num_pages: 316
description: Ivan Chonkin is a simple, bumbling peasant who has been drafted into the Red Army. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, he is sent to an obscure village with one week's ration of canned meat and orders to guard a downed plane. Apparently forgotten by his unit, Chonkin resumes his life as a peasant and passes the war tending the village postmistress's garden. Just after the German invasion, the secret police discover this mysterious soldier lurking behind the front line. Their pursuit of Chonkin and his determined resistance lead to wild skirmishes and slapstick encounters.
language: English
title: The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin
titlecomplete: The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin (European Classics)
characters: Нюра Беляшева, Иван Чонкин
genres: 20th Century, Russia, Historical Fiction, Literature, World War II, Russian Literature, Classics, War, Fiction, Humor
ratings_count: 2467
places: Russia
series: Private Chonkin
publisher: Northwestern University Press