The Genius Under the Table
By Eugene YelchinThe Genius Under the Table is bleak but also strangely cozy at times. It’s hopeful, heartbreaking, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, and may stir up tender feelings for your own strange family.
Eugene (Yevgeny) is a child growing up behind the Iron Curtain. His family shares a kitchen and bathroom with several families, including a spy who’s always lurking in the corner of the kitchen. Eugene is bursting with questions - Why is his grandfather’s face cut out of all the family pictures? Why doesn’t anyone want to talk about defecting (which is too close to the word defecating?) And why is