JESTERS

by David Markish ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988

Historical fiction involving the varying fortunes of three Russian misfits during the reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725), by Soviet ÉmigrÉ Markish. The ruthless reforms of Czar Peter, his attempts to modernize Russia around the turn of the 18th century, the suppression of Czarita Eudoxia, and his campaigns against the Swedes and Turks provide the background and disjointed plotting behind this thinly served slice of Russian life. Czar Peter, here depicted as an unswervingly diabolical lout, is gearing up for his plans to modernize the motherland when his sour mood overlaps with the lives of three Jews warily treading unfriendly territory. Shafirov is a street merchant annealed to regular abuse; Lacosta has been expelled from his orthodox community for raising too many questions; and Divier has earned his knocks with a pirating career. With a mixture of contempt and curiosity, Peter the experimenter engages the services of all three, bringing on Shafirov as adviser, Lacosta as court jester, and Divier as driving force behind the building of St. Petersburg. Cynical to begin with, Shafirov and Divier soon sell out to the seductions of power--with Shafirov getting nailed in a conspiracy, and Divier making room for overworked building staff in open pit graves. Markish's characters, unfortunately, fail to sustain the kind of sympathy and depth that would compensate for the sparsely drawn historical background and plotting, and in the end the author trades off psychological insight for pathos and cynicism.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION