book review: Snowdrops by A.D. Miller
The backstory: Snowdrops is the first novel by A.D. Miller, who served as the Moscow correspondent for The Economist for many years. It was shortlisted for the 2011 Booker Prize . The basics: Set in the last decade in Moscow, British lawyer Nick Platt narrates his story to his fiancee to explain both what happened during the time he lived and worked in Moscow and how it shaped who he is now. My thoughts: I've read several novels set in Russia in the past few years, but all of them have been historical. In many ways, Snowdrops felt like a follow-up for me. I could see the impact of Russia's history in Platt's view of Moscow. "In Russia, there are no business stories. And there are no politics stories. There are no love stories. There are only crime stories." This novel is part noir and part exploration of Russia, and I found both parts complementary and moving. For such a short novel to accomplish so much is a testament to Miller's writing. His des...