Konstantin Paramonov. The cry of "Massandra"

Lament "Massandry"
Konstantin Paramonov

Publication date: February 21, 2000

Mikhail Ivanov. Banana. - M.: Library of the magazine "Solo", Russian Pen Center, 2000.

It’s nice to see that the literary tastes of the editor of the “ Solo Magazine Library” series , Alexander Mikhailov, have not changed at all, having lost the solid printing wrist of the UFO publishing house. Leaving the vague design of A. Goldman, “Solo” returned to its former modest cover.

It’s also nice because I happened to get acquainted with Mikhail Ivanov’s “Banana” a year ago. At that time, the book and its author were still just thinking about binding. I read this text overnight from my computer screen.

For one March moonlit night.

For one beautiful spring night.

For a cognac and beer fun night.

And I realized that such a book had never existed before.

Maybe there was, but I didn't read it.

Her style is distinguished by a somewhat melancholy intonation with which Mikhail Ivanov recalls and conveys almost a quarter-century of his own life, which sometimes took place in an atmosphere of alcoholic pagan witchcraft, shamanism - “maniacal,” as he himself calls this state. No, “maniacal” is neither this nor that... And not necessarily alcoholic. But in some places in the text it sounds something like: “I’m thirsty. And stop being afraid.”

So I, your humble servant, in order to stock up on self-irony after drinking a glass of vermouth, immediately pay attention to the pieces of paper with my notes that got stuck between the pages of Mikhail Ivanov’s book while I was re-reading it in paper form. These pencil notes now seem to me, if not the sweet nonsense of a teetotaler, then attempts to write a review of this book.

Here they are, in italics.

With my own comments.

Seventies.

Private chronicles.

Middle age crisis.

Yes, there is something. But it's a lie. The imaginary action of the book is reminiscent of the film "The Seventies. Private Chronicles", stitched together from amateur films and shown at the end of last year by the ORT channel. In the seventies there was no sign of a crisis in Russia. “Sausage, still sausage”... Whatever. Of course, there were far from peaceful adventures during a storm in a glass of port or at the construction site of a light " tanned " wine. A significant role was assigned to the golden youth of the Moscow gypsum yards of Leninsky Prospekt.

“ Banana” is, in fact, the author - Mikhail Ivanov, describing his life, co-authored by his friends. And girlfriends. Some of them will never come back. With some people you can’t drink, you can’t play, or... you never know... This book is also about love. Not easy. And...the hangover sets in...as the beginning of perestroika, coinciding with Monday. But you don't have to go to work. We need to go “on wheels”... go to Thailand...

I almost wrote “to Hawaii.” But it is to Thailand that Banana goes to take a break from life, drunkenness and love. Not without the help of pills - for brain health, and marijuana - for soul health. A vague description of the process of the journey itself adds dynamics to the action that was fading, and it also completes it. According to all the laws of the genre. But what did I write?..

...the premonition of a tragic end does not leave the reader throughout the entire narrative... According to the laws of the inexplicable genre, the book begins as a memoir, but in a detached face...

Well, that's not interesting. But here's another entry:

The author's unconventional religious orientation and leafing through Pelevin's books...

I thought so. Wrote. It is unknown what other sins this phrase could accuse the author of. But it exists... For example, the following options: "...give the reader a clue..." or "can become the basis for a statement..." However, in fact, by the end of the book, Banana's reflections on the search for God in the search for oneself reaches its peak. It is not surprising that the author comes up with the idea that “launching the text on the Internet would begin to prepare the collective memory and conscience of the population of planet Earth, preparing it for acceptance into the Game.”

So there will be nothing to remember. And be ashamed.

...until he and the hero agree: life is wonderful. And this is another reason for sadness.

Oh, what sadness there... Hungover schizophrenic fun.

Memories of friends and the past gradually turn into a diary, into regular monitoring of oneself using a computer laptop everywhere - in the smoking room of the Kashchenko hospital, at breakfast, on the toilet...

This turned out to be good vermouth...

The book by Mikhail Ivanov, nicknamed "Banana", is unlikely to become a bestseller.

This is not necessary.

Banana is big.

But the peel is even larger.

Isn't this the promise of a new book?