I had a hard time getting into this book. Almost gave up several times as it just didn't seem to be going anywhere. There seemed to be some translation issues, perhaps. If I were to have rated this book prior to reading the last 50 pages or so I would probably have given in maybe 2 stars. Lots of stuff happens that just make you wonder "What? Why? What does this have to do with anything?". I think a lot of this is because there seem to be dream sequences interleaved with the story in a way such that it can be difficult to tell what's real and what's part of a dream.

But those last 50 pages or so - this is a 443 page book - they really shine. There's a scene where two men stare each other down in a tense standoff. And the narration then turns to a defining, traumatic moment in each of their lives from like 25 years before. And the description of this event for each alternates paragraph by paragraph so that you get the idea that they each have experienced a similar trauma that has contributed to what each of them is in this current, tense moment and how they are reacting to the provocation. Very well done.

Also, the last couple of pages seem to be a message from the author (famous in Ukraine) - delivered by a character who is a sort of Priest - to his fellow Ukrainians to persevere and stand together. This was written in 2012.