Dmitry Lipskerov’s novel was eagerly awaited for almost three years. Every new work in the bright bibliography of this writer is doomed to become a bestseller, and that’s why readers were tormented by the natural question: what will Lipskerov “hook” them with this time?
"Any captain is a prima donna" is a wise and unusual book whose unmistakable authorial style turns reading into a truly unforgettable experience. A mix of literary genres, real events, and fantasmagoria—the fragile, elusive boundary between the depiction of reality and fantasy, deep inner monologues, grotesque elements, hyperbole, a cyclical plot... There’s everything—and even a bit more. That “bit” is exactly what fans of intellectual prose will undoubtedly appreciate. And even the familiar phrase “in this book everyone will find their own” takes on special meaning here. Is it a classic? Absurdism? Fantasmagoria? Philosophy? Esotericism? Psychotherapy?
The novel really does find “everything,” but in precisely measured proportions—so it is especially, “in a Lipskerov way,” harmonious and captivating.