"Innoble plaga", María José Obiol, El País 01.02.2004: https://elpais.com/diario/2004/02/07/babelia/1076115024_850215.html

A very short, rather sad novel about a man who did not die of starvation during the siege of Leningrad though others around him did.

He finds ways to eat and he survives but not without a cost. His memories meander from happy times spent traveling the world to bittersweet remembrances of his wife.

This truly seems like a horrible thing to have endured and those that made it through are scarred. ( )

So, this book was okay. Beautiful writing but once I finished I just kind of forgot about it. I didn't dwell on it like one should with a book like this. Plus, though I know that it was the point, I just could not stand the narrator. ( )

Hunger is a short novel, but one that has a powerful voice to tackle issues of history, life at the edge of survival, and what happens to ethical and intelligent people when the things they care about are torn asunder. Set during the Siege of Leningrad from 1941-1944, the book focuses on issues of survival that go beyond the immediate needs of the protagonists themselves, ultimately leading to ruminations on betrayal, duplicity, and what it really means to be a moral person. Given the short length, the narrative is tight and relatively fast-paced, leaving the reader to fill in some of the blanks. But that's all to the good - Elise Blackwell does indeed manage to turn her story into something of a mirror, asking the reader to reflect on what they might do in similarly extreme situations. A solid piece of literature all around. ( )

"Voltaire got it right in Candide, I believe: a bit of decency and the physical labor and small rewards of cultivating a garden from seed are the best we can strive or hope for to dull the pain of lost expectation, or to cover our vices of weakness, boredom and need"

A retelling of the great hunger in Leningrad in 1941 is particularly poignant as the world faces severe food shortages and the United Nations call for an international response. It is a reminder of the pain and horror and de-humanizing effect of hunger. Will the scientists preserve the precious seeds for their nation or will they, like the main character, give in to tempation and in the end does it really matter?
This is a lovely short read but I wondered why the main character's sex life seemed to be as important as his struggle with hunger? Perhaps it was as important to him, it just doesn't seem very likely to me nor is it likely that starving women kept throwing themselves at his feet.

Having reflected on that last statement I think I withdraw it as a criticism. It is rather a part of the author's careful crafting of this character, and we can jump up at any point and yell selfish for any number of reasons. The author actually points out through her character that hunger does not generally bring out the best in people. It is an aching primal pain and though short, this story brings it to life.

The pacing is lovely, and the memories of previous trips collecting seeds for wonderful plants and delicious food is a vivid contrast to the starvation in Leningrad. The richness and variety of melons in South America, for example, is lovingly described and I remembered being in Ecuador in 2000 and being stunned by exactly the same thing, melons and fruit I had never seen before, beautiful and ripened on the vine. Then we are back in Leningrad.
A great first novel by a very accomplished writer. ( )