Books
automatic translate"Sonya and the Witch" by Dakha Taratorina, summary
This 2019 book is a humorous urban fantasy about an ordinary girl. Her life changes dramatically after accidentally interfering with a magical ritual. The protagonist suddenly becomes the vessel for the soul of a wayward, dead witch.
"The Balance of Power" by Polina Dashkova, summary
This historical detective novel was written in 2014. It is a direct sequel to The Pact and forms a duology with it about the hidden dynamics of the pre-war era. The narrative spans the period from late 1939 to the autumn of 1940, when the world’s leading powers secretly approached the creation of nuclear weapons.
"Comrades in Arms" by Emil Braginsky and Eldar Ryazanov, summary
The play, written in 1971, explores the psychological transformation of a strict boss and a timid subordinate against the backdrop of the routine of a statistical agency. The authors reveal the sincere human emotions hidden behind the strict bureaucratic façade.
A summary of "Social Philosophy" by Peter Alekseev
In 2003, Petr Alekseev published "Social Philosophy." This book is the logical conclusion of the basic course in ontology and epistemology, shifting the academic focus to society.
"The Sleeping Angel" by Alice Clover, summary
The novel "Sleeping Angel" is a psychological thriller with elements of romantic fiction, published in 2015. The author uses an "unreliable" narrator whose perception of reality is distorted by panic and physical captivity.
"The Sleeping Murderer" by Agatha Christie, summary
Gwenda Reed, a young woman of twenty-one, arrives in England from New Zealand. She has recently married Giles Reed, who is due to join her later. At his suggestion, Gwenda sets out to find a house where they can settle down.
Clifford Simak’s "Special Delivery," a summary
Written in 1982, this novel combines the traditional Saimak rural idyll with a fantastical test of human intelligenceThis book is a narrative about an artificial labyrinth of alternate realities, in which random individuals from parallel eras of earthly existence undergo harsh hidden trials for the sake of saving all rational humankind.
A summary of "The Interns" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
The science fiction novella "Trainees" was written by Soviet writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky in 1961. This book is the final installment in the authors’ early cycle about space exploration, summing up the romantic era of solar system exploration and highlighting the problems of human moral development.
A summary of Erich Remarque’s "Station on the Horizon"
This is an early work by Erich Remarque, written in 1927. The novel was serialized in the magazine "Sport im Bild" from 1927 to 1928, and was published as a book in 1998. The author immerses the reader in the bustling atmosphere of auto racing, mountain roads, luxury hotels, and gambling houses.
A summary of "The Old Man" by Maxim Gorky
The play was written in 1915It is closely connected to the writer’s journalistic articles about the Karamazov rebellion, published two years earlier. The plot centers on the clash between a man building a new life after escaping from penal servitude and a vengeful righteous man who has turned the suffering he endured into a weapon for the destruction of others.
"Old Robbers" by Emil Braginsky and Eldar Ryazanov, summary
This story, written in 1970, addresses with good humor the issue of aging in people whose lives are completely devoted to their professionProsecutor’s investigator Nikolai Myachikov, an honest and naive man, agrees to daring criminal adventures to keep his beloved job, but his heightened sense of justice constantly thwarts his criminal plans.
"Ancient Ornament of Luck" by Tatyana Korsakova, summary
This book is a mystical detective novel about the intertwining of human destinies, an unexpected inheritance, and dangerous secrets from the pastWritten in 2012, it offers a contrasting, parallel narrative about the harsh criminal life in Senegal and the terrifying events in an old Moscow attic, which ultimately merge into a single love story.
"The Old Woman Izergil" by Maxim Gorky, summary
This book is a classic example of Maxim Gorky’s early romantic prose, published in 1895. The text’s composition unites three independent plot lines through the figure of the main narrator, contrasting extreme egoism, a passionate earthly life, and absolute altruism.
"An Old Friend is Better Than Two New Ones" by Alexander Ostrovsky, summary
This book is a comedy play by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. It was written in 1860. The text vividly depicts the everyday life of the bourgeoisie and petty officials of Moscow in the mid-nineteenth century.
A summary of Boris Akunin’s "The State Counselor"
This book is a political detective novel published in 1999. The plot describes a brutal confrontation between radical terrorists and secret police agents, where both sides freely transgress the law and morality to achieve their goals.