The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin by PS Cottier and NG Hartland

This quirky little book will readily draw you in. It looks like a collection of short stories, with each chapter headed with a person’s name and a country; but these are not authors’ names, they are the names of 16 different Putin look-alikes, one of whom has only one leg. It is such a bizarre premise, inspired by news reports of Putin substitutes standing in, on occasion, for the Russian president when he has more important business to attend to. Yes, one of the Putins has only one leg!

Each Putin substitute waits, on the ready, for the time when he will required to assume his post, appreciating the regular stipend in the meantime, and sometimes even running a side business exploiting his fortuitous resemblance. Or maybe it is not so fortuitous, as some come to realise; perhaps there are unknown persons ready to attack the president; certainly there are those ready to vent abuse at him in local encounters.

The idea of these men waiting their time, in different places around the world, but waiting in vain for an event that never comes, reminded me of the absurdism of ‘Waiting for Godot’. This little novella, for all its apparent simplicity, explores similar themes of identity, purpose, and meaning of life. As one continues to read, the stories do connect in an overall story arc, with the characters in the first two stories also bookending the last, and the reader recalls elements of story that recur. It’s clever and fun and will leave you thinking about it all afterwards.

The two authors seem to meld together; it’s not possible to distinguish one voice from another. It’s a truly collaborative effort. The originality of the idea and the competence of its execution have made it a worthy winner of the 2024 20/40 prize presented by Finlay Lloyd Publishers, alongside the non-fiction Tremor by Sonya Voumard. Past winners of this prize have also been excellent; see Ravenous girls by Rebecca Burton and Ladies’ rest and writing room by Kim Kelly. The books are all beautifully presented with intriguing covers and inside book flaps to hold your place. Any of them would make a perfect Christmas present for a book lover.

Themes: Identity, Body double, Fake, Vladimir Putin.

Helen Eddy