The bunker-like cafe in Tallinn known as "The Cave" is the epicenter of bohemian culture in Soviet-era Estonia. The cafe's regulars, the "Cavemen," escape the dreary reality above ground with vodka and high-minded discussion in their private hideaway. Told from the perspective of a gossip columnist, the novel traces the lives of several of these misfits as they attempt to pursue careers as artists, writers, and politicians in pre- and post-perestroika Estonia. The country's march towards independence and democracy sets off a series of individual dramas that offer the reader a refreshing alternative to the grand narratives of world history. Written with great verve and humor, Mihkel Mutt's novel provides an illuminating look at life on the fringes of occupied Estonian society.

About the Author

Mihkel Mutt was born in Tartu in 1953, two weeks before the death of Stalin. The author of numerous critical essays, short stories, novels, and travel essays, Mutt has also served as the editor-in-chief of Estonia's leading cultural weekly Sirp (Sickle), and the critical monthly Looming.

Adam Cullen originates from Minneapolis. In 2007 he moved to Talinn, Estonia, where he currently resides. His translation of Tonu Onnepalu's Radio is also available from Dalkey Archive Press.

Reviews

"A poet sometimes captures reality better with his luxuriant exaggerations than an accountant does with his ruler." -Andrus Kivirahk, Looming

Book Information
ISBN 9781564787088
Author Mihkel Mutt
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint Dalkey Archive Press
Publisher Dalkey Archive Press