BOOK REVIEW BILL MACPHERSON Snowdrops
A.D. Miller (Harper Perennial) With Snowdrops, first-time
novelist A.D. Miller has written a superlative piece of contemporary fiction. Using insights gleaned as The Economist’s Moscow correspondent for three years, Miller describes post-Soviet Russian society letter- perfectly while crafting a story that is gripping, eye-opening and intriguing. It’s all about deception, gullibility, upward mobility desires, and treachery. Snowdrops portrays the sordidness of a city and its citizens with crystal-clear vision. The book was shortlisted for the
Man Booker − probably the most prestigious literary fiction award there is − along with a bunch of other honours, and there is ample reason for the kudos. Right from the start, Miller
draws you in with the unique Russian take on the meaning of the title, and he doesn’t let up until you’ve turned the last page. Nick is a 30-something ex-pat,
a lawyer working in the general mayhem, depravity and greed that is Moscow following the splintering of the union early in the 21st
Now removed from it, he is telling his fiancée about his time there in a confessional tone, uncertain of how it might impact their planned future. The novel is that story. Dog-eat-dog is the prevalent
state of things in Nick’s Moscow, and – as a Londoner used to Western civility and order – he is ultimately a dupe in a society where cutthroat practices and deeds are the norm. Sex, greed and corruption in every facet of life are commonplace, an ingrained part of the general decadence of the city. The loss of humanity and common decency is the underpinning of Miller’s memorable novel but he doesn’t judge, just observes and unsparingly tells a compelling story. By the end of it, Nick has learned as much about himself as those whose lives he gets involved with. Snowdrops is an exploration of
the human existence and conscience,
century.
or lack of same. But it is never preachy or moralistic. Riveting without needing to be full of over- the-top excitement, it reveals the moral bankruptcy of almost every character as they embrace the chaotic change the rush of capitalism has brought. They function, or don’t manage to, in a society where rules and social mores seem to have been abandoned. The disparity between the haves and the have-nots and the ruthlessness and criminality that passes for everyday life in Moscow, and Russia as a whole, can be found on nearly every page of the novel. Miller writes with an economy
of words while concisely capturing the state and psyche of the country. His descriptions of the city and its inhabitants – the corrupt officials, the gangster businessmen, the hustlers, thugs, and the savvy, beautiful, often exploited or exploiting women − are dead accurate. The story plays out over a year, portraying Muscovites and their morally bereft, anarchic city without sentiment, but with sympathy for those not willing or able to adapt to the way things are now. Insightful and exquisitely written,
Snowdrops is a fine novel – the story of a wintery city and its opportunistic citizens scrambling to improve themselves, regardless of the cost.
40 BOUNDER MAGAZINE
www.bounder.ca
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