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Viktor Olegovich Pelevin biography. A complete guide to the books of Viktor Pelevin: from caustic satire to lyrical novels

Vasily Prigodich
Who is Pelevin?

Viktor Pelevin attracts the largest number definitions of "most". He is the most discussed and best-selling writer in Russia, he is the most published Russian writer abroad, he is the author of the most sensational last years novel "Chapaev and Emptiness", his work evokes the most a large number of laudatory and abusive reviews of critics and, finally, he is the most enigmatic writer in Russia almost never gives interviews and does not meet with readers. Nevertheless, Pelevin agreed (for the first time) to meet with readers in London, answer questions and even kindly sign his books.

Victor Pelevin became known as a science fiction writer: his stories appeared in collections and in the magazine "Chemistry and Life", which at that time had the best science fiction section. The fame of the young prose writer did not go beyond the circle of fans of this genre, although not to the so-called " science fiction”, His stories had nothing to do with fantasy. As a result, the first collection of Pelevin's stories, The Blue Lantern, although it disappeared from the shelves almost instantly, at first went unnoticed by the so-called serious criticism. The following year, Blue Lantern wins the Little Booker Prize as best compilation short stories in 1992, soon three sensational books of the writer are published one after another: "OMON Ra", "The Life of Insects" and "Yellow Arrow".

Today, Victor Pelevin, who is only 37 years old, is, of course, indisputably, indisputably one of the most popular (frankly, famous) domestic prose writers not only abroad, where his books are translated one after another, but also at home. Issues of the Znamya magazine, where his novel Chapaev and Emptiness was first published, sold like hot cakes, so copies of “thick” magazines were sold out only during the half-forgotten reader boom, the notorious “intoxication” of the notorious “perestroika”. When the novel came out as a separate volume in the prestigious black series of the most respectable Vagrius publishing house, for a very long time it remained the most bought and sold NON-DETECTIVE (alas, the world is sad) book in Russia.

Viktor Pelevin does not engage in self-promotion, as many authors do, and avoids journalists. Callers are greeted in the answering machine by a polite lady's voice: “You dialed such and such a number. Leave your message after the beep. Do not offer intimacy and Herbalife.” The most incredible rumors circulate about him: they say that he actually is a bandit who controls a network of commercial stalls, or, for example, the writer took a vow of silence and does not talk to anyone. However, as it is said in a brilliant anecdote: one does not exclude the other

Pelevin firmly believes (not without captivating trickery) in the total illusory nature of the reality in which we live, or rather, we believe that we live. He now and then charmingly models other worlds and tells alternative versions creepy Russian history: then the control center of the Soviet of Deputies is located in the dungeons under the Kremlin (and not in the minds and hearts of the faithful Leninists) “The Tale fiery years". That Gorbachev's perestroika occurs as a result of the mystical exercises of the toilet cleaner Vera Pavlovna, exiled in Chernyshevsky's novel What Is To Be Done? in punishment for "solipsism in the third stage".

The line between life and death, captured by the greasy fingers of the local mystics of collective farmers, is blurred in Pelevin's work. So, the heroes of "News from Nepal" and "Blue Lantern" suddenly begin to understand that they are ghouls, and the old shaman easily summons from the "lower world" the souls of German pilots who died in the war, so that Russian girls, having married them, could leave beyond the blessed border ("Tambourine of the Upper World").

However, according to the artist, it is in our power to realize the illusory nature of our life, lift the rusty veil of worldly vulgarity and "COMMON SENSE" and go out under the sterile light of the sun of true Being. And so it is with the heroes of his recent books: visionary chickens escaping from the window of a poultry farm (“The Hermit and Six-fingered”, a moth-thinker Mitya turning into a firefly (“The Life of Insects”), the mysterious narrator of “Yellow Arrow”, who finally got off the endless train rushing to the “destroyed bridge”, and also with Chapaev, Anna and Pyotr Void, who plunge into the URAL "The Conditional River of Absolute Love" at the end of the novel.

"Chapaev and Emptiness" is the best metaphysical novel in the best Russian metaphysical literature in the world. However, everything is not so with Pelevin and it’s just, it’s very possible that all these spiritual and bodily adventures happen not with Pelevin’s characters, not with the author, but with readers.

Gentlemen, comrades, ladies and gentlemen! Pelevin is an absolutely amazing narrator, a favorite author of professional commentators who “stick out” on him in the highest and most multifaceted sense of this great Russian Marxist-Leninist verb (I stick out, therefore I exist). It is clear that a serious commentary on any Pelevin's creation will exceed the author's text dozens of times in volume - you can play the button accordion in your head without the button accordion. Pelevin's prose is an unheard-of intellectual drug.

And the last thing: among writers (beautiful, highly talented and even brilliant) there are an astonishingly many fools in the most common sense of the word. So, Pelevin is an artist of an incredible mind, a sage visionary, a visionary mystic. in the truest sense Besides, reading it INCREDIBLY INTERESTING.

Viktor Olegovich Pelevin is one of the most important Russian writers of the new generation, now referred to as a classic of Russian postmodernism. Author of novels holy book Werewolf”, “Chapaev and the Void”, “Omon Ra”, “Empire V”, dozens of novels and short stories. In his books, surrealism, occult motifs and deep philosophical meaning subtly and ironically resonate with modern realities, thanks to which his novels invariably resonate with readers who look forward to the release of a new book by Pelevin every autumn. Personal Information the writer is reluctant to share. In this article, we have tried to collect all known facts from his biography.

Childhood and family

Victor Pelevin was born in November 1962 in an intelligent metropolitan family. His father Oleg Anatolyevich taught at the military department of the Moscow State Technical University. Bauman. Mom Zinaida Semyonovna, an economist by education, was the director of a grocery store (according to other sources, she taught English at school).


When Victor was not even ten years old, the parents of the future writer moved to the Moscow district of Chertanovo, where he spent the rest of the childhood of the future writer. Thanks to his father's connections, Victor was assigned to the prestigious English special school No. 31, located in the very center of Moscow. In this place, Pelevin Jr. studied foreign languages, mastered the basics of philology. He was described by teachers as a bright but somewhat arrogant child who did not get along well with his peers. Among the main hobbies of Vitya was a bicycle. He retained his love for this mode of transport even in adulthood, preferring it to cars.

Despite his strong friendship with the word, after graduating from school in 1979, Pelevin did not choose a philological specialty. He began to study the basics of the structure of passenger transport at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. Later, in an interview, he claimed that he entered with the goal of "having" from the army, "serving in which was like spending two years in prison." The first year of study was given to him effortlessly, the young man was listed among the most promising students. During his student years, he joined the Komsomol, as the prospect of receiving the stigma of "enemy of the people" did not appeal to him.


After graduating from MPEI in 1985, Pelevin got a job at the Department of Electric Transport at his native university as an engineer. Some sources contain information that Viktor Olegovich served in the aviation troops, but the specific years of service are not indicated anywhere. In 1987 (other sources indicate 1985), he entered graduate school, where he studied for the next two years, but he did not defend the final project (the electric drive of a city trolleybus with an asynchronous motor).


In 1989, Victor entered the Literary Institute. Gorky. With one goal - to acquire useful acquaintances. During his studies at the Literary Institute, Pelevin met two young writers - Albert Egazorov and Victor Kulle. Soon, friends founded their own publishing house "Myth" (originally called "The Day"). Victor, as an editor, prepared for the publishing house a three-volume work by Carlos Castaneda, a North American author who studied the esoteric practices of the Indians, and also took part in the work on some smaller works.

Victor Pelevin in the program "Protagonist"

Some time later, Viktor Pelevin also began working in the Face to Face magazine, and then in the Science and Religion publication, for which he prepared various publications related to Eastern mysticism. In 1989, the last of these magazines published the story "The Sorcerer Ignat and People", which became Pelevin's debut writing work.

Creativity of Viktor Pelevin

In 1992, the first collection of short stories "The Blue Lantern" was published from the pen of Viktor Pelevin. It included his first short story, "The Werewolf Problem in the Middle Lane" (which later formed the basis of "The Werewolf Sacred Book"), written in the stream-of-consciousness style "Ontology of Childhood" and "Water Tower", "Blue Lantern" (filmed in 2000 year - a short film "It's okay"), turnaround stories "Nika" and "Sigmund" and other early works.

In 1993, Pelevin received the Small Booker Prize for his work, and some time later, some other awards. In the spring of 1992, another work of the author saw the light - the novel Omon Ra, which instantly entered the list of works nominated for the Booker Prize. Similarly things were the same with another novel - "The Life of Insects", which appeared on the shelves bookstores in 1993.

In 1996, another book by Pelevin, Chapaev and the Void, saw the light. Many Russian critics immediately did not fail to call it the first book in Russia written in accordance with the philosophy of "Zen Buddhism". The author himself called his novel a story that takes place in complete emptiness. Anyway, this book became very successful. In 1997, the novel received the prestigious Wanderer Award, and a few years later it was included in the list of nominees for the International Impac Dublin Literary Awards.

However, the real zenith of Pelevin's work was the novel "Generation P", which was sold worldwide in the amount of 3.5 million copies, and also received a huge number of awards in Russia and Europe.

Victor Pelevin and Generation P. Special report.

After the release of this book, Viktor Pelevin acquired the status of a cult author. His new novels have always been enthusiastically received by fans of the author's work, as well as by literary critics. Repeatedly, the work of the famous Moscow writer even became the subject of detailed consideration by Russian and European literary critics. So, in particular, esoteric, postmodern and satirical lines were noted in his novels. In addition, it should be noted big influence on Pelevin's novels of Buddhist philosophy. Various publications and Internet portals in Russia and Europe have repeatedly included Viktor Pelevin among best writers and modern thinkers. His books have been translated into many languages ​​(including Oriental). Several of the writer's novels, including the cult work "Generation P", were filmed.

Personal life of Viktor Pelevin and other facts

Victor Pelevin is not married. His love affairs, as, in fact, other features of his life were and remain a secret behind seven seals. Famous writer almost never performs in public and communicates with his fans only via the Internet. This fact served as the basis for criticism of the author, as well as doubts about his existence. So, in particular, many well-known critics (including publicly) suggested that there is no such author as Viktor Pelevin at all.

In turn, novels and other literary works published under this name are created not by one writer, but by a certain group of authors. Supporters of this theory became even more established in this opinion after the announced appearance of the writer at the Super National Best award ceremony did not happen.

Pelevin himself does not comment on questions about his existence.

(ratings: 1 , average: 5,00 out of 5)

Name: Viktor Olegovich Pelevin
Date of Birth: November 22, 1962
Place of Birth: Russia, Moscow

Victor Pelevin - biography

Victor Olegovich Pelevin is an outstanding Russian writer of our time, one of the most mysterious prose writers of our time. The works of this author have received worldwide recognition and many literary awards, and he himself topped the list of the most influential Russian intellectuals (2009).

The future writer was born on November 22, 1962 in an intelligent Moscow family. His parents were teachers: his father taught at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, his mother worked as a head teacher and teacher of a foreign language at a prestigious Moscow school. Pelevin graduated from this institution in 1979. Then the young man entered the energy university, from which he graduated in 1985. Having left the walls of Alma Mater as a certified specialist in electrification and automation of industry and transport, Victor gets a job as an engineer in one of the departments of his own university. He also served in the Russian Air Force.

Deciding to connect his life with science, in 1987 Viktor Olegovich entered the graduate school of the International Economic Relations. After studying there for two years, the future writer left science and did not bring logical conclusion dissertation research. In 1989, he became a student at the Gorky Literary Institute, but two years later he was expelled for "losing contact with the university." As he remembers famous prose writer, over the years of study at this university, he did not learn anything new, but he gained important connections. Pelevin struck up an acquaintance and friendship with the young writers Albert Egazarov and Victor Kulle. They became the founders of a small Moscow publishing house, where Pelevin at one time worked as an editor.

Since 1989, the active journalistic activity of Viktor Olegovich begins. He works in two publications - Face to Face and "Science and Religion" (in this magazine he placed his publications on the subject of Eastern mysticism). Pelevin's debut story appeared here, written in 1989 - a phantasmagoria fairy tale "Sorcerer Ignat and people."
1991 was marked by the publication of the first major book by an aspiring prose writer - a collection of short stories "The Blue Lantern". At first, this work was not awarded the attention, much less the praise of literary critics, but a few years later it was awarded three prizes - "Small Booker", "Interpresscon" and "Golden Snail". In 1993, Viktor Olegovich became a member of the Russian Union of Journalists.

In subsequent years, Pelevin's most popular novels were published, which are included in the list of his best books- "Omon Ra", "The Life of Insects", "Chapaev and Emptiness". However, the most iconic work of the author was the work "Generation P", which was published in 1999 - it was sold with a circulation of more than three and a half million copies. The penetrating combination of sarcasm and caricature of the generation of the nineties, living in advertising slogans, coupled with socio-political and esoteric notes, received many enthusiastic reviews from intellectual readers and influential critics.

For almost five years, Viktor Olegovich did not spoil the readership with his novelties, but in subsequent years he literally showered them with his masterpieces in the style of postmodernism. In 2003, a collection was published with the intricate title "Dialectics of the Transitional Period, The Path from Nowhere to Nowhere" (briefly called "DPP"), consisting of the novel "Numbers" and several short stories. A year later, a philosophical-fiction story was published with a sarcastic look at our brutal and ambiguous modernity, The Sacred Book of the Werewolf. In this work, readers saw a new Pelevin - as always, caustic and witty, but with a certain amount of lyrics and sensuality.

Continuing to regularly release his masterpieces and receiving numerous literary awards, Viktor Olegovich becomes one of the most popular Russian authors of our time. By 2017, his creative baggage amounted to fifteen major novels and more than fifty novels and short stories. Russian writer likes to experiment with different literary forms and mixing genres. In 2005, the play by the prose writer “The Helm of Horror. Creatiff about Theseus and the Minotaur”, created as part of the inter-author series “Canongate Myth”. In addition, Pelevin tried his hand at poetry - his poems complement some novels.

Another direction of the author's work is journalistic essays and essays. In his journalistic writings, the prose writer expresses his opinion about morals and philosophical concepts of our society, analyzes contemporary literary trends and evaluates the controversial works of postmodern writers and philosophers. His most famous essays are John Fowles and the Tragedy of Russian Liberalism, Zombification. An Experience in Comparative Anthropology”, “The Bridge I Wanted to Cross”.

The main feature of all books by Viktor Pelevin is sarcastic notes that reflect vices modern society. Often a talented prose writer takes as the basis of his works famous stories And historical events refracting them from a creative angle. A heap of eccentric images with a double or even triple meaning and an unusual interpretation of familiar things - main reason the dizzying success of Pelevin's work. The plot lines of his works are very streamlined: reality smoothly turns into phantasmagoria, the past goes hand in hand with the future, and the boundaries between life and death are completely erased. The main characters of his works are ordinary people taken from various walks of life. Often they are witnesses of unexpected metamorphoses of consciousness and environment, which helps them to realize the futility and illusory nature of being.

On account of outstanding writer more than fifteen literary awards, including prestigious Russian awards “National Bestseller”, “Big Book”, “The Great Ring”. His books occupy the top lines of reader ratings, and the author himself is included in the list of the thousand most influential figures in the world culture of our time (according to French Magazine). The works of Viktor Olegovich have been translated into many languages, and performances based on his works are watched by viewers all over the world. By 2017, the film adaptations of five works of the writer saw the light. To date, the shooting of a new film based on the work of the prose writer "Empire V" has begun - the first part of the dilogy "Rama II".

Pelevin is not a public person. He does not participate in literary parties, does not meet with readers, and does not even appear at the awards ceremony. For a long time there was an opinion that a group of authors was working under the Viktor Pelevin brand. It is known that the writer is not married and travels a lot in Eastern countries.

Anyone who wants to get enough of unusual stories with subtle intellectual overtones can read online books by Viktor Pelevin on our website absolutely free. Among the materials of our virtual library you can easily find the right job writer, since the sequence of books in his bibliography is placed in chronological order. You can also download prose e-books in Russian in any convenient format - fb2 (fb2), txt (txt), epub or rtf.

All books by Viktor Pelevin

Series of books - Dialectics of the Transition Period from Nowhere to Nowhere

  • Elegy 2
  • Numbers
  • Macedonian critique of French thought
  • Akiko
  • Focus group
  • Wind Seeking Record

Book Series - Sleep

  • Sorcerer Ignat and people
  • News from Nepal
  • The ninth dream of Vera Pavlovna
  • blue lantern
  • USSR Taishou Zhuan
  • Mardongs
  • The Life and Adventures of Barn Number XII

Book Series - Middlegame

  • Ontology of childhood
  • Built-in reminder
  • Water tower
  • Middlegame
  • Ukhryab

A series of books - Memory of fiery years

  • Music from the pole
  • Kroeger's revelation
  • Weapon of retribution
  • Reenactor (About the research of P. Stetsyuk)
  • crystal world

Book series - Nika

  • Origin of Species
  • Tambourine of the Overworld
  • Ivan Kublakhanov
  • Nether Tambourine
  • bungee

Book series - Greek version

  • A Brief History of Paintball in Moscow
  • Greek variant
  • Christmas Cyberpunk, or Christmas Night-117.DIR
  • Timeout, or Evening Moscow

A series of books - Intellectual bestseller. myths

  • Helm of Dread

A series of books - One and only. Viktor Pelevin

  • iPhuck 10
  • Lamp of Methuselah, or the Ultimate Battle of the Chekists with the Freemasons
  • Love for Three Zuckerbrins
  • Overseer. Book 1. Order of the Yellow Flag
  • Overseer. Book 2. Iron Abyss
  • Batman Apollo

Series of books - Library of Chrysostom

Book Series - Complete Works

  • DPP (NN) (compilation)

A series of books - Dima and Mitya

  • Insect life
  • horizon light

Book Series - Contemporary Short Story Collection

  • Your way (compilation)

A series of books - dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution

  • Seventeen on Seventeen (compilation)

No series

  • S.N.U.F.F.
  • Chapaev and Void
  • Generation "P"
  • Children's world (compilation)
  • Empire "B"
  • Holy Book of the Werewolf
  • Omon Ra
  • Stories performed by the author
  • Pineapple water for beautiful lady(compilation)
  • Yellow Arrow (compilation)
  • P5: Farewell songs of the political pygmies of Pindostan (compilation)
  • All stories (compilation)
  • The best. Novels and stories
  • The best novels. Selected Prose: Issue 1
  • yellow arrow
  • Prince of the State Planning Commission
  • The Recluse and Sixfinger
  • The best stories and novels. Release 1
  • Bulldozer Day
  • Anti-aircraft codes of Al-Efesbi
  • Dialectics of the Transition Period from Nowhere to Nowhere (collection)
  • Sorcerer Ignat and people (compilation)
  • Yellow Arrow (compilation)
  • Hotel of good incarnations
  • Friedman space
  • All stories and essays
  • Focus group (compilation)
  • Zombification. Comparative anthropology experience
  • Werewolf problem in the middle lane
  • Assassin
  • Ixtlan - Petushki
  • Hall of Singing Caryatids
  • Relics. Early and unreleased (compilation)
  • Warrior's last joke
  • Necroment
  • John Fowles and the Tragedy of Russian Liberalism
  • The names of the oligarchs on the map of the Motherland
  • Viktor Pelevin asks PRs
  • Fortune telling on runes, or Ralph Bloom's Runic Oracle
  • World Code
  • Feeding the crocodile Khufu
  • Ultima Tuleev, or the Tao of Elections
  • The bridge I wanted to cross
  • underground sky
  • GKChP as tetragrammaton
  • Lunokhod
  • Hats on the towers
  • one vogue
  • Macedonian Critique of French Thought (compilation)
  • Psychic attack. Sonnet
  • Who by fire

Viktor Pelevin is a Russian cult writer, author of the novels Omon Ra, Chapaev and Void, and Generation P, which, in addition to European languages, have also been translated into Japanese and Chinese. According to French Magazine, the writer was included in the list of 1000 most influential figures modern culture. In 2009, the author was awarded the title of the most influential intellectual in Russia according to polls of users of the OpenSpace website.

Viktor Pelevin was born on November 22, 1962 in Moscow. Father Oleg Anatolyevich Pelevin taught at the military department at the Moscow State Technical University. Bauman. The writer's mother, Zinaida Semyonovna Efremova, taught English at school. Viktor Pelevin's childhood years were spent in Moscow. At first, his family lived on Tverskoy Boulevard, and after a while they moved to Chertanovo, the southern district of the capital.

Victor Pelevin was educated at the prestigious school No. 31 with in-depth study in English located in the center of Moscow. Today, this school has changed its format and has become Gymnasium No. 1520 named after. Kaptsov. At that time, the children of representatives of high society and the party elite of the USSR studied together with the future writer.

According to the memoirs of the journalist Andrei Trushin, who was friends with the future writer at that time, Viktor could be described as a “touching” person. He paid much attention to his own appearance- the clothes on him always corresponded to fashion, and during walks future writer improvised whole stories, where the absurdity, real life and fantasy intertwined into one piece of art, expressing Pelevin's attitude to the school and teachers.

In 1979, Pelevin entered the Energy Institute, where he studied at the Faculty of Electronic Equipment for Automation of Industry and Transport. After graduation, he is accepted as an engineer at the Department of Electric Transport. In 1987, Viktor Pelevin entered the MPEI graduate school, where he wrote a dissertation on the electric drive of a trolleybus with an asynchronous motor. The defense of this work did not take place, since Victor decides to change the scope of his activity.


In 1989, he entered the correspondence department at the Literary Institute. , for a prose course led by Mikhail Lobanov. Two years later, Viktor Pelevin was expelled from the literary institute. Later, in an interview, the writer will say that the years spent at the institute were in vain. According to him, the only goal of the students during their studies at this university was to establish contacts that Victor never needed.

At the institute, Viktor Pelevin meets Albert Egazarov, a young prose writer who free time traded extremely rare computers in Moscow of that era. Pelevin weaves some episodes of his biography into his own biography and into the storylines of his characters. So, for example, in curriculum vitae, which Victor filled out in the magazine "Znamya" on the eve of the publication of the novel "Omon Ra", the writer indicates in the column "occupation - computer speculator".


With the proceeds from the sale of computers, Albert decides to open his own publishing house. At the same time, a full-time student, the eccentric secretary of the Komsomol organization Victor Kulle, who later became famous literary critic. It was he who agreed with the rector of the institute to provide premises for the future publishing house in exchange for the annual publication of works written by students.

Thus, the Mif publishing house was created, headed by Albert Egazarov, and Pelevin and Kulle became its editors and deputies for prose and poetry. In this position, Pelevin prepared a three-volume collected works for publication, the translation of which became much easier to read after Viktor's editorial changes.

Literature

In the early 90s, Viktor Pelevin began to publish in serious literary publishing houses. In the winter of 1991, Victor came to the editorial office of the Znamya magazine with the manuscript of the novel Omon Ra. The editorial board liked the work and approved it for publication. And in March 1992, the novel "The Life of Insects" was published there, the heroes of which were typical representatives of a society in transition. For this novel, the writer received an award from the Znamya magazine. A year later, for the collection of short stories "The Blue Lantern", previously unnoticed by critics, Pelevin was nominated for the Small Booker Prize.


In 1993, the writer was admitted to the Union of Journalists. At the same time, the essay “John Fowles and the Tragedy of Russian Liberalism” was published in Novaya Gazeta. This work was a worthy reaction of the writer to critical reviews about his work, which Viktor Pelevin was keenly worried about. At the same time, the myth originates that the writer Pelevin does not exist, but there is only a chain of messages on the screen. This is how Alexander Vyaltsev wrote about him, speaking with devastating criticism of Pelevin's works in the article "Zarathustra and Messerschmidt".

In 1996, Znamya magazine published a work, later described as the first "Zen Buddhist" novel, called "Chapaev and the Void." The book received literary prize"The Wanderer", and in 2001 entered the list of the most prestigious Dublin Literary Prize.


In 1999 comes out legendary novel Victor Pelevin "Generation P", which became a cult and brought its author a special status in Russian literature. The plot of the novel tells about a generation of people whose formation took place at the time of the break of epochs, the time when the USSR ceased to exist and the old values ​​collapsed.

This work can be attributed to postmodern literature, where reality meets fantastic images, blending into a grandiose theater of the absurd. Although Pelevin himself was surprised in an interview: where could postmodernism come from in the country, when for a long time only Soviet realism existed. A special place in the life of the characters of the novel is occupied by narcotic substances, which sometimes act as driving force plot.


In 2004, Pelevin's sixth novel, The Sacred Book of the Werewolf, about the love of a werewolf fox named A Khuli and a werewolf, Lieutenant General of the FSB Alexander Sery, appeared on the shelves of bookstores. The plot of the story resonates with storylines novel "Generation P" and the story "Prince of Gosplan".

Pelevin's next novel, Empire V, also known as The Tale of a Real Superman, was released in 2006. It is noteworthy that in the novel there is a character from "Generation P". The creation of such cross lines is typical of Pelevin's style.


In 2009, the Eksmo publishing house released the novel "t", which mixes Russian history and Eastern mysticism, where the journey of count "t" (a hint at) to Optina Pustyn is equated with the search for Shambhala. In 2011, Pelevin's post-apocalyptic novel S.N.U.F.F. The work was awarded the "Electronic Book" award.

Two years later, the novel "Batman Apollo" appeared, and in 2014 the writer delighted readers with a new work "Love for Three Zuckerbrins" about the attributes of modern society. In the first volume of the novel "The Watcher", which Victor Pelevin called "The Order of the Yellow Flag", the writer turned to the personality of the emperor. According to the plot of the book, Pavel finds himself in another world due to the influence of alchemy, where he receives a teacher as a guide.


In 2016, Pelevin's novel "The Lamp of Methuselah, or the Ultimate Battle of the Chekists with the Freemasons" was published, created from four parts. The everyday plot, which tells about the life of the Mozhaisky family, is intertwined with phantasmagoric elements.

Personal life

The writer created around his personality great amount rumors and hoaxes, the most famous of which is the hypothesis that a group of people work under the pseudonym "Viktor Pelevin". All factors contribute to the life of this myth, from the theme of creativity to the fact that the writer himself leads an extremely closed lifestyle, does not give interviews and does not appear in society. Therefore, information about Pelevin's personal life is kept secret by him. It is only known that the writer has no wife and children.


For a long time, Viktor Pelevin did not create personal accounts in in social networks. But since 2017, a page on Instagram began to operate on his behalf, where several pictures appeared over the year. The writer, an adherent of Buddhism, repeatedly visited the countries of the East - Nepal, South Korea, Japan and China.

Victor Pelevin now

In 2017, the 15th novel “iPhuck 10” was published from the writer’s pen, the main character of which was a digital algorithm named Porfiry Petrovich. The computer program investigates crimes and writes books in his spare time. For this work, Viktor Pelevin was awarded a literary prize. And according to Forbes, the novel was included in the ranking of the best-selling books of the year, along with works

The second film based on Pelevin's prose has already reached the final stage of preparation, its premiere will take place in 2018. Starring will also appear,. The image of the main villain on the screen will be embodied by the rapper.

Bibliography

  • 1992 - Omon Ra
  • 1993 - "Insect Life"
  • 1996 - "Chapaev and Void"
  • 1999 - "Generation "P"
  • 2004 - "The Sacred Book of the Werewolf"
  • 2006 - "Empire V"
  • 2009 - "t"
  • 2011 - S.N.U.F.F.
  • 2013 - "Batman Apollo"
  • 2014 - "Love for Three Zuckerbrins"
  • 2015 - "Watcher"
  • 2016 - "The Lamp of Methuselah, or the Ultimate Battle of the Chekists with the Freemasons"
  • 2017 - iPhuck 10

Viktor Pelevin has been considered one of the most beloved writers by Russian intellectuals for many years. Considering his almost thirty-year career, there are not so many works on his account. He is usually in no hurry to publish his works, except that lately he has been publishing a book a year.

His work is based on a combination of Buddhist philosophy, social satire and vivid description most ordinary people. With rare exceptions, his works are not related to each other, only small mutual references can be seen in them.

But even with a common theme, each book by Pelevin is unique, and the form and presentation are very different. Therefore, before you start reading, it is better to familiarize yourself with our guide to the writer's work.

In the early nineties, the first books of Viktor Pelevin captivated the audience with a frank satire on the collapsed Soviet Union.

Omon Ra

Soviet schoolboy Omon Krivomazov enters the training program for the first expedition to the moon. It just turns out that there is no automation in Soviet rockets, all stages are manually snapped off by the people sitting in them, who die in the process. But the country is ready to make such sacrifices in order to get ahead of the whole world.

Pelevin openly ironic over many social problems. Ardent patriotism comes under attack: cadets in flight school in the name of Maresyev, legs are cut off, and in the infantry school named after Alexander Matrosov, graduates are fired from a machine gun so that everyone proves loyalty to their homeland. And at the same time, the author laughs at: all of a sudden, all automatic rockets are controlled by people. Or maybe there were no flights to the moon at all.

Insect life

At first glance, this is history. everyday life ordinary people in the early nineties. But each hero is like some kind of insect. A father can only teach his son to roll a huge ball in front of him, as if it were sole purpose his life; frivolous moths are always drawn to the fire; a foreign mosquito comes to our country to taste the local blood, but almost poisons himself by biting an alcoholic.

In the works of Pelevin, especially in early work, characters are often not what they seem at first. People can be chickens or game heroes. But insects are one of his most striking allegories. After all, the monotonous everyday life of a person is so similar to their monotonous existence.

Concentrated Philosophy

Chapaev and Void

The young decadent poet Pyotr Void goes to the front with Vasily Chapaev. But at night he dreams that he is a patient psychiatric hospital in Russia in the late nineties. And a patient in a psychiatric hospital dreams that he is a decadent poet in Chapaev's division.

This book is often called main job Pelevin. In it he formulated all his main ideas, although most of of these (as well as the plot of the book itself) is a rethinking of the philosophy of Buddhism. But that's not all. If you first read "Chapaev and the Void", then in all other works of Pelevin you will see references to this book.

Helm of Dread. Creatiff on Theseus and the Minotaur

All the heroes of this book wake up in the same rooms, where, in addition to the simplest furniture, there is only a keyboard and a screen. And they can communicate with each other only in the chat. Everyone has a strange maze behind the door, but none of the heroes can remember how he got here. Or they just say so, because the interlocutors cannot check the veracity of each other's words - they see only the letters on the screen.

About the "Helmet of Horror" we can say that this is a concentrated Pelevin. If you want to briefly get acquainted with the main themes of his books or refresh your memories of the author's philosophy, it is best to take up this work, especially since it is written in the form of an Internet chat.

Books for beginners

If the previous books seem too complicated for a first look, there are several options that are easiest to start with. This does not mean at all that they will not be interesting to read for those who are already well acquainted with the work of the author. But many thoughts in them are filed rather plain language and are explained in more detail.

Holy Book of the Werewolf

The book tells the love story of an ancient werewolf named A Khuli (the name simultaneously plays on the translation of the Chinese “chanterelle” and Russian curse) and the werewolf Alexander Sery. By ancient custom of all foxes, she must earn a living only by prostitution, and he is a high-ranking official of the FSB.

This book is sometimes called "Chapaev and Emptiness" for Youth. Indeed, despite the differences in the plot, the ideology in these works is approximately the same, and even the dog's fifth paw, which leads to the disappearance of everything he steps on, is a clear analogue of Chapaev's clay machine gun.

Interestingly, Alexander's backstory can be learned from Pelevin's old story "The Werewolf Problem in the Middle Lane". It is also curious that an official soundtrack was released for the novel from the songs mentioned in the work. The CD was sold with the book.

Empire V

the most ordinary young man Roman is suddenly turned into . But in real life they are very different from those shown in the movies. Now the hero's name is Rama, and he must study the main vampire sciences: glamor and discourse. Vampires have been controlling people since ancient times, using them both for food and service. Although in fact, vampires do not suck blood, but bablos.

Pelevin does not disregard any current topic, and in this novel he turned to the world of glamor and money. Although metaphorically, through the theme of vampires, he understands the lives of the regulars of elite parties who consider the whole world to be their servants.

This novel is also great for a first acquaintance with the author. It may be a little simpler than some of the other pieces, but there is a lot of action. And for those who liked the theme of vampires, you can immediately take up the continuation - "Batman Apollo". As a stand-alone book, it is rather weak, but as the finale of Rama's story, it's nothing at all.

What if Emperor Paul I was not killed by conspirators, but managed to travel to another world created by Franz Anton Mesmer? In Idyllium, he became the first Overseer guarding his world. Since then, a lot of Overseers have changed, and now main character books should take this honorary post, but he has to learn a lot about the very essence of life, doubt his own reality and find love.

Before reading this book, you should know: "The Overseer" is a two-volume set consisting of the books "The Order of the Yellow Flag" and "The Iron Abyss", they must be read in a row. But the main thing is Pelevin's most lyrical and calm work. Many critics, surprised by the lack of social themes and sarcasm, began to say that this novel is completely empty. But in fact, here Pelevin for the first time openly began to talk about the search for the eternal. And if you think about it, this topic slipped through him before, but in S.N.U.F.F. or "Love for Three Zuckerbrins" was covered with irony.

Short stories

In addition to novels, Viktor Pelevin sometimes writes novels and short stories, combining them into small collections. Often they are linked, but you can read them in any order.

yellow arrow

This book contains the stories "Yellow Arrow", "Prince of the State Planning Commission" and "The Hermit and Six-fingered". They are united common theme- trying to escape everyday life and somehow change. In the first work, all people are shown as train passengers, in the second - as computer game characters, and in the third - as chickens at the Lunacharsky poultry farm.

In addition, the book has a whole collection of stories, some of which were previously published under the general title "Blue Lantern". Many people love it short works Pelevin. They do not immerse the reader in too complex worlds, but always perceived brightly and unexpectedly.

P5

To be more precise, this book is called “PPPPP”, and even more precisely, “Farewell Songs of the Political Pygmies of Pindostan”. Five short stories on absolutely different topics. A prostitute is hired to work as a singing caryatid in a brothel for oligarchs, a group of friends listen to a story from Egyptian mythology, an official makes speed bumps from the ashes of his colleagues, scientists discover that money attracts money, and a young assassin realizes that the promised paradise is a hoax. All this is short, tough and very witty.

Pineapple water for a beautiful lady

The book consists of two stories and three stories, which many at the time of release called Pelevin's return to his old style. The first work "Operation Burning Bush" tells how Semyon Levitan, who has a deep soulful voice, begins to communicate with George Bush Jr. with the help of secret technologies, convincing that he is the voice of God.

The second story "The Anti-Aircraft Codes of Al-Efesbi" can be considered a forerunner of the novel S.N.U.F.F., because it describes how former employee The FSB managed to break the artificial intelligence of combat drones with the help of slogans written in the sand. It was these drones that later became the prototypes of flying video cameras.

The stories in this collection only complement the main stories, but they will be very nice to read if the stories themselves were not enough.

Return to the old style

Although Pelevin's style has changed since the release of "Generation" P ", not only " Pineapple water» is considered written in the style classical works author. He periodically releases novels that are reminiscent of his first famous books.

t

Count T. (an allusion to Leo Tolstoy) goes on a journey to Optina Pustyn, although he himself does not remember exactly why. On the way, he will have to meet not only people who are trying to prevent him from achieving his goal, but also the creators themselves - the authors of the book about Count T. In parallel, you can learn about the fate of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky - the character computer game where you have to kill zombies.

The dual nature of the main characters, multiple religious references and repeated intersections with "Chapaev and the Void" create the feeling that Pelevin is talking about what he wanted to say back in the nineties, but then did not have time.

Lamp of Methuselah, or the Ultimate Battle of the Chekists with the Freemasons

Three generations noble family Mozhaisky regularly serve the fatherland in the XIX, XX and XXI centuries. The first part may seem too long and even boring: there is a lot of financial analytics here. But then Pelevin returns to his beloved madness and expanse with time travel, bearded aliens and reptilians, as well as areas where newspapers are published in the form of tattoos. And in the finale, he will even be able to explain why the first part was so boring.

New 2018

Secret views of Mount Fuji

In the new book, Pelevin promises to talk about the difficulties of startups in Russian realities, the painfully difficult return of Russian oligarchs home, and the history of the present. female success. Judging by the annotation, the author again takes on the most relevant and discussed topics of recent times: from meditation to feminism.