The Silver Bone by Andre Kurkov

Sunday, May 5, 2024--San Antonio

The Silver Bone by Andre Kurkov was longlisted for the Booker International Prize.  It is a crime story that takes place in Kiev during the the political turmoil of 1917-1918.  Samson is a young man whose mother and sister have already died and he and his father are attacked on the street by Cossacks.  The father dies having his head split in two by a sword while also saving his son by pushing him as a sword goes toward his head.  Samson loses only an ear and faces life alone.  He needs to find a job.  This is a period of high crime due to the turmoil, and he writes a report of another crime and takes it to the police which are very shorthanded.  Because Samson's report is well written with good details, he is hired on the spot to join the police force if he is interested and is immediately assigned to follow the case he has reported which involves two soldiers who have apparently stolen items, pushed themselves into Samson's apartment claiming the right to live there, and are planning to desert the Red Army to go home for planting season.  It is a rather simple detective story--the first of a series that is planned.  It seems to have been shortlisted for the prize because it includes an aspect of magical realism; Samson can hear things happening wherever the severed part of his ear is placed.  As a detective story, it is lacking, I believe.  For instance, with crimes happening daily, Samson is allowed to pursue just two crimes over a period of what seems to be several weeks.  I gave the book 3 1/2 stars out of 5.