Collected Works. Volume 6. 2006-2009

The famous novel by the master of "grotesque realism" Yuri Polyakov, "The Gypsum Trumpeter," has no analogues in contemporary Russian literature, neither in its engrossing nature, nor in its genre peculiarities, nor in its thematic scope. This "ironic epic," as critics have called it, combines elements of detective fiction, love story, psychological novel, and social satire, and, with its abundance of brilliant insert novellas, resembles the "Decameron." As always, the author captivates the reader with a virtuoso twist of the plot, conquers with vivid and complex character portrayals, delights with a refined ironic style, astonishes with unexpected metaphors and aphorisms, and stirs with sophisticated eroticism. The first book of the dilogy includes the parts "Inhabitants of the Thicket" and "Game Master and Storyteller."