Nikolski

Nikolski
Nicolas Dickner

The conceit of a novel constructed out of seemingly unrelated parts that in some metaphysical way connect is now a familiar one, in tune with a cultural zeitgeist that includes David Mitchell’s Ghostwritten (Mitchell provides a blurb for Nikolski), the movie Babel, most conspiracy theories, and even the pop bromide about everything happening for a reason. Nikolski is a work informed by this same spirit, tracking the lives of three modern nomads who all relocate to Montreal for a while and whose paths cross without really touching. A very clever, fresh, and lean entertainment buoyed by some terrific writing (ably translated by Lazer Lederhendler).