Book of the month 2003

© Random House

Russendisko is a collection of fifty short stories which are all set in Berlin. They are loosely connected through the narrator who is quite clearly the author himelf. Wladimir Kaminer emigrated to Berlin from Russia in 1990 and all of his stories revolve around his, his family's and his friends' experiences in Berlin. Whether he describes the problems of his father with driving instructor, a friend's hapless encounters with fortune tellers or his own impressions of a city 'where nothing is what it seems' Kaminer always takes a light-hearted approach and succceeds in pointing out the funny aspects of life without sounding shallow.

Kaminer has been very successful since he came to Berlin. He works as a freelance writer and has written columns for the FAZ, taz and the Frankfurter Rundschau. The title of the book derives from the 'Russendisko' held by a Kaminer and a friend in the Kaffee Burger. The 'Russendisko' (i.e. one evening of Russian rock music only) has become very popular and is an integral part of what is called the 'New Russian Berlin'.

Kaminer only started to learn German when he came to Germany which makes his success all the more spectacular. His stories are ideal for beginners of German as they are short, entertaining and easy to understand.

Bibliografic Details
Germany	English Translation
Hardcover: Not available anymore.	Hardcover: Not available yet.
Paperback: Kaminer, Wladimir: Russendisko. Goldmann Verlag, München, 2002 ISBN 3-442-54175-1 EUR 7,90	Paperback: Kaminer, Wladimir: Russian disco : Tales of everyday lunacy on the streets of Berlin. Random House, New York, 2002 ISBN 0-09-188669-4 EUR 14,90
Audio-CD: Kaminer, Wladimir: Russendisko. Random House Audio, München, 2000 ISBN 3-89830-135-4 EUR 14,90	Audio-CD: Not available yet.