Rating: 5/5
Review:
Readable, wise and enjoyable
I thought this was an excellent, hugely enjoyable book. It is beautifully written, thoroughly original, amusing, touching and rather wise. It also has the immense merit of being short; there is nothing superfluous and the author has crafted a little gem in 150 pages.
The story is simple and unusual. It tells of what is effectively a love affair between a rather unfulfilled man on the verge of retirement and a donkey whom he finds while on holiday with his family and brings home to the city. The love is wholly spiritual and rather beautifully portrayed, as is the effect on him, his family and others. It sounds absurd (and in places probably is) but it works wonderfully. Medvei cleverly creates a very real-seeming city in which the story takes place but it is not clear where it is - it could be almost anywhere in the world - and this gives the story some of the atmosphere of a fable which allows the odder aspects of the story to seem really quite plausible. There are no sentimental set-pieces and no neat little Life Lessons are learned, but there seems to me to be great insight and compassion here, quietly and unshowily conveyed through a good, original, well-written story.
Medvei's unaffected prose and his remarkable ability to create very human, recognisable characters for me make this an exceptionally good book. It probably won't be for everyone (I have tried to resist saying that it isn't 50 Shades Of Bray, but I have failed - sorry) but if you like a thoughtful, quirky, engrossing and beautifully written book I would recommend this very warmly.
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