"The city is burning, Bill Gates informs us, shots are ringing out, but two chess players are continuing their game, mesmerized by enthusiasm."
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Russian (Re: Jagger, Mick) by Vytenis Rožukas Trafford Publishing
book review by Michael Radon
A group of ten writers on a train from Lisbon to Saint Petersburg craft a bizarre and horrifying story about the world's most influential stars. Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Bill Gates, and others are interested in purchasing a city in Europe in order to create an Empire of Art where creativity is the chief export. The fiery Jagger and the calculated McCartney are united in their beliefs but at odds over the love of Annette Hess, the Siamese twin daughter of Rudolf Hess, Hitler's once-deputy. Mick decides to forego the life of mega-stardom in order to understand the mind of the emigrant, living on the streets, and fighting for resources and respect in an unfamiliar land. As the Empire of Art struggles to get on its feet, Mick Jagger is doing whatever he can to earn the love of the capricious Annette.
This surreal "film novel" is chock full of evocative imagery and webs of stream-of-consciousness dialogue that will bring readers to ask deep philosophical questions. Each section of the book, intended to be written by a different author on the Literary Express train headed eastbound through Europe, is framed by an alternative hierarchy of needs that the rock stars are teaching to their fans. While the book mostly focuses on McCartney, Jagger, Hess, and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, other celebrities like Cat Stevens, Sean Lennon, and filmmaker Jonas Mekas play pivotal roles in this story. This avant-garde title is truly one of a kind and suggested for those looking to have their ideals and worldview challenged.