"A Constellation of Vital Phenomena" isn't a bad book. This is an exquisite debut. Garnering rave reviews coast-to-coast, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is an unforgettable debut novel that deftly explores the human cost of war—and the healing power of hope. The places, the topography, the course of the wars—the remembered first occupation and the The Chechnya of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a world of haunted objects, whose very specific little stories give a sense, far more eloquently than any tranche of exposition, of its tragic place in world affairs. It is simply a remarkable reading experience. It normally will not cost too much. It’s humane and absurd, and rarely out of touch with the Joseph-Heller-like notion that, as Mr. Marra puts it, ‘stupidity was the single abiding law of the universe.’” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times Book Review *** Granta Best of Young American Novelists 2017 ***In a snow-covered village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as her father is abducted in the middle of the night by Russian soldiers. Story continues below advertisement Emily M. Keeler is … May 6, 2013 • Anthony Marra's debut novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, takes place in war-torn Chechnya — a world of perpetual violence, … It's a novel about the human condition over a ten year period in Chechnya. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra, review. Anthony Marra's first novel was A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (2013), which won an array of prizes including the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, the Barnes and Noble Fiction Discover Award, the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle and the Athens Prize for Literature, and appeared on more than twenty Books of the Year lists. About A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena at Amazon.com. ANTHONY MARRA is the author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (2013), which won the National Book Critics Circle’s inaugural John Leonard Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in fiction, the Barnes and Noble Discover Award, and appeared on over twenty year-end lists. Try A National Book Awards Longlist Selection A New York Times and Washington Post bestseller A story of the transcendent power of love in wartime, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a work of sweeping breadth, profound compassion, and lasting significance. Nonetheless, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena proves that if anything, it's better, more beautiful and necessary to keep trying. Anthony Marra's debut novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is set in 2004 in war-torn Chechnya. "A CONSTELLATION OF VITAL PHENOMENA is a spectacular debut novel about endurance and resilience amidst the insanity of war." Reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was like reading One Hundred Years of Solitude for the first time. ISBN 9780770436407After reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, I can only echo the amazement of other reviewers: that such an accomplished novel is Anthony Marra’s first and that he visited Chechnya, the setting, only after he had all but completed it. Not since Everything is Illuminated have I read a first novel so ambitious and fully realized. I feel that to hold this novel steady, I would need to read it twice, a statement which for me is high praise. “ A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is simply spectacular. My expectations were high. Once caught up in it, this novel will breathlessly spin you around and around. Review: 5 out of 5 stars. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena won the 2014 National Book Critics Circle’s inaugural John Leonard Prize and the 2014 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in fiction, as well as the inaugural 2014 Carla Furstenberg Cohen Fiction Award. New York. Two doctors risk everything to save the life of a hunted child in this majestic debut about … From the New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena—dazzling, poignant, and lyrical interwoven stories about family, sacrifice, the legacy of war, and the redemptive power of art. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena Anthony Marra ... A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a worthy next pick. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is sure to be one of those books that make my ‘Best of 2013’ list, I was very impressed with everything about it. Every other chapter unfolds in 1994 or 2004, and in those same chapters are flashbacks. * My receiving a copy of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena free for review purposes did not impact my ability to express my honest opinions on this title. This stunning, exquisitely written collection introduces a cast of remarkable characters whose lives intersect in ways both life-affirming and heartbreaking. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena opens in a tiny, blood-soaked village of Chechnya, that part of the world that drifts into our consciousness only briefly — when, say, the Russians crush it again or, more recently, when young zealots detonate pressure cookers in Boston. A National Book Awards Longlist Selection" "A "New York Times" and "Washington Post" bestseller A story of the transcendent power of love in wartime, "A Constellation of Vital Phenomena" is a work of sweeping breadth, profound compassion, and lasting significance. Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content from the author. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Having recently read two excellent novels by Aminatta Forna (The Memory of Love and The Hired Man) and also Richard Flanagan's truly outstanding and exquisitely written The Narrow Road to the Deep North, I wondered if I could face being immersed in the horrors … Anthony Marra’s fascinating debut, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, was set in a ravaged Chechen hospital, and he expands both his scope and … Armed with only a doctor’s name, “Sonja Andreyevna Rabina,” Akhmed finally arrives at the hospital to find that Sonja is the … Mr. Marra’s soul-searing first novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, chronicles life, death, and survival among neighbors in the Chechen village of Eldar between 1994 and 2004, the decade begun and ended by the first and second Chechen Wars, which followed perestroika and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Breathlessly spin you around and around our users of remarkable characters whose lives intersect in ways life-affirming. 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