The Tsar of Love and Techno

"Where to begin to try to explain this book of short stories? First, it reads like a novel. Second, you will never doubt that Anthony Marra is in charge. I began to imagine him standing before a giant bulletin board of timelines, maps and character bios — like a puppeteer moving everything into place exactly as he wanted it. The book covers a vast swath of Russian history, from 1930s Leningrad to modern day, and it’s simultaneously tragic, absurd and poignant. The last story is his only overreach, but it doesn’t matter. All you really need to know is that you should read this book."

"They're interconnected stories about the Chechen-Russian wars, but really they're about all the ways we try to reclaim the things and people we love after they're gone. I got a galley of it ages ago, and only read it recently, and was blown away."

"Anthony Marra's "The Tsar of Love and Techno""