An Incident in Plyushkin

In this book there are lots of fun wonders and almost no sadness. Marina Potoцkaya, who invented all these stories, knows for sure that you don’t need a magic wand for such wonders. They can happen to you easily—and right today.

Have you ever climbed into a pot to make Mom laugh? In a big pot—really big? Have you seen an elephant in grandma’s vegetable garden? Not a toy one, of course—a real one! And have you heard about a chicken that can count up to five? And do you have a rescue umbrella?

If, in response to these questions, you only shake your head, then you definitely should read this book!

I’d like to say that I’ve known Marina Potoцkaya for a hundred years. But that would be a lie. I’ve known her for thirty years. But that’s also not true.

It seems you’ve known a person for a long time, you know what they’re capable of. But no—this person surprises you every time with new unexpected facets… That’s the same with Marina Potoцkaya: all her stories are completely different, as if written by several people. On one side there are fairy tales, on the other—stories, and on the third… you can’t even tell whether it was invented or happened in reality. Such an elephant as in “An Incident in Plushkino” could wander into your dacha settlement. And boys like Kolya-Krolichek and Sasha probably were in your kindergarten. That’s why you believe what’s written—and you stop dividing it into fairy tales and stories.

In Marina’s stories, everything ends well. At least you know that everything in this life can end well. And living with that feeling is much easier. That’s why I love everything that Marina Potoцkaya writes. And that is the truth.

Andrey Usachyov