By
– October 26, 2011
Shteyngart’s Absurdistan is a manystranded novel: broad in scope, rich in Jewish concerns. Born in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) in 1972, Shteyngart arrived in the U.S. in 1979 and became attached to New York City, like his hero Misha. Misha’s beloved Papa had sent his only child to the U.S. to become educated, prosperous, and circumcised. The circumcision made Misha hate Orthodoxy. Shteyngart uncovers the dark underside of the Jewish experience in Russia, “Papa was merely dabbling in criminal oligarchy then,” only to go big time later. During Misha’s return visit to see Papa, Papa killed an Oklahoma businessman, and soon was murdered himself. Eager to return to his American amour, Misha was forbidden to leave Russia, although some of his father’s ill-gotten wealth was available to him.
After unsuccessful attempts to escape from Russia, Misha’s last ploy worked, but resulted in his strangest adventure. He traveled to a supposedly oil-rich country on the Caspian Sea — Absurdistan, inhabited by warring Christian factions, Sevos and Svanis — to buy a Belgian passport from a dishonest consular official. This led to Misha’s indirect involvement with the American military-industrial complex and the issue of access to potential foreign oil. The Soviets were big players in this game, as were the huge all-purpose Halliburton industry and its KBR subsidiary. (Mr. Cheney is referred to here.) The Soviets early on were part of the big picture. There was much bombing of Absurdistan, and the attractive possibility of U.S. aid (for rebuilding) became an issue for certain military leaders. Shteyngart is satirizing the Iraqi war, the rival Muslim factions — Shiites and Sunnis, the Halliburton group, and American interests in all of the above. Absurdistan is a major literary event.
After unsuccessful attempts to escape from Russia, Misha’s last ploy worked, but resulted in his strangest adventure. He traveled to a supposedly oil-rich country on the Caspian Sea — Absurdistan, inhabited by warring Christian factions, Sevos and Svanis — to buy a Belgian passport from a dishonest consular official. This led to Misha’s indirect involvement with the American military-industrial complex and the issue of access to potential foreign oil. The Soviets were big players in this game, as were the huge all-purpose Halliburton industry and its KBR subsidiary. (Mr. Cheney is referred to here.) The Soviets early on were part of the big picture. There was much bombing of Absurdistan, and the attractive possibility of U.S. aid (for rebuilding) became an issue for certain military leaders. Shteyngart is satirizing the Iraqi war, the rival Muslim factions — Shiites and Sunnis, the Halliburton group, and American interests in all of the above. Absurdistan is a major literary event.
Samuel I. Bellman is professor emeritus at California State Polytechnic University of Pomona. He has been writing on Jewish American writers since 1959.