Snowdrop n an earlyflowering bulbous plant, having a white pendent flower. Miller which was shortlisted for the 2011 man booker prize. In the first in a regular series of interviews with the authors of newlypublished paperbacks, man booker shortlistee ad miller talks about writing his novel, snowdrops. Snowdrops is published in january 2011 by atlantic in britain, and in february by doubleday in the united states and harper canada. The twists in the story take it far beyond its noirish frame the sordid and vivid portrayal. Miller s snowdrops, a 2011 man booker prize finalist. Proof of the purchasing power of man booker nominees i guess. Good, because the writing has tremendous pace and energy. His debut novel is an electrifying tour of the dark side of. Miller studied literature at cambridge and princeton.
Written by ad miller a snowdrop is a lovely flower, but as this book explains in its first few pages, its also the russian vernacular for a dead body that turns up when the snow melts. Nick platt is a british lawyer working in moscow in the early 2000s a place where the cascade of oil money, the tightening grip of the government, the jostling of the oligarchs, and. Millers snowdrops is a riveting psychological drama that unfolds over the course of one moscow winter, as a thirtysomething englishmans moral compass is spun by the seductive opportunities revealed to him by a new russia. The snowdrop of the title is a body that is discovered after the thaws.
In 2004 he was appointed the economists moscow correspondent, and covered, among other things, the orange revolution in ukraine. Nicholas gets involved with two russian girls, masha, with whom he is romantically involved, and katya. Miller, 9781786495044, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Miller studied literature at cambridge and princeton, and worked as a television. Often the bodies belong to murder victims, as is the case in this. I bought it when the man booker shortlist was first announced but it has sat on my book pile ever since as i never quite fancied reading it. Fantastic offers on quality books, collections, audio cds and more exclusive to book people. Just send us an email and well put the best up on the site. Val nolan russia has always has a hint violence about it, a vast, tantalising empire cloaked for centuries in. Miller and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A former moscow correspondent for the economist, ad miller is an expert on the land of contradictions that is postcommunist russia. Of course, nothing is as it seems including this extraordinary debut novel.
Towards the end of the book, nick says that masha had a better excuse. Snowdrops by a d miller is in the man booker prize 2011. Miller snowdrops is a moscow slang term for the dead bodies which end up buried under snow, revealing themselves as it eventually begins to melt in the spring. Miller s snowdrops is a refreshing book full of intrigue. You know something bad is going to happen in this book. Ive finally got around to reading ad miller s snowdrops. Economist editor miller makes his fiction debut with a bleak tale of fraud and manipulation in early21stcentury moscow the unbridled mayhem of the 1990s has died down a bit, but western companies are still pouring money into the hands of newly minted russian conglomerates, and british lawyer nicholas platt is writing the contracts. I particularly liked the origin of the title of the book snowdrops are the local name given to the dead bodies that are revealed by the melting snow as the winter ends. Nick platt is a british lawyer working in moscow in the early 2000s a place where the cascade of oil money, the tightening grip of the government, the jostling of the oligarchs, and the loosening of soviet social mores have led to a culture where corruption, decadence, violence. Ad miller was the moscow correspondent for the economist a few years back. Ad miller is a charming writer, and uses a convincing combination of tight clear prose, intriguing plot and lyricism. The introduction, discussion questions, and author biography that follow are designed to enhance your reading groups discussion of a. Miller which was shortlisted for the 2011 man booker prize plot.
Snowdrop is moscow slang for a corpse that lies buried or hidden in the winter drifts, surfacing only in the spring thaw. The novel is set in moscow in the midnineties and is written in the form of firstperson narrative by the protagonist, nicholas, an english, moscowbased commercial lawyer. The image is relevant both literally and metaphorically to ad miller. A corpse that lies buried or hidden in the winter snows. The snowdrops of the title are not delicate spring flowers. An intense psychological drama that echoes sophisticated entertainments like gorky park and the talented mr. Miller, formerly the moscow correspondent of the economist. At the start of the book, he is far from naive and certainly not entirely innocent, but. Nick platt is a british lawyer working in moscow in the early 2000sa place where the cascade of oil money, the tightening grip of the government, the jostling of the oligarchs, and the loosening of soviet social mores have. Andrew miller born 1974 in london is a british journalist and author miller studied literature at cambridge and princeton he worked as a television producer before joining the economist to write about british politics and culture. As the moscow correspondent of the economist, miller has traveled widely across the former soviet union and covered the orange revolution in ukraine. Shortlisted for the 2011 man booker prize for fictiona riveting story of erotic obsession, selfdeception and moral freefall, set in postcommunist moscow. Is nick platt, the narrator of snowdrops, a good man who turns bad, a bad man to start with, or neither 2.
Drunks mostly, and homeless people who give up and lie down in the snow, and the odd vanished murder victim. The image is relevant both literally and metaphorically to ad miller s moscow tale of corruption and moral erosion. The eponymous snowdrop refers to a body buried under the winter snow which only comes to light in the thaw. Thats what they call them, he told me thats what they call the bodies that come to light with the thaw. Millers snowdrops is a riveting psychological drama that unfolds. Miller s snowdrops is a riveting psychological drama that unfolds over the course of one moscow winter, as a thirtysomething englishmans moral compass is spun by the seductive opportunities revealed to him by a new russia. Drunks, most of them, and homeless people who just give up and lie down into the whiteness, and murder victims hidden in the drifts by their killers. Nick platt is a british lawyer working in moscow in the early 2000s a place where the cascade of oil money, the tightening grip of the government, the jostling of the oligarchs, and the loosening of soviet social mores have led to a culture where corru. Something remarkable happened to me last week when i was reading. Video trailer in german podcast with the economist. Thats what the russians call them the bodies that float up into the light in the thaw. Do you think snowdrops is at heart a story about corrupt russians or corruptible westerners 3. How far should nicks behaviour be explained by his circumstances and opportunities in moscow, and how far. Shortlisted for the 2011 man booker prize for fiction an intense psychological drama that echoes sophisticated entertainments like gorky park and the talented mr.
As a result i listened to snowdrops, which was on the 2012 short list. Ad miller was the moscow correspondent for the economist a few years back, and he has clearly drawn on his experiences to tell the story of nick, an english lawyer who travels to the russian. Miller is the author of snowdrops, the earl of petticoat lane, and the faithful couple. Miller, including snowdrops, and the faithful couple, and more on. Each spring, moscows icy drifts subside, and the authorities find all the drunks, vagrants and murder victims who went missing in the frozen months. It is also published in 25 other countries and languages. Is nick platt, the narrator of snowdrops, a good man who turns bad, a bad man to start with, or neither.