Ukrainian Russian-speaking writer Lesha Palkich, whose novel has been published by the independent publishing house Vidim Books, has previously been noted only for his short stories and fantasy “Pograntsy”. But the descriptions of the new book on the publisher's website are intriguing: it is a parable novel, something metaphorical, a “Game of Thrones” in the world of the brave soldier Schweik” and, to top it all off, ‘a new manifestation of the national Ukrainian character and style’ (characterization by Dmitry Bykov).

A book by a Ukrainian writer about the war (although without the war) - we must admit that this is a difficult reading experience. In three years, the war in literature on both sides of the front line has already been described in documentary and fiction texts, prose and poems, through the eyes of military and civilians - and these texts are important both as evidence of the era and as attempts to reflect on personal and other people's experience... But how difficult it is sometimes to read them, when the psyche can no longer cope with another artistic reinterpretation of the nightmare happening in reality!

So, “The Gopack Equation” by its subtitle, at least, does not deceive. It is indeed a story told almost without descriptions of the war, although the war is in the story as a background, and this war is at times very recognizable. But reading the book is not scary, it is not hard or painful. Palkic does not aim to shock, his calm style turns the text directly into a balm to the soul wounds of the reader exhausted by news and heartbreaking literature. In addition, by moving the action to a fantasy reality, the author achieves the effect of detachment: something very familiar and yet conventional is happening, so you can read without tearing your soul on the next sharp corners of reality, and at the same time perceive the text as a story about eternal themes rather than a testimony about contemporary events.

The language of the book reminds one of Strugatsky with his “It is difficult to be a god”, or of the early texts of Sergei Lukyanenko like “Cold Shores”, but more associations arise with the colorful language of urban fantasy geographically and culturally close to the author Marina and Sergei Dyachenko.

Although, strictly speaking, it is not fiction (the definition of “parable” is more correct), because there is no fantastic element in the story. There is a fictional world where there was a Troubles between the provinces of the North and the South (with the careful neutrality of the West and the East): general elections were held, the winning northern candidate, a TV journalist, did not please the supporters of the southern candidate, the Minister of War, and it began... Very familiar, isn't it?

The level of recognition varies, either turning the text into a transparent allegory or, on the contrary, taking the reader into the fictional mythology of the Troubles. The North and the South are generally very similar, and even seem to have been one people, although not everyone is sure of this - different domestic and cultural traditions have already developed. And here the controlling authorities are vigilant to “enemy” slogans and tattoos, and ordinary citizens reason that the Troubles is a real war, because of which, in addition, prices are rising.... The same promises of large payments to those who go to serve, the same bribes to get into a good place, and even the “unofficial anthem of the heroic march of the Southerners to the North” is based on the familiar text of Viktor Tsoi “War is the fate of the young, a cure for gray hair”.....

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