Writer Mikhail Shishkin: short biography, main works, critics' attitude to the writer's work and lifestyle. Prizes and awards received by the writer. Reviews of his work.
Mikhail Shishkin: biography
It would be wrong to say that Mikhail Shishkin appeared in the family, because he did not have a family before birth. The mother of the future writer is a school teacher of Ukrainian origin. Supporting rebellious moods at school, she got into history, the only way out of which was leaving on maternity leave and having a baby. So on January 18, 1961, Michael was born, but this fact never returned to his father's family, who served in the Navy as a submarine.
Difficulties at a young age
Mother raised the boy alone, and Mikhail had to go to work quite early. Young Shishkin had to work as a janitor and asphalt paver. At the same time, the young man did not give up his dreams of entering the institute. In 1982, Mikhail graduated from the Romano-Germanic faculty of Moscow State Pedagogical University.
Rise and fall
Work in the popular in those days, the magazine "Peer" was associated with the need to agree with everything in government policy. But Mikhail had a negative attitude towards the power of the Soviets in his school days. In the 80s, personal opinion was not yet welcomed. As a result, a good journalist Shishkin ended up at school, where he worked as a teacher of English and German. Takeoff career could not be called such a change, rather the opposite.
Wives and children
The first wife of the writer is Irina, Russian. She has a son from Michael. The second, Francesca Shteklin, a native of Switzerland. At the time of meeting Shishkin, she was engaged in Slavic studies. In 1995, Michael and Francesca had a son, Constantine. Since that time, the writer began to reside permanently in Switzerland. There, he not only wrote novels, but also gave lessons, made translations.
In 2011, the writer marries for the third time. His wife was Evgenia Frolkova, with whom Mikhail also has children.
Best works
Shishkin wrote four novels: Notes of Larionov, The Taking of Ishmael, Venus of Hair, and Scribbler. They all became famous and found their reader. In addition to the novels, Shishkin wrote the novels “The Blind Musician” and “Campanile of St. Mark”, as well as several stories, including “Lesson in Calligraphy” and “Saved Tongue”.
Mikhail Shishkin writes an average of one novel in five years. After writing the novel "Venus of Hair" for four years, Mikhail was not involved in writing. The novel "Writer" was written in a year and came out five years after "Venus Hair".
Shishkin's works: what are they about?
It seems that the novel “The Capture of Ishmael” should tell how the famous fortress was taken. But the writer, intriguing the people with a name, describes the events of the past quite unexpectedly, not in the way it is done in military-historical works.
"Venus of Hair" tells of events that took place in different countries at different times. The main component of all the destinies described in the novel is love. She, happy and tragic, is beyond epochs and distances.
It would seem that everything was told a long time ago about the fate of the landowners in the century before last, but no, Shishkin in his novel Notes by Larionov reveals an old theme in a new way. The fate of the landowner Larionov is described in such a way that it is impossible not to be interested in this story from the first lines.
First love, letters, mystery, connection of times. About all this - Shishkin's new novel, The Writer.
Criticism
All criticism is currently focused not on evaluating Shishkin’s work, but on his refusal to go to the US to a book fair. The writer explained his act, as always, by disagreeing with government policy. But is it any wonder if he has “sinned” since childhood? Who knows what Mikhail Shishkin was guided this time, is it really political considerations or the opportunity to thus draw more attention to his person? I must say, he succeeded second, as well as possible.
Speaking generally about the work of the writer Shishkin, the attitude of critics towards him is ambiguous. Some call him talented, others believe that it takes too much from the reader to solve all the secrets that are abundant in the writer's works. In spite of everything, books awarded with so many various prizes and nominations cannot be mediocre, each of them found its reader.
Mikhail Shishkin: reviews
Like the revelations of critics, reader reviews of Shishkin’s work are like two sides of the same coin. Some say that this is the best they have read in their lives, the opinions of others are diametrically opposed.
Some readers write that the book "Scribbler" is terrible: you want to relax your soul while reading, but you have to endure with the heroes all the difficulties of being, ups and downs. Monologues of heroes are called insightful by other readers, who realized that this story is about love and the meaning of life. Such diverse opinions have developed among different people about the "Writer".
The book “Notes of Larionov” does not cause such a storm of passions among readers. If you don’t know who the author of this work is, it can be assumed that the book was written by a contemporary of the main character, so the narrative language in it is in tune with that era.
Readers have the same versatile opinions on the novel The Capture of Ishmael. Some regret the author for having to live away from their homeland, others call this work a scoring. There are those who believe that they have not read anything better in their lives.
Awards, Prizes and Nominations
Shishkin Mikhail is a writer whose work does not go unnoticed by the reading public. All of his novels are awarded any prizes. In 2011, the writer received the prize "Big Book" for the novel "Writer". In the same year, Mikhail Pavlovich Shishkin became a laureate of the International Literary Prize of the Berlin House of Culture of the World for the novel “Hair Venus”. 2010 - the Imkhonet portal gives Shishkin the first prize in the Favorite Writer category. The same year - the order of the magazine "Banner". In 2006, the writer became the winner of the Big Book Prize, and in 2005 the National Bestseller for the novel Venus of Hair. For the “Capture of Ishmael” in 2000 - the Russian Booker Award. For the same work in 1999, Shishkin received the Globe Award.
Conclusion
Despite the ambiguity of opinions regarding the creativity and lifestyle of this person, one cannot but say that Mikhail Shishkin is a significant figure in Russian literature. Of course, life abroad left its mark on the writer’s mind and manner of presentation, which, in particular, is evidenced by readers' reviews of the novel “The Capture of Ishmael”. But, as already mentioned, the tandem “Mikhail Shishkin - criticism of government policy” is inseparable, which, nevertheless, does not prevent the writer from creating good books, and the reader with pleasure immersed in the world of his illusions and passions.