World Literature Today Editor's Pick: Summer Reads (2015)
"Shishkin tends not to be sentimental or idealistic– indeed, he is usually quite the opposite–and this gives the more positive or transcendent moments extra punch." –
Sibelan Forrester, The Slavic Review "Shishkin is virtuosic, his subjects move through others' stories in dizzying/awe-inspiring ways. Incredible!" –
Maaza Mengiste, author of Beneath the Lion's Gaze "Though the stories in CALLIGRAPHY LESSON are steeped in Russian history and have a distinctly Russian tone, many of the philosophical quandaries they engage extend beyond language and borders – they are universal problems, and this translation boldly and successfully takes them on." –
Caroline North, Dallas Observer "Shishkin is fantastically, magically talented." –
Julie Hersh, Music & Literature "Compact, and at times riveting to read, this collection delivers a well-rounded portrait of Russian's most acclaimed contemporary writer." –
Lucy Renner Jones, Words Without Borders "An ideal introduction to Shishkin and his work." –
Michael Orthofer, Complete Review "Nothing I read about [Shishkin], however, quite prepared me for the desperate urgency of CALLIGRAPHY LESSON, as if its lyricism were only a last match struck against the darkness. His prose breathes life - doesn't breathe it, gasps it, aware of the perishability of words, of worlds dying in each instant, and us dying with them, as life is beaten out of us second by second." –
Cynthia Haven, The Book Haven "Characters with great pathos navigate a distinctly post-Soviet bedlam . . . The collection consists of artfully constructed, empathetic tales of people living in the midst cyclonic time." –
Jacob Kiernan, New Orleans Review "I highly recommend
Calligraphy Lesson for the beautiful language, moving stories and the emotional characters." –
The Book Binder's Daughter "Complex and allusive . . . juxtaposed with autobiographical - and at times overtly politicised - narratives . . . [the final story] takes us beyond fiction and into the realm of the philosophical essay . . . the collection stands at the nexus between Shishkin's novelistic output and his increasingly outspoken forays into the political arena . . .In CALLIGRAPHY LESSON, he celebrates art's - and, more specifically, language's - capacity to elevate us to the time-annihilating plateau." –
Leo Shtutin, Open Democracy "Shishkin's life-affirming language posits transcendence." –
Robert H. McCormick Jr., World Literature Today "Shishkin's agile, inventive narration reveals his homeland anew, showing once again why he has become one of Russia's most valued storytellers–and an important new author in the West." –
Literalab "[A] skillful achievement of complex, stylistic prose to evoke poignant themes common to all people, including love, life, family, and death. [Shishkin's] particular style is impressionistic, which matches the characteristics of his dominating theme: language." –
Daniel P. Haeusser, Reading 1000 Lives
