Our Country Friends
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- Create Date：2021-10-30 08:51:23
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Gary Shteyngart
- ISBN：1984855123
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Summary
Eight friends， one country house， four romances， and six months in isolation -- a powerful， emotionally rich novel about love， friendship， and betrayal， a book that reads like a great Russian novel， or Chekhov on the Hudson， by a novelist The New York Times calls "one of his generation's most original and exhilarating writers"。
It's March 2020 and a calamity is unfolding。 A group of friends and friends-of-friends gathers in a country house to wait out the pandemic。 Over the next six months new friendships and romances will take hold， while old betrayals will emerge， forcing each character to reevaulate whom they love and what matters most。 The unlikely cast of characters include: a Russian-born novelist; his Russian-born psychiatrist wife; their precocious child obsessed with K-pop; a struggling Indian American writer; a wildly successful Korean American app developer; a global dandy with three passports; a young flame-thrower of an essayist， originally from the Carolinas; and a movie star， The Actor， whose arrival upsets the equilibrium of this chosen family。
In a remarkable literary feat， Gary Shteyngart has documented through fiction the emotional toll of our recent times: a story of love and friendship that reads like a great Russian novel set in upstate New York。 Both elegiac and very， very funny， Our Country Friends is the most ambitious book yet by the author of the beloved bestseller， Super Sad True Love Story。
It's March 2020 and a calamity is unfolding。 A group of friends and friends-of-friends gathers in a country house to wait out the pandemic。 Over the next six months new friendships and romances will take hold， while old betrayals will emerge， forcing each character to reevaulate whom they love and what matters most。 The unlikely cast of characters include: a Russian-born novelist; his Russian-born psychiatrist wife; their precocious child obsessed with K-pop; a struggling Indian American writer; a wildly successful Korean American app developer; a global dandy with three passports; a young flame-thrower of an essayist， originally from the Carolinas; and a movie star， The Actor， whose arrival upsets the equilibrium of this chosen family。
In a remarkable literary feat， Gary Shteyngart has documented through fiction the emotional toll of our recent times: a story of love and friendship that reads like a great Russian novel set in upstate New York。 Both elegiac and very， very funny， Our Country Friends is the most ambitious book yet by the author of the beloved bestseller， Super Sad True Love Story。
Reviews
BookBagDC
，
This is a story about friendship。 It is March 2020， and Sasha， a well known writer and former university professor， is at his small country estate with his unhappy wife Masha， a psychiatrist， and their daughter， Nat。 Sasha has invited several of his lifelong friends and others in his orbit to join him at the estate to wait out the pandemic。 The group includes Karen， one of his friends from high school who invented a wildly successful a popular dating app; Vinrod， their other high school frien This is a story about friendship。 It is March 2020， and Sasha， a well known writer and former university professor， is at his small country estate with his unhappy wife Masha， a psychiatrist， and their daughter， Nat。 Sasha has invited several of his lifelong friends and others in his orbit to join him at the estate to wait out the pandemic。 The group includes Karen， one of his friends from high school who invented a wildly successful a popular dating app; Vinrod， their other high school friend who has literary ambitions of his own but after years as an adjunct professor is now working as a short-order cook; Ed， a wealthy world traveler who has never really needed to work; Dee， one of Sasha's former students who is now a moderately successful author; and "the Actor，" a well known star of stage and screen who is working with Sasha to adapt one of his books into a prestige television series。 Over the next six months， this group of lifelong friends and previous strangers develop into its own community， as existing relationships are tested， new relationships are formed， old grievances are aired， new betrayals arise， and love -- or is it infatuation -- grows。 Each of the characters is forced to examine the current state of their life and what they want from the future， as their pandemic bubble both protects them from some uncomfortable realities and makes others impossible to ignore。This was an intriguing book and a compelling capsule of the times we are living in。 As novels begin to address the pandemic， it is interesting the ways that authors approach this topic。 Here， the pandemic is the triggering event for the friends gathering at the country house and is a lurking presence for much of the story， but not its central preoccupation。 I thought this struck exactly the right balance -- making a pandemic novel but not a novel about the pandemic。 By bringing the eight characters together， this premise provided a strong vehicle to explore the nature of found family and how the mutual isolation of a group that otherwise would not， at this stage of their life， spend this much time together tested， shaped， and reshaped their relationships。Recommended！ 。。。more
Stroop
，
What a treat！ Our Country Friends is full of humor and drama。 The story centers around seven “friends” and one child spending time together during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic。I can’t say I am eager to read books or watch shows/movies about the pandemic but I love Gary Shteyngart’s writing and was delighted by the opportunity to read this novel。 It is silly in many places， full of mini-mysteries， intriguing plot lines， and well-observed intricacies of relationships between old and new What a treat！ Our Country Friends is full of humor and drama。 The story centers around seven “friends” and one child spending time together during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic。I can’t say I am eager to read books or watch shows/movies about the pandemic but I love Gary Shteyngart’s writing and was delighted by the opportunity to read this novel。 It is silly in many places， full of mini-mysteries， intriguing plot lines， and well-observed intricacies of relationships between old and new friends and acquaintances。 The prose is energetic with a touch of absurdity。 I could see this easily adapted for the stage or screen。 I recommend this enthusiastically， a must-read for fans of Shteyngart’s earlier works and anyone looking for a funny， touching， and surprising story about how the effects of COVID-19 （and modern technology） are tearing us apart and also bringing us together。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Sasha and Masha （and their daughter Nat） have no idea how long their house guests will stay or what will happen when they ask them to come visit in March 2020。 Yes， it's a pandemic novel- a house party that doesn't seem to end at a compound in the Hudson Valley。 There's food， there's wine， there's injudicious coupling and discussion， The seven characters-which include Ed， Vinood， Karen， Dee， and the Actor are all quite different but they share a voice sometimes。 This is high energy and some read Sasha and Masha （and their daughter Nat） have no idea how long their house guests will stay or what will happen when they ask them to come visit in March 2020。 Yes， it's a pandemic novel- a house party that doesn't seem to end at a compound in the Hudson Valley。 There's food， there's wine， there's injudicious coupling and discussion， The seven characters-which include Ed， Vinood， Karen， Dee， and the Actor are all quite different but they share a voice sometimes。 This is high energy and some readers might find themselves struggling with the language and long long sentences。 Underneath the satire and the comedy， however， there's a heart。 You might recognize these people and their struggles， not only with the pandemic but with themselves。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 For Shteyngart's fans and fans of literary fiction。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart is a recommended novel following a group of friends plus one movie star set during the pandemic lockdown。It’s March 2020 and the lockdown is approaching。 Sasha Senderovsky， a Russian-born novelist， Masha， his psychiatrist wife， and Nat， his adopted daughter who is obsessed with K-pop， are at their New York estate where Sasha has built a colony of bungalows。 He has invited a group of friends to stay at his colony for the lockdown。 Arriving are long time frie Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart is a recommended novel following a group of friends plus one movie star set during the pandemic lockdown。It’s March 2020 and the lockdown is approaching。 Sasha Senderovsky， a Russian-born novelist， Masha， his psychiatrist wife， and Nat， his adopted daughter who is obsessed with K-pop， are at their New York estate where Sasha has built a colony of bungalows。 He has invited a group of friends to stay at his colony for the lockdown。 Arriving are long time friends Ed Kim， a wealthy citizen of the world， Karen Cho， a successful Korean American app developer， and Vinood Mehta， a struggling Indian American writer。 Joining the group is a former writing student of Sasha's， Dee Cameron， and The Actor。 Once they all arrive they have no idea how long they will be staying in this bitter sweet comedy of manners。There are certain parts of Our Country Friends where the descriptions are beautifully rendered and stunning in this novel set during a notable period in history。 In a modified locked room scenario morphed with a surreal comedy of manners， these characters are all stuck together much longer than they originally anticipated and were not prepared emotionally for the experience。 （The plumbing was also not prepared for the group。） I liked parts of this novel and didn't care for other parts。 This uncertainty in my reaction is perhaps reflected in the novel itself。 Part of my hesitation in rating it is I didn't like any of the characters （except， perhaps， Nat and her obsession with K-pop） and couldn't relate to their experiences at all。 All the awkward love stories between these people were simply uncomfortable。 They are not truly fully realized characters but more a representation of different types of people。 I would be enjoying certain parts of the novel and then something would happen or be said that sent it plummeting。 Additionally， having never actually experienced the lock down， a time of even more work， it is unrelatable。 I'll look forward to Shteyngart's next novel。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2021/1。。。 。。。more
Rachael
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This was my first book of Gary Shteyngart's and I fell in love。 At first I was worried about the backdrop of covid being too "fresh" of a topic。 However， it made the premise of the book feel familiar and it is certainly something we can all relate too。 Overall I really enjoyed this book， can't wait to read some other ones by this author！ This was my first book of Gary Shteyngart's and I fell in love。 At first I was worried about the backdrop of covid being too "fresh" of a topic。 However， it made the premise of the book feel familiar and it is certainly something we can all relate too。 Overall I really enjoyed this book， can't wait to read some other ones by this author！ 。。。more
Dianne
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I will recommend this book to anyone who already loves and understands this author。 I was very excited when this ARC became available because， to my knowledge， there are no other books out there yet that are pretty much all about Covid and the friends and family who get trapped together because of it。Apparently， I do not have the type of sense of humor needed for this book， nor do I have the education for it。 I am not as politically correct as one needs to be to read this book。Endless run-on sen I will recommend this book to anyone who already loves and understands this author。 I was very excited when this ARC became available because， to my knowledge， there are no other books out there yet that are pretty much all about Covid and the friends and family who get trapped together because of it。Apparently， I do not have the type of sense of humor needed for this book， nor do I have the education for it。 I am not as politically correct as one needs to be to read this book。Endless run-on sentences， dislikeable characters， bigotry， prejudice， and out-and-out babble predominates what I have managed to read。I am done。 Covid has made life too difficult to force myself to finish something this painful。*ARC provided by the publisher。 。。。more
Emi Bevacqua
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Big Chill meets Covid-19。 Sasha & his wife Masha Senderovsky are hosting a multi-cultural reunion of his high school friends， at their over-leveraged House on the Hill。 There's a lot going on in here， from spirited adopted child bonding issues， blonde ingenue with questionable politics， Hollywood superstar overcome by out-of-control tech app， repressed memories and first loves， medical directives。。。 and in the background 80's pop-culture and 2020 memes and fads are delineated as America's morali Big Chill meets Covid-19。 Sasha & his wife Masha Senderovsky are hosting a multi-cultural reunion of his high school friends， at their over-leveraged House on the Hill。 There's a lot going on in here， from spirited adopted child bonding issues， blonde ingenue with questionable politics， Hollywood superstar overcome by out-of-control tech app， repressed memories and first loves， medical directives。。。 and in the background 80's pop-culture and 2020 memes and fads are delineated as America's morality crumbles。 There were phrases I wasn't familiar with before reading this， for example loose motions and secret sharer; I still don't understand what the despised California vineyard logo is all about。 But Gary Shteyngart definitely entertains。 。。。more
Allison
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Filled with classic Shteyngart humor and pathos， this is destined to become the quintessential covid read。 I both laughed out loud and cried and would recommend this book to people who are fans of bottle episode type scenarios and those interested in complex flawed and very human characters。
Marne Wilson
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This book didn't really land for me。 It was hard to relate to any of the characters， with their rich white people problems and their confusing （but not interesting） love lives。 （So many unintentionally awkward sex scenes！） I really loved Super Sad True Love Story when I read it， but this novel was so bad it made me wonder if I was wrong to like that book in the first place。 Maybe it was just as problematic in the same ways， but the effect was masked by the future setting？ Or maybe Shteyngart ju This book didn't really land for me。 It was hard to relate to any of the characters， with their rich white people problems and their confusing （but not interesting） love lives。 （So many unintentionally awkward sex scenes！） I really loved Super Sad True Love Story when I read it， but this novel was so bad it made me wonder if I was wrong to like that book in the first place。 Maybe it was just as problematic in the same ways， but the effect was masked by the future setting？ Or maybe Shteyngart just wasn't meant to write realism。 Either way， I don't recommend this probably-published-too-soon vision of the pandemic。 There are a million other better books you can read instead。（Note: I received advance uncorrected proofs of this book through a Goodreads giveaway。） 。。。more
Ryan Macnair
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Shteyngart writes a novel that centers around the COVID-19 pandemic in a poignant manner with a side of the US in the era of Trump。 It is a fast read that packs an emotional punch and gets you very invested in the characters。 It is well worth the read。
Amy
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A disappointing， self-indulgent novel that is too long， goes nowhere and leaves plot lines unfinished。 The characters are unlikeable， insecure， and unreasonably juvenile in their thoughts and interactions。 I found myself putting this book down， and then dreading picking it up again， and in the end， I waded through more than half in the hope of finding some redeeming quality， then skimmed to the end to make sure I didn’t miss anything - it wasn’t worth the effort。 The premise was intriguing， but A disappointing， self-indulgent novel that is too long， goes nowhere and leaves plot lines unfinished。 The characters are unlikeable， insecure， and unreasonably juvenile in their thoughts and interactions。 I found myself putting this book down， and then dreading picking it up again， and in the end， I waded through more than half in the hope of finding some redeeming quality， then skimmed to the end to make sure I didn’t miss anything - it wasn’t worth the effort。 The premise was intriguing， but the story just didn’t deliver。 。。。more
Mityl
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Flows well。 I like how diverse the characters are， and the subtle touches that make them more than just token figures。 The references to racial and social tensions seem fitting。 The clichéd B-grade movie appropriate love web， and occasional obscenity put me off。* I received an advance reader copy from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review。
James （JD） Dittes
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It's March 2020。 The world is shutting down， and writer Sasha Senderovsky has the perfect plan to survive the apocalypse: invite a group of friends to his country house （alongside five bungalows， built to reflect a writers' colony he remembers from the Soviet Union）， load up the pantry with expensive alcohol， and see what happens。Hilarity ensues。The core of this group is Sasha's closest friends since high school: Karen Cho， whose latest dating app has made millions， and Vinod Mehta， the guy who It's March 2020。 The world is shutting down， and writer Sasha Senderovsky has the perfect plan to survive the apocalypse: invite a group of friends to his country house （alongside five bungalows， built to reflect a writers' colony he remembers from the Soviet Union）， load up the pantry with expensive alcohol， and see what happens。Hilarity ensues。The core of this group is Sasha's closest friends since high school: Karen Cho， whose latest dating app has made millions， and Vinod Mehta， the guy who helped Sasha's writing career but who never found success himself （and who never gave up the torch for Karen that has burned since high school）。 Sasha's wife， Masha， spends her days providing online therapy to anxiety- and FoxNews-stricken， elderly Russian emigres。To the core four， Shteyngart adds Ed Kim， a worldly man who acts as the group's chef; The Actor， brought in to complete a screenplay Sasha hopes to sell to a network; the Senderovskys' adopted daughter Natasha; and Dee， a southern girl， former student of Sasha's， brought in to liven things up a bit， encourage The Actor to see things Sasha's way， and to face the brunt of "cancel culture。"Living out in the country， the commune finds itself surrounded by Blue Lives Matter flags and suspicious black pick-up trucks turning into the long driveway。 The events of the crisis--the murder of George Floyd， especially--are noted， although the Election story lies deep in the background。 Cancel culture and Silicon Valley overreach also feature prominently。 And one character vividly struggles with Covid-19 in an unforgettable section of the book。Shteyngart's satire is razor-sharp。 The excesses of cancel culture and the earnestness of white liberals get their fare share of send-offs。 The bit that made me laugh out loud was when the Network responded to Sanderovsky's screenplay about characters in a downtrodden， village somewhere in the former Soviet empire:"It's the subject matter。 Oligarchs， hookers， payoffs。 A former Soviet republic won't seem that different from 2020 America to the viewer。"Doesn't that make it pertinent？" Senderovsky asked。"No， it makes it depressing。" This is the fourth Shteyngart book I've read， and while it had me laughing， I probably missed out on some of the references， too。 The characterization only reached deep enough to set up a handful of gags for each character。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Stuart Rosen
，
What always most characterizes Shteyngart’s books is the overwhelming tone of fatalistic sweetness - whether his books are directly concerning Russian emigrants or not （and they usually are）， the sense that we are all doomed， but might as well enjoy the company of others， suffuses his work。 That’s certainly true of Our Country Friends， where world events and catastrophes （2020， anyone？） reside just offscreen but the damage we cause to each other is center stage （to mix metaphors）， though you can What always most characterizes Shteyngart’s books is the overwhelming tone of fatalistic sweetness - whether his books are directly concerning Russian emigrants or not （and they usually are）， the sense that we are all doomed， but might as well enjoy the company of others， suffuses his work。 That’s certainly true of Our Country Friends， where world events and catastrophes （2020， anyone？） reside just offscreen but the damage we cause to each other is center stage （to mix metaphors）， though you can only hold off the world’s impact for so long。 Put 7 people with shared history or transactional interests together in one setting， keep them there， and watch what happens。 I don’t want to spoil the plot because it’s fun to watch it develop and because plot isn’t the point if you’re reading Gary Shteyngart。 Read him for his barbed humanity， for his embrace of the futility of our lives。 I will say that the book’s last quarter is dominated by a slow departure from reality and logic and convention， but the emotions undergirding these flights are consistent and carry you through wherever Shteyngart wants to take you。 It’s so rewarding to see an author who could keep churning out comic novels go for something deeper （as he did in Lake Success）。 Our Country Friends will be more divisive than his earlier works， but it’s a novel worth reading if only to see where you fall。 It’s ambitious while still retaining the reasons you read a Shteyngart novel。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an ARC copy。 。。。more
Kim McGee
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A group of friends plus an actor gather at a house in the country outside of New York City。 They are an international eclectic group of artists， writers， a doctor and one very adult eight year old。 Everyone has been friends for years except for the actor who serves the same purpose as a mosquito on a summer day or ants at a picnic。 It is the beginning of COVID and it seems that only the hostess， Masha is concerned and taking precautions。 At times this story reads like an international version of A group of friends plus an actor gather at a house in the country outside of New York City。 They are an international eclectic group of artists， writers， a doctor and one very adult eight year old。 Everyone has been friends for years except for the actor who serves the same purpose as a mosquito on a summer day or ants at a picnic。 It is the beginning of COVID and it seems that only the hostess， Masha is concerned and taking precautions。 At times this story reads like an international version of THE BIG CHILL with themes of old friendships， jealousies， secret relationships and betrayal all playing a big part。 Sad， funny and bittersweet when thinking about the start of the seclusion and how we would all be affected by it。 Gary Shteyngart has a warm writing style that makes you feel like you are part of the group from the first chapter。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Elida Liederbach
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Received ARC for honest review， Published date November 21。 This is a story of immigrant friends who have grown up together thru youth， college， and adult lives。 They have treasured their cultures and examine how life has changed from their parents。 They stay at their friends retreat by a secluded country side， to weather the pandemic of today。 Among the woods， and private cabins they examine their years together， even letting an outsider actor join them。 But in this time together， the secrets a Received ARC for honest review， Published date November 21。 This is a story of immigrant friends who have grown up together thru youth， college， and adult lives。 They have treasured their cultures and examine how life has changed from their parents。 They stay at their friends retreat by a secluded country side， to weather the pandemic of today。 Among the woods， and private cabins they examine their years together， even letting an outsider actor join them。 But in this time together， the secrets and truth is revealed from their youth。 Although connected like family， emotions come to surface， and hurt feelings， regret， as well as insecurities take hold。 One friend pulls them together in his departure。 Gary Shtevngart has written a love story， that is dramatic as Russian tales; weaving friendships， and human emotions。 。。。more
Laurie
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Disappointing attempt at Chekhovian country house/pandemic novel by Shteyngart whom I usually enjoy。 I was very excited to read it and found the first half of the novel engaging， but the end was really tough to get through。 The characters were not particularly likeable or people to whom I could relate， so as their betrayals and weaknesses became more and more apparent they were even more hard to care about。 The deus ex machina of the actor and the app didn't work for me and the ending just seeme Disappointing attempt at Chekhovian country house/pandemic novel by Shteyngart whom I usually enjoy。 I was very excited to read it and found the first half of the novel engaging， but the end was really tough to get through。 The characters were not particularly likeable or people to whom I could relate， so as their betrayals and weaknesses became more and more apparent they were even more hard to care about。 The deus ex machina of the actor and the app didn't work for me and the ending just seemed odd。 Maybe it is too soon to write about the pandemic？ I suspect that many others will enjoy this novel more than I did， but I struggled to finish it。 。。。more
Melissa Joulwan
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Phew。 From the description， I expected this novel to be gripping and fulfill my affection for novels that feature disparate characters and conflict in an isolated setting。 I was NOT prepared for this gloriously cathartic and moving story。 I was IN it， and it felt so good to shed tears （and laugh） at key points in the plot。 So grateful for a novel that is very entertaining and captures the fear， uncertainty， sadness， and hopefulness I think we've all been feeling during this pandemic。 Phew。 From the description， I expected this novel to be gripping and fulfill my affection for novels that feature disparate characters and conflict in an isolated setting。 I was NOT prepared for this gloriously cathartic and moving story。 I was IN it， and it felt so good to shed tears （and laugh） at key points in the plot。 So grateful for a novel that is very entertaining and captures the fear， uncertainty， sadness， and hopefulness I think we've all been feeling during this pandemic。 。。。more
Steph Elias
，
Our Country Friends is about a group of people who gather in a country house to wait out the pandemic。 It is such a great story。 The characters are wonderfully written even the obnoxious and self-entitled Actor。 It really delves into the feelings we had at the beginning of the pandemic which is relatable。 It is very funny and I think we all can become a little "Stalin in an apron" at times when we are trying to keep people safe and keep things in control。 The story is also heartbreaking at times Our Country Friends is about a group of people who gather in a country house to wait out the pandemic。 It is such a great story。 The characters are wonderfully written even the obnoxious and self-entitled Actor。 It really delves into the feelings we had at the beginning of the pandemic which is relatable。 It is very funny and I think we all can become a little "Stalin in an apron" at times when we are trying to keep people safe and keep things in control。 The story is also heartbreaking at times， I can't say much more without ruining things。 I found it interesting to see how the wealthy fared at the beginning of things， seems people are more alike than not， except for being able to order endless amounts of things for delivery。 All in all， it was a fantastic book。 I can't wait to read more by this author。 。。。more
Shana
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***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***True to Shteyngart's style， Our Country Friends includes all the irreverent and absurd humor we're grown accustomed to。 But applied to a pandemic that is not yet in the past， the novel packed a different kind of gut punch that added a deliciously uncomfortable feeling to the reading experience。 The characters reminded me a bit of those from the show Friends from College。 Taking a few people with shared history and throwing in ***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***True to Shteyngart's style， Our Country Friends includes all the irreverent and absurd humor we're grown accustomed to。 But applied to a pandemic that is not yet in the past， the novel packed a different kind of gut punch that added a deliciously uncomfortable feeling to the reading experience。 The characters reminded me a bit of those from the show Friends from College。 Taking a few people with shared history and throwing in a few curveballs makes for some hilarious and awkward interactions。 This isn't to say it's an entirely comedic novel， because it certainly contains the darkness appropriate for a book taking place during the times of COVID。 Shteyngart just happens to throw it all together in a messy way that works because it mimics life。 。。。more
Jodie Stein
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I read an advance copy （thanks goodreads giveaway！） so there may be changes， but I liked what I saw。 Each of his novels that I've read are a little more subtle and insightful than the one before。 I read an advance copy （thanks goodreads giveaway！） so there may be changes， but I liked what I saw。 Each of his novels that I've read are a little more subtle and insightful than the one before。 。。。more
Jo Dervan
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Our Country FriendsAlexander （Sandy） Senderovsky was a Russian immigrant who spent a part of his Queens childhood in bungalow colonies for other immigrants in the Catskills。 So when he became a successful author， he bought a home on a large piece of property in that area and surrounded it with small themed bungalows。Covid forced people out of NYC in early 2020 and so Sandy took his wife Masha， a psychiatric doctor， and their adopted daughter， Natasha， to live in their country house。 He also invi Our Country FriendsAlexander （Sandy） Senderovsky was a Russian immigrant who spent a part of his Queens childhood in bungalow colonies for other immigrants in the Catskills。 So when he became a successful author， he bought a home on a large piece of property in that area and surrounded it with small themed bungalows。Covid forced people out of NYC in early 2020 and so Sandy took his wife Masha， a psychiatric doctor， and their adopted daughter， Natasha， to live in their country house。 He also invited five friends and associates to join them。 The group included high school friends， Karen Cho and Vinod Mehta。 Also Ed Kim， a sophisticated friend of Karen’s， Dee Cameron， a former student of Sasha’s and the Actor who was working to create a television series based on one of Sasha’s books。 Once the group settles in for a 6 month quarantine， new friendships took hold。 Old betrayals were exposed and several new romances began。 This is the second ARC that I have read recently about the Covid pandemic and its effects on people。 It probably won’t be the last。 I enjoyed the humorous situations presented by the author however I did not find any of the characters likable。 I also found the transition to earlier events involving Sasha， Vinod and Karen to be confusing。 I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
BooksnFreshair （Poornima Apte）
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http://booksnfreshair。blogspot。com/20。。。 http://booksnfreshair。blogspot。com/20。。。 。。。more
Nuha
，
Honestly， I just couldn't get into this novel。 It just seemed like a group of friends where everyone wanted to sleep with everyone else but their societal rules and personal hangups prevented it。 Yes there is some discussion of class， race and social privileges but it comes from such a white male POV that it's dry。 For example， Nat is a Korean adoptee of the family。 One of her main defining characteristics is that she loves BTS and her white parents are bewildered。 Her mom， Masha， is angry when Honestly， I just couldn't get into this novel。 It just seemed like a group of friends where everyone wanted to sleep with everyone else but their societal rules and personal hangups prevented it。 Yes there is some discussion of class， race and social privileges but it comes from such a white male POV that it's dry。 For example， Nat is a Korean adoptee of the family。 One of her main defining characteristics is that she loves BTS and her white parents are bewildered。 Her mom， Masha， is angry when she starts to learn Korean。 Overall， I felt disconnected from the story。 。。。more
Marsha
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Four old friends come to weather out the pandemic at the country home of a formerly celebrated Russian emigre author， his psychiatrist wife and their adopted daughter。 Things would have gone well if it hadn't been for the Actor， who also shows up。 I laughed out loud so many times at the interplay and absurdities。 A richly drawn and immersive novel。 The ending wasn't as carefully woven as the rest but nonetheless an absorbing and entertaining read。 #OurCountryFriends #netgalley Four old friends come to weather out the pandemic at the country home of a formerly celebrated Russian emigre author， his psychiatrist wife and their adopted daughter。 Things would have gone well if it hadn't been for the Actor， who also shows up。 I laughed out loud so many times at the interplay and absurdities。 A richly drawn and immersive novel。 The ending wasn't as carefully woven as the rest but nonetheless an absorbing and entertaining read。 #OurCountryFriends #netgalley 。。。more
Lisa Zeidner
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Gary Shteyngart may not have been the first writer you thought of to deliver a novel about COVID's strangeness and horror。 But it turns out he's exactly the writer。 OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS starts as a lark in typical Shteyngartian fashion--hilarious and socially-incisive--and ends as a surreal fever dream。 Along with the masking and social distancing he is up-to-the-nanosecond in terms of the weird shoals of the Internet and cancel culture。 This is a real leap for him in terms of voice， and he compl Gary Shteyngart may not have been the first writer you thought of to deliver a novel about COVID's strangeness and horror。 But it turns out he's exactly the writer。 OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS starts as a lark in typical Shteyngartian fashion--hilarious and socially-incisive--and ends as a surreal fever dream。 Along with the masking and social distancing he is up-to-the-nanosecond in terms of the weird shoals of the Internet and cancel culture。 This is a real leap for him in terms of voice， and he completely pulls it off。 。。。more
Tamara
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I was so excited to hear Gary Shteyngart was publishing another novel， and even more thrilled when I received an advance copy！ I’m a huge fan of Shteyngart， and I was eager to read his new novel， set during the early months of the pandemic。I’m sure pandemic-set novels will boom in the coming years， unless we all have too much COVID fatigue to relive the difficulty and stress of this time。 But Shteyngart captures the moment brilliantly， setting seven characters on a compound in upstate New York o I was so excited to hear Gary Shteyngart was publishing another novel， and even more thrilled when I received an advance copy！ I’m a huge fan of Shteyngart， and I was eager to read his new novel， set during the early months of the pandemic。I’m sure pandemic-set novels will boom in the coming years， unless we all have too much COVID fatigue to relive the difficulty and stress of this time。 But Shteyngart captures the moment brilliantly， setting seven characters on a compound in upstate New York owned by Sasha Senderovsky， a Russian immigrant writer， and his wife Masha， a therapist。 Their precocious child Nat is fixated on BTS。 The three are joined by Sasha’s best friends from growing up， Karen and Vinod。 A former student of Sasha’s makes the trip up from the city and gets caught in a love triangle between two other guests， Ed and an unnamed Actor。 The novel captures those early， terrifying days of the pandemic so well: our uncertainty about how the virus spreads， the mad rush to stock up on goods and food （and for these particular characters， plenty of alcohol）， and the terror of contact with anyone outside your sphere。 But more poignantly， the book captures how micro all of our lives became。 Without dinners out with friends， vacations， commutes to work， time with extended family， our own personal dramas unfolded on a small， home-bound scale。 Here， the hosts and their guests swap bedmates and barbs and stories from the past。 The grim specter of an unknown vehicle making its slow rounds looms over the scene。 There’s not much coming nor going， yet the complexity of human life and relationships ensures。Ultimately， this book lacked the same charm and magic for me of Shteyngart’s other novels。 In particular， the final chapters — set as dream sequences with flashbacks to the characters’ earlier days — were difficult to follow。 Additionally， the relatively large cast of characters were not clearly enough sketched for me to fully buy into their stories。 Finally， as a fan of the author， I found myself wondering how much of the book was taken from real life。 Is the Actor Ben Stiller？ Can we reasonably expect that the in-development Super Sad tv series is no more （if so， I’m super sad myself）？ Is the watch journalist who we all think it is？ I hope that despite some of their surface similarities Sasha is not really a stand in for Shteyngart himself， who has a lot more going for him than the washed up character。 Regardless of these minor kvetchs， I think Our Country Friends is a smart take on a unique time in history， and I plan to read it again soon。 I received an ARC but this review reflects my own opinions。 。。。more
sarah morgan
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Thank you， Random House and Net Galley， for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I've been a Gary Shteyngart fan since reading his first book。 There is no one writing about American life quite like him。 He has the advantage of being foreign-born （Russian）， so he sees our peculiar culture from an outsider's perspective with wit and insight that never fails to liven up the pages。 Our Country Friends， his latest novel， is no exception。 In March of 2020， an oddball mism Thank you， Random House and Net Galley， for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I've been a Gary Shteyngart fan since reading his first book。 There is no one writing about American life quite like him。 He has the advantage of being foreign-born （Russian）， so he sees our peculiar culture from an outsider's perspective with wit and insight that never fails to liven up the pages。 Our Country Friends， his latest novel， is no exception。 In March of 2020， an oddball mismatch of friends， and friends-of-friends， gather at a venerable professor's writing retreat to wait out the pandemic。 Six months together produces four romances， betrayal （both old and new）， friendships newly formed， and the heartbreak that is Covid。 Could this novel be compared to Chekov？ Possibly。 It's big。 It's sprawling， and it's full of conflicts and re-evaluation of what is ultimately most important in life。 Witty， wise， and tragic， Our Country Friends is pure Shteyngart， which means a pure joy to read。 。。。more
Andrew
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While I like Shteyngart and we share an obsession with watches， I found this book hard going。 Just a little bit too self conscious and self involved。 I got what he was trying to do（ a Russian country house novel）- I just dont think he pulled it off successfully。 But give it a try-you may feel differently。 。
Lydia Wallace
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This was such a great book with great characters that stay with you long after you finish the book。 I laughed and cried as I turned the pages。 I love Gary Shteyngart and his books， but this is by far my favorite novel of his。 It's about a quirky group of people who quarantine together in a country house。 It's about so many things such as sex， racism， adoption， stalking， infatuation， food， immigration etc。 In short this is one of my favorite novels。 Gary Shteyngart hurry up and write your new boo This was such a great book with great characters that stay with you long after you finish the book。 I laughed and cried as I turned the pages。 I love Gary Shteyngart and his books， but this is by far my favorite novel of his。 It's about a quirky group of people who quarantine together in a country house。 It's about so many things such as sex， racism， adoption， stalking， infatuation， food， immigration etc。 In short this is one of my favorite novels。 Gary Shteyngart hurry up and write your new book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Our Country Friends
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Our Country Friends&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Our Country Friends&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0