© Julia Rudenko, 2015
© Roman Gyreev, translation, 2015
Created with intellectual publishing system Ridero
One more book about love. One more pretender to become a new «Robsky» or «Dontsova». But we‘ve got plenty of them, haven’t we? Writing ambitiously about everything and nothing at the same time. Young, trying to imitate the «sharks» of the genre… But they don’t differ from each other… This idea occurred to me when I took a manuscript by an author unknown to me with a bold title «I am your woman!». It was obvious the debut woman writer threw down a challenge to men readers. It‘s seen with the naked eye. But what was that challenge? I wondered if she would be able to attract readers’ attention during the whole book.
I read the first part and realized: Yulia is a complicated nature with delicate feelings, who uses grotesque forms of describing man’s character and allegories of justice skillfully. You can find everything in this novel: the Chechen war, Love, «werewolves in epaulets», but the main peculiarity of Yulia Rudenko’s prose is that she made me, sate and «spoilt» with new books, see, feel, read the dramatism of human relations between the lines. This conflict – the collision of different life positions, how to act in extreme situations – is that very challenge.
The main heroine of the novel is endowed by the author with the idea of struggle for her love. She is not a business-lady, about whom they’re writing now, she is not a superstar. Dasha Sviridenko is a young mother, who fell in love by chance, being married. The girl is tormented with doubts if she must preserve their family for the sake of her son. But Life puts everything and everyone on its places. Simple as it may seem…
But… I don’t want to retell the plot. There are a lot of things in it you should think over yourself. I can see a serious background in comic army episodes and in wild outburst of those who got enormous power. And behind this naturalism there is a strong woman writer who can get to the most hard-hearted man reader with her talent. The novel «I am your woman!» is a courageous attempt to change the world that is falling into the precipice rapidly.
Tatiana Solovyova, writer
For those whom the gods love, unhappiness turn into a blessing.
Leonardo da Vinci
Moscow recovered from its long sleep. The first sunbeams fell on the Baikal Hotel. It was a September Sunday in 1995, and the weather seemed to be mild that day. Andrey Malcovich lay on his bed in one of the deluxe suites, clasping the pillow with his hands and pressing it down himself, and smacked with his lips in a childish manner. When the sunbeams touched his face he opened his eyes, turned around reluctantly and looked at the digital clock. Six minutes were left till the ringing of his alarm-clock.
It was quiet in the room and outside. Andrey closed his eyes again and made an attempt to return to the magic world of his night visions. «Well, What was your name, you, night enchantress, the girl from my dream?» – he thought. Then Andrey Malcovich remembered he had fallen asleep during the TV-show dedicated to Mata Hari, the beautiful dancer from the early XX century. And his brain gave in to the television wave. This amazing image from the past penetrated into Andrey’s subconsciousness and was still there. The contours of a naked girl were wrapped around with mist. She was standing on top of a rock and stretched her arms to Andrey. He came closer without any word. Coiling around him like a snake, with all her entity, she awakened his desire. The dawn coolness was spilt in the air.
