SIN, or, ГPEX, by ZAKHAR PRILEPIN
SUMMARY
As a young child, Zakhar is splitting wood with a hatchet, and accidentally splits his fingernail with the hatchet. He feels tears coming to his eyes, but Zakhar hides his crying from his grandmother, and Zakhar bandages himself in secret.
While Zakhar is in his late childhood, he plays tag with other children from his neighborhood in an abandoned lot. One of the children Zakhar plays tag with is named Sasha. Sasha has run away from home. Someone finds Sasha's dead body in a freezer where Sasha was attempting to take shelter from the cold.
In the summer, Zakhar goes to visit his grandparents in a small village, where Zakhar's grandfather is proud to own one of the village's largest huts. Zakhar's cousins, Rodik, Sasha, and Syuska, live nearby. Zakhar is sexually attracted to his cousins Sasha and Syuska, and Rodik is a younger child who does not speak much. After Zakhar awakes one morning at his grandparents' house, he goes to his cousins' house to spend time with his cousins. Zakhar's cousins and Zakhar walk to Zakhar's grandparents' home. Sasha and Zakhar get into a tickling match, which Sasha enjoys, but Zakhar insists that Sasha stop tickling because Zakhar is afraid that he will become aroused. Night falls, and Zakhar's grandfather invites Sasha, Rodik, and Syuska to spend the night at Zakhar's grandparents' home. The invitation is accepted, and everyone lays down to sleep, with Zakhar lying close to his cousin Syuska, and again, Zakhar struggles with the attraction he feels for her. Rodik begins calling for his mother, and Zakhar eagerly places Rodik between Zakhar and Syuska. Zakhar decides that sleeping with the goat will be more comfortable, so Zakhar goes to the barn to sleep with the goat, and feels that he has overcome attraction for his cousin.
After Zakhar finished school, he stayed at home with his brothers to work in the family gravedigging business. Zakhar and his brothers steal vodka from the funeral receptions of their clients and drink the vodka outside in the cold. One day, Zakhar decides that drinking in the cold is too unpleasant, and Vova, Zakhar's friend and fellow mortician, suggests that Zakhar drink in one of Vova's classmate's apartment building. Zakhar drinks in the apartment building of Vova's female classmate, and one of the building's residents unleashes a vicious dog on Zakhar, driving Zakhar out of the building. As Zakhar is leaving the building, he tears the railing off of the wall, and worries that he has offended Vova's female classmate. Zakhar returns to Vova's house and gives Zakhar's telephone number to Vova's female classmate so that the two can arrange a date, but Vova's classmate is repulsed by the fact that Zakhar wrote his telephone number on the back of a picture of a dead woman which Zakhar collected at the funeral reception. All of the morticians go home and the next night, after drinking with the other morticians, Zakhar stumbles across the railroad tracks.
Years later, Zakhar has a girlfriend who takes him to an art exhibit where Zakhar meets a man named Alexei. Alexei is fat and Zakhar is muscular and lean. After Zakhar breaks up with his girlfriend, he also quits his job as a bouncer to join the military. Zakhar excels in basic training and eagerly awaits deployment, as Zakhar is poor and needs money from military service. Zakhar meets Alexei by chance and the two men begin drinking together in the park and browsing, but not buying, books in book stores. Zakhar and Alexei grow fond of one another and Zakhar writes part of a novel starring Alexei, but Zakhar doesn't use Alexei's name in the book. Alexei reads Zakhar's novel at Zakhar's request. One night, Alexei and Zakhar have an argument, which ends with Alexei expressing jealousy for Zakhar.
While Zakhar is in his late childhood, he plays tag with other children from his neighborhood in an abandoned lot. One of the children Zakhar plays tag with is named Sasha. Sasha has run away from home. Someone finds Sasha's dead body in a freezer where Sasha was attempting to take shelter from the cold.
In the summer, Zakhar goes to visit his grandparents in a small village, where Zakhar's grandfather is proud to own one of the village's largest huts. Zakhar's cousins, Rodik, Sasha, and Syuska, live nearby. Zakhar is sexually attracted to his cousins Sasha and Syuska, and Rodik is a younger child who does not speak much. After Zakhar awakes one morning at his grandparents' house, he goes to his cousins' house to spend time with his cousins. Zakhar's cousins and Zakhar walk to Zakhar's grandparents' home. Sasha and Zakhar get into a tickling match, which Sasha enjoys, but Zakhar insists that Sasha stop tickling because Zakhar is afraid that he will become aroused. Night falls, and Zakhar's grandfather invites Sasha, Rodik, and Syuska to spend the night at Zakhar's grandparents' home. The invitation is accepted, and everyone lays down to sleep, with Zakhar lying close to his cousin Syuska, and again, Zakhar struggles with the attraction he feels for her. Rodik begins calling for his mother, and Zakhar eagerly places Rodik between Zakhar and Syuska. Zakhar decides that sleeping with the goat will be more comfortable, so Zakhar goes to the barn to sleep with the goat, and feels that he has overcome attraction for his cousin.
After Zakhar finished school, he stayed at home with his brothers to work in the family gravedigging business. Zakhar and his brothers steal vodka from the funeral receptions of their clients and drink the vodka outside in the cold. One day, Zakhar decides that drinking in the cold is too unpleasant, and Vova, Zakhar's friend and fellow mortician, suggests that Zakhar drink in one of Vova's classmate's apartment building. Zakhar drinks in the apartment building of Vova's female classmate, and one of the building's residents unleashes a vicious dog on Zakhar, driving Zakhar out of the building. As Zakhar is leaving the building, he tears the railing off of the wall, and worries that he has offended Vova's female classmate. Zakhar returns to Vova's house and gives Zakhar's telephone number to Vova's female classmate so that the two can arrange a date, but Vova's classmate is repulsed by the fact that Zakhar wrote his telephone number on the back of a picture of a dead woman which Zakhar collected at the funeral reception. All of the morticians go home and the next night, after drinking with the other morticians, Zakhar stumbles across the railroad tracks.
Years later, Zakhar has a girlfriend who takes him to an art exhibit where Zakhar meets a man named Alexei. Alexei is fat and Zakhar is muscular and lean. After Zakhar breaks up with his girlfriend, he also quits his job as a bouncer to join the military. Zakhar excels in basic training and eagerly awaits deployment, as Zakhar is poor and needs money from military service. Zakhar meets Alexei by chance and the two men begin drinking together in the park and browsing, but not buying, books in book stores. Zakhar and Alexei grow fond of one another and Zakhar writes part of a novel starring Alexei, but Zakhar doesn't use Alexei's name in the book. Alexei reads Zakhar's novel at Zakhar's request. One night, Alexei and Zakhar have an argument, which ends with Alexei expressing jealousy for Zakhar.
Alexei moves away. After a few months, Zakhar begins to work at a loading dock. One night, Zakhar receives a phone call from Alexei, and Alexei is slurring words and expressing a feeling of betrayal in response to Zakhar's neglect to ask about Alexei's welfare. Zakhar hangs up and, a few days later, Alexei and another man appear at Zakhar's loading dock. Alexei and Alexei's friend want to take shelter inside of the store to which the loading dock belongs, but Zakhar tells Alexei that nobody can enter the building until Zakhar's boss leaves in an hour. Zakhar, Alexei, and Alexei's friend begin talking to one another at the loading dock, and Zakhar and Alexei's friend, who are both fit men, decide to box eachother with open hands. Alexei's friend breaks the agreement and punches Zakhar with a closed fist, sending Zakhar reeling to the ground. Alexei, standing over Zakhar, says in a flat tone that Zakhar fell down.
Zakhar begins dating a new woman named Marysenka. Marysenka and Zakhar find a group of 4 stray dogs and shelter the dogs in their home. Although Zakhar and Marysenka are poor, they are happy, and they have sex frequently.
A local Jewish man named Valies is a respected actor in the local playhouse and, as Valies is growing older, Zakhar wishes to interview him. Zakhar interviews Valies and is disgusted by the amount of gossip Valies discusses during the interview. After the interview, Zakhar goes home and types up the story, and drops off a copy of the story at Valies' house. The next day, Valies calls Zakhar and tells Zakhar that Valies does not approve of the interview and that Zakhar should not print the interview in its current form. Zakhar adheres to Valies' request, even though Zakhar and Marysenka are starving. Marysenka is frustrated and offers to interview Valies on Zakhar's behalf. Zakhar agrees, and Marysenka interviews Valies and Zakhar writes an article based on Marysenka's interview. Valies approves of the new interview and Zakhar and Marysenka are able to get money to buy food. Valies begins calling Marysenka every day, and asks Marysenka to marry Valies.
One day, one of the stray dogs which Zakhar and Marysenka shelter escapes and Zakhar chases after the dog. Zakhar follows the dog into a poor neighborhood, suspecting that poor people are planning to eat the dog. Zakhar eventually finds the dog in an apartment which is shared by several poor men. After threatening the men, Zakhar leaves the apartment with the dog.
Valies dies. Zakhar and Marysenka give away all of the stray dogs to new owners whom Zakhar and Marysenko trust. Zakhar and Marysenka attend Valies' funeral. Eventually Zakhar and Marysenka marry and have children.
Zakhar works as a bouncer again. A man who Zakhar describes as a poser is sitting at the bar. A group of tough men who are bodybuilders come to the bar, and Zakhar and the other bouncer, Molotok, don't feel that they can physically overpower the tough men. Borisych, Zakhar's boss, comes to the club, and informs Zakhar that Borisych will be hiring another bouncer for the bar. At one A.M., a fight breaks out between a Caucasian and a Russian. Then, a man takes a woman's purse and Zakhar demands that the man return the purse to the woman, but the man who took the purse refuses, saying that the man who took the purse knows the woman to whom the purse belongs, and that Zakhar does not need to interfere in the two people's relationship. An expensive car full of Moscow teenagers pulls up in the parking lot, and the group of tough men come out and fight the Moscow teenagers. During the fight, the man who Zakhar described as a poser emerges from the bar, and using a subtle fighting move, incapacitates all of the tough men and the Moscow teenagers singlehandedly. Zakhar approaches the poser to talk to the poser, and the tough men and the Muscovites take the opportunity to drive away. A woman emerges from the club to flirt with Zakhar. Zakhar rejects the woman. Molotok and Zakhar go back inside the club where the poser disrespects them and the poser spills wine on Molotok's shirt. When the poser leaves the club, drunk, the poser hails a taxi, at which point Zakhar recognizes that the poser is drunk and punches the poser in the face, incapacitating the poser. Zakhar leaves the poser lying in the parking lot and Zakhar goes home to his family.
One night, Zakhar lies awake looking at his children, named Ignat and Gleb, thinking about how much he loves the children. Zakhar receives word that his grandmother died and Zakhar plans to drive back to the small town in which Zakhar grew up and where Zakhar's grandmother lived. Although Gleb and Ignat are sad that Zakhar is leaving, Zakhar begins to drive toward the small village where the funeral for Zakhar's grandmother will be held.
Zakhar is called by the military to service again. Eventually, he becomes a Sergeant. One day, when Zakhar's unit is covering a shift at an outpost, the next unit does not arrive to relieve Zakhar's unit. An enemy unit steals Zakhar's jeep and Zakhar's unit hides in the bushes, following the jeep as the enemy unit is driving slowly. Eventually, the enemy unit pulls up to an abandoned building of a town which the enemy army has pillaged, and the enemy unit go into the abandoned building. Zakhar's unit recapture the jeep, and hotwire the jeep, and Zakhar runs the jeep into an enemy soldier who emerged from the building to investigate the noise. Zakhar drives back to the base and Zakhar's unit enters the home base. There is a loud explosion, and Zakhar looks back and sees a disfigured soldier with mutilated eyes limping toward him.
ANALYSIS
This book is written in nonsequential short stories, allowing the emotional value of each story to be emphasized rather than its chronological placement within a larger plot. The narrator for all of the short stories excluding the final story is a first person narrator named Zakhar, which is the same name as the pen name of the author of the novel, however, Sin is not an autobiography, but a work of fiction. Additionally, Zakhar Prilepins birth name is not Zakhar. The final story is told by a third person narrator and Zakhar is the main character.
Zakhar's inner monologue discusses the feeling of weight and interaction between Zakhar and food frequently during Sin. During a few intervals of Zakhar's life, Zakhar has been starving, but fitness has been a constant for him. Zakhar explains that he feels light as a bouncer, watching many heavy people frequent the bar, but also complains that he himself feels heavy as a soldier, comparing the weight he feels on his body to the added grief Zakhar feels in his mind.
The relations between Caucasians, or, people from the Caucasus mountain area, and Russians, is described as being slightly hostile in the book. Additionally, Zakhar recognizes Valies' facial features as being Jewish and sneaky.
In the bouncer story, Zakhar interestingly misjudges the poser's fighting ability by the poser's slight stature. There does not appear to be a philosophical message to the bouncer story, but the reader learns several interesting items from Zakhar's experience: men are not proportionately talented fighters to their muscular size; all men are vulnerable when drunk; the smartest fighter wins. Zakhar and Molotok allow the poser to disrespect them, so that the poser will let his guard down and become drunk so that Zakhar can hit him.
The story with Alexei is similar to the bouncer story in that it contains fighting advice. Because Alexei is not surprised and not sympathetic that Zakhar was knocked out by Alexei's friend, it is probable that Alexei planned the attack. If this is true, then Alexei outwitted Zakhar by luring Zakhar into a false sense of trust and, although Alexei is not as strong as Zakhar, Alexei ultimately stood over Zakhar after Zakhar was punched to the ground.
Poverty in Russia is juxtaposed in this novel with national pride. Zakhar, who was a soldier, expresses hatred for Stalin at leading his beloved homeland astray. The reader sees gripping poverty in Russia, and sees that the Russian army manages its soldiers poorly in the episode about Zakhar as a sergeant. Zakhar expresses that he loves Russia but feels betrayed by his government.
A local Jewish man named Valies is a respected actor in the local playhouse and, as Valies is growing older, Zakhar wishes to interview him. Zakhar interviews Valies and is disgusted by the amount of gossip Valies discusses during the interview. After the interview, Zakhar goes home and types up the story, and drops off a copy of the story at Valies' house. The next day, Valies calls Zakhar and tells Zakhar that Valies does not approve of the interview and that Zakhar should not print the interview in its current form. Zakhar adheres to Valies' request, even though Zakhar and Marysenka are starving. Marysenka is frustrated and offers to interview Valies on Zakhar's behalf. Zakhar agrees, and Marysenka interviews Valies and Zakhar writes an article based on Marysenka's interview. Valies approves of the new interview and Zakhar and Marysenka are able to get money to buy food. Valies begins calling Marysenka every day, and asks Marysenka to marry Valies.
One day, one of the stray dogs which Zakhar and Marysenka shelter escapes and Zakhar chases after the dog. Zakhar follows the dog into a poor neighborhood, suspecting that poor people are planning to eat the dog. Zakhar eventually finds the dog in an apartment which is shared by several poor men. After threatening the men, Zakhar leaves the apartment with the dog.
Valies dies. Zakhar and Marysenka give away all of the stray dogs to new owners whom Zakhar and Marysenko trust. Zakhar and Marysenka attend Valies' funeral. Eventually Zakhar and Marysenka marry and have children.
Zakhar works as a bouncer again. A man who Zakhar describes as a poser is sitting at the bar. A group of tough men who are bodybuilders come to the bar, and Zakhar and the other bouncer, Molotok, don't feel that they can physically overpower the tough men. Borisych, Zakhar's boss, comes to the club, and informs Zakhar that Borisych will be hiring another bouncer for the bar. At one A.M., a fight breaks out between a Caucasian and a Russian. Then, a man takes a woman's purse and Zakhar demands that the man return the purse to the woman, but the man who took the purse refuses, saying that the man who took the purse knows the woman to whom the purse belongs, and that Zakhar does not need to interfere in the two people's relationship. An expensive car full of Moscow teenagers pulls up in the parking lot, and the group of tough men come out and fight the Moscow teenagers. During the fight, the man who Zakhar described as a poser emerges from the bar, and using a subtle fighting move, incapacitates all of the tough men and the Moscow teenagers singlehandedly. Zakhar approaches the poser to talk to the poser, and the tough men and the Muscovites take the opportunity to drive away. A woman emerges from the club to flirt with Zakhar. Zakhar rejects the woman. Molotok and Zakhar go back inside the club where the poser disrespects them and the poser spills wine on Molotok's shirt. When the poser leaves the club, drunk, the poser hails a taxi, at which point Zakhar recognizes that the poser is drunk and punches the poser in the face, incapacitating the poser. Zakhar leaves the poser lying in the parking lot and Zakhar goes home to his family.
One night, Zakhar lies awake looking at his children, named Ignat and Gleb, thinking about how much he loves the children. Zakhar receives word that his grandmother died and Zakhar plans to drive back to the small town in which Zakhar grew up and where Zakhar's grandmother lived. Although Gleb and Ignat are sad that Zakhar is leaving, Zakhar begins to drive toward the small village where the funeral for Zakhar's grandmother will be held.
Zakhar is called by the military to service again. Eventually, he becomes a Sergeant. One day, when Zakhar's unit is covering a shift at an outpost, the next unit does not arrive to relieve Zakhar's unit. An enemy unit steals Zakhar's jeep and Zakhar's unit hides in the bushes, following the jeep as the enemy unit is driving slowly. Eventually, the enemy unit pulls up to an abandoned building of a town which the enemy army has pillaged, and the enemy unit go into the abandoned building. Zakhar's unit recapture the jeep, and hotwire the jeep, and Zakhar runs the jeep into an enemy soldier who emerged from the building to investigate the noise. Zakhar drives back to the base and Zakhar's unit enters the home base. There is a loud explosion, and Zakhar looks back and sees a disfigured soldier with mutilated eyes limping toward him.
ANALYSIS
This book is written in nonsequential short stories, allowing the emotional value of each story to be emphasized rather than its chronological placement within a larger plot. The narrator for all of the short stories excluding the final story is a first person narrator named Zakhar, which is the same name as the pen name of the author of the novel, however, Sin is not an autobiography, but a work of fiction. Additionally, Zakhar Prilepins birth name is not Zakhar. The final story is told by a third person narrator and Zakhar is the main character.
Zakhar's inner monologue discusses the feeling of weight and interaction between Zakhar and food frequently during Sin. During a few intervals of Zakhar's life, Zakhar has been starving, but fitness has been a constant for him. Zakhar explains that he feels light as a bouncer, watching many heavy people frequent the bar, but also complains that he himself feels heavy as a soldier, comparing the weight he feels on his body to the added grief Zakhar feels in his mind.
The relations between Caucasians, or, people from the Caucasus mountain area, and Russians, is described as being slightly hostile in the book. Additionally, Zakhar recognizes Valies' facial features as being Jewish and sneaky.
In the bouncer story, Zakhar interestingly misjudges the poser's fighting ability by the poser's slight stature. There does not appear to be a philosophical message to the bouncer story, but the reader learns several interesting items from Zakhar's experience: men are not proportionately talented fighters to their muscular size; all men are vulnerable when drunk; the smartest fighter wins. Zakhar and Molotok allow the poser to disrespect them, so that the poser will let his guard down and become drunk so that Zakhar can hit him.
The story with Alexei is similar to the bouncer story in that it contains fighting advice. Because Alexei is not surprised and not sympathetic that Zakhar was knocked out by Alexei's friend, it is probable that Alexei planned the attack. If this is true, then Alexei outwitted Zakhar by luring Zakhar into a false sense of trust and, although Alexei is not as strong as Zakhar, Alexei ultimately stood over Zakhar after Zakhar was punched to the ground.
Poverty in Russia is juxtaposed in this novel with national pride. Zakhar, who was a soldier, expresses hatred for Stalin at leading his beloved homeland astray. The reader sees gripping poverty in Russia, and sees that the Russian army manages its soldiers poorly in the episode about Zakhar as a sergeant. Zakhar expresses that he loves Russia but feels betrayed by his government.
- Zakhar is born in a small village in Russia
- Zakhar has a crush on his cousins who live in another village one summer but does not visit again
- One of Zakhar's friends freezes to death in Russia after running away from home
- Zakhar works as a gravedigger and is rejected by a girl who finds his profession disgusting
- Zakhar works as a bouncer
- Zakhar quits his job and makes a friend who is jealous of Zakhar and then moves away
- Zakhar works as a loader and the friend returns with another man who incapacitates Zakhar while Zakhar is unsuspecting
- Zakhar finds a girlfriend
- Zakhar interviews a local actor who becomes obsessed with Zakhar's girlfriend
- The local actor dies and Zakhar and his girlfriend get married and have kids
- Zakhar works as a bouncer again and learns how to win fights by cunning
- Zakhar is forced to leave his happy home to return to his small, depressing village of origin to attend his grandmother's funeral
- Zakhar is forced to return to the army where he becomes a sergeant
- Zakhar's unit jeep is stolen and he and his men return it to the base where Zakhar sees a horribly disfigured soldier limping toward the base with mutilated eyes
SOURCE
Prilepin, Zakhar. Sin. Trans. Simon Patterson and Nina Chordas. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Book about a man named Zakhar's journey from childhood to adulthood in Russia.
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