---
authors: Mykola Khvylovy
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
date_started: 2020-02-15
date_finished: 2020-02-17
locations: San Francisco
date: 2020-02-17
---

# Сентиментальна історія

Small book with three short stories.

First one was *Сентиментальна історія* - I hated it. The language used was strange, the topic was strange, the ending was sad.

Very nihilistic story.

It was the first one I've read from Khvylovy since school. I didn't understand what is all this hype about him being the best writer of that generation.

But then I've read two other short stories *Іван Іванович* and *Вальдшнепи* - that was very different level of writing.

Very modern - author was present himself, similar to Thomas Mann. The style was funny and brave. And the story line is interesting. Reading these two stories I realized why he was killed by Soviets.

Romantic person who supported Revolution and socialism but in 10 years of Soviet rule got disillusioned. He even called out Stalin in *Іван Іванович*. What a brave act. That couldn't only end in the death of the author during the red terror.