Where words end, music begins...

A new novel by Evgeny Vodolazkin, winner of the Bolshaya Kniga and Yasnaya Polyana awards.

In his novel, Brisbane, he continues the stories of his characters (Laurus, Aviator), whose fates—as in ancient tragedy—suddenly and immediately change. Gleb Yanovsky, a virtuoso musician, at the peak of his success, loses the ability to perform due to illness and tries to find a different meaning in life, a new point of support. He is helped in this by... the past—he tries to piece together memories of his Kiev childhood in the seventies, his youth in Leningrad, his present in Germany, and again in Kyiv in the 2000s. Only Brisbane is not among these journeys through life. And does such a city really exist? Or is it just a mirage, a dream, a utopian ideal, the music of the spheres?

“The novel, as expected, has nothing to do with the city of Brisbane, otherwise I would not have called it that. Brisbane is a symbol of what lies on the other side of the globe, the goal of dreams, efforts, which, of course, is unattainable. In general, this is the story of a modern successful musician who has lost the opportunity to perform and is looking for a new meaning in life. Previously, everything for him was aimed at success, at that high “F” that he hit, but he has to admit that the meaning of life does not lie in this highest point” - Evgeny Vodolazkin, interview with Sputnik radio

Quote from the book:

– In your interviews, you often mention the city of Brisbane, and, well, Australia in general. Why?

– Because when we have winter, they have summer.

– And when we have summer?

– Then they have summer too. By our standards, it's summer. That's the thing, you see? In our family, this place was considered paradise.

– The population there is too specific for paradise. Descendants of convicts.

– So what?

– Paradise requires a good biography.

– Have you been there?

– Where, in Australia?

– No, in paradise. How do you know what kind of biography is required there?

– In your interviews, you often mention the city of Brisbane, and, well, Australia in general. Why?

– Because when it's winter here, it's summer there.

– And when it's summer here?

– Then it's summer there too. By our standards, it's summer. In our family, this place was considered paradise.

– The population there is too specific for paradise. Descendants of convicts.

Author: Evgeny Vodolazkin