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Set in Uzbekistan between 1900 and 1980, The
Railway (Harvill Secker,
2006) introduces to us the inhabitants of the small town of Gilas
on the
ancient Silk Route.Featuring some 150 characters, their colourful
lives
offer a unique and comic picture of a little-known land populated
by
outgoing Mullahs, incoming Bolsheviks and a plethora of Uzbeks,
Russians,
Persians, Jews, Koreans, Tartars and Gypsies.Fusing literary sophistication
with a naive delight in storytelling, The Railway chronicles the
dramatic
changes felt throughout Central Asia in the twentieth century. Banned
in
Uzbekistan, it is not, however, a political work, but presents a
kaleidoscopic
view of the extraordinary ethnic, cultural and political mix of
Uzbek society
across a century.
‘..[a] scintillating novel… every strand shines…ironic,
hilarious, tender...a
poet’s novel, full of memorable descriptive passages and heart-wrenching
asides.’
The Independent
Hamid Ismailov came to the UK from Uzbekistan in 1994. He now heads
the BBC’s Central Asia and Caucasus Service. Robert Chandler
translated
The Railway into English. His Russian Short Stories from Pushkin
to Buida
was published in 2005 by Penguin Classics and his co-translations
of Andrey
Platonov have won several prizes.
Asia House Members and concs £4,
Non-members £7
Tickets available from Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street,
London W1G 7LP Tel: 020 7307 5454
enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk mailto:enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk |
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