Publication

2007-07-24 - Vintage Books

Language

English

Word Count

84,000 words, Guess

Page Count

336 pages

Identifiers

  • ISBN-100099466139
  • ISBN-139780099466130
  • LibraryThing1696795
  • Goodreads1006277
  • OCLC Control Number86166489
and 2 more
  • Better World Books9780099466130
  • Open LibraryOL7318608M

Classifications

  • LCCPG3482

Description

Set mainly in Uzbekistan between 1900 and 1980, this compelling novel introduces to us the inhabitants of the small town of Gilas on the ancient Silk Route. Among those whose stories we hear are Mefody-Jurisprudence, the town's alcoholic intellectual; Father Ioann, a Russian priest; Kara-Musayev the Younger, the chief of police; and Umarali-Moneybags, the old moneylender. Their colorful lives offer a unique and comic picture of a little-known land populated by outgoing Mullahs, incoming Bolsheviks, and a plethora of Uzbeks, Russians, Persians, Jews, Koreans, Tatars, and Gypsies. At the heart of both the town and the novel stands the railway station—a source of income and influence, and a connection to the greater world beyond the town. Rich and picaresque, The Railway is highly sophisticated yet contains a naive delight in its storytelling, chronicling the dramatic changes felt throughout Central Asia in the early 20th century.

Subjects

Places

GilasUzbekistanSilk Route

Times

Between 1900 and 1980

Other Editions

  • The RailwayVintage Books2007-07-24

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