Thirst Audiobook

" I enjoyed this quick read. It was like a conversation. Many social implications were highlighted in the conversation but nothing too heavy. The characters felt very real, normal but not typical. Russia seems very similar to the US in this story. I feel the writer has a special talent for telling a story about everyday life in a way that makes you want to keep reading along and beside the characters, yet never diving extremely deep into any character. Living in a time of war with soldiers returning wounded physically and mentally also added to the relevance of the story. "

" Really surprising. I loved this novel. What a fresh set of characters! They're a little gruff at first, but they really grow on you. "

" Read the English translation for a Russian Translation course and compared it to the Russian original. I really like this book, it's simple and unpretentious, but with a vivid language and a great sense of empathy for Kostya, Konstantin, the main character, a veteran of the (presumably second) Chechen War, as he wanders around the Moscow region with a friend, running into his estranged dad and drinking his weight in vodka along the way. Well-translated by Marian Schwartz (duh) though there are some missing examples of course and racist language (towards Chechens, spoken by Russian soldiers in the text) that are in the original lacking in the English edition. Curious how that works... "

" Gelasimov's writing is top shelf - loved it. It was like reading DeLillo - with truckloads of grit. "

" This is written (and well translated) in a spare style that perfectly suits the subject matter, the main character who tells the story, and the environment in which he lives. The "thirst" is for vodka, vast quantities of which are consumed as the pages are turned. The protagonist is a veteran of the war in Chechnya, reunited with his former comrades in arms, with whom he shared a traumatic experience. I don't want to give the story away, but suffice it to say that although it may seem grim and tough on the outside, it has a little soft center. It is about childhood, trauma, identity, and waiting, as time passes and erodes feelings. Recommended! "

" Interesting read about a drunken, gifted, and scarred war veteran involved in the search of a lost comrade. "

" I'd really give this 2.5 stars. I was finally getting into this -- and then it ended. "

" Gelasimov is able to accomplish so much with so little. The sparse language of this novella manages to weave both despair and hope in conveying the sometimes tortured, sometimes transcendent, always introspective portrait of Kostya, disfigured Russian army veteran of the Chechen front. "

" Thirst is a truly moving tale. The comparison to Slinger in the authors bio is quite apt. Highly recommend for a quick, interesting read! "

" Good book. Difficult to read at first with the grammar but you get used to it. I wanted a longer story! "

" Kindle daily deal. I will read more of his stuff when it is translated. "

" I am finally ready to tell you that this is an amazing book. I think you should read it, but I just don't want to talk about it. "

" A story about a Russian soldier badly burned during the war between Russia and Afghanistan. It was translated from Russian so this translation seemed a bit stilted. Still very enjoyable. "

" Compelling... witty... tragic.. I couldn't put it down. "

" This short novel about a disfigured soldier from the Chechen War, living in Moscow and trying to integrate back himself back into life is both horrific and hopeful. Gelasimov's prose is terse, but every word has weight and each scene is vivid. Look forward to reading more by this author. "

" Probably not for eveyrone, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it is the story of a Chechnyian war veteran, the themes are certainly universal. A very quick read. "

" All I knew about this book going into it was that it featured a fridge full of vodka. That was enough for me. What I got was a quirky, efficiently written story of redemption and facing down one's demons told with a narrative voice oozing with credibility. This one is worth a look. "

" For whenever our wounds are too much to bear, there's always the vodka, the alcohol, to help us through. "

" Interesting short story about some former Soviet soldiers and what they deal with in the aftermath of war. "

" I expected more about the war & the adjustment he made after being injured. Way more focused on the relationship with his father & family than I expected. "