BOOK BRIEF

The Suitcase

Sergei Dovlatov
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The Suitcase

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1990

Book Brief

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Sergei Dovlatov

The Suitcase

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1990
Book Details
Pages

128

Format

Short Story • Fiction

Genre
Classic Fiction

Humor

Russian Literature
Setting

Leningrad, Soviet Union • 1970s

Topic
World History
Publication Year

1990

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

In The Suitcase, Sergei Dovlatov explores a collection of items packed by an emigrating Soviet citizen. Through stories like "The Finnish Crepe Socks" and "The Poplin Shirt," everyday objects serve as portals to personal and historical narratives, blending humor and nostalgia, capturing the transition from life in the USSR to new beginnings.

Humorous

Nostalgic

Contemplative

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

4.3

10,663 ratings

84%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

3%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Sergei Dovlatov's The Suitcase offers a witty, poignant exploration of identity and memory through a series of autobiographical stories linked by items in a suitcase. Critics praise its humor and sharp observations on Soviet life. Some note a lack of depth in character development, but the engaging narrative and unique structure are widely appreciated.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Suitcase?

Readers who enjoy The Suitcase by Sergei Dovlatov likely appreciate dark humor and satirical depictions of life in Soviet Russia. Fans of Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita or Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting may find similar enjoyment in Dovlatov's blend of wit and poignant reflection on identity and displacement.

4.3

10,663 ratings

84%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

3%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

128

Format

Short Story • Fiction

Genre
Classic Fiction

Humor

Russian Literature
Setting

Leningrad, Soviet Union • 1970s

Topic
World History
Publication Year

1990

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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