BOOKS
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slighting its less excerptable-and more properly novelistic- fea–
tures: the framing power of its ingenious postmodernist design,
the modulations of its dialogue, and the exemplary character of
Kartsev himself, so apparently simple, so alone in his stubborn
sanity and beleaguered independence. In the Kremlin he is
shown a copy of Moscow 2042 and asked to change it; the com–
munists of 2042 want a different ending from the one that threat–
ens them. Kartsev, of course, can have no recollection of the book.
As he points out, he has yet to live in 1987, and will write it only
after returning to his starting-point in the world of 1982. Once he
has, when the manuscript is nearly complete, an emissary ar–
rives from Toronto demanding that Karnavalov be deleted en–
tirely, lest the book play into the hands of the Soviet "predators"–
who "might even decide to publish it in a mass edition."
Voinovich's plot recurs constantly to the hyperbolic impor–
tance that Russians of virtually every stripe ascribe to literature.
The closing lines, after reporting Kartsev' s refusal to change any–
thing, let us hear Voinovich's own voice surfacing through that
of his character to express the satirist's ultimate, modestly utopian
dream:
Meanwhile I was thinking, But what if the predators
read what I've written here, meet in secret session, discuss
my novel thoroughly, and admit that in some ways the au–
thor might be right? Maybe they'll decide that if they don't
turn from this predatory path, don't correct the existing sit–
uation, they'll inevitably reach a pass where the difference
between primary and secondary matter ceases to exist. And,
reaching that sad conclusion, they will set about making
corrections, not in the author or his work, but in life itself.
And then my novel will be taken from the safe and pub–
lished in a mass edition as the product of an idle, inoffen–
sive imagination.Well, personally speaking, I could not
object to that turn of events. May the reality of the future not
resemble the one I describe here. Of course, in that event,
my reputation for exceptional honesty will suffer some
damage, but that I'm willing to accept. To hell with my
reputation. As long as life's a little easier on people.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the whole point.
