Set in 1930s Russia, this darkly humorous, tragic, and ultimately heroic novel tells the tale of Vladimir, an eight-year-old Russian boy suddenly stricken with a chronic case of the hiccups. He soon finds himself spirited away to a Moscow hospital by the famous physician Sergei Namestikov, who puts him through a series of extraordinary—and often bizarre—treatments in an effort to find a cure. When Sergei’s chief medical rival, the brilliant Alexander Afiniganov, discovers that beneath Vladimir’s blank eyes lurks a pure, unbridled evil, he takes steps to remove the child from polite society. Abandoned by everyone but his hiccups, Vladimir decides to return to the world he once knew, encountering many strange people and situations along the way. Funny, poignant, and surreal, this is a close look at the nature of good and evil filled with a dazzling cast of characters.
Review
"Each sentence is a tiny masterpiece." —Robin Shapiro, author, Dead Politician Society and Death Plays Poker
"A beautifully written novel, part folk tale, part parable, caught between inhalation and exhalation, like a hiccup in the throat." —Will Ferguson, author, Happiness
"The Last Hiccup is a loopy epic of Vonnegutian proportions, by turns pleasingly daffy, menacingly weird, and unpredictably poignant. Meades gives me much hope for the future of surreal CanHumLit (Canadian humour literature)." —Corey Redekop, author, Shelf Monkey
"Meades reveals himself [as] a gifted writer, deft with descriptions splashing surrealistic images. . . . An allegorical tale ripe with symbolism." —Kirkus Reviews (April 2012)
"This novel will amuse and touch lovers of original literature, both light and serious." —Library Journal (April 2012)
"The clean plotline and wacky, dark humor carry readers through every stage of his unusual story. . . . A strange and surprisingly touching novel about how people find good and evil where they look for them." —Booklist (April 2012)
About the Author
Christopher Meades is the author of The Three Fates of Henrik Nordmark and the short story "The Walking Lady," which was awarded the Toyon Fiction Prize. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.