A novel by a young Ukrainian writer Vitaliy Dulenko, «Lighthouse», has been published by «KSD». Although the author is relatively well known for his works on the Internet, this is his first full-fledged publication, and with such a large publishing house. It’s great that we have new names, and it’s even better that young Ukrainian writers are increasingly being noticed. But how did your debut turn out? Does the novel really resemble the works of Stephen King, as the author himself has repeatedly noted, and is this book worth buying?
Author Vitaliy Dulenko
Publisher KSD
Language Ukrainian
Number of pages 288
Cover Solid
Year of publication 2024
Size 135×205 mm
Website bookclub.ua
Daniil is going through a hard time. He was kicked out of the newspaper for a scandalous article, and then he «paused» with his ex-girlfriend Nastya. As a result, Daniil has no job, no home, and no lover. The hero gets a job as a lighthouse keeper in a small town by the sea. This is his chance to be alone with his thoughts, to understand himself, to take a break from people and think about what to do next.
But the locals are definitely not telling him something, and some of his new friends seem to be afraid to sail to the island where the lighthouse is located, let alone go inside. He likes the majestic structure, and his work is calming. However, either the hero is driving headlong or the lighthouse seems to be alive and talking to him. And then there are these eerie visions. There is definitely a mystery here, and Danylo sets out to solve it.
Judging by the description of «Lighthouse» and some of the author’s references to Stephen King, I already had a rough idea of what awaited me as a reader. And indeed, the King of Horror’s style is clearly evident here: digging into an unhappy childhood; gradual build-up of the story, intrigue, the supernatural interspersed with the hero’s mental state, suspense, many references to various brands, ascetic but vivid description.
We’ve read all of this before, but if it’s done well, why not read it again? And this is exactly the case. Moreover, in this genre, all paths lead to Mr. King, so what now, not to read mystery at all?
In some reviews of «Lighthouse», I’ve seen comparisons to «The Shining». I think they were probably referring to the gradual madness of the characters in those two works, as well as the humanization of the «Overlook» hotel and the lighthouse. Then there is indeed something to it. But for some reason, «Lighthouse» immediately reminded me of «Duma Island». In my opinion, the new novel has significantly more vibes with this work.
«Lighthouse» is only partially comparable to the work of Stephen King. To a greater extent, this is a purely Ukrainian work that reminded me of the best novels by Vasyl Shklyar, Andriy Kokotiukha, and the Kapranov brothers.
Because while we don’t always understand King’s characters and their environment because we don’t live in America, Danylo from «Lighthouse» is our guy. He lives in 2010, he is also being ripped off by Yanukovych, sees where his country is going, eats the same food, drinks the same coffee, rides the same buses, trains, etc. He is understandable, he is his own. And this makes the empathy with this character literally immediately reach the heavens. However, later on, the character becomes outright annoying and nerve-wracking, and even a little disgusting. You have to go through this because the author will more or less adequately reveal such changes in the finale.
The other characters are fleshed out, and most importantly, you believe them. I can’t say that they directly create powerful empathy, but they are definitely not one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. They are also familiar, and we see their images and types every day on the streets of our cities, in libraries, coffee shops, or at work.
«Lighthouse» takes its atmosphere and mood from a psychological thriller with a touch of the supernatural. Everything here is literally gray, including the sea, the town near it, the lighthouse, the people, and other characters. The novel also has a touch of detective, which also adds to the book’s score.
As for the story itself, the plot is even banal, but it is still enough to interest the reader and make them turn the pages. Everything is also fine with logic, adequacy, and realism. Only at the end, there was a serious stumbling block related to the character of Nastya. But that’s just the way it is.
«Lighthouse» is written skillfully and simply. It is clear that this is not the author’s first work of this kind, he knows how to work with words and understands perfectly well what and how to present it. However, there is definitely room for improvement. I think we will see his evolution with each new work by Dulenko. The book is also small, so its 288 pages can be swallowed in just a day or two.
The publication itself is of high quality and has a wonderful atmospheric cover with a lighthouse. The paper is pleasant to the touch, and the font, as always in «KSD» books, is easy to read. Also, the miniature lighthouses at the beginning of each chapter are cool.
Seven years ago, «Lighthouse» would have definitely received the status of a «Ukrainian bestseller» in terms of accessibility of the text and its easy perception for the maximum number of people. It would have been sold alongside the aforementioned Kokotyukha and Shklyar, but the author still needs to catch up to them. I hope it will become a bestseller today, but the modern Ukrainian reader is already spoiled, so now it’s just a good start, and I congratulate both Mr. Dulenko and the «KSD» publishing house.
