Andrew Kurkov's poignant tale of a lonely obit journalist who adopts a penguin from a defunct Soviet zoo just totally and utterly depressed me. The story revolves around a writer who finds his options sorely limited until he can practice his gift by writing obituaries for luminaries prior to their deaths. His work seems a little shady, and he eventually gets involved with criminal elements that put him and his penguin (named Misha) in danger.
