The Yellow Arrow [1993] – ★★★★1/2

“How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?”, Plato, The Allegory of the Cave

This is a sci-fi gem from Russia that centres on Andrei, one of the passengers of the mysterious, seemingly endless, train The Yellow Arrow, that makes its way without stops. Its journey already numbers years, but the passengers inside the train seem to treat their endless trip as though it is the most natural course of events, and for them, it is simply their daily life. Andrei and his friend Khan are probably the only people who are slowly realising that something is amiss in their lives. However, other passengers are too distracted by daily trivialities to question anything or ponder over some fundamental questions: how they ended up on this train in the first place? Why their journey takes so long?, and when will they finally reach their destination, which some believe to be one collapsed bridge? And, then, Andrei discovers letters from unknown persons lying around that may have hidden meaning, shedding light on what their seemingly eternal journey actually means. Pelevin, once dubbed “Russian Vonnegut”, crafted an allegorical novella that is perceptive and deeply philosophical. It is a satire bold in content, but subtle in meaning – like the very best of them.

Continue reading “Review: The Yellow Arrow by Victor Pelevin” →