a contribution to the Booker Prize Roundabout

"What looks like an act of evil to a single person is the people's act of love to its future self." (p. 260)

In 1919 Siberia, in the outer reaches of a country recently torn apart by civil war, lives a small Christian sect and its enigmatic leader, Balashov. Stationed in their midst is a company of Czech soldiers, on the losing side of the recent conflict and desperate to get home. Into this isolated community trudges Samarin, an escapee from Russia's northernmost prison. His arrival intrigues many of the locals, including Anna Petrovna, a beautiful young war widow, but when the local shaman is found dead, suspicion and terror engulf the little town ...

This was my 13th book I read from the Booker Prize Roundabout Longlist 2006 and am amazed how much it differs in its genre from the others. It is a historical thriller, very gripping and wirtten in a beautiful language, nice structure and about the big big topic: love - love matters. The story itself is very brutal (cannibalism and self-mutilation), full of interesting changes. I did not expect the outcome and will definetely re-read the book later on. Sometimes the storyline seemed a bit too much exaggerated and unbelievable, that explains that I cannot give away all stars.

RELEASE NOTES:

macht sich als Beitrag zum Booker Prize Roundabout 2005 morgen endlich auf zur zweiten Leserin: elhamisabel.

Recieved today. Thanks! This is the last Booker book 2005 for me. Let's see how I like it.

Finished it just now.

What a book. I really liked reading it. What a great narrative. I loved the different perspectives in this book.
A very recommendable novel.

This was my last Booker Prize Longlist 2005 book.

The book arrived today - thanks! It is the 13th book of the booker prize list for me as well. I want to read it soon.

A terrific book! A great story well told. Yes, the book is quite different from the others on the booker prize list.
The german title of the book is "Die einsamen Schrecken der Liebe" - well, I will have to think about that...
The book will travel on to lesezeichen.

Sorry!!! The book arrived about a week ago, thanks a lot!

Just arrived back home.

Later today: Only after I made my JE, I saw that the book has not yet travelled to pustefix, so sent her the book today to Scotland, enjoy!

Dankeschoe fuers schicken! ist angekommen, als ich in urlaub war, deswege wird es jetzt erst gejournalt

I absolutaly loved this! its been sitting on my shelf for so long and I thought about passing it on without reading it, i'm so glad I didnt. once I got past the first few chapters, I was absolutely gripped and couldnt put it down.

sternschnuppe, wenn du nichts dagegen hast, behalte ich das noch eine weile, mein freund wollte es noch lesen.