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The Dead Mountaineer's Inn: One More Last Rite for the Detective Genre (Neversink) Paperback – March 17, 2015

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 229 ratings

A hilarious spoof on the classic country-house murder mystery, from the Russian masters of sci-fi—never before translated
 
When Inspector Peter Glebsky arrives at the remote ski chalet on vacation, the last thing he intends to do is get involved in any police work. He’s there to ski, drink brandy, and loaf around in blissful solitude.
 
But he hadn’t counted on the other vacationers, an eccentric bunch including a famous hypnotist, a physicist with a penchant for gymnastic feats, a sulky teenager of indeterminate gender, and the mysterious Mr. and Mrs. Moses. And as the chalet fills up, strange things start happening—things that seem to indicate the presence of another, unseen guest. Is there a ghost on the premises? A prankster? Something more sinister? And then an avalanche blocks the mountain pass, and they’re stuck.
 
Which is just about when they find the corpse. Meaning that Glebksy’s vacation is over and he’s embarked on the most unusual investigation he’s ever been involved with. In fact, the further he looks into it, the more Glebsky realizes that the victim may not even be human.
 
In this late novel from the legendary Russian sci-fi duo—here in its first-ever English translation—the Strugatskys gleefully upend the plot of many a Hercule Poirot mystery—and the result is much funnier, and much stranger, than anything Agatha Christie ever wrote.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice

“Delicious... There’s enough dry humor to spark kindling...
The Dead Mountaineer’s Inn is delightful and melancholy by turns, and so satisfying to read."
New York Times Book Review

“If Russian sci-fi can be said to have a soul, it resides with the Brothers Strugatsky... Delightful, and a must-read for a new generation of sci-fi fans everywhere."
NPR

“Mysteries abound in this Russian science-fiction classic written by two brothers as a send-up of the Agatha Christie-type upper-class murder mystery."
Vanity Fair, Spring Reads for Parks & Picnics

“This is the Strugatskys at their best, at once silly and dead serious... It’s a ripping good yarn, which translator Josh Billings has rendered with great energy and wit."
Los Angeles Review of Books

“An expert new translation by Josh Billings… For at least three decades [the Strugatsky brothers] were the most popular science-fiction writers in Russia, and the most influential Russian science-fiction writers in the world."
Paris Review Daily

“Does for science-fiction/detective hybridization what
Hard to Be a God has done for sci-fi/fantasy."
Flavorwire

“Anything but run-of-the-mill...an entertaining if bizarre success."
Complete Review

“There’s plenty of humor to be found in this novel, and the way that the plot gradually expands is intricate and constantly entertaining."
Electric Literature


"Radiant...Beginning as a classic locked-room murder mystery, the novel morphs into a tale of the supernatural (maybe), then into a gangster thriller, and finally into something deeply strange...A tour de force."—
World Literature Today

Praise for Definitely Maybe
 
Definitely Maybe, further proof that knowledge can be a dangerous game, is a work of towering wit and intelligence.”
NPR, Best Books of 2014

“Like the best speculative fiction,
Definitely Maybe doesn’t show its age: the fundamental questions it addresses are timeless — and effectively and entertainingly framed by the Strugatsky brothers. It remains an intriguing, unsettling work.”
Complete Review

“A great truth is this: Some discoveries, like the sting of a painful memory, do a number on your psyche.
Definitely Maybe accomplishes just that . . . You’ll laugh, you’ll look around suspiciously, you’ll throw the text across the room. You’ll pick it back up and go on, gladly welcoming the distraction.”
NPR

“One of the Strugatsky brothers is descended from Gogol and the other from Chekhov, but nobody is sure which is which. Together they have now proved quite definitely that a visit from a gorgeous blonde, from a disappearing midget, from your mother-in-law, and from the secret police, are all manifestations of a cosmic principle of homeostasis, maybe. This is definitely, not maybe, a beautiful book.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin

“Surely one of the best and most provocative novels I have ever read, in or out of sci-fi.”
—Theodore Sturgeon

“Provocative, delicately paced and set against a rich physical and psychological background, this is one of the best novels of the year.”
—Chicago Sun-Times

Praise for Roadside Picnic

“It’s a book with an extraordinary atmosphere—and a demonstration of how science fiction, by using a single bold central metaphor, can open up the possibilities of the novel.”
—Hari Kunzru, The Guardian

“Gritty and realistic but also fantastical, this is a novel you won’t easily put down—or forget.” 
—io9

“It has survived triumphantly as a classic.”
—Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Strugatsky brothers

“The Strugatsky brothers demonstrate that they are realists of the fantastic inasmuch as realism in fantasy betokens a respect for logical consequence, an honesty in deducing all conclusions entirely from the assumed premises.”
—Stanisław Lem

“[In writing
Gun, with Occasional Music], I fused the Chandler/Ross MacDonald voice with those rote dystopia moves that I knew backwards and forwards from my study of Ballard, Dick, Orwell, Huxley, and the Brothers Strugatsky.”
Jonathan Lethem

“Successive generations of Russian intellectuals were raised on the Strugatskys. Their books can be read with a certain pair of spectacles on as political commentaries on Soviet society or indeed any repressive society.”
—Muireann Maguire, The Guardian

“Their protagonists are often caught up in adventures not unlike those of pulp-fiction heroes, but the story line typically veers off in unpredictable directions, and the intellectual puzzles that animate the plots are rarely resolved. Their writing has an untidiness that is finally provocative; they open windows in the mind and then fail to close them all, so that, putting down one of their books, you feel a cold breeze still lifting the hairs on the back of your neck.”
—The New York Times

About the Author

ARKADY (1925–1991) and BORIS (1933–2012) STRUGATSKY were the most acclaimed and beloved science fiction writers of the Soviet era. They are the authors of twenty-five novels together, including Definitely Maybe, Roadside Picnic (which was the basis for Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Stalker); Snail on the Slope; and Hard to Be a God, as well as numerous short stories, essays, plays, and film scripts. Their books have been translated into multiple languages and published in twenty-seven countries. The asteroid 3054 Strugatskia, discovered in 1977, is named after the brothers.

JOSH BILLINGS is a writer and translator who lives in Rockland, Maine. His translations of Alexander Pushkin’s Tales of Belkin and Alexander Kuprin’s The Duel have been published by Melville House. His recent writing has appeared in The Collagist and The Literary Review. He blogs at begborrowstijl.blogspot.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Melville House (March 17, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 161219432X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1612194325
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.7 x 8.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 229 ratings

About the author

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Jeff VanderMeer
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Called “the weird Thoreau” by the New Yorker, NYT bestseller Jeff VanderMeer has been a published writer since age 14. His most recent fiction is the critically acclaimed novel BORNE, which has received raves from the NYTBR, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and many more. Paramount Pictures has optioned BORNE for film.

VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy was one of the publishing events of 2014, the trilogy made more than thirty year’s best lists, including Entertainment Weekly’s top 10. Paramount Pictures has made a movie out of the first volume of the Southern Reach, Annihilation, slated for release in 2018 and starring Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac, Gina Rodriguez, Natalie Portman, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

His nonfiction appears in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, and the Atlantic.com. VanderMeer also wrote the world’s first fully illustrated creative-writing guide, Wonderbook. With his wife, Ann VanderMeer, he has edited may iconic anthologies. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with two wonderful cats. His hobbies include hiking, reading, and bird watching.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
229 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book suspenseful and intriguing. They praise the well-written translation and descriptions. The book is described as a great, enjoyable read with a vintage mix of humor and melancholy. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and the reader's voice. However, some find the plot difficult to follow and not worth their time.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

18 customers mention "Suspenseful"14 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful and intriguing story. They find it a gripping science fiction murder mystery with just the right amount of crazy. The book is described as a well-crafted fusion of sci-fi and mystery, with a surprising ending.

"The reader's voice is PERFECT for this story, which is a wild ride that takes you from what feels like a cozy mystery to a totally different place..." Read more

"different, funny, surprise ending" Read more

"...The book is very well-paced, very cinematic and outright impossible to put down. Hollywood- make a movie out of it already! Highly recommended." Read more

"...For those who count brothers Strugatsky among the world's notable science fiction writers - a treat that was long unavailable in English...." Read more

8 customers mention "Translation quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's translation. They find it well-written, with good detective writing and descriptions of humor, melancholy, and thoughtfulness. The book creates an aura of mystery and eccentricity.

"...I had never heard of these authors, but, even in translation, the writing is good, the plot impossible to fathom out until you get there..." Read more

"This is a very well-written, well-translated, supremely enjoyable book, filled with a limited cast of well-developed characters and filled with a..." Read more

"...Strugatsky work, with their vintage mix of humor, melancholy, and thoughtfulness...." Read more

"Wonderfully translated maintaining the meaning of many wordplays. The story developed gradually slowly explaining itself to the reader...." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and enjoyable. They say it's worth their time and does a good job.

"This is a very well-written, well-translated, supremely enjoyable book, filled with a limited cast of well-developed characters and filled with a..." Read more

"A good read, though for all the press it's gotten lately I expected more...." Read more

"I loved this book. If you are looking for something lighter and sort of goofy, this book does a good job...." Read more

"...But the characters and plot line are amazing! Well worth your time! I wish I had a photo of the closing scene on my wall!" Read more

5 customers mention "Humor"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it humorous and describe the mix of humor and melancholy as vintage.

"different, funny, surprise ending" Read more

"...On the other hand, it is a Strugatsky work, with their vintage mix of humor, melancholy, and thoughtfulness...." Read more

"I loved this book. If you are looking for something lighter and sort of goofy, this book does a good job...." Read more

"Weird and amusing." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and reader's voice. They find the story engaging and mention it's a wild ride.

"The reader's voice is PERFECT for this story, which is a wild ride that takes you from what feels like a cozy mystery to a totally different place..." Read more

"...supremely enjoyable book, filled with a limited cast of well-developed characters and filled with a wealth of rather profound provocative thoughts...." Read more

"What a great read! I went in not expecting much. But the characters and plot line are amazing! Well worth your time!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Difficulty to read"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book difficult to follow and get into, but once in, it's intriguing and impossible to put down.

"Difficult to get into, but once in, intriguing!..." Read more

"...Characters incomplete and therefore difficult to follow. It did finish fairly well though." Read more

"Outright impossible to put down - someone, make a movie out of it already!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book not worth their time. They say it's less inventive than the author's best work, but fun because it parodies the detective genre.

"...Less inventive than their best work, but fun because it parodies the Detective genre." Read more

"...Not worth your time, dear reades." Read more

"Awful. Like a mystery novel written by a teenager. Don't waste a minute of your time on this tripe." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2023
    The reader's voice is PERFECT for this story, which is a wild ride that takes you from what feels like a cozy mystery to a totally different place so gradually that you don't mind that it gets weirder and weirder. I love this book so much that if I ever get another cat, it will be named Strugatsky.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2016
    Difficult to get into, but once in, intriguing! I had never heard of these authors, but, even in translation, the writing is good, the plot impossible to fathom out until you get there (good detective writing!) I'll probably explore some more of their works.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2016
    different, funny, surprise ending
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2015
    This is a very well-written, well-translated, supremely enjoyable book, filled with a limited cast of well-developed characters and filled with a wealth of rather profound provocative thoughts. The book is very well-paced, very cinematic and outright impossible to put down. Hollywood- make a movie out of it already! Highly recommended.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015
    A good read, though for all the press it's gotten lately I expected more. Fairly standard crime plot takes a weird third act turn to sci-fi; For all the strange things that were happening, I was expecting it to turn into Rocky Horror, but instead it was simply that wild-haired dude from the history channel.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2015
    So glad it was re-published in the new English translation! The original English publication is impossible to obtain.
    This may not be a particularly strong detective fiction novel, if viewed strictly as a specimen of that genre. On the other hand, it is a Strugatsky work, with their vintage mix of humor, melancholy, and thoughtfulness. For those who count brothers Strugatsky among the world's notable science fiction writers - a treat that was long unavailable in English. A good translation too.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2016
    Wonderfully translated maintaining the meaning of many wordplays. The story developed gradually slowly explaining itself to the reader. However the ending was rather abrupt and sudden. Would recommend to any fan of science fiction and mystery stories.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2015
    Different from their other work. A little stilted in the translation, and full of bizarre characters and events as usual. Less inventive than their best work, but fun because it parodies the Detective genre.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Wintermutt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the weak minded.
    Reviewed in Canada on June 14, 2020
    Probably the most important novel of the 20th century.
    Poignant, deeply moving and life affirming.
  • Amir
    5.0 out of 5 stars One more Strugatsky
    Reviewed in India on October 6, 2017
    5 stars not just for the book but also the delivery.

    I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and I hate reading online. Thanks to the sellers, I got my copy and got it relatively cheap!

    As far as the book goes, it is the least whacky of all Strugatsky brothers that I've read till now but still holds its place. The fact that they got tired of censors and wrote this seems obvious in the narrative (isolation). It's also their attempt at dark humour, different from Monday starts on a Saturday. I'd recommend it if you are a Strugatsky fan.
  • NJ
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not fish, not fowl...not sure what that leaves
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2016
    Not having a sense of precisely what you're getting at the start of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's lone mystery novel The Dead Mountaineer's Inn is both a good idea and a bad one. But let's say this: if you're looking for an interesting mystery novel approached from an uncommon perspective, do no read this. However, if you're a fan of the bothers' SF writings and are keen to see how they bring their insight to a different genre....also do not read this.

    For much of its duration it is a classical detective story: group of strangers gathered in an isolated location, all may not be what it seems, someone is murdered, whodunnit? The tone is light and skilfully translated by Josh Billings, but there's nothing outright comedic about any of it -- the closest it comes to a joke is the running uncertainty over the gender of the character Brun, and that just becomes part of the background after a while and doesn't really go anywhere once resolved. It is, to all intents, played remarkably straight, and then throws in a baffling murder in a locked room for our holidaying policeman Peter Glebsky to try and figure his way around.

    This, however, is very much not the novel that then gets resolved. Because in the final straight it...changes. I do not wish to give it away, but if you've come to this for the crime then you will go away extremely disappointed, and if you've come for the direction it takes (very, very late in the day, it has to be said) then I don't see what you'll get out of the first 13 chapters. Perhaps it's satire, but if so then there's no point to it. Perhaps it's a challenge to the conventions of the detective genre, but if so they've already been perfectly challenged by the likes of Leo Bruce and Kelley Roos. The subtitle -- A Last Rite for the Detective Story -- certainly implies that the Brothers Strugatsky think they're making some kind of point, but whatever it is doesn't translate well outside of 1970s, censor-dominated Russia.

    And it's a shame, because the writing is superb and the situation skilfully constructed, only for it all the be thrown away in some B-movie final bait-and-switch that makes no sense and serves no purpose. Or maybe that's the point; maybe the need for narrative structures to have consistent through-lines and arcs for each phase and aspect, maybe the convention of the gun on the wall in act one being fired by act three, maybe that idea of progression is what's being deconstructed. But, frankly, who wants to read a book where that happens?
  • Anthony Marinelli
    4.0 out of 5 stars THe strugatsky brothers and robots, gangs, murder and a spy spoof
    Reviewed in Canada on July 3, 2015
    The mystery at its heart pretends to be a mystery story a la Agatha Christie but is actually a sci fi novel about the future of humanity and the planet earth. A group of eccentric rich people are vacationing at an historic inn when a murder is committed. But the murder is a decoy a disguise as the author states "No ghouls. no mumbo jumbo..just solid science fiction..they came from Venus(214pp). The science fiction theme is infused with ideas of murders, crime and gangsterism and the type of place the planet earth is being transformed into""I had no reason to expect help would come from anywhere..gangsters were likely to fly.."(pp 213). The tale is mixed with mystery as the cold war is ending spies, crime, internation wars, and the earth is being watched by intergalaxctic warriors attempting to make a first contact on planet earth for a takeover of some sort. Gone are the days of soviet class war as gangsterism is on the rise and here we see at the novel's end the demise of communism and the victory of the proletariat as criminals and gangsters have won the way with their use of hi tech, robotics, and we understand why soviet authorities did not take kindly to this tale. The late great planet earth is seen in its demise in what is more than just a mystery story of a suspicious death at a mountain resort. RECOMMENDED.
  • Rick Banerjee
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully twisted tale
    Reviewed in India on February 6, 2016
    I won't put spoilers out into a review. Enough to say, if you love whodunits read this. You will have quite the surprise at the end