Mikhail Gigolashvili

The Interpreter hovers somewhere between connected-short-stories-as-novel and epistolary novel… Each chapter is narrated by a nameless man, a native speaker of Russian who interprets at a German refugee camp in 2001. The refugees' stories, many of which are largely lies, are the highlight of the book, and their humorous and sad accounts blend into an interesting picture of post-Soviet wishes.

(There's more about The Interpreter on my blog, rel="nofollow" target="_top">here.)… (more)

The Devil's Wheel is one of the best books I've read this year, a graphic depiction of drug addiction and corruption in Tbilisi, Georgia, during the Gorbachev era. Gigolashvili makes an 800-page book feel short and shows incredible patience in structuring the novel, creating dozens of major and minor characters who feel surprisingly real as they experience withdrawal from drugs and a way of life.

There's more on my blog rel="nofollow" target="_top">here.… (more)