The Aviator

‘Vodolazkin’s grip on this narrative is iron-tight... We should expect nothing less from an author whose previous novel, Laurus, was a barnstorming thriller about medieval virtue.’

* Guardian *

‘A fascinating, science fiction-tinged chronicle of a century in Russia.’

* BBC Culture *

‘An unabashed, panoramic view of the landscape of human consciousness... Draped in thoroughly Russian trappings, The Aviator speaks to common experience while soaring into realms that enfold the human drama below.’

* Foreword Reviews (starred review) *

‘Engaging... Those familiar with twentieth-century Russian history will delight in the swirl of memories that emerge over the course of the narrative.’

* World Literature Today *

‘Crisply focused, rich in sensory detail... The arc of the narrative is as simple and clever as a philosopher’s parable. But this is also a deeply emotional book...a quietly radical novel, animated by the spirit of Dmitry Likhachev, an academic who knew what it was to suffer the blows of history first-hand.’

* Words Without Borders *

‘Love, faith, and a quest for atonement are the driving themes of an epic, prizewinning Russian novel that, while set in the medieval era, takes a contemporary look at the meaning of time.... With flavors of Umberto Eco and The Canterbury Tales, this affecting, idiosyncratic novel ... is an impressive achievement.’

* Kirkus Reviews *

‘Evocative and enigmatic...despite this book’s gentle love story or its murder mystery or its sf flourishes, it is, in many ways, a quintessentially Russian novel, as vivid and probing as they come.’

* Booklist (starred review) *

‘Vodolazkin amazes again with his exceptional mastery of language.’

* Style (Russia) *

‘A brilliant, thought-provoking read.’

* Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice *

‘Profound.’

* Shelf Awareness *

‘Vodolazkin’s second novel to be translated into English is stylistically different from its brightly filigreed, 15th century-set predecessor, Laurus, but preserves that novel’s sweep and passion for history...the writing, never portentous, blows like fine, dry snow across the pages. Great reading for all audiences.’

* Library Journal *

‘A playful mockery of historic and scientific hubris that is at the same time an earnest critique of both the Soviet terror and contemporary life.’

* Plough Editor's Picks *

'I’ll be reading The Aviator, the latest novel by the contemporary Russian Orthodox writer Eugene Vodolazkin, who has a real gift for writing about weighty spiritual matters with gorgeous lightness.'

* Rob Dreher 225 Magazine *

‘A chunk of Russian mastery on display here. An exceptional read.’

* Weekend Sport *

‘The Aviator is a novel which manages to be both fast-paced and philosophical.’

* 1stReading's Blog *

‘Engrossing, with some surprising turns... This device of a man out of time, waking up in a future world he doesn't recognize, has become almost cliche, but is deftly used here to illuminate the ways memory – both historical and personal – can either serve to chain us to the past or open us to eternity.’

* Thermidor *

‘Since this is Vodolazkin, the writing is of course beautiful, and the narrative structure is onion-like, revealing itself carefully and elegantly as the story progresses... There is also even a touch of Dostoyevsky in this powerful novel, whereby Vodolazkin telescopes a century’s horrors and dramas through the lives of a single Leningrad communal apartment’s residents, all the while broaching the greater philosophical questions of existence. Highly recommended.’

* Russian Life *

‘A powerful, moving story... It touched my heart in so many ways... Most highly recommended.’

* Marjorie's World of Books *

‘Such is Vodolazkin’s modest, difficult, but trans-temporal hope in a time-bound age. Both novels would make splendid Christmas gifts to friends or family members who want to be radically challenged in their reading.’ 

* The Christian Century *

‘Captivating.’

* meduza.io *

‘Exceptional.’

* Dmitry Bykov, Echo of Moscow *

‘Eugene Vodolazkin sophisticatedly manipulates with genres, masters the style, and keeps the tension until the novel’s last page.’

* Tr