Book Discussion:
Join Elise Barack Thursday November 1 at 7:15 p.m. for a
discussion of Death and the Penguin by Ukrainian author, Andrei Kurkov.
Originally published in 1996 in Russian, it was translated and published in English in 2001. Kurkov was born in St.
Petersburg and now lives in Kiev.
The novel follows the life of a young aspiring writer, Viktor,
who lives in post-Soviet Kiev. He is hired to compose advance obituaries for
Kiev VIPs. Their oddly timed deaths could be part of a mysterious campaign run by the thugs who run modern day Ukraine, Increasingly
bewildered, he is also given a child, the daughter of a friend who must flee
town. Viktor's pet Misha, a king penguin obtained after the local Kiev zoo had to give away its
animals, is the source of the title.
To find out more about Death and the
Penguin listen to NPR’s Fresh Air story by Jim Powers at http://n.pr/I8dsMS. You also can find The Observer ‘s book review at http://bit.ly/RKCMs8 and a review at Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/qSCjWG .
Barbara Rinella:
On Monday November 5 at 3:30 pm Friends of Lake Forest
Library present Barbara Rinella, Book Dramatist, in “Catherine the Great “based
on the biography by Robert K Massie. The program will be held at the Gorton auditorium, 400 E. Illinois Road.
Doors open at 3:00 pm.
Barbara Rinella, a former teacher,
defines herself as an “academic entertainer.” For many years she has been
celebrating literature and learning through her programs on current
books. Previously in Lake Forest she has presented Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
and American Jennie: The Remarkable Life of Lady Randolph Churchill by Anne
Sebba.
This year come to Russia to meet
the powerful Empress Catherine, the only woman in history given the surname
"The Great." Barbara Rinella will also present a current list of
her “favorite reads” at the end of the program.
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