The Evil Boy

Valerii Pecheikin has never owned a book before.

Mostly, Valerii is known for his work at the “Gogol Center” (Pecheikin curates the “Gogol+” program in the theatre—talks with actors, playwrights, and directors who are the creators of productions, and simply with those without whom it is hard to imagine today’s cultural life of Moscow). In this book, together with the author, we collected the brightest and most ironic essays and stories in which—just like with Chekhov (and that’s no coincidence in the title!)—people have lunch, only lunch. And while they do, their happiness is being formed and their lives are being broken.

“Valerii writes well. Valerii writes devilishly well. Valerii writes so well and so funny that it’s simply impossible. Valerii writes so well and so boldly that it’s even too much. Valerii writes in such a way that sometimes it’s scary for him. It seems he writes posts on social networks—yet, as it turns out, he writes a book. Valerii wrote a very funny book about himself and all sorts of stuff that goes under the name of life. Valerii wrote. And you should read it.” — Kirill Serebrennikov