An Awkward Age

The title story of this enthralling compilation spins the tale of a boy growing into adolescence whose body appears to have been taken over by a colony of ants. His diary—initially expressed in the barely literate tones of a young child—becomes more accomplished and assured as the protagonist matures and eventually begins to give way to the voice of the ruler of the anthill. Featuring a direct, commendably unpretentious, and convincing style, the tales use recognizably modern Russian settings to explore the contemporary condition of man both in Russia and further afield.