Boris Akunin is an extraordinary author. Whatever he writes, it always turns out to be interesting. True, some of his books may not be great overall, but they are always engaging to read. In much the same way, I used to follow his posts on LiveJournal, where Boris Akunin would share notes about people and events that piqued his interest.
The book “The Life of Remarkable People and Animals” is essentially a collection of those posts, gathered under one cover and published in book form.
Sometimes he searches for a prototype for a character in a new novel and stumbles upon fascinating details. Or he comes across a random fact that piques his curiosity, leading him to dig deeper. The starting point can be anything, but the result is always an interesting story.
Often, the stories of these real-life figures turn out to be more intricate and unbelievable than many fictional characters.
For example, how a descendant of rabbis suddenly decides to convert to Islam, actively builds independent Islamic states, and becomes one of the most revered founders of Pakistan.
Of course, not all the characters Akunin discovers are quite as remarkable, and some sketches aren’t particularly engaging. But overall, the book is wonderful, especially when viewed as a collection of these “stories about all sorts of things.”
The 300 pages practically fly by, offering an immersive dive into history that is, at times, more astonishing than fiction.
My rating: 4.5/5
[…] I read Boris Akunin’s book The Life of Remarkable People and Animals a year ago, I had no idea that it was merely a selection of entries from the author’s blog. […]
[…] I really enjoyed Boris Akunin’s collections of short essays on various fascinating facts—“The Life of Remarkable People and Animals“ and “The Un-Chekhovian Intelligentsia.” Both were “compiled” from […]