Book review: Purge (Sofi Oksanen, 2008)

Purge and betrayal


Despite her young age, Sofi Oksanen has become an acclaimed contemporary author in Europe. Her latest novel, Purge (Puhdistus, 2008), tells a story of two women: a hardened widow Aliide Truu and a mysterious young woman named Zara. The two women are separeted by generations, but have more in common than meets the eye.


Ragged and mistreated, Zara appears on Aliide's backyard in the middle of the night. Who can you trust? Neither one of them can decide - they both have a heavy burden to carry: troubled past and secrets too shameful to share. Some truths are better left undisclosed, some words unsaid, and some hearts have already been cast in stone. - or have they?


Purge has all the ingredients of a drama: jealousy, grudge, misery, sperm, blood, sweat,  tears and deceived promises. The plot follows a non-linear narrative structure, and can get quite disorienting at times. For some, just reading through the first third of the book could be a tedious task. This time, however, persistence really pays off. After a while you just can't stop reading. Eventually the story might keep you up all night.


Secrets of the women are revealed sparingly, while eras vary smoothly from chapter to chapter. Eventually, all the pieces of the puzzle will fit, but not until the very end. Sofi Oksanen is not shy about difficult issues, she doesn't moralize or take a stand, but tells things as they are.


The novel is mostly written from a female perspective, but male readers shouldn't shun the book. Characters of the story are not your average stereotypes, but are based on humanity rather than gender. Male perspective is not forgotten either: Hans Pekk's journal entries ooze sorrow and longing for his daughter and wife - they are heart breaking enough to make a grown man weep. Hans Pekk is a peasant from the countryside of Estonia - where most of the story takes place by the way. His journal entries are scattered around the book. They don't follow the book's narrative sequence, and have almost no significance for the plot. They do make up an incomplete frame story, but serve mostly as an emotional device for the main storyline.


One must note that Sofi's perception of Estonian history differs slightly from the mainstream. Main characters have a longing for Finland and Sweden - not for Soviet Russia - and are waiting for Truman's United States to break the iron curtain.


If you enjoy historical novels, are interested in Estonian history, or like stories written from a female perspective - this book is for you. If you are a fan of Dostoyevsky's works - Purge will not leave you cold.


However, Purge is not for everyone, nor for every moment or state of mind. It's certainly not a book for an impatient reader. If you have a slightest urge to wander off into the alien space bat territory - it ain't the right time to read this one. Purge is like a fine wine - not to be gulped in a rush to get a quick buzz, but to be enjoyed with the right condiments in a suitable setting.