lewycka wanting me to empathize with the well-meaning (if exasperated) daughters. The conclusion was rewarding, and I felt was the strongest writing of the book as well - Lewycka quite movingly shows the internal mechanisms that all families face: sibling rivalry, the struggles of caring for elderly parents, differences in political and social outlook - with the additional burden of cultural differences between those born in Ukraine and those born in Britain.
While some may apparently found it funny, I didn't think so; perhaps the relationships between characters and the events were a little too close to home for me to find any humor in them. (Or maybe I don't have as good a sense of humor as I thought I did.) A good diversionary read, but not a great book.
both serious and light Jul 25, 2008
Between the usual solid review from Mr. Fleisig and the catchy title, the novel called out for a spin. Ms. Lewycka has made a fine contribution to the vast collection of Russian fiction, although of course "Russian" doesn't really apply here. The insights into the old days in the home country, the transition during the war, and views into the immigrant experience in England and life in recent Ukraine were welcome and usually interesting.
The author combined a decent amount of humor (amusing at times, occasionally funny) with what in reality is a serious theme. You can see her experience with the care of elderly in the family dynamics that drive the novel. Papa struggles with old age while being mentally alert enough for technical discussions and his book-within-a-book on tractors. His daughters in turn wrestle with how to handle Papa, compounded of course by the plan to marry the mismatched Valentina and the turmoil that inevitably follows.
Dysfunction takes over and there the novel had less appeal for me. Some of the action seemed too forced, or perhaps it's that I don't really like reading about major dysfunction and bad behavior and people doing stupid things. I preferred hearing more about the family's background and watching the younger daughter (and narrator and native English) learn more about the past, including that of the older sister, and for the two of them gradually to come to some accommodation.
A book-within-a-book can be a real dud, just as with a play-within-in-play. The essay on tractors worked better than one might expect, although I can understand if a reader finds it unattractive. Similarly, a reader with little interest in the former Soviet Union or its people will not appreciate one of the novel's strengths. Therefore, I recommend this more for a specific audience and pass as an option for the general reader or a book club.
 A Short History Of Tractors In Ukranian Jul 23, 2008
This is a very funny book, and its evocation of life in the English Midlands is comically well-observed.
Underlying the humour though, is a story of tragedy and survival in a time of genocide.
The eighty-something father who is seduced by a thirty-something Ukranian woman (with "most superior breasts"!) is sympathetically drawn despite his obvious flaws, and his occasional rambling monologues on politics & philosophy are genuinely informative.
The antagonism and eventual raprochement between the two sisters is funny, touching and totally believable.
All the characters are well-drawn.
I strongly recommend this great book.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Strange family saga Jun 02, 2008
I didn't really enjoy this book. Some parts were entertaining/humorous, but I found the book hard to pick up. It definitely did not capture my attention. The general consensus of our book club was that we would not recommend this book to our friends.
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