As Bad as Today

A gallery of new, vivid images. Drama and humor in new stories. A subtle perception of life—and at the same time a sober view of any situation. The mood of the new tales by a modern classic is regret about the shakiness of human values. Especially today. And yet the author remains a romantic who believes—and, it seems, knows how to be… The collection includes three rare stories that haven’t been reissued in many years and are almost unknown to a wide circle of readers (“Kirka and the Officer,” “Friendship Above All,” “Cinema and Around”).

As many fans of Viktoria Tokareva’s work note in reviews, her books are like a conversation with a close friend on a Saturday evening over a glass of wine or fragrant tea. As always, the author writes subtly, without excess, with humor and deep psychology about the difficult fates of ordinary people.

Reading the collection “So Bad as Today,” you come to the conclusion that, although there may be difficulties that sometimes seem insurmountable and happiness turns out to be too fleeting, the most important thing in life is life itself. Because even after the strongest downpour, the sun appears in the sky, and the most thorny path leads to joy…