The Haimosaurus Rex
“Ah, the Mountain Jews. In their hilly isolation and single-minded devotion to clan and Yahweh, they seem to me prehistoric, premammalian even, like some clever miniature dinosaur that once schlepped across the earth, the Haimosaurus rex.” (Prologue)
This quote reveals Misha's perspective on the group of Jews living in the mountains of the Soviet frontier of Absurdsvanï. He sees their isolated lifestyle and simple dedication to their God to be oddly anachronistic in the modern world. Misha sees these people as an odd, rare, entertaining phenomenon, like a tiny dinosaur.
A Graceful Bird
“I don’t think I can fly like a graceful bird or like a rich American superhero.” (Prologue)
Dr. Levine, Misha's therapist, has attempted to make Misha understand that he has to keep his feet firmly grounded in reality. Misha, however, loves to "fly" metaphorically, releasing himself from the constraints of reality and seeing a glorious possible future. This flight, however, is not graceful, as this simile points out - it moves in the same way Misha does everything: awkwardly and erratically, but moving along all the same.
A Fat Beam of Light
“I pass like a fat beam of light through dollar stores selling T-shirts from the eighties and fake Rocawear sweatpants” (Prologue).
This quote comes from Misha's description of the way he "flies" through reality, imagining glorious futures, much to the chagrin of his therapist. The simile of a "fat beam of light" reflects Misha's view of himself and his awkward presence as well as the immaterial nature of his fantasy. It's a skillful simile, incorporating Misha's dreams and his realistic self-awareness in a single phrase.
African Exchange Students
“Now, fellows, why do you have to sing like African exchange students?” - The Pushkin-Lover (Ch. 1)
Misha and his best friend, Alyosha-Bob, like to rap in their free time. They're not particularly good, and the syntax of their lyrics is atrocious. A respectable Russian gentleman, in response, asks them why they engage in such harsh, unartistic "singing" when they could be as eloquent as Pushkin? The simile emphasizes the Pushkin-lover's perception of rap as a low form of art, not fit for respectable society. The boys respond by saying that if Pushkin were alive today, he would be a rapper.
A Piece of Modern Sculpture
“I fell down on a hard plastic chair that twisted and torqued beneath my weight like a piece of modern sculpture.” (Ch. 1)
This sentence describes the act of Misha sitting down. Vigorously anticipating his upcoming meal of kebabs, he sits down heavily with excitement, causing the unprepared chair to warp like a piece of modern art. This humorous simile both accentuates Misha's weight and makes a witty remark about the nature of modern art.
