"Written with fervor, black humor and an infectious zest for Russian culture . [this] always stimulating novel is a feast for serious fiction readers." --Wendy Smith, The Washington Post "A fast-paced . polyglot picaresque bursting with literary and artistic allusions . [Goldberg] handles his labyrinthine plot and long cast of characters with aplomb, while managing to keep the novel''s narrative voice jaunty and the pace taut . The Dissident is at once a time capsule, a critical commentary on Russian literature, and an indictment of Soviet society and its successor regimes." --Julia M. Klein, Forward "[A] darkly comic tale .
A refreshing and literary take on the genre that appeals to the intellect as well as the pulse." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Another strong performance by Goldberg, a master at dissecting divided souls. A smart, satirically streaked novel." -- Kirkus "Goldberg''s genre-defying thriller mixes political reflections, historical perspectives, philosophical musings, and the author''s personal take on the culture and society of Russia, where he lived until he was 14 . mesmerizing, eclectic, and intriguing." -- Booklist "Enjoyably absurd . Goldberg is an impressively encyclopedic guide. Readers looking for an ambitious, off the beaten path comedic mystery will find plenty to enjoy.
" -- Publishers Weekly " Crime and Punishment --for the Jews! Paul Goldberg''s newest is a dead-serious, dead-funny, no-he-didn''t marvel." -- Joshua Cohen, author of The Netanyahus " The Dissident is a murder mystery, a love story, a diplomatic thriller, and a glimpse into a pivotal moment in Soviet history. But most of all it is a joy. An incandescent conjuring of Moscow in the 1970s full of dark humor, vodka, smoked fish, and choices no one should be forced to make, The Dissident is a hilarious and erudite novel brimming over with life." -- Michael David Lukas, author of The Last Watchman of Old Cairo "Paul Goldberg crafts an unexpected and fully original Cold War mystery with a force of knowledge about his subject. In one way, it''s a highfalutin and wild ride, but the simplicity and harmony of a good novel is never lost. The Dissident is a brilliant dose of the humanist compassion we all need right now." -- Derek B.
Miller , author of How to Find Your Way in the Dark "Paul Goldberg''s love letter to samizdat is a hilarious, anarchic tour through Soviet era Moscow and the absurd negotiations required to survive. Tense and witty, scathing yet affectionate, this wonderfully overstuffed rollercoaster is a perceptive and wise snapshot of refusenik life during the Cold War. Somewhere, Bulgakov is smiling." -- Mark Sarvas, author of Memento Park "Everything in this remarkably engaging, fast-paced, ingeniously plotted, and, in all, beautifully wrought book--by turns funny and heartbreaking--rings true, because everything in it is true. It is, above all else, an impeccably authentic fictionalized testimony. The parallels with present-day Russia drawn in this novel are inevitable and uncanny. The Dissident is essential reading for our times." -- Mikhail Iossel , author of Love Like Water, Love Like Fire " The Dissident is not a history of Soviet dissent.
The Dissident is literature, a novel that follows the conventions of a detective story. Its masterfully crafted detective plot and wordplay--with translations from Russian to English and English to Russian (with a dollop of Yiddish)--will undoubtedly please any reader." -- Aleksandr Daniel'', member of the board of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization International Memorial.