Nikolski

By Nicolas Dickner; Lazer Lederhendler (Translator)
(Trumpeter, Paperback, 9781590307144, 304pp.)

Publication Date: May 12, 2009

Categories: Literary

Selected by Indie Booksellers for the June 2009 Indie Notables

“Unaware of each others' existence, two half-siblings and their cousin cross paths in this modern-day, coming-of-age saga set mostly in Montreal. Winner of several prizes in the original French, Nikolski draws you in with sympathetic characters, gentle humor, and vivid prose, all laced with fascinating tidbits of geography and ethnography.”

-- Ilene Traiger, Books On The Common, Ridgefield, CT

Description

Spring 1989. Three young people leave their far-flung birthplaces to follow their own songs of migration. Each ends up in Montreal, each on a voyage of self-discovery, dealing with the mishaps of heartbreak and the twisted branches of their shared family tree.

Filled with humor, charm, and good storytelling, this novel shows the surprising links between cartography, garbage-obsessed archeologists, pirates past and present, a mysterious book with no cover, and a broken compass whose needle obstinately points to the Aleutian village of Nikolski (a minuscule village inhabited by thirty-six people, five thousand sheep, and an indeterminate number of dogs).

About the Author

Nicolas Dickner won two literary awards for his first published work, the short story collection L’encyclopédie du petit cercle. Born in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, he traveled extensively in Europe and Latin America before settling in Montreal.

Praise For Nikolski…

"There is a real strain of romanticism in Quebec novels. One of the most beautiful is Nikolski, by first-time novelist Nicholas Dickner. It offers a breathtakingly original perception of the world, mixing geography, cartography, and longing in a language and construction both intellectually sophisticated and emotionally affecting."—Globe and Mail

"With the obvious (and wicked?) pleasure of a born storyteller, Nicholas Dickner has us holding our breath with his many narratives that join up in most unexpected ways, continuing to surprise us at every turn."—Prix Anne-Hebert jury (Nikolski wom the prize in 2006 for Best First Book)

“Dickner excites the imagination of the reader to the point of ecstasy.”—Le Monde

"Nikolski is a great success, both for its structure and its imagination."—La Presse

This book is on these lists:

Jmhanks's Wish List by jmhanks
Nessar12's Wish List by nessar12
Emzhang's Wish List by emzhang
Books to buy 2 by lccushman
Gardencottage's Wish List by gardencottage

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