Lyudmila Ulitskaya – Childhood and other stories

They say a good book is when one escapes from the tactile present. One reads, and with every word the connection with the narrative becomes so strong that one can feel the breeze going through the character’s hair. Moreover, a good book is like a good actor. Every page may be suspected of ‘having played’ its part in a believable way if one understands even characters’ uncomprehensive uneasiness. Lyudmila Ulitskaya’s stories are believable actors. And not because they went to a fancy school. On the contrary, they talk in a simple, open and sincere way about recurrent issues and ideas. It is the mirage of that universality to which we all have access, whether we realize it or not.