Lev Puchkov is a writer of not quite ordinary fate. This is expressed primarily in the fact that he went directly to his publishers and readers, bypassing all official literary structures.
Biography Facts
Puchkov Lev Alexandrovich was born in 1965 somewhere in the expanses of Siberia. From the end of the eighties until 2001 he served in the internal troops. As a special forces officer, he participated in both Chechen wars and other armed conflicts in the North Caucasus. He went through many hot spots and repeatedly risked his life before he felt the need to set out everything he experienced in literary works. For a better understanding of the nature of this person, one should also take into account the fact that Lev Puchkov, whose biography is very eventful and extreme situations, frankly does not like attention to his private life and does not give any interviews on this topic.
And for the reader of his works of art, it is only important to understand that these books are written by a combat officer. And he personally went through most of what he is trying to tell readers.
The path to great literature
If serious critics on the editorial boards of reputable literary journals are asked if they knowwriter Lev Puchkov, the answer is likely to be negative. Only those who are particularly knowledgeable will answer that this is the author of detectives and action films. And one can argue for a long time about the belonging of the action genre to great literature. But Lev Puchkov is not at all interested in their opinion. He found the road to his success without any regard for literary authorities. He is grateful only to specific publishers who managed to read his manuscripts in their time and appreciate them. And today the writer is recognized primarily by a wide range of his fans. But his books are published in large numbers by such serious publishing houses as Eksmo.
The largest publishing business analysts unreservedly recognize the commercial perspective of this author. This means that someday we will be able to read on the title page with the logo of this publishing house - "Lev Puchkov. Complete Works". But while this is premature, the complete works are still in the process of being created. And we can only guess what the sequel will be. So far, all that is known is that it will not be boring.
Author's handwriting
What makes Lev Puchkov attractive to the reader? First of all - its unique author's style. These books grab the reader from the first paragraph and don't let go until the last page. The author not only knows how to tensely twist the plot, but does it with dashing virtuosity. There are no easily calculated situations in his books, and the outcome of the intrigue is impossible to predict. All characters, including secondary ones, psychologicallywell-written, and their actions are deeply motivated.
The action always develops from one extreme situation to another, in ascending order. Lev Puchkov himself is often guessed behind the main character. The author's books are by no means autobiographical. At least in the full meaning of that definition. However, what the author experienced in the Chechen wars is easily guessed on the pages of his works.
Dark humor
And readers love the books of Lev Puchkov for the characteristic intonation with which the story is told. It is she who provides these works with originality and makes them easily recognizable against the background of numerous detective genre productions. Yes, Lev Puchkov is ironic about everything that is happening rather evil, toxic and completely politically incorrect. This is exactly what is called "black humor". But there are not so few examples of him in world and Russian literature.
And the author mocks, first of all, at himself in the person of the main character, on behalf of whom the narration is most often conducted in his books. But other characters get it too.
Krovnik
Lev Puchkov himself, whose library of works currently includes more than two dozen novels, divides his books into several thematic cycles. Each is based on the unity of the main characters and the setting. It's hard to go wrong with the choice of location. With rare exceptions, all events unfold either on the northern slopes of the Caucasus Range, oron the way to it from large cities of Russia. The first great success for the author was the novel "Krovnik" and its five sequels, which made up the cycle of the same name.
Its main character, a former special forces officer, acts at his own peril and risk in the depths of enemy territory. The motive for his guerrilla warfare during the officially declared truce is revenge for his kidnapped and murdered wife. A close-knit team of like-minded people helps him, each of which has his own personal accounts with the proud inhabitants of the Caucasus. All these people have nothing more to lose in this life, and they are able to work miracles in the fight against the enemy.
Dog work
A cycle of three novels about the everyday life of scouts on the fronts of the First Chechen War came out no less exciting in terms of the tension of the action. The title of this trilogy is, as usual, ironic. By dog work, Lev Puchkov means not only the dirty and thankless mission of the main characters, but also the constant presence in the foreground of their existence of several fighting shepherd dogs - full-fledged members of the scout team. The action in "Dog Work" takes place not only in the mountains, but also on the ruins of the city of Grozny from the time of independent Ichkeria.
In the books of Lev Puchkov, with great artistic power, all the dirt and ugliness of the war, the doom to the senseless death of military units, the lies of the generals and the venality of politicians on both sides of the front are conveyed with great artistic power. Perhaps that is why his books are sonot received the attention of filmmakers. No one has yet seen the heroes of Lev Puchkov on the screen.
Latest Opening Times
In no case can it be argued that Lev Puchkov closed the topic of the Chechen wars forever. But his last books are devoted to a slightly different topic. They seem to be about a peaceful life, to which his heroes are forced to return from the slopes of the North Caucasus. But that's just the definition of "peaceful" in relation to everything that happens to them, it sounds completely mocking. The heroes of Puchkov who returned from the war do not find any peace. In their hometowns, they are faced with a ruthless and arrogant criminals, among which bearded faces, familiar to the heroes from the Chechen villages, flicker very often. Guests from the Caucasus do not at all consider themselves guests, but with some reason feel like winners. This means that the war continues and there is no end in sight. And consequently, we will not see the final volume of the complete works of Lev Puchkov soon.
