Shrimp

Shrimp is a novel in which Bulgaria’s ancient history meets its more recent communist past and its chaotic and trouble-ridden present.

A young woman with hypnotic green eyes and a practitioner of the world’s oldest profession, Diva Mila is a superstar in the colourful and mystic world of clairvoyants, psychics, and fortune-tellers, which is why people flock to her in hopes of getting a glimpse into their futures.

One of Diva Mila’s most peculiar customers is the Assistant, who claims to be the mythical criminal boss Gorky’s aide, though he is the boss of the underworld himself.

A newly unemployed loser in his late 20s, Bor is dating the Assistant’s only daughter. The criminal boss and his ever-silent wife despise the young man and want him out of their daughter’s life.

Not unlike Updike, Kotzev uses comedy to tackle serious issues, such as Bulgaria’s ancient history, its more recent communist past, its chaotic and trouble-ridden present, the wide-spread governmental corruption, human superstition and belief systems, racism, and relationships; many of the absurd but simultaneously realistic incidents in the book are recounted in a style reminiscent of Ilf and Petrov’s deadpan humor and the absorbing fairy-tale writing style of Tom Robbins. The result is a cinematographic, absurd-yet-realistic novel, driven by a playful, keenly observant, satirical, and cleverly crafted narrative that strikes the masterful balance to become a captivating, charming, and entertaining read.