Newest from political fictionalist Alisa Ganieva, the picture of a broken legal system in which everything is broken and no one is innocent. Offended Sensibilities chronicles a series of sudden deaths that occur among officials of a provincial Russian town. The events in the plot relate to the notorious recent law banning forms of expression that "offend the sensibilities" of religious believers. With this novel, Ganieva moves beyond the Dagestani setting and themes of her previous writing to address contemporary themes such as nationalism, Orthodox religiosity, sexuality, and political corruption. She addresses these weighty issues with a light touch and at times rollicking sense of humor that will keep the reader turning the pages. This timely, entertaining and thought-provoking novel can be read as an allegory for the current political, social, religious, and cultural climate in Russia today.
