THE TSAR OF LOVE AND TECHNO Stories

This beautifully written collection of nine linked stories set in Russia from the 1930s to the present is marred by the stilted performances of Beata Pozniak and Rustam Kasymov. Although listeners will have no trouble understanding their accents, both narrators read in a halting manner, pausing in unexpected places, disrupting the flow of the prose. The sections read by Mark Bramhall provide a welcome relief to the overly deliberate narration of the bulk of the audiobook. The stories follow the lives of four families over several generations as they attempt to cope with the changing Russian political atmosphere. The sometimes surprising connections among the characters are found through shared experiences, locales, and art. This powerful look at the Russian spirit is best experienced in print. C.B.L. [Published: JANUARY 2016]