Bead games

The new book by Alexander Genis, the author of bestsellers "Dovlatov and Surroundings," "The Kama Sutra of a Librarian," "Return Address," is, as always, written in an original genre perfectly suited for intellectual adventures. "In the dark hours of history, there is a keen need for a refuge to catch one's breath and respect the Spirit. I was inspired by Hermann Hesse, who during World War II wrote the great book 'The Glass Bead Game.' It teaches the subtle art of threading - the ability to read the world through epochs and cultures, to see behind the author his school, enemies, and neighbors. So I wrote two dozen games. They are a kind of tennis with a library that responds to the author's challenge with a ricochet. The success of each Game depends on how long we can prolong it, without leaving the field and without diminishing the force of the strike" (Alexander Genis).