The Night Watch - by Sergei Lukyanenko

Fantastic! I can now contribute to our wonderful Russian blog -Thanks Meggie. So I thought I would bring the literary discussion down a notch with my latest book purchase - a Russian fantasy novel called The Night Watch (one in trilogy also including the Day Watch and the Twilight Watch). I ordered in on Amazon after a friend recommended it to me (it arrived all the way out here in Tadoussac in only 4 days!) and I am almost as enthralled as in the last Harry Potter. Apparently, it is one of the latest big hit novels in Russia (with the younger generations), and it was recently made into a very popular action movie, which I am going to try and download. I would describe it as a cross between a Russian Philip Pullman (Golden Compass) and the movie the Matrix. Sounds good eh? Can't say that the writing style is top-notch, but the imagination is there and boy, is it ever full of suspense. In the pile of books beside my bed, I also have one called Natasha's Dance - A Cultural History of Russia. It seems a little more dense, but readable. I think I might give it a whirl when I feel more academically motivated. I will finish with a question: Russian uses a different alphabet? Who knew?