Russian

Glukhovsky, Dmitry. (2011/2010). Metro 2033. Trans. by Natasha Randall. London: Gollancz.

Well, this novel has a promising concept and an early invitation to adventure (see pp. 39-44, 48, 58-62, 115). Major problems, though, surface near the end which, weakly developed (see pp. 427-458), fails to answer some questions: What about the cannibal threat (see pp. 341-344, 347-354, 360-407, 417, 421-422, 435, 450, 453, 456)? Are Pyotr Andreevich (see pp. 1-5, 13, 18-23, 25-27), Andrey Arkadych (p. 12; see pp. 4, 10-13, 18-23, 25-26; for reference to him as Andryukha see p. 20; for reference to him as Andreich see p. 25), and/or “Vitalik the Splinter”[1] (see pp. 31, 164) alive or dead? Could Artyom (first mention p. 1; for reference to him as Artyomka see p. 438) be insane or just overwhelmed (more discussion on this later)? But the most important question is: “What had happened to Hunter” (pp. 438, 457; for participation of or references to Hunter see pp. 22, 24-45, 48, 57-60, 62-63, 67, 115-116, 165, 173-175, 186-188, 196, 198, 203, 242, 255, 258, 263, 276-279, 283, 316, 332-333, 363, 386, 436, 438, 440, 457; for Artyom's dreams of him see pp. 32-33 [cf description of his actual contact with them p. 24; cf his recollection of his dream p. 33], 60-62 [cf Khan's dream pp. 115-116], 174-175 [cf his recollection of his dream p. 177], 186-188)?

Don’t worry; I’ll talk about Hunter’s directive to Artyom (see pp. 41-44) later. What I want to address now concerns, first, the speed with which Artyom returns to VDNKh – “not less than an hour and a half had passed” (p. 437). So you have to remember that when he first leaves VDNKh, it’s around 9p (see pp. 60, 63); and, using foot power to move the cart (see pp. 65, 71, 76-83), the men expect to reach Rizhskaya “by day’s end” (p. 71) which should mean sometime in the late afternoon given Artyom’s explanation of time at VDNKh (see p. 45; note reference to “night shift” p. 46). Why are those details relevant? Because, on his way back to VDNKh by foot (see pp. 433-434, 437), he’s somewhere near or in Rizhskaya (see p. 432), and, even if “by day’s end” (p. 71) Glukhovsky (2011/2010) meant midnight, Artyom’s still returning significantly faster – how?

Then, soon after that, there’s the issue of: When and why does Artyom put on “his gas mask” (p. 441) while he’s in the metro? We know he needs it for another trip outside of the metro (see pp. 419-420, 430, 433, 442-458; for the suggestion of his suicide see p. 458). However, neither Kirill (first mention p. 22) nor Sukhoi (first mention p. 26) – his Uncle Sasha (first mention p. 10) – make any mention of it (see pp. 437-441)[2], while Artyom manages tea (see pp. 440-441). Kiril and Uncle Sasha’s silence, though, suggests that ““protective suits”” (p. 419; for what they include and additional items see pp. 275-276, 286-288, 292, 330) are the norm which isn’t true (see pp. 276, 278, 287, 419, 422, 433). Yet Glukhovsky (2011/2010) also ignores an important detail earlier on: whether or not the suits in any way restrict movement (see pp. 275-277, 286-329) – because it doesn’t make sense that Artyom would wear “his gas mask” (p. 441) by itself, and, if he’s fully suited (see pp. 421-422)[3] or carrying some of his suit while going toward VDNKh (see p. 433), his speed makes even less sense (see my previous para.).

Now, for the final problem at the end (see pp. 455-458) which invites a reexamination of Artyom and his task (see pp. 41-44, 60, 62-63, 115-116, 125, 138, 162, 193, 202-204, 206, 255, 279, 435-436). So what happens is, during his mind meld (see pp. 454-458) with the dark ones (see pp. 1-2, 20, 22-26 [note suggestion of cannibalism p. 26; cf pp. 361-362, 364-365], 28, 32-44 [take his dream pp. 32-33 and cf description of his actual experience with them pp. 24-25], 55, 59, 63, 68, 162, 332-333, 416, 419, 420, 430-431, 433, 436, 440, 443, 447, 450, 454-458; for reference to them as vampires see pp. 432, 455), he’s told that “he had to be supported and rescued, stopped, warned of the danger, urged on and again taken home where … contact could become established and then the chosen one could another timid step towards his understanding his mission. His fate” (p. 457; cf p. 455)[4]. Okay, but:

Ø  The reference to “his mission” (p. 457) recalls Artyom’s first dream of Hunter when Artyom imagines him as a dark one (see pp. 32-33) – this before Hunter’s directive (see pp. 41-44). “But, before contact [with the dark ones] could be established with [Artyom], he disappeared” (p. 457). However, we don’t know that Hunter’s alive when he communicates with Genghis Khan (p. 106; see pp. 102-153, 156, 435, 440) via ““a dream”” and with the aim of rescuing Artyom (see pp. 115-116; cf pp. 98-102); “but Artyom had had a familiar vision [when] he saw Hunter … in the formless snowy-white garments” (p. 116; cf p. 62). In fact, Artyom has 10 dreams altogether (for reference to “his nightmares” see p. 105; cf p. 431): four involving Hunter (see pp. 32-33, 60-62, 174-175 [cf. his recollection of his dream p. 79, 186-188]); five of the tunnel (see pp. 230-231, 336-337, 371-372, 418-419, 430-431) that anticipate his final encounter (see pp. 454-458; for his recollection of them see pp. 440, 445); one that’s more like a premonition (pp. 273-275 [cf with his recollection of it p. 288]; cf pp. 311-320, 323-328; see pp. 100-101, 288). If, however, all of those dreams can be explained by the dark ones (see p. 457), how, then, are we supposed to understand Artyom’s first dream (pp. 32-33) when Hunter is alive? What about some of the strange occurrences, can they be explained by the dark ones (cf p. 457 to pp. 78-81 [cf pp. 100-102, 107-108, 437], 89-91 [see also p. 92], 95-96, 175, 260-261, 456; see pp. 435-436)?

Ø  Is the reader really supposed to accept the suggestion that the dark ones are well meaning (see pp. 22, 455-458)? I mean, if “the soft telepathic tentacles enabled it to caress any creation” (p. 456), why have they been scaring people (see pp.  35-36, 42, 44, 456; for references to their howling see pp.  439, 443)? More, if the dark ones know they’ll be attacked (see pp.  456, 458) but are intelligent and good (see pp. 22, 455-458), why, once they’ve found their “chosen one” (see pp. 455), do they continue attacking people (see pp. 276-277, 430, 439-440) who can’t understand them (see pp. 456-457), thus continuing “the senseless fratricidal hostility” (p. 458)?

Ø  There’s Artyom’s reference to “the bonfire at Alekseevskaya” (p. 457). When does this happen (see pp. 70-76)? Or was that part cut from Glukhovsky (2011/2010), etc.?

Anyway, it’s because of the problems above and the ridiculous fast pacing of the ending that I asked myself: Is Artyom insane or simply overwhelmed by everything (see p. 436)? Because, by the time he communicates with the dark ones (see pp. 454-458), he’s already desperate for meaning (see pp. 439) and, ultimately, fails to change the outcome which is the end of VDNKh (see pp. 431-433, 439) – and that should result in feelings of guilt, something which Artyom never talks about. So maybe he doesn’t feel guilty, but that sentiment[5] added to his desperation makes more sense in explaining why he removes “his gas mask” which is an invitation to suicide (p. 458). After all, his sudden attachment to the dark ones (pp. 454-458) “had … given meaning to his existence [but whose demise meant] that the light by which he would be able to illuminate his life and find his way would never appear again” (p. 458; cf p. 280).

The ending, however, also resulted in my losing interest in earlier parts of the story which now seemed overly long and boorish when, before, they seemed to be building toward something huge: the grand idea suggested in the notions of fate/providence/predestination/etc. (see pp. 48, 58, 60, 254-257, 434-437; cf p. 228). But, when you have that much build-up, you need an ending that can answer it, with the same kind of pacing. So, to me, the ending diminishes Glukhovsky (2011/2010)’s Metro 2033.

Artyom’s journey across the metro
Place	See Pages
Starting from VDNKh	67
Alexeevskaya	70-71
Rizhskaya[6]	67-68, 70-71, 83-84
Prospect Mir	89, 92-93, 95-96, 98 (cf 419, 439)
Sukharevskaya	85-86, 93, 103-104, 107,131, 135, 152, 255 (see 113)
They're somewhere in the “tunnel between Sukharevskaya and Turgenevskaya” and/or Prospect Mir.[7]	86 (cf 93, 111) and/or  107, 134
Turgenevskaya	117, 119-120, 134 (see 141)
Kitai Gorod	120, 127-128, 131, 133, 136, 141, 144, 148, 151-152, 177
Kuznestsky Most	155, 158, 165, 167-169
Tverskaya	183
Paveletskaya	206-209, 213-215, 220, 224-225
Paveletskaya “on the Ring” (p. 230) or Paveletskaya Ring (p. 221)	220-221, 224-225
Dobryninskaya	227-228, 230
He goes “from the [Serpukhovskaya] station into a tunnel, but which of the four, he did not know” (p. 232); but it takes him to ““the Watch Tower.””	232-235
Polyanka[8]	220, 247
Borvitskaya (one station of Polis[9])	261, 264, 278
Arbatskaya	263, 267, 277-278 (see 275-276)
outside of the metro	280-329
Smolenskaya	309, 311, 323-324, 326, 328-329, 331, 334-335, 339
Kievskaya	338, 340-343, 349-351, 355, 363, 367-368, 357-358, 360, 382
Park Pobedy	341-342, 347, 349, 353, 360, 366-368, 393
They’re in the tunnel between Kievskaya and Mayakovskaya: likely the “Metro-2” (p. 393; see p. 333), maybe ““beneath Tverskaya”” (p. 414) but certainly past “the Kremlin” (see pp. 403, 410, 414-415, 417) and ““Genshtab”” (see pp. 403, 406).	392-393
Mayakovskaya	322, 422-423 (cf 338)
Byelorusskaya	426-428 (cf 338)
Byelorusskaya Ring	428
Prospect Mir	419, 439 (cf 89, 92-93, 95-96, 98)
“They were crossing to the Kaluzhka-Rizhskaya line” (p. 432), but end up at Rizhkaya and Alekseevskaya.[10]	437
VDNKh	437
Ending outside the metro	448-458

[1] We know that Zhenya (first mention p. 29; for reference as Zhenkina see p. 452), the other friend responsible for the problems involving the dark ones (see pp. 28-32), is killed (see pp. 437-439).

[2] Consider these two important details: “Artyom … trying to identify the distant figures through the fogged window of his gas mask” (p. 291, italics added); “his … face was not entirely visible beneath the plastic visor of the gas mask” (p. 322). So how could either man easily identify him?

[3] While Glukhovsky (2011/2010) fails to include the detail that Ulman (first mention p. 403) and Artyom are suited up, the mention of specific equipment (pp. 421, 424-425) and the fact that “Ulman took the heavy helmet off his head” when they’re at Mayakovskaya (p. 422) suggests they are (cf pp. 286-288, 292); but Ulman’s question to Artyom raises doubts (see p. 433). Related failures, though, include not explaining why they’d be suited up before leaving around D-6 (see pp. 333, 357, 363, 422; for typo as D6 see p. 331; cf p. 417; cf map for locations of “sections running above ground” near Mayakovskaya); if they’re still partially or fully suited up, as there are no references to anything else being removed; and if other people notice (see pp. 423-424, 426-433, 437-441), though, on approaching VDNKh, Artyom offers a different reason for why he thinks he’s seen “as a madman” (see p. 437).

[4] Cf with this direction in one of Artyom’s nightmares about the tunnel: ““Don’t run … Look into the eyes of your fate …””a dry, rustling voice whispered into his ear [which turned out to belong to] a dark one” (p. 431).

[5] Although a feeling of guilt is suggested with the description that Artyom experiences “some oppressive feeling, an intangible and inexpressible anguish, like something heavy pressing on his chest, not allowing him to breathe deeply” (p. 455), this is actually the result of the dark ones (see pp. 455-458; cf p. 245).

[6] There’s some confusion with Glukhovsky (2011/2010). For example, plans are made to travel to Christy Prudy (p. 127; for variation on spelling see p. 139; see p. 134), Pushinskaya (pp. 162, 165, 176-177), and Chekhovskaya (p. 162). For whatever reason, though, Artyom never passes through them; however, we also aren’t told why which suggests that Glukhovsky (2011/2010) was uncertain about the physical navigation of the story, thus forgetting or eliding stations, etc.

[7] If Prospect Mir isn’t a mistake, then Turgenevskaya is – that or it’s a failure on the part of Glukhovsky (2011/2010) to navigate the reader.

[8] But what happened to Dobryninskaya which he would’ve had to pass through based on the map?

[9] For references to the navigation planning for Polis see pp. 67-69, 71-76, 78, 86, 116-121, 162, 434, 437.

[10] There’s nothing in the text to indicate if this is the same place or not, and Kaluzhka isn’t on the map.