Ice Book

I greatly enjoyed this gnostic tale set in the 20th & 21st centuries by one of Russia's greatest living novelists. He creatively addresses many questions raised by those who have read the ancient esoteric mystical texts. Who are the enlightened few? How are they identified & how do they receive enlightenment? A dualistic cosmogony in Part two plots out the course that the enlightened must follow in the dreary, dismal world they currently inhabit. The meaning of love & the language of the heart are profoundly expressed (in a platonic manner). Publisher's summary: Moscow has been hit by a wave of brutal murders. The victims are of both sexes, from different backgrounds, and of all ages, but invariably blond and blue-eyed. They are found with their breastbones smashed in, their hearts crushed. There is no sign of any motive. Ice is at the center of Vladimir Sorokin's epic Ice Trilogy, which is also published by NYRB Classics.